14 answers
L
Student
Woodbridge, Virginia
7
Questions
Updated
1031 views
When should I get a mentor? When should I become a mentor? I am in the middle ground of having valuable skills, but I do not master everything in my professional career.
When do I become a dedicated mentee? When do I devote time to mentoring someone? When do I take experience to a team and rely on group learning and not give it a formal title? I have a nice set of skills I would love to share but I don't have a great outlet to share them. I am by no means a master of the universe and would like to expand what I do, when should I focus on that? Can I be a mentor to someone while being mentored by someone at the same time?
Also how can I facilitate group learning on a team? How can I help people mentor each other?
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14 answers
Curt Wynn
Solution Engineer
3
Answers
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Updated
Curt’s Answer
Great question. Mentorship is all about bringing your own unique viewpoint and getting someone else's viewpoint. It is never to early to seek a mentor, and always great to give back. I personally missed the idea of a mentor until i was 35, wish I got on it earlier - it is a great relationship and one I try my best to give back with.
Its never to early to demonstrate thought leadership by becoming a leader and mentor to others. Learning as you go along, its not about perfection - it is about caring and sharing real world experiences.
Its never to early to demonstrate thought leadership by becoming a leader and mentor to others. Learning as you go along, its not about perfection - it is about caring and sharing real world experiences.
Steven Scott, PE, PMP, CCA
consultant
6
Answers
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Updated
Steven’s Answer
Try to find mentors both now and as you move through your career and life. Look for both formal mentors at work and informal ones. Choose people you admire and want to learn new skills from, as well as those who have achieved success. This will help you grow and shape your career faster. Focus on people whose roles and accomplishments match your interests, so you can learn from them.
Mitch DiClaudio
Software Engineer
5
Answers
Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania
Updated
Mitch’s Answer
You do not need to be a master in anything to be a mentor. Everyone has valuable experiences to share with others and you never know how one experience can be viewed by someone else.
Continued mentorship throughout your career is invaluable as you will always have an outlet to discuss different career opportunities or challenges. The recommendation would be to connect with someone who has similar interests and to share experiences with them.
Continued mentorship throughout your career is invaluable as you will always have an outlet to discuss different career opportunities or challenges. The recommendation would be to connect with someone who has similar interests and to share experiences with them.
Vincent Senawi
Managing Director
3
Answers
Scottsdale, Arizona
Updated
Vincent’s Answer
The best time to find a mentor is when you're trying something new, feeling unsure, or realizing you could use another viewpoint. A mentor can help you understand tough situations and build confidence faster than going it alone.
You can also become a mentor sooner than you think. You don't need to know everything. If you've learned something useful, made mistakes, or have a skill that could help others, you have something valuable to share. Mentoring is more about sharing what you know than being an expert.
Being in the middle is a great spot. You can learn from those ahead of you while helping someone a step behind. This balance keeps you growing and is one of the best parts of professional life. Enjoy the journey!
You can also become a mentor sooner than you think. You don't need to know everything. If you've learned something useful, made mistakes, or have a skill that could help others, you have something valuable to share. Mentoring is more about sharing what you know than being an expert.
Being in the middle is a great spot. You can learn from those ahead of you while helping someone a step behind. This balance keeps you growing and is one of the best parts of professional life. Enjoy the journey!
Margaret Lippincott
Scientist
22
Answers
Morrisville, Pennsylvania
Updated
Margaret’s Answer
Great question. It's always nice to have a mentor. You can also offer to be a mentor to those junior or less knowledgable about your specialty relative to yourself. While there is no set time frame for seeking or offering advice, a general rule is to reach out at least once a month to check in. Most of the mentees I have had were younger students and research technicians that I have worked with. It is clear which ones are receptive to teaching. When selecting a mentor you can find someone who knows about something you want to get involved in and ask them for advice . In my experiences most mentors I have had the pkeasure of working with were project partners or people in adjacent groups to my own research. What makes a good mentor is patience, openness to discuss a student's approach to a problem, and good listening skills. In addition to work, you can check online professional societies for events and mentoring/menteeing opportunities. You certainly can do both at the same time.
Thank you so much!
L
Christopher Wein
Vice President, Tax Strategy & Transformation
10
Answers
Annapolis, Maryland
Updated
Christopher’s Answer
Amazing question as this is the absolute core of any great working environment and in any industry. I'm going to try and give very quick and specific answers to your questions.
When do I become a dedicated mentee? This does not need to be a dedicated thing unless you learn best through an apprenticeship model - meaning that you shadow someone and do a step by step knowledge sharing type scenario. In my career I have learned best when having multiple types of this kind of relationship and have found that if you ask for help, knowledge or advice that people will be willing to help either directly or to point you in the right direction.
