Hi,

Just wondering if you guys can give me your opinion on mentoring. Do you find it annoying when asked to mentor or allow someone to observe your skills by a newbie? I would like to at least be able to hang around or even help out if possible but am a bit timid and am trying to figure out who and how to ask. Do you feel this is your opportunity to "shine" or is this a pain in the neck for you? I would like to do this in addition to the correspondence course I am taking. I haven't joined a local PTG yet, again, feeling a bit timid to get started. Can't seem possible that I would be feeling this way at age 46 but I guess that's what happens when you step outside of your comfort zone.

Thanks,

NSD

Every tech will have a different answer on this one. I personally got tired of mentoring people who were not at all serious about the work, but I am still there when someone asks. Please try to get past your hesitancy and go to PTG. They WILL NOT BITE YOU!! You will find that there are people there who will bend over backwards to help you, and others who will make you feel like a novice after you've been at it for 20 years. In other words, it's just like any other group of people: you will feel comfortable with some and not with others. Try to work on the timid problem; after all, this is a people business, and you need people skills unless you go to work behind the scenes for a company or school. Good Luck. Sam

I had the opportunity to be mentored by Virgil Smith about 20 years ago. We gave him a ride to a PTG conference. I picked his brain the whole trip and sat next to him for 3 hours as he fine-tuned a piano for his tuning class the next day. I learned a wealth of information on that trip, all because Virgil had the patience to put up with my countless questions. Receiving mentoring is one of the great benefits of PTG membership.

By all means, join PTG and become a regular at your local chapter. New folks come into a chapter on a regular basis, so it will not be new to them especially if you are near a large city. Almost all of us at one time or another in this business have been helped by a mentor. One on one is a great way to learn, and because of this, most are willing to pass on information they've gathered to others just coming in. Don't let your newness hold you back, the regulars will be glad to share their experiences and help the rookie. I recently moved to another part of the country, from one chapter to another, and found two members who were retiring and were happy to pass on many of their customers to the new guy. You never know what benefits you might run into by becoming a part of the group.
As a rule, we are a friendly bunch and very willing to welcome a new face. Incidently, I moved from Michigan to Central NY, and knew most of the chapters in the state. Email me privately if you want to tell me where you live. mkurta@adelphia.net Good Luck, PNO2NER