How Mentoring Transformed Me into a Better Engineer
In 2021– 2022, an opportunity arose for me to become a mentor in my company’s junior engineering program. While it seemed like a great chance, I couldn’t help but feel scared and nervous. As the only female among a group of engineering mentors, and with the least experience of them all, I was plagued by imposter syndrome. Sharing my concerns with the program organizer, they reassured me that I could always opt out if mentoring didn’t suit me. Encouraged by their support, I took a deep breath, recited positive affirmations to myself, and accepted the role of mentor.
To be honest, I had no idea what I was getting into. Mentoring was uncharted territory for me, and I never saw myself as someone capable of guiding others in their career paths. However, one thing was clear: I wanted to give back. Having learned so much from my own experiences as a junior in the tech industry, I felt compelled to pass on my knowledge to someone who could benefit from it.
I was assigned a female junior mentee who had some industry experience and a strong desire to learn and grow. Our fortnightly one-on-one sessions became a platform for discussing her progress, addressing any obstacles she encountered, clarifying technical concepts, and navigating team dynamics. I was determined to support her in every way possible. To stay updated with her learnings, I created a shared Trello board where we both contributed cards about our insights and experiences. I shared relevant resources and links, and even set personal career goals for her. Her primary objective was to secure a promotion, so we worked diligently together — conducting weekly check-ins, exchanging messages on Slack, receiving Trello notifications of her progress, and I even learned topics I wasn’t familiar with to help her succeed.
After six months, the junior engineering program came to an end, concluding our official mentoring sessions. However, those six months turned out to be the most rewarding period of my career. I gained a wealth of knowledge and developed valuable skills. I learned to be proactive, improved my time management abilities, and honed my capacity for kindness and active listening. And here’s the exciting part — my mentee requested to continue our mentoring relationship outside the program, and I gladly agreed. Not only did she achieve her goal of promotion, but her success felt like my own victory. To all the apprehensive female engineers who doubt their capabilities — stop engaging in negative self-talk. Trust me, if I could do it, so can you.
