You have been a budding programmer, and now you want to enter the software industry. That is a significant step; after all, you want your dream job, right?

At Archi’s, we understand that getting that dream job in the dream industry is a crucial step and a much-anticipated one, but a critical factor for the success in the software industry is the mentoring people receive. Now, there are a whole lot of ways how you can approach a mentor, so we thought we should highlight the factors you should look for when you go mentor hunting!

a. The man on the white horse

First things first, always search a mentor depending on your need, and “I need a mentor”, does not qualify! You should be very specific and directed before hunting for mentors, or you are merely setting out fishing in a sea with a bucket! There are tons of people in the software industry who are doing tons of things, and for you to enter, sustain and excel in the tech world, you will need to have a good idea about yourself! There are multiple ways to discover your skills, based on which you can decide to search for a mentor from your dream role or even the dream company! A person from your dream job is more likely to guide you on areas where you will need to focus for excellence in the software industry.

b. A clear idea of time commitment and deliverables

The mentors you would contact will be busy. That is something we hope you are fully aware of, but a word of caution will not hurt, will it? So, let us say that you found a mentor from your dream role, and they agreed to mentor you. However, they are frequently behind schedule, have random tips for throwing off and are not as attentive as you thought they would be! Now, this should be a warning, right? It is! You should approach or confirm a mentor only when you are aware that they are aware of their commitments (We know that you know that we know that you know Ft. Joey and Phoebe!). In case you are reaching out to someone and they are not very clear about their commitments, please take the bold step and list down your expectations from them. Tell or ask them if they will be willing and able to commit the time and resources toward you, and you can always thank you later!

c. The rescue brigade

You did your research, you asked for commitments, and you thought you found ‘the one’. However, they keep talking to you as if you know nothing! You know — the person who micromanages- yes that! Avoid being with mentors who want to micromanage you on every step of the way. However, wait, are not helping mentors awesome? Yes! They are, but not the micromanager and the ones who think they need to rescue you! They will end up making you a dependent person, and you will kill your creative ideas. Moreover, we have discussed how vital creativity in the software industry is!

d. The all-chemist

Are you with the person who does not let you correct them or have you tried saying something to your mentor, but you were shot down? We have bad news for you: good mentors are usually open to ideas! This openness in the mentoring symbolizes that they have internal curiosity which in turn will benefit you in the long run. So, if you are with a person who thinks they know-it-all, take our suggestion and start looking for a new mentor! However, before you can do all that, you need to find your strength and capacity, which will help you get that dream job and sustain in the software industry. So take some tests and get hunting!