When do I devote time to mentoring someone? As soon as possible. I firmly believe that you don't fully understand something unless you are able to explain clearly and simply to someone else and have that person feel confident enough to absorb and apply the knowledge. This is both rewarding in the sense that your helping someone and helpful to you on pushing yourself to look at your knowledge/experience from a different perspective
When do I take experience to a team and rely on group learning and not give it a formal title? I have always been as transparent and open in every team I have had the pleasure to be on. There will be different reactions to that but I promise you there is no formal title for group learning on a delivery or project team. This type of sharing should come from everyone on a given team when they feel comfortable being themselves during the project/work.
I have a nice set of skills I would love to share but I don't have a great outlet to share them. I am by no means a master of the universe and would like to expand what I do, when should I focus on that? Seek out opportunities to get in front of anyone who will listen! Be a presenter both formally and informally at guild, groups, classrooms, lower schools (even elementary), and even online - be creative, there are no limits except the ones you put on yourself!
Can I be a mentor to someone while being mentored by someone at the same time? Yes - there is no limiting factor but time.
Also how can I facilitate group learning on a team? Ask questions, be curious and pause after explaining something to look at body language, ask if they want you to probe deeper or clarify something. From these answers and reactions - keep notes as this will be an outline for how you can close knowledge gaps on your team.
How can I help people mentor each other? Be open, be kind and give freely. This behavior is contagious and will always be seen in the right way.
When do I become a dedicated mentee? This does not need to be a dedicated thing unless you learn best through an apprenticeship model - meaning that you shadow someone and do a step by step knowledge sharing type scenario. In my career I have learned best when having multiple types of this kind of relationship and have found that if you ask for help, knowledge or advice that people will be willing to help either directly or to point you in the right direction.
When do I devote time to mentoring someone? As soon as possible. I firmly believe that you don't fully understand something unless you are able to explain clearly and simply to someone else and have that person feel confident enough to absorb and apply the knowledge. This is both rewarding in the sense that your helping someone and helpful to you on pushing yourself to look at your knowledge/experience from a different perspective
When do I take experience to a team and rely on group learning and not give it a formal title? I have always been as transparent and open in every team I have had the pleasure to be on. There will be different reactions to that but I promise you there is no formal title for group learning on a delivery or project team. This type of sharing should come from everyone on a given team when they feel comfortable being themselves during the project/work.
I have a nice set of skills I would love to share but I don't have a great outlet to share them. I am by no means a master of the universe and would like to expand what I do, when should I focus on that? Seek out opportunities to get in front of anyone who will listen! Be a presenter both formally and informally at guild, groups, classrooms, lower schools (even elementary), and even online - be creative, there are no limits except the ones you put on yourself!
Can I be a mentor to someone while being mentored by someone at the same time? Yes - there is no limiting factor but time.
Also how can I facilitate group learning on a team? Ask questions, be curious and pause after explaining something to look at body language, ask if they want you to probe deeper or clarify something. From these answers and reactions - keep notes as this will be an outline for how you can close knowledge gaps on your team.
How can I help people mentor each other? Be open, be kind and give freely. This behavior is contagious and will always be seen in the right way.
Jim Salyers
Industrial Maintenance Technician
6
Answers
Phoenix, Arizona
Updated
Jim’s Answer
When do you become a dedicated mentee vs. mentor?
You don't wait for a certificate. You become a mentee when you realize someone knows something you need to learn. You become a mentor when you've walked through enough fire that you can help someone else avoid the burns.
I'm a mechanic. I learned by breaking things, fixing them, and getting screwed over by people who should have taught me better. I became a mentor to younger techs when I realized I could save them from the mistakes that cost me thousands and damaged my reputation. You don't need to master the universe—just one corner of it well enough to light the path for someone behind you.
Can you be both? Absolutely.
Right now I'm dealing with a situation where I mentored a fleet owner on her vehicles, she ignored my warnings and destroyed a transmission, then blamed me. I'm eating the loss and walking away. But I'm also still learning—about contracts, about protecting myself, about when to cut losses. You're always both. The day you think you've got nothing left to learn is the day you become useless as a mentor.
Group learning without formal titles:
I do this with my team by just... talking. When we're elbow-deep in an engine, I explain what I'm seeing, why I'm checking this part first, how I know the last guy screwed up the torque specs. No classroom, no certificates—just showing your work out loud and inviting questions.
The best mentoring happens in the gaps. While you're waiting for parts. While you're cleaning up a mistake. While you're deciding whether to fight a battle or walk away. That's when the real lessons land.
