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Applying Different Forms of Mentorship

2026-09-02 | original

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Why This Matters

This article highlights the importance of informal mentorship and observational learning in the tech industry, emphasizing that valuable guidance can come from copying successful practices and asking insightful questions rather than formal mentorship arrangements. Such approaches enable professionals to continuously grow and adapt without the constraints of traditional mentorship structures, benefiting both individuals and organizations. Recognizing diverse ways to learn and seek advice can foster a more collaborative and innovative tech community.

Key Takeaways

Informal mentorship through copying and observing can be highly effective.
Asking simple, targeted questions can unlock valuable insights.
You don't need formal mentorship to learn from experienced professionals.

Worth a Look

The Staff Engineer's Path by Tanya Reilly — If informal mentorship means learning from engineers you respect, this book is like having a seasoned tech lead on your shelf. Tanya Reilly walks through the judgment, influence, and career navigation skills that usually only come from watching someone great up close "exactly the kind of wisdom the article says you can absorb without ever formally asking for a mentor.

See The Staff Engineer's Path by Tanya Reilly on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.

This article is crossposted from IEEE Spectrum’s careers newsletter. Sign up now to get insider tips, expert advice, and practical strategies, written in partnership with tech career development company Parsity and delivered to your inbox for free!

Asking someone to be your mentor is weird.

Walking up to someone and asking, “Will you be my mentor?” has always seemed to me like the adult version of a kid walking up to another kid at a party and asking, “Will you be my friend?”

What you’re really asking is: “Will you commit some amount of unpaid time to guiding my career for an indefinite period?”

Framed that way, of course some people hesitate to say yes.

But formal mentorship isn’t the only way to benefit from the wisdom of those who came before. I’ve never formally asked anyone to mentor me. And yet I’ve had dozens of unofficial mentors.

The Copy-Paste Method

One way to learn from others is by copying what you observe.

Sometimes this means reading books or blogs from engineers you respect and directly applying their ideas to your work.

I’ve also been fortunate to work alongside some extremely talented engineers, and I shamelessly copied the things they did well.

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