8 minute read
The 2022 application has closed. The developer mentorship program will re-launch as the Community Mentorship Program and redesigned as a cohort model with expanded inclusion of non-developer roles. You can fill out an interest form here to be the first to know when the new program is expected to launch.
Who is this for?
This program is open to anyone who builds, creates, or develops on the Now Platform. If you’d like to mentor someone, or gain great insights by being mentored, we’d love to have you.
Are you seeking a mentor?
- You might be the only person in your company who does ServiceNow admin/development.
- Or you know you want a mentor but, for one reason or another, have not actively sought one yet (do not know how, do not have time, etc.).
Are you seeking a mentee?
- You might be an experienced developer who is on a team of similarly experienced developers but find yourself wanting to “take someone under your wing.”
- Or you are a developer who wants to give your earned wisdom back to the community but can only engage at very structured times (due to your schedule, preference, etc.).
Sounds great, so what do I need to do?
Simply follow these three steps:
- Apply. Below is an application to sign up as a mentee, mentor, or both!
- Watch your inbox as we find your best match. This step is important, so we’ll be sure to take the necessary time to do it right. We’ll then reach out to you with all the details.
- Meet with your mentor/mentee. Don’t worry, we’ll provide training to both sides, including meeting outlines, follow-ups, and more-you’ll get all the on-going support you need. Plus, everyone who completes the full one-year program will receive a special gift.
Make a real difference
This is your chance to make a positive impact that can last a lifetime. I have former mentors that I still call my friends 10 years later. Such an opportunity doesn’t come along often, so don’t let this one pass you by.
Apply at this link. Please read the information completely, as it outlines what’s required of everyone participating.
(the application for 2022 has closed. Applications will resume around March 2023)
Spread the word
Let others know about this program so that we can stop being alone and start helping each other grow! You can share this blog’s shortlink: https://devlink.sn/mentorship
Frequently Asked Questions
This section was added on March 9, 2022 to provide answers to common questions about the program:
Participation rate
Q: How many mentors vs. mentees have signed up?
A: For every one mentor that signs up, we have two mentees also sign up. This global statistic holds true for almost all specific regions too. About half of those who signed up as a mentor has also requested a mentor themselves.
Q: How many people have signed up?
A: Generally, our expectations of how many people will apply have been far exceeded.
Timeline for initial pairing
Q: How long does it take for you to find me a mentee?
A: On average, from a few days to about a month.
Q: I signed up as just a mentee, how long does it take for you to find me a mentor?
A: If you are signing up as just a mentee, it will take us about a month, on average, if there are mentors available. If the mentor pool has been exhausted, it may take us months to find you a mentor or in the worse (but very real scenario), we might not find you a mentor at all. If this is the case, we will let you know and encourage you to re-apply next year as we hope to have our mentor pool grow.
Q: I signed up as a mentor and mentee, how long does it take for you find me a mentor?
A: Due to the limited size of the mentor pool, most mentors will find a mentee but, at this time, not find a mentor themselves. We believe everyone from the new employee to the CEO can benefit from having a mentor. For now though, we are not able to find mentors for those who signed up for both so that we can maximize the amount of pairs to those who are just mentees. We have strategies on how to increase our mentor pool in the future to address this.
Timeline for after a pair is found
Q: Once you find me a mentor/mentee, how long will it take before I meet my mentorship partner?
A: Once a pair is found and approved, the two participants will automatically be emailed and asked to review the program materials and accept the program terms. Once both sides accept, an introduction email will be sent.
Q: What if the mentor/mentee declines the program terms?
A: Whoever declines the program terms will be removed from the program immediately. Their matched mentor/mentee will automatically be emailed to let them know that they have been placed back into the queue of applicants.
Q: What happens after we are introduced to each other?
A: A day later, both sides will receive another email with next steps. In this email you will also receive a link to the first meetings’ outlines. It is then up to you and your mentor/mentee to figure out a meeting schedule.
Q: How often should we meet?
A: We believe mentorship does not have to be frequent to be effective and that having time to reflect between meetings is important so we recommend starting with once per month. If you want more meetings from there, you and your mentor/mentee can decide on that together.
Q: The program terms mentioned quarterly surveys, how do I take these surveys?
A: 90 days after you receive your introduction email, you will automatically receive an email with a unique link to a short, 5-minute, required survey. A similar survey will be sent another 90 days later, and another one 90 days after that. One year after your introduction email is sent, you will receive a final survey.
Q: What happens after one year of meeting with my mentor/mentee?
A: If both of you complete a year of meeting monthly and complete your final survey, you will successfully have graduated from the program. You will receive a thank you reward from our team and be re-invited back to the program as a mentor to participate again. You and your mentor/mentee will decide what’s next for you two.
No contact / incompatible match
Q: What happens if a mentor or mentee does not accept the program terms in time?
A: If a matched mentor/mentee neither accepts nor declines the program terms, then they will receive a reminder after one week. If they still do not accept one week after that, a final reminder will be sent. If they still do not respond within a few days, we will automatically decline their participation and remove them from the program. Their matched mentor/mentee will automatically be emailed to let them know that they have been placed back into the queue of applicants.
For those who received a mentor/mentee during the launch of this program (Early March 2022), we introduced you to your mentorship partner a day after letting you know a pair has been found. That means you may have reached out or even connected with your mentorship partner even before everyone has fully accepted the terms. The above warning emails will still go out to those who do not accept the program terms.
Q: I have received my introductory email (indicating both sides have accepted the program terms) but I have not heard from my mentor/mentee, even after I sent them an e-mail introducing myself, what should I do?
A: Please reach out to a Developer Advocate (via the channels in the emails we have sent you) and let them know. We will likely ask you to wait a week for a response just in case your mentor/mentee is busy, but if they still do not respond we will likely cancel your pairing and place you back into the queue, while removing the other person from the program.
Q: My matched mentor/mentee and I just cannot find a good time to meet, what do we do?
A: If you absolutely can’t find a common time to meet, please reach out to a Developer Advocate (via the channels in the emails we have sent you) and let them know. After confirming with both sides, we will likely cancel your pair and place you back into the queue.
Q: I am not happy with my matched mentor/mentee, what do I do?
A: If you haven’t met with your mentor/mentee yet, we encourage you to have that first meeting. If you are still not happy with the match, please reach out to a Developer Advocate (via the channels in the emails we have sent you) and let us know why so that we can determine the best next steps for you and your mentor/mentee.
Meeting with your mentor/mentee
Q: What time and day of the week should we meet?
A: In your introductory email, we took care of that for you! According to your timezone and preferences on your application, we provide you a breakdown of all the times that match both of your preferences. In fact, without an overlap of prefernces, we could not have paired you together. For example, one Developer Advocate who lives in Pacific Standard Timezone (and prefers early morning meetings) was paired with someone in European Central Timezone because they prefer later evening meetings.
Q: Do we need to log our sessions?
A: Nope. The ServiceNow Developer community is still a growing community where we can still rely on an honor system.
Share this post
Twitter
Facebook
Reddit
LinkedIn
Email