My advice: Start before you're ready. Share what you know now, even if it's just "here's how I screwed this up so you don't have to." The students you're talking to don't need a master. They need someone a few steps ahead who's honest about the pitfalls.
You don't wait for a certificate. You become a mentee when you realize someone knows something you need to learn. You become a mentor when you've walked through enough fire that you can help someone else avoid the burns.
I'm a mechanic. I learned by breaking things, fixing them, and getting screwed over by people who should have taught me better. I became a mentor to younger techs when I realized I could save them from the mistakes that cost me thousands and damaged my reputation. You don't need to master the universe—just one corner of it well enough to light the path for someone behind you.
Can you be both? Absolutely.
Right now I'm dealing with a situation where I mentored a fleet owner on her vehicles, she ignored my warnings and destroyed a transmission, then blamed me. I'm eating the loss and walking away. But I'm also still learning—about contracts, about protecting myself, about when to cut losses. You're always both. The day you think you've got nothing left to learn is the day you become useless as a mentor.
Group learning without formal titles:
I do this with my team by just... talking. When we're elbow-deep in an engine, I explain what I'm seeing, why I'm checking this part first, how I know the last guy screwed up the torque specs. No classroom, no certificates—just showing your work out loud and inviting questions.
The best mentoring happens in the gaps. While you're waiting for parts. While you're cleaning up a mistake. While you're deciding whether to fight a battle or walk away. That's when the real lessons land.
My advice: Start before you're ready. Share what you know now, even if it's just "here's how I screwed this up so you don't have to." The students you're talking to don't need a master. They need someone a few steps ahead who's honest about the pitfalls.
I like the way you laid that out! Thank you!
L
Ivan Archie
Web developer and an entrepreneur
1
Answer
Freetown, Western Area, Sierra Leone
Updated
Ivan’s Answer
Great question — and the "middle ground" you describe is actually the most interesting place to be, because the answer is: both, now.
When to seek a mentor
You've hit a ceiling you can't see past. Your growth has plateaued and you're not sure why, or what the next level even looks like.
You're facing a decision with long-term consequences— a career pivot, a big promotion, starting something new — and you lack the pattern recognition that comes from experience.
You're making the same mistakes repeatedly. A mentor can spot blind spots you can't see yourself.
You're entering unfamiliar territory. New industry, new role, new type of challenge. Borrowing someone's map is smarter than redrawing it from scratch.
The bar isn't "I know nothing." It's "someone ahead of me could shorten my path significantly."
When to become a mentor
Someone a few steps behind you would genuinely benefit from what you've learned.** You don't need to be an expert
you need to be *further along that specific path.
You've made mistakes that are predictable and avoidable. Helping someone sidestep them is real value.
You can listen without needing to be right. Mentoring is coaching, not lecturing.
You want to deepen your own understanding. Teaching forces clarity. You'll discover gaps in your own thinking.
The bar isn't "I've mastered everything." It's "I have hard-won knowledge someone else could use."
The key insight for your situation
The middle ground is the mentor zone. Seniority isn't binary. You can seek mentorship upward (on what you haven't mastered) while offering mentorship downward (on what you have). Most effective professionals do both simultaneously — it keeps you humble and useful at the same time.
A good framing: be a mentor to your past self, and seek a mentor for your future self.
When to seek a mentor
You've hit a ceiling you can't see past. Your growth has plateaued and you're not sure why, or what the next level even looks like.
You're facing a decision with long-term consequences— a career pivot, a big promotion, starting something new — and you lack the pattern recognition that comes from experience.
You're making the same mistakes repeatedly. A mentor can spot blind spots you can't see yourself.
You're entering unfamiliar territory. New industry, new role, new type of challenge. Borrowing someone's map is smarter than redrawing it from scratch.
The bar isn't "I know nothing." It's "someone ahead of me could shorten my path significantly."
When to become a mentor
Someone a few steps behind you would genuinely benefit from what you've learned.** You don't need to be an expert
you need to be *further along that specific path.
You've made mistakes that are predictable and avoidable. Helping someone sidestep them is real value.
You can listen without needing to be right. Mentoring is coaching, not lecturing.
You want to deepen your own understanding. Teaching forces clarity. You'll discover gaps in your own thinking.
The bar isn't "I've mastered everything." It's "I have hard-won knowledge someone else could use."
The key insight for your situation
The middle ground is the mentor zone. Seniority isn't binary. You can seek mentorship upward (on what you haven't mastered) while offering mentorship downward (on what you have). Most effective professionals do both simultaneously — it keeps you humble and useful at the same time.
