I’ve been trialling Bumble Bizz as a networking app for a while now. There have been some interesting connections on there but nothing has gone beyond a brief introduction. 

Yesterday I got a message from a Junior Dev with a really familiar and common scenario - he didn’t think he was getting the support he needed and was considering leaving the company after not very long. 

I was able to give him some advice from both sides of that relationship. Ultimately he needs to have an honest conversation about his concerns, chances are the situation can be improved without leaving. I remember feeling the same as a junior, out of my depth with nothing to hold on to. But when I look back now my manager knew exactly what he was doing. He never stretched me too far but also made sure I was never comfortable. 

The best thing you can do for your career when you’re starting out is to find a good mentor. The issue is you often don’t realise who your mentors are until after the fact. When I reflect on my early career as an engineer I was fortunate to be surrounded by excellent engineers who coached me without me realising it.

It felt great to be able to help a complete stranger. So check out Bumble Bizz if you want to do the same.