Forem: Ante Tomić

Mastering Team Member Onboarding: Insights from a Developer and Mentor

Ante Tomić — Sun, 17 Dec 2023 15:56:07 +0000

Over the last few months, I've been giving extra time to mentorship because we've welcomed two new colleagues to our team. Luckily, they joined us two weeks apart, which gave me a chance to look at things from different and unique angles. I explored what strategies were effective and what could be better. Onboarding and showing someone the ropes is something Im enjoying doing for more than 5 years on regular basis, and here, I got to make sure our team new members felt at home. When you're invested in the team's success and enjoy your work, helping newcomers is much more rewarding and impactful. What insights have I gained by guiding the recent additions to our team?

Understanding the Newcomer's Viewpoint

Starting a new job is often challenging. I was very fortunate to join Infobip as a 4th-year university student, and it's basically been my first and only job where I am working for over seven years. When helping someone new, we need to remember they don't understand everything the same way we do. They're still finding their feet and learning about the new teams domain and projects, so it's our job as mentors to be there for them in every way we can.

Helping Newbies Grow

There are a lot of ways to support newcomers to your company or team. First off, try to see things from their fresh perspective everything's new and exciting, and they're getting the hang of how things work. In one of my roles where I am overseeing internship programs and mentoring newcomers, I've noticed the high energy and enthusiasm all of them bring when diving into new challenges.

As mentors, we play an important role right from the start, before newcomers even start working. It's crucial to help them blend into the team smoothly. There's one thing we need to watch out for - if we wait to set up onboarding and mentoring until the newcomers already start working, we're already way behind on schedule. It's much better to have the onboarding process planned and in place before they step through the door.

Hit the Ground Running

It's beneficial for mentees to feel a sense of pride in their accomplishments from the start. Build up their confidence with easy wins early on. How? By assigning them simple tasks that they can complete quickly.

Yes, I know that it may seem extremely silly or ridiculous to hand mid-level or senior team members one-liners or straightforward tasks, but trust me - it's a great way to kick things off. Tackling these smaller tasks not only lifts their spirits, but also gets them familiar with the scope, team and their new role in no time.

Celebrate Small Improvements

Striving for perfection and being the best can lead to disappointment. Instead, focus on helping your mentees improve bit by bit every day. This approach encourages consistent progress and gives them a continuous sense of achievement.

I'm working on a presentation for the 2024 conferences where I'll go into the value of this mindset in engineering and tech and how it can help both mentors and mentees grow. I'll talk about how to utilize different mentoring techniques into your approach to help your mentees develop.

Grow as an Individual

Personally, I believe in being an original, not a copy of someone else. Sure, I learn from others and I am inspired by their good practices, but I don't want to just copy what they're doing. I want to be my own person.

Mentees should feel the same. Here, titles and years of experience don't make a difference. We're all here to learn and support one another. Encouraging individual growth means everyone brings their own unique contributions to the team.

Sharing Knowledge with New Team Members

I've dedicated many years to guiding new hires as they begin their journeys inside Infobip. One of my roles in Infobip is welcoming new team members to our company by teaching them about the ins and outs of working within the Infobip ecosystem. I also educate and mentor students in Infobips Internship Program, where I present hands-on lessons that dive into the practical parts of development.

This experience has taught me a great deal about effective mentoring and instruction. I'm eager to share with all of you practical advice and insights I've picked up along the way.

The Ideal Explanation

Picture this: You've just joined a company, and your mentor is constanly speeding through code, piling up explanations with no diagrams. Is this helpful? Do you understand everything? Or does it leave you, the newbie, feeling like it's all a bit pointless?

In my opinion, this is absolutely the worst way to explain any concept to someone who has just come to the team or company. This way wont be very helpful for a person who's just joined the team. New members usually don't understand the projects well yet.

We, as guides, educators and mentors, should learn to put ourselves in the newcomers' shoes. Think about it: would you really like someone to explain things to you like that if you are new??? I believe in this golden rule and very simple principle: Explain things the way you'd want them explained to you. Strive for simplicity and clarity. And if your mentee is struggling with understanding you, that's your cue to try a different approach.

Get Visual

In my experience, more often than not, the best way to clarify things is to create visuals, like diagrams.

