Software engineering can feel like being dropped into the middle of a dense jungle with nothing but a laptop and a vague sense of direction. Sure, you can hack your way through, but wouldn’t it be better if you had someone who knew the shortcuts? That’s what a mentor is—a seasoned guide who’s seen it all and can help you avoid falling into the quicksand of bad code and over-engineered solutions.

Let’s face it: coding tutorials are great for getting the basics down, but real-world software development is a whole other beast. There’s messy legacy code, impossible deadlines, and the classic “it works on my machine” moments that make you want to scream. Enter the mentor—the person who’s already made every mistake you’re about to make and is here to stop you from doing the same.

At Clean Coders it’s a core part of our mentorship to be paired with one of the craftsmen. I have the wonderful opportunity to get mentored by a very talented software engineer by the name of Alex Jensen.

Uncle Bob on Why Mentor’s are so important

Take it from Uncle Bob Martin, one of the biggest names in software craftsmanship. He famously said, “The only way to go fast is to go well.” This is where a mentor really shines. They teach you not just how to write code that works, but how to write code that’s clean, scalable, and won’t make you or your teammates cry six months down the road. They’ve been there, done that, and know why cutting corners now will come back to bite you later.

Why Mentors Are the Jedi Masters of Code

Here’s the thing about mentors—they don’t just tell you what to do. They help you think like a developer. They show you how to untangle complex problems and approach solutions logically, without panicking. Plus, they’ve got stories for days. “One time, in the middle of a massive refactor…” Trust me, you’ll get some gems that will make you laugh and also teach you some hard-earned lessons about why you should never skip writing tests.

And speaking of tests, another Uncle Bob nugget: “Refactor early, refactor often, refactor small.” Your mentor will hammer this into you, ensuring that you don’t wake up one day with a codebase so knotted that you have to torch the whole thing just to add a new feature.

They’re Not Just There For Code

A mentor doesn’t just stop at code. They’re also your go-to person for career advice, helping you figure out whether you should focus on becoming a technical expert, or if you’ve got what it takes to move into leadership. Need to talk salary negotiations? Got it. Not sure whether to specialize or generalize? They’ve got opinions on that too—based on years of trial and error.

In short, a mentor helps you sidestep the avoidable mistakes, improve your problem-solving skills, and gives you the tools to think long-term, rather than just cranking out code for the next sprint.

If you don’t have a mentor yet, I’d highly recommend you seek one out however you can. (Maybe yesterday’s post on networking may be helpful in helping you find one). Having such a great mentor as Alex has not only helped my code, but also helps me get over those “I can’t do this” and imposter syndrome moments I get all too often.