T-SQL Tuesday #184 – My Mentoring Journey

“A true mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you.” — Bob Proctor

“I can’t do this.” Four words I repeated early on in my career, only to be proven wrong by mentors who knew better than I did what I was capable of.

The March 2025 T-SQL Tuesday invite comes from Deborah Melkin. Deborah invites us to blog about our experiences with mentoring and sponsoring. To read the full invite, click the T-SQL Tuesday logo.

I’ve been lucky to have mentors as my career with technology has evolved. In college, I had an older student to help me purchase my first server and build my own website. In my first job as a student supporting technology for Muskingum College, there was a handful of staff I consider mentors. They were giving of their time to help me and other students learn software, hardware, and everything in between. What I learned in class was valuable. What I learned working in that first job was priceless.

When I was hired for my first job out of college, I was in a tech support role which involved working closely with SQL Server. An opening presented itself for a database administrator role, but I lacked the confidence to apply. Yes, I was familiar enough with SQL Server and databases in my current role at the time, but those in Hosted Operations and IP I would be working alongside were brilliant. It was a bit intimidating.

There was an associate on those teams I looked up to who said he hoped I would apply. I applied, got the position, and am grateful he had faith in me, as it led me on the career path I’ve been on since.

That same associate would continue to be a great friend, teammate, and manager. He was a perfect mentor who continued to push me when I needed and put me in the positions to learn.

There were plenty of occasions where I thought, “I can’t do this.” I didn’t think I was the right person to lead significant projects or work with higher profile clients. But much like a child pushed into the deep end to learn swimming, I was given difficult tasks and managed to swim rather than sink. As I encountered future problems I wasn’t sure I could handle, I knew I’d been succeeded before and could do so again.

Later on, there was a mentorship program for new hires, which gave me the chance to be a mentor. I did my best to be the same kind of mentor for others, to encourage them beyond what they thought they had in them. Sometimes that means helping with a technical problem or giving advice based on your experiences. Other times it may mean listening when they need to express frustrations. It’s satisfying to play a small part in helping a mentee grow and branch out in their careers.

I started out as an uncertain beginner, and with the help of mentors along the way, I became a confident professional. I’m happy to take my experiences and guide others on their path. If you have the opportunity to be a mentor, don’t hesitate to take it. Help others to take on challenges and be open with your own knowledge and expertise. You won’t regret it.

Thanks for reading!