When trying to explain well, remember these points:

It might sound odd, but try not to use pre-made diagrams too much. They can confuse mentees more than help. You might also struggle with explaining them.
Instead, draw diagrams on the spot whenever you can. Seeing the process, the connections, and your thought pattern helps others understand concepts more deeply.
I'm a huuuge fan of the classic whiteboard and colored markers for this. If you're in the same office, make the most of these tools!

Recognizing the Right Time for Details

Too much information can be overwhelming. As a mentor, you don't want to bombard newcomers with details that might just go over their heads.

What I've found works better is to focus on a small chunk of infosomething you can explore in about an hour or so. When you zoom in on these bite-sized pieces, your mentees are more likely to remember what you've covered.

It's usually best to start with an overall overviewhow different parts of the project link up, just enough knowledge for them to recognize things. The details can come later, as they'll pick up more over the upcoming weeks.

Hands-On Learning from the Start

Theoretical knowledge is all good and nice, but if you ask me - practical experience is where real learning happens.

I'm a firm believer in diving right in. For example, I get interns actively involved in our CI/CD process in their first 2 days. Remember that folks learn best by doing. When they perform tasks with our help rather than just watching, they really get to grips with how each step functions.

A key point here is: as mentors, we shouldn't jump in and fix issues for them. They should tackle problems on their own, with us providing helpful hints or steering them in the right direction. Show them the ropes, then let them have a go themselves.

Pay Attention to Non-Verbal Cues

Keep an eye on mentees' body languageit's often more revealing than their words. They might say they get it, but their body language might tell you they're still lost.

Remember the old saying: Repetition is the mother of learning. (Repetitio est mater studiorum.) If your gut tells you they didn't understand a concept you just went through, go over it again. It's worth those extra minutes, and they'll appreciate the effort.

Offer Feedback Honestly

Every newbie wants to know they're on the right track. You're keeping an eye on your mentee's progress, so share your observations with them. What are they acing? Where could they improve? What should they focus on? Remember, the mentee and mentor partnership is vital not just for their development, but also for their self-improvement!

Flexibility is Key for Mentors

Another key piece of advice I'd like to offer is about adaptability , a quality that's sometimes overlooked in mentors but is crucial. As a mentor, you want to transfer knowledge effectively, and to do this well, you need to recognize that everyone is different.

If your current method isn't working, be ready to switch gears and try a new one. Pay attention to what works well with your mentee, and adapt your style to make learning as straightforward as possible for them. For instance, a mentee of mine had a strong background and was good at drawing parallels and comparisons. He wasn't familiar with some of our team's concepts and tools, but he knew similar ones. So, I linked the new info to what he already knew which significantly simplified the onboarding process.

Remember, time is precious. Ineffective onboarding isn't just unhelpfulit's a waste of everyone's time. But get it right, and you'll make a real difference, paving the way for greater achievements!

Keep Learning from Fellow Mentors

Just as our mentees are learning, we, as their mentors, should also grow. With years of mentoring experience, I still look up to other great mentors for inspiration and guidance. I believe there's always room to improve and I grab every opportunity to learn more.

Being relatively young, one strategy I always use is experimentation. With each new chance, I test out new ideas to refine processes or introduce fresh concepts. Some ideas stick, others might not work, but it's all part of the learning journey. Collaborating with more seasoned mentors is also beneficial I do that and together we can come up with creative solutions and learn from each other.

Mentoring Enhances Your Interpersonal Skills

Overall, I'd urge anyone to try mentoring. As tech professionals, we often focus on honing our technical skills, but mentoring allows us to develop our interpersonal skills. And these skills can be incredibly useful in our daily work.

Here's a parting thought: mentoring isn't confined to the workplace. It can extend beyond, into our personal lives. Every piece of advice you share, every bit of guidance you offer, counts as mentoring. So let's embrace this role and aim to foster a world where growth and learning are a natural part of our interactions.

Key Takeaways

Regardless of if you're a seasoned mentor or just starting with this adventure, the following takeaways summarize what makes a great mentor. Keep especially these principles in mind as you guide new team members and watch themand yourselfgrow and develop.

Empathy in Onboarding : Welcome new team members by guiding them with a supportive and understanding attitude.
Simplify Complex Ideas : Use diagrams and clear explanations to make complicated concepts more accessible.
Hands-on Learning : Encourage new members to get involved with practical work immediately to help them learn quicker.
Non-Verbal Communication : Watch for unspoken feedback and provide clear, helpful advice to aid development.
Customized Mentoring : Adjust your mentoring approach to cater to the unique learning styles of different individuals.
Collaborate and Improve : Work with other mentors to share insights and continuously seek ways to better your mentoring skills.
Mentorship Beyond Work : Use mentoring skills to help not just with work stuff but also to build life skills and improve all sorts of relationships.

As you keep mentoring, think about how your help really makes a difference, not just in small ways, but in big ones too. You're not just giving advice; you're starting a spark in others, showing them what they can do and guiding future leaders. The time and care you spend on mentoring show you truly believe that people can always learn and grow. Hold on to that purpose and see how your hard work brings out the best in every new learner. 🌟

Quacking into a New Year: Reflections on 2022 and Plans for 2023

Ante Tomić — Tue, 03 Jan 2023 14:30:42 +0000

As 2022 came to the end and 2023 began, it is a perfect chance to reflect on 2022, talk about 2023 plans, and start with my developer blog. 🙂

2022: A year of many firsts

In 2022, I had a few clear goals with the main one being growth. I am a young developer who is 29 years old, but I always knew that I want to go bigger. My main goals were:

Become a Senior Software Engineer
Improve with hobby photography and a new camera
Visit at least five new places and 1 new country
Talk at least one conference
Be more active

But, my goals got even bigger.

From Here to Quack: A Shift in 2022 Direction

Flapping into the New Year: Focus on Health

This year, I decided to prioritize my health and well-being by incorporating regular walks and other physical activities into my routine. I've also started to combine my hobbies and exercise by bringing my camera on my walks.

In January , I applied to be a speaker at the DevOps.JS conference organized by GitNation and Focus Reactive. I was accepted with a talk called The Lazy Developer Guide: How to Automate Code Updates, a topic that I am particularly knowledgeable in. I'm excited to present a topic that goes beyond an introduction and demonstrates how to combine various concepts to achieve powerful results.

DevOps.JS conference

February was quieter and I was preparing my session for DevOps.JS which was happening online on March 24-25. It would be cool to travel, but hopefully next time. 🙂

My session went extremely well and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to present on a topic that I am passionate about and share my insights with others. The conference as a whole was a great success, with a variety of interesting talks and even an online after-party where we all had a blast playing Pictionary. I met awesome people like Anuradha Kumari, Natalia Venditto, and Konstantinos Leimonis and I am very much looking forward to hopefully meeting them in person in 2023. 💪

Mentoring, Tacos, and Enchiladas: A Match Made in Heaven

Over the next few months, I've had the opportunity to focus on education and mentorship, as well as work on a big and exciting project with my team members where we created a new Navigation for Infobip's Web Interface. In April , May , and June , I participated in the selection process for the Infobip Summer Student Internship as a mentor, conducting reviews and interviews with the candidates. We ended up finding really talented interns. Unfortunately, I also caught COVID in late April and spent a week recovering. While it took me a while to get back to my normal level of energy, it didn't stop me from pursuing my goals.

In May , I attended my second conference in 2022: BeJS 2022 conference in Brussels, Belgium. It was a great experience even though I wasn't able to physically attend due to COVID. This year on Infobip Shift 2022 I also met Aymen Ben Amor who is the founder of BeJS and the main organizer. 💪

Then, I traveled to the Infobip office in Guadalajara , Mexico. It was so amazing and I was pretty excited as it was my first time in Mexico. I was able to meet everyone, share my knowledge and educate everyone there. I also explored Amsterdam during the 6-hour layover. I was nearly late for my flight 😅, but I can't wait to come again to Amsterdam!

I also had the opportunity to try a wide variety of Mexican food including tacos, see Lucha Libre live, visit the city of Tequila and learn about how it is made, and explore Guadalajara and Tlaquepaque. I bought so many awesome souvenirs and I can't wait to visit Mexico again and see my viejones. 💪

A Road Trip Through 8 Countries: My Most Ambitious Vacation Yet

In June , I embarked on a crazy road trip through 8 countries with stops in Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Austria, Slovenia, Italy, and Croatia. I visited beautiful Budapest and Balaton, Košice and Slovakia's Slovak Paradise and High Tatras, Poland and Krakow, Wieliczka and Auschwitz. Then, I visited the Austrian Alps, Hallstatt and Gollinger waterfall, Bled and Bohinj in Slovenia, Italy and Padova, Venezia, and Trieste. Then, I enjoyed a few days in Istria and went partying with friends. I got a chance to talk at meetups in Košice, Katowice, and then Zagreb immediately after my trip. I really loved exploring all of these incredible places.

Quack-tivating the Next Generation: Summer as Educator and Mentor

July , August, and September were about the Infobip Summer Student Internship as I was one of the 2 main educators and a mentor for my team of amazing students. It was an awesome experience with a lot of talented interns. I am the type of person who is always approachable and friendly as I think that it helps people feel more natural and relaxed, so naturally, I became very good friends with some of the interns I was educating and mentoring. I am really happy that a big amount of them decided to stay and I think that they will be really good developers.

In June , I applied as a speaker for Build Stuff 2022 conference where I later was a speaker with my topic called Continuous Localization in Enterprise Web Systems.

A Busy Fall: Speaking at Conferences and Exploring New Places

In mid-September , my third 2022 conference was React Finland 2022 where I held a session last year. I had a chance to hear interesting topics and catch up with Juho Vepslinen (the main organizer of React Finland) who I know for a few years, and finally meet my friend Juhis in person. I was especially very excited to see my favorite speaker friends - David and Jenny, and to meet the awesome Farzad.

I finally met Sara Vieira in person after she was an MC on my session, and more faces in person like Jani Evkallio who took us for awesome food, Adam Juran, Joonas, m4dz, Kadi Kraman, Nicolai Sper, Ryan Carniato, Oliver, Nik Graf, Matsu, Norbert de Langen, Finn Kristian Jrstad, Dan Filip Solberg (Mr. Random 💪), Kaspar Naaber, Inga Grgi. I think that networking and connecting with people is a very important part, so I was really happy that I met these amazing people. 😄

Before React Finland, I embarked on a city-hopping tour that took me to Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Tallinn, and briefly Riga at the airport. Even though I went from 30C to 12C and even 6-7C, it was an amazing experience and I loved getting the chance to visit this part of Europe. I took lots of great photos that I can't wait to share on Instagram. 😍

Then it was time for Infobip Shift 2022 conference in Zadar, Croatia, where I had a chance to hear great talks and catch up with speakers I know like Kent C. Dodds and Vitaly Friedman. I loved meeting amazing speakers like Debbie O'Brien (with who I shared the stage at Build Stuff 2022 conference) and Kitze who had 2 amazing talks. Even though I didn't apply as a speaker this year, I always love coming to this conference. 😍

In October I returned to speaking and gave a talk at Infobip's Dev Days 2022 conference with a topic ironically called I Hate (Web) Development which is about the bad sides of Web development. It was a challenging but ultimately successful session that taught me a lot of new things about conference speaking and helped me become bolder in my presentations. 💪 It was also one of the highest-attended and best-rated sessions at the conference.

Build Stuff 2022

In November , I had the opportunity to speak at Build Stuff 2022 conference in Vilnius, Lithuania with my session called Continuous Localization in Enterprise Web Systems. I told a story about implementing Continuous Localization from the beginning to how we were inspired by micro-frontends to make Continuous Localization work independently. It was a big success and I received a lot of positive feedback from attendees who participated in the session. 😍 I also had the chance to meet many other attendees. Overall, this conference was a great experience and a big success for me.

It was an absolute pleasure to meet many amazing, talented, and kind speakers in Vilnius. Special shoutout to the amazing main organizer Neringa who took us speakers everywhere in Vilnius, Skaiste, Paulina, and Kamil without who we wouldn't have this conference. I also loved catching up with Cassandra, Eleftheria Batsou, and Debbie O'Brien and meeting Dr. Joe Perez, Dennie, Katie, Sohan, Serg, Elizabeth, Hannes, Inessa, Adele, Ren, Lars, Dona, Francesco, Vagif, Lode, Max, Arthur, Stacy, Nico, Hkan with who I had an awesome time exploring Vilnius and Trakai, Bobur who is a really great person and probably one of the speakers I have befriended the most, Angelique, Eldert, David, Mary who is so nice and supportive and a really good friend to everyone, Dylan, Glenn, Saloni, Kevlin, Jezen who is also a hobby photographer like me and with who I loved exchanging