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RailsConf 2018: All Onboard: Cruising on the Mentorship by Gretchen Ziegler Last summer, two high school juniors with very little coding experience joined Vitals as software engineering interns. Over the course of six weeks, they attempted to level up their programming skills while also learning the Vitals domain. They struggled through obstacles and experienced thrilling code highs, and ultimately emerged as more confident developers. Using their story as a guide, this talk will explore practical ways of structuring mentoring and onboarding processes. Whether your next hires are newbies or seasoned pros, you’ll walk away with strategies to help them code confidently.
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The video titled "All Onboard: Cruising on the Mentorship" by Gretchen Ziegler, presented at RailsConf 2018, focuses on the significance of structured mentorship and onboarding in tech workplaces. Ziegler recounts her experiences mentoring two high school juniors, Paul and Serena, during a six-week software engineering internship at Vitals, showcasing various strategies for effective onboarding and mentoring. **Key Points Discussed:** - **Importance of Mentorship:** Ziegler highlights the benefits of formalizing mentorship in workplaces, such as improved employee retention, personal growth for mentees, and job satisfaction for mentors. - **Non-Uniform Approach:** Emphasizing that there is no one-size-fits-all method for onboarding, Ziegler encourages customizing mentorship programs according to individual needs and company culture. - **Project-Based Mentorship:** A notable strategy discussed is project-based mentorship, where interns are assigned measurable projects with clear goals, allowing them to gain hands-on experience while developing their skills. - **Understanding by Design (UBD):** Ziegler introduces the UBD framework for backward planning in educational settings, applying it to mentorship by ensuring all mentorship activities align with specific end-goals. - **Intern Experience:** She discusses the unique challenges faced by Paul and Serena, who had minimal coding experience and lacked domain knowledge. They learned through practical tasks, including building a HipChat bot, which simplified their learning process. - **Assessing Progress:** The internship included weekly check-ins where interns could assess their own progress, reflect on their learning, and identify areas for improvement. - **Building Culture:** Ziegler details various methods to help interns integrate into the company culture, such as team shadowing and code walkthroughs, allowing them to learn about different roles and build rapport with teammates. - **Feedback from Interns:** Paul and Serena expressed positive experiences, highlighting mentorship's role in team dynamics and personal growth. - **Conclusion and Future Aspirations:** The success of this mentorship program led to plans for future internships, illustrating its efficacy in cultivating emerging tech talent. Overall, the talk provides actionable insights for companies aiming to enhance their mentorship practices, promote a culture of learning, and develop confidence in new hires.
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