New cohorts every month

New #rubyfriends need your help

A tiny offering of your time with a huge impact for them

Why would I do this?

High-impact mentorship

We’re looking for as many folks as possible to offer three hours over six months to welcome and guide someone into our community.

You can help if you are in your first job or if you’re a grizzled engineer with decades of experience.

Yoda in the bushes

Apply Now

5 minutes is all you need

There’s a brief, but thorough questionnaire to complete and then we’ll get back to you with a match at the start of next month.

Frequently asked questions

But I’m way too early in my career to offer advice.

Imagine how useful it would have been to have someone a year or two into their career, who has just been through interviews and the fear of starting a new job. Someone with a similar starting point to you. Still think you have nothing to offer? You do.

I’m sure I’d be terrible.

You don't really know something until you’ve tried to explain it to someone. This is good for you too!

What should we talk about?

You should let your mentee lead the conversation. And encourage them to ask whatever they want.

How honest should I be?

There’s no point in doing this if you aren’t going to be honest. That said, remember an early career developer might lack context or have less confidence than you. So have empathy as well as honesty.

Should I let my manager at work know about this?

Yes. You’re unlikely to get any “work credit” directly for it, but I would hope any good manager would encourage their direct reports to work on improving their mentoring skills.

When will I hear about my match?

I’ll be shipping cohorts of matches at the beginning of each month for the folks who submitted applications the month before.

How long does this programme last?

We’re expecting half-hour long monthly calls, for six months. If you (in agreement with your mentee) want to go for longer or shorter, or meet more often, go for it. But the base expectation is six half-hour calls over six months.

How should we meet?

Primarily I’d expect folks to meet using Zoom, Google Meet, Tuple or FaceTime. There might be cases where in person meetings might be possible, but distinctly not required.

What are the criteria for matching folks up?

We’ll take a couple of factors into account including the preferences of the applicant. Primarily we’ll use work experience and geography.

What if my match doesn’t respond or disappears?

We’ll be sending out reminders to both parties so hopefully this won't happen. If it does, never fear, if you’re willing we’ll match you with someone new in the next cohort.

What if it doesn’t work out?

Sometimes you just don’t gel with someone new. That’s OK and either party can stop the process at any time. If it’s just a time pressure thing I really implore you to finish up your commitment. It is only three hours total.

Can I mentor more than one person?

In theory, yes. In practice, I love your enthusiasm but let’s just chill. I want to start this slowly and sustainably for everyone. Let’s all start with a small commitment.

Whose idea is this?

Right now this is the operation of one volunteer managing the administration and spreadsheets and (hopefully) many other mentors across the Ruby community.

...and also...

One Ruby Thing

An email explaining a Ruby/Rails technique every two weeks.

Brighton Ruby

A single-day, single track ruby conference on the south coast of the UK.

Andy Croll

Andy Croll, the bloke who made this thing.

Using Rails

A list of over 2,000 organisations using Ruby on Rails. Add your company!