Joining a Mentoring Programs

Hello fellow campers and Happy New Years!

So I have been on the fence about joining a job mentorship program, more specifically Pathrise. I understand there are many other similar companies which provide training/mentoring on landing a job in tech.

I am well aware that I can do all of this on my own but I feel this the program will give me an edge while providing accountability and a support system.

Have anyone ever participated in a cohort of this type or know anyone who has?

Your input is greatly appreciated. :pray:

Hello @simonxiong, happy new years to you too!

I was part of a program that paired us with a mentor and I personally didn’t find it very useful. My mentor was an older IT manager, while I was an up and coming developer who wanted to focus on coding. I met my mentor one time, communicated with them a little afterward and that was it.

One of the main reasons I didn’t find it very useful was I didn’t know how to leverage it, or utilize my mentors experience with what I was going through at the time. (which was imposture syndrome, and trying to learn everything under the sun)

I eventually found my peers (some interns, other students, some entry level co-workers) where better resources when it came to what I wanted which is more experience, exposure and more “surface area” when it came to learning new things. Some of the “most useful people” I met where fellow students doing their own thing figuring out their own stuff.

If you do sign up for a mentor-ship (I have no experience with Pathrise) be sure to have a firm understanding as to what your going to get, and what you expect and adjust accordingly. It could be a great experience, or it could be a bust. Just remember there are always developers out there in a similar situation, you just need to find them. :wink:

FreeCodeCamp is filled with a good amount of people trying to code and other types of developers, I’m not sure if that’s your cup of tea, but I’ve found it a good resources :slight_smile:

Good luck with what ever you end up doing :smile:

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I agree that I’ve generally had the best luck organically growing my own network of mentors and colleagues. YMMV

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I appreciate the input Brad. 100% agree that the effectiveness of these programs will depend greatly on ones own efforts. Honestly, I’m pretty good with being self-motivated and disciplined. However, I feel that I need more extrinsic modivation(strange as it sound). :sweat_smile:

Who knows, maybe this was just a “new year, new me” impulse. I’m leaning towards setting the program aside and seeing how far I can go by just pushing myself harder in “putting myself out there”. Fortunately the community is huge with many helpful resources/individuals. I must come to the realization that the path will never be clear cut and one have to keep tweaking/adjusting to see what works in the journey. :+1:

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