Hello fellow programmers,
I'm a newcomer to the world of IT, specifically focusing on frontend development. I recently embarked on this journey in my 30s, and I find myself contemplating the importance of having a mentor to guide me through this exciting yet challenging field. I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences on whether having a mentor is crucial when entering IT as a self-taught developer.
While I understand the benefits of self-learning and online resources, I believe having a mentor could provide invaluable guidance, industry insights, and personal support. A mentor's guidance can help navigate the vast landscape of frontend development, from learning best practices, mastering frameworks, to gaining a deeper understanding of the industry's expectations.
Additionally, I have aspirations to work in the EU or US region in the future. If having a mentor is indeed beneficial, I would appreciate advice on where to find one, particularly someone experienced in the European or American job markets. Are there specific mentorship programs, online communities, or platforms where I can connect with potential mentors?
Any personal success stories are highly welcome
I wouln't say that it is required to have a mentor. Alas, if you want to do anything serious (other than the odd hobby project) it is important to have someone else look over what you've done and how you've done it, to make sure (or at least increase confidence) that there are no severe bugs or security vulnerabilities that "you just didn't think about". Imo. this feedback could also come from anyone else in a joint open souce project for example - however, it will probably be more concice there whereas as a mentor could give you more of their time.