Why should someone mentor? 6

[Ashereng]

It has been suggested in many posts that new and inexperienced people need to go find a mentor. That is true, and good advise. I agree with this whole heartily.

On the other foot, why should I take on a mentoring role? Especially if my company does not have a mentorship program, and my time and effort in mentoring will not be recognised?

Disclaimer: This is just a hypothetical question.

"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
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[csd72]

The biggest reason for mentoring is to ensure that the person working under you learns how to do things properly.

It should eventually pay for itself in terms of a more competent engineer that can be trusted to carry out work unsupervised.

csd

 

[IRstuff]

There's more to it than jsut "bad" management. There's lots of insecurity as well. We're all human, and worry about losing our jobs, etc. Giving aid to a new hire is potentially loading the gun that lays you off to keep the cheaper, younger, you in the job you used to have.

However, the flip side is that you wind up over-worked and under-appreciated anyway, so lightening your load by have some young whiz kid who doesn't mind working overtime seems to be a good idea to me.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[sundale]

One should mentor simply to "pay it back".

I will freely admit that I was "as dumb as a bag of hammers" when I graduated engineering school 17 years ago. I would not be where I am today without the patience and guidance that I received (and still receive) from older and typically wiser engineers.

I feel that it is somewhat selfish to intentionally withold guidence or knowledge from a younger engineer if they truly want to learn something from you. This depends somewhat on the company culture though.

 

[Ashereng]

Thanks everyone. All good points.

Just to keep the post on track - the OP asks what is in "it" for the mentor, and not for the company or the person being mentored.

Keep up the good comments.

"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[KENAT]

Karma, do unto others, as you sow so shall you reap...

What you give so shall you receive, basically if I teach/mentor my interns well for the first couple of months then the ones that are good will more than repay it in the rest of their time here. While mainly to the companies benefit it does benefit me in that I have someone to delegate to etc.

The problem is when they don't catch on quickly and here I do have sympathy for the 2 Engineers in kchayfie situation. When you are under a lot of short term pressure it's sometimes difficult to keep your eye on the longer game. The whole 'teach a man to fish...' philosophy is something I try to bear in mind but sometimes it's difficult, especially when many tasks aren't repetitious as such, why teach them something that's probably only a one off in the time they're here.

Our interns are here for 6 months and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't frustrating that you take the time and effort to get them up to speed and then they go.

Anyway, good timing on this thread as we just got 2 new interns, it hasn't started well. We found out after it had been arranged but before they started that they are boyfriend & girlfriend. At lunch someone saw her sitting on his lap in the lunch room or somewhere and they had to be given the talk!

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[apsix]

Look around, effective society relies on altruism and volunteers. Mentoring is part of that sharing.

 

[calguy07]

i'm a young engineer and there's an APEGGA mentoring program that i'm a part of. i think its a good idea. i like interacting with people that have been where i'm trying to go and draw from their experiences. its true that you learn better from your own mistakes but surely not all the time. i think you should mentor someone because although you don't owe it to that person, you owe it to the profession and maintaining its standards...i intend to mentor someday...

 

[KENAT]

Only a fool learns from their own mistakes, a wise person learns from others mistakes.

Of course a complete fool never learns...

KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[PSE]

Why should you mentor (in the extreme)?

The life you save just might be your own.

Regards,

 

[Amphoteric]

Assuming the hypothetical mentor is not at the end of their career, it could easily pay back in networking.

SHORT TERM: If you mentor someone you will learn how good they are and what they can and can't do. You'll know if you want to snag them on your future projects or avoid them. And if you have work that you want to put on a junior person, they will be comfortable checking in with you first when they've got nothing to do.

Additionally, you two could become friends in the conventional sense of the word (Especially since it's not always a 62 year old mentoring a new graduate! You just need two people of similar ages but different experiences).

LONG TERM: If you and the mentee stay in the same company, a few years down the road the mentee may become a valuable ally, technically and/or politically. If the mentee goes to another company, you've got a foot in the door if you want to snoop around for an interview.

 

[VeryPicky]

I think, the most important question I always have to ask myself is: is it coaching or is it mentoring? Most of you Esteemed Ladies und Gentlemen are very eloquently touching on "teaching the right way and ensuring the "young ones" follow our ways".
I am not that youg anymore and continuously find myself in both roles: the mentor and the protegee. The process does not seem to stop for me. However, I must say, my mentoring experience from both perspectives does not really teach me any technical aspects of professionalism. It is more about soft skills and empowerment. Funny, again, in both roles it makes me feel good. And, I prefer informal mentoring athough APEGGA is doing a great job, too.

Mentoring is based on theory of abundance (S. Covey). There is enough of life experiences to share them with others.

Putting Human Factor Back in Engineering

 

[swivel63]

because someone took me in when i a green engineer.

 

[bvanhiel]

Because someday I want to get promoted and have the mentee do my job.

 

[plasgears]

My first mentor was a great guy, tolerant, expert, and patient. We socialized after a while.

I have mentored many younger engineers. One in particular was an MME from U/IL. His masters work was in fracture mechanics, and he helped introduce it to the company. I wrote it into my product design, and it got the attention of the USAF. We help educate Wright Field, and numerous redesigns ensued mostly in the area of fracture tolerant wing structures.

So, you can learn a great deal from mentoring the right young engineer.

 

[SomptingGuy]

Some companies pay the professional fees for people who mentor. Mine (I think) does.

 

[Maui]

You are already a mentor Ashereng. The replies that you have posted on this website are evidence of that.

Maui

 

[Ashereng]

Yes Maui, I guess I am.

The question was hypothetical.

Sometimes, I do things without really thinking about the reason(s).

"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?