A good framing: be a mentor to your past self, and seek a mentor for your future self.
"A good framing: be a mentor to your past self, and seek a mentor for your future self." I really like that thank you so much!!
L
Samantha Rokicsak
Senior Consultant - Infrastructure & Real Estate
2
Answers
Boston, Massachusetts
Updated
Samantha’s Answer
First - I love this question!
On Being a Mentee
You don't need a formal title to seek guidance. If someone's work or career path inspires you, reach out. A simple coffee chat can evolve into a mentorship naturally. Dedicated mentorships work best when you have a specific goal in mind - a skill to develop, a career move to make, or a gap you know you need to close. When you can articulate what you want to learn, you're ready for a structured mentee relationship.
On Becoming a Mentor
You don't have to be a master to mentor someone. If you're even one or two steps ahead of someone else, you have something valuable to offer. The best mentors are those still actively learning themselves. Yes, you can absolutely be a mentor and a mentee at the same time. Many of the best professionals operate that way throughout their entire careers, as you can always learn something new!
On When to Focus on Expanding Your Own Skills
Always. Growth and giving back should not be competing priorities. Mentoring others often accelerates your own learning because teaching forces you to sharpen what you know. It also helps you with people management and soft skills as well.
On Group Learning and Peer Mentorship
You don't always need a formal program. Effective knowledge sharing happens through simple standard things. It could be a standing team lunch, a rotating "teach the team something" segment in a meeting, or even a shared document where people post lessons learned. It works best when you create a space where people feel comfortable sharing what they know without it feeling like another presentation to prepare for. It also allows for natural conversation and for full team to ask questions and be engaged in the content being shared.
Start small, start now, and don't wait for the perfect structure. Your willingness to share is already the most important attribute you need to succeed!
On Being a Mentee
You don't need a formal title to seek guidance. If someone's work or career path inspires you, reach out. A simple coffee chat can evolve into a mentorship naturally. Dedicated mentorships work best when you have a specific goal in mind - a skill to develop, a career move to make, or a gap you know you need to close. When you can articulate what you want to learn, you're ready for a structured mentee relationship.
On Becoming a Mentor
You don't have to be a master to mentor someone. If you're even one or two steps ahead of someone else, you have something valuable to offer. The best mentors are those still actively learning themselves. Yes, you can absolutely be a mentor and a mentee at the same time. Many of the best professionals operate that way throughout their entire careers, as you can always learn something new!
On When to Focus on Expanding Your Own Skills
Always. Growth and giving back should not be competing priorities. Mentoring others often accelerates your own learning because teaching forces you to sharpen what you know. It also helps you with people management and soft skills as well.
On Group Learning and Peer Mentorship
You don't always need a formal program. Effective knowledge sharing happens through simple standard things. It could be a standing team lunch, a rotating "teach the team something" segment in a meeting, or even a shared document where people post lessons learned. It works best when you create a space where people feel comfortable sharing what they know without it feeling like another presentation to prepare for. It also allows for natural conversation and for full team to ask questions and be engaged in the content being shared.
Start small, start now, and don't wait for the perfect structure. Your willingness to share is already the most important attribute you need to succeed!
Sandeep Khandelwal
Software Engineer
145
Answers
San Ramon, California
Updated
Sandeep’s Answer
Hello there,
You don’t need to master everything before becoming a mentor. If you already have skills and experiences that can help someone who is earlier in their journey, you can mentor them while still learning yourself. In fact, many professionals are both mentors and mentees at the same time.
A good approach is to focus on continuous learning while sharing what you already know. For team learning, encourage knowledge sharing through discussions, project collaboration, code reviews, and open communication instead of making mentoring feel too formal. Often the best mentoring happens naturally through teamwork and consistency.
You don’t need to master everything before becoming a mentor. If you already have skills and experiences that can help someone who is earlier in their journey, you can mentor them while still learning yourself. In fact, many professionals are both mentors and mentees at the same time.
A good approach is to focus on continuous learning while sharing what you already know. For team learning, encourage knowledge sharing through discussions, project collaboration, code reviews, and open communication instead of making mentoring feel too formal. Often the best mentoring happens naturally through teamwork and consistency.
I think I need to think about how this all can happens naturally rather than it being a titled period of time. Thank you so much for your insight!
L
Brian Haugabrook
Technology Consultant, Developer
3
Answers
Valdosta, Georgia
Updated
Brian’s Answer
Having multiple mentors, mentees, and peers is truly rewarding. A team of mentors can guide you, provide valuable feedback, and support your journey with diverse viewpoints. Once a year, I gather my mentors for a group call. While it might feel a bit awkward to have a meeting focused on me, the insights and advice I gain are invaluable. Their feedback helps me steer through career and life goals with confidence.
