We recently caught up with one of our mentors, Amandine Eap, to have a chat about her experience of mentoring, the benefits that she has gotten from it, how often she meets her mentee and her advice for anyone considering becoming a mentor.
Why did you decide to mentor someone?
I was approached by one of the founders of the mentoring program. We used to work on CoderDojo sessions together through one of my previous roles. I was honoured by the invitation, excited by the idea and as soon as the program was launched I was glad to be a part of it.
Have you ever been mentored yourself?
I have had roles where I’ve had support from lead / senior developers where required but not so much prior to starting my career. There is career guidance you can get help with at university but I am not sure I took advantage of it myself.
Who do you mentor and what do you mentor them about?
I mentor students from both Glasgow and Edinburgh cohorts. When we were allowed to, we would meet in person down at the pub for a meal / drink and chat but lately it’s all been done over video calls! Chats vary from one person to another but we touch on just about everything and anything related to what they’ve learned during the course of the program, whether they have any worries regarding upcoming interviews or discuss the type of role or companies that might suit them best… along with personal interests!
How often do you meet your mentee?
That depends, some I have just met once & others I still chat to on a regular basis a good few years after we first met!
How do you prepare to meet with your mentee?
We are matched mentee to mentor by email and a few back and forth emails are usually exchanged at first, then a meeting is arranged but I am always available and ready to answer any questions the mentee might have right away!
How has mentoring benefited your life?
It’s allowed me to meet people from different backgrounds, with different interests and strengths. They end up in very different roles across the industry and it’s nice to catch up now and then and find out more about their role / company / day to day. It helps me grow personally and professionally and I’m always impressed by the wide knowledge and skills that they gain during the course. This industry never stops evolving, which involves constant advances in technologies and skills to learn!
Has mentoring surprised you in any way?
I am always impressed by the amount of knowledge that’s being covered in such a short amount of time. I definitely wish I had the chance to attend CodeClan instead of going to university at the time! The program seems to be ever improving and it shows in the chats I have with the mentees.
What do you enjoy the most about mentoring?
I really enjoy meeting people so it’s always a pleasure to chat to someone new that you have common interests and goals with. If I can provide them with any tips or insight into the industry at the same time, all the better!
What advice would you give someone considering mentoring?
My main advice to anyone considering mentoring is to just be yourself and something I like to remind my mentees is not to underestimate their previous work and life experiences as a lot of the skills are transferable from one industry to another.
