Mentor-Mentee Framework To Build the Next Generation Of Cloud Native

Developing a clear plan for mentorship is crucial for success

• Agree on a frequency of meetings and discussion topics
• Have short-term and long-term objectives
• Be respectful of mentor's time and honor commitments

It's important to value the time of mentors and be considerate of their busy schedules. For example, if someone is late to a meeting, it wastes the mentor's time. Additionally, it's important to ask for help respectfully and provide enough context to make it easy for the mentor to help. Demonstrating dedication to learning and passion for the subject can also help show the mentor that the mentee is genuinely interested in learning.

The CNCF Students community has been around for a few months now. There have been various initiatives by the CNCF to get more young folks involved in the ecosystem. Some of the challenges faced by the community include finding contributors willing to get involved for a more extended period. In this talk, Kunal and Mark will cover a framework that proves mentor-mentee interactions to be productive in the long run. They’ve decided to share the learnings that led Kunal, a student, to start the CNCF Students community and scale it to thousands; student track at KubeCon with the help of mentors in the CNCF. Mark will share his experience and insights regarding being a great mentor to upskill the next generation. The talk starts with what the mentee is looking to accomplish from having a mentor and how they can find one in the CNCF community. Then, the framework will cover topics such as setting goals, asking the right questions, reviewing progress, assigning tasks to create a roadmap, and more, including advice for both mentors and mentees to make the most out of their journey. Last but not least, how contributors and students mentored can pay it forward to keep the cycle going.