Reflections on a first year of being a MuleSoft Mentor
I was browsing a social media platform recently and came across someone talking in scientific terms about time as a concept. Now I think I was already familiar with what he was saying as, at heart I think, I have a scientific brain but it did get me thinking about the concepts and implications in terms of the last year as I often do when we are approaching the end of a calendar year. More on this later.
In terms of work this has been quite a significant year as it has been my first year as a MuleSoft Mentor and I have also been working with my mentor on a journey towards becoming, hopefully, a MuleSoft Ambassador. But is has also been an interesting year in terms of learning and personal development. I have always been a great believer in lifelong learning and I try to learn something, even if it’s a small something, from every task I engage in and this year I have continued to take certifications to ensure that I understand the work that I do but also the challenges that other people face. Some certifications I definitely didn’t need to do, they are not the mainstream of my work, but it helps me to understand the day-to-day work of the people I work with. It is also fascinating to know about the whole MuleSoft ecosystem so that I can engage meaningfully with conversations that may not be the crux of my responsibilities. The exams were challenging but rewarding and I will leave this year with four new certifications and one more exam to be completed. The challenge after that will be where to go next with the learning pathway as the evolution of the MuleSoft platform, especially in the area of AI moves so quickly.
Now, time as a concept which I mentioned at the top of this article, is interesting and the person I was listening to basically stated, and it was a lot more complex than this, that there is no past and there is no future in respect of time. All we have from the past is memories and history is just a collection of people’s memories which we can neither prove nor disprove. History is but a consensus of those memories. Likewise, there is no future as it hasn’t happened yet so we have no idea what it will bring. All we really have is the present — what is happening now. As a concept and looking at this purely scientifically I suppose we have to agree but time to me is also relative, and I am not going to talk about the theory of relativity here! What I mean is that recent history, made up of memories of what happened, is more certain that history that may have happened ten, twenty or a hundred years ago as people’s memories of what happened goes from mental memories to written memories as time progresses. Written memories, within a generation, are fewer than mental memories as only a small amount of the people present will commit their memories to a permanent media and so these people get to write history as it were.
Fortunately, technology now makes this easier in the form of both words — blogs, websites etc and also vlogs such as YouTube, Facebook and other Social Media platforms so the volume of recorded will increase as the technology available to record them becomes easier and more available. At this point its worth remembering that anything that is published to social media will stay there for a long time. This will be the history of the future if that makes sense.
I suppose you could argue that my personal recollections of the past year from a work perspective will contribute to the history of the API Integration Services team within the Network Rail Digital Factory but I’m proud of what we have achieved as a team and happy that I have been able to make my personal contributions.
From a personal perspective it has been great to get out and speak to people across the MuleSoft community both on the World Tour in Excel London and at the Public sector conference at the London Magazine. I enjoy these opportunities to speak about the great work that the team has done and also meet other people who are interested in our journey to setting up, what I think is, a great Centre for Enablement. From the feedback I have received so far I think other people across the MuleSoft community as well as the UK Rail Industry are impressed as well. I certainly hope that we can move on to spreading the word further afield in 2024. I must say that some people have said to me that standing in front of an audience is petrifying to them but, as long as I know what I am talking about, which I hope I do every time I present, then it can be a very enjoyable and rewarding experience.
This year, 2023, is the second year of Operational status for the team and has seen us build and develop on the foundations that we established when we implemented the MuleSoft AnyPoint platform. Throughout the year I have written a blog on Medium.com and Another Integration Blog on our journey with the Centre for Enablement playbook from the MuleSoft Catalyst methodology which seems to have been well received and I hope it has helped others who are earlier on the same path.
I decided late in the year to take some of this material across to YouTube for those that prefer shorter more visual presentation of information. I hope to continue this in the New Year after a short break due to work commitments. And speaking of this its been a busy year followed by a hectic end to the year due to where we are in the Network Rail funding cycle.
So, during 2023 some of the main integrations we have delivered have seen significant benefits for Network Rail and in some cases the general public. I hope to be able to talk more specifically about some of the benefits we have been able to achieve next year where I get the opportunity and I am looking forward to some of the opportunities that the new Network Rail funding period will bring when it starts in April 2024.
In particular I am looking forward to getting out to visit people in person again with people showing more enthusiasm to return to the office even if this is on a restricted basis. There are a few key themes that have presented themselves this year and I will conclude this short article with them in the hope that they may spark thought for the reader.
From a MuleSoft Mentor perspective
No one size, one plan or one methodology will suit all implementations of MuleSoft. The message is you must understand the organisation you are working within as it will probably be far more complex than you first thought.
Carefully considered and managed governance of your Integration capability will pay dividends in the long run. It is still perfectly possible to use MuleSoft to implement the Point to Point integrations that you are trying to eliminate / avoid.
Certifications are no substitute for experience. Don’t assume that because someone has a certification that they will be good at that job. Everyone can benefit from a Mentor.
Not everyone is happy to talk in front of an audience but, if you can, then do it as the rewards are great. If you can’t then write about whatever is your passion. People will be interested.
If possible, relate stories of success and how your work has led to customer benefits. Not all material has to be technical. We use the tools we have to achieve a goal and to make things ‘real’.
From a personal perspective
Understand the people you are working with and be there for them when they are in need. You do not know what is going on in people’s personal life and they may appear to be in a much different state to what they are. Be tolerant and understanding as it may be you that needs help one day. It was me at one point this year and I didn’t get the support I expected but family got me through.
Work / Life balance is incredibly important. Get this wrong at your own peril.
Every morning you have a choice about your attitude and mood for that day. You decide how your day will be!
Lifelong study, not necessarily certifications or exams, is fun and will help to understand things that you thought you had no chance of understanding. Even if you are an expert in an area there is always something to learn.
Finally, and I suppose it’s a cliché now — Have fun, enjoy what you do and you will never work a day in your life.
Happy Christmas to everyone and its going to be a great New Year.