Having mentees is just as important. Your experiences can inspire and motivate others on a similar path. The challenges you've overcome can encourage them to stay strong and keep moving forward. Mentees can be people in your workplace or community, and your guidance can make a big difference in their lives.
Having mentees is just as important. Your experiences can inspire and motivate others on a similar path. The challenges you've overcome can encourage them to stay strong and keep moving forward. Mentees can be people in your workplace or community, and your guidance can make a big difference in their lives.
Chris Ahn
Consultant
3
Answers
Detroit, Michigan
Updated
Chris’s Answer
For me, mentors have been one of those things that found me vs. me seeking mentorship. I love asking for and receiving feedback, and I think there is a natural connection that happens when somebody who has invested time to counsel and advise me is welcomed with excitement and follow ups (from me).
There are 3 types of "mentors" that I consider in my life:
1. Personal advice - ex. how do I balance being a dad and serving my career to the best of my ability?
2. Professional advice - ex. how do I be better at XYZ so I can climb the ladder?
3. Director on my personal board of directors - there are 4 (so far) people in my life that are I trust so much with advice on any topic. These are people that I would ask about career changes, career choices, life-changing personal decisions, dealing with grief -- literally anything.
All 3 of these types of mentors have added so much value in my life, and I have loved passing on my learnings in gratitude to them (like answering your question here!).
There are 3 types of "mentors" that I consider in my life:
1. Personal advice - ex. how do I balance being a dad and serving my career to the best of my ability?
2. Professional advice - ex. how do I be better at XYZ so I can climb the ladder?
3. Director on my personal board of directors - there are 4 (so far) people in my life that are I trust so much with advice on any topic. These are people that I would ask about career changes, career choices, life-changing personal decisions, dealing with grief -- literally anything.
All 3 of these types of mentors have added so much value in my life, and I have loved passing on my learnings in gratitude to them (like answering your question here!).
Eric Ricciardi
AI Growth Strategy
8
Answers
Washington, Washington
Updated
Eric’s Answer
This is a great question(s) and one I've thought about myself across college and my career. You don't need to be a "master of the universe" to mentor, and honestly, in my personal opinion, you never outgrow being mentored. I also wouldn't want to outgrow it because that would mean I'm done learning and I always try and seek to continually improve myself personally, professionally, etc.
A few thoughts:
Get a mentor whenever you're facing a gap. Maybe there's a new role, a skill you want to grow, or even just like a decision you're unsure about. Those feelings of ambiguity are usually the signal that I need a mentor. Also, don't wait until you're stuck, it's always good to seek guidance while you're in steady state.
Become a mentor as soon as you're a few steps ahead of someone. You don't need that mastery you mention, you just have lessons learned that you wish you knew before starting a task, and now you can pass that guidance to someone else. Also teaching something is the fastest way to reinforce the concepts for yourself. I like the mention above where someone else said, in other words, "you've been through a fire and can help someone else avoid getting burned with what you know."
I would do both at once, mentoring and being mentored simultaneously. It keeps you grounded.
In terms of helping out teams/teammates, host a lunch-and-learn or offer to walk a teammate through something you know well. Normalize asking questions out loud. When people see others asking questions, they'll open up themselves and ask questions/seek guidance. Hope that helps!
A few thoughts:
Get a mentor whenever you're facing a gap. Maybe there's a new role, a skill you want to grow, or even just like a decision you're unsure about. Those feelings of ambiguity are usually the signal that I need a mentor. Also, don't wait until you're stuck, it's always good to seek guidance while you're in steady state.
Become a mentor as soon as you're a few steps ahead of someone. You don't need that mastery you mention, you just have lessons learned that you wish you knew before starting a task, and now you can pass that guidance to someone else. Also teaching something is the fastest way to reinforce the concepts for yourself. I like the mention above where someone else said, in other words, "you've been through a fire and can help someone else avoid getting burned with what you know."
I would do both at once, mentoring and being mentored simultaneously. It keeps you grounded.
In terms of helping out teams/teammates, host a lunch-and-learn or offer to walk a teammate through something you know well. Normalize asking questions out loud. When people see others asking questions, they'll open up themselves and ask questions/seek guidance. Hope that helps!
Navneet Kashyap
Software Engineer
119
Answers
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
Updated
Navneet’s Answer
Think of your career as a climbing expedition: you are using one hand to reach up toward an expert who can pull you to the next ledge, while using your other hand to pull up a beginner right behind you. You do not need to be a "master of the universe" to mentor; you just need to be two steps ahead of the person you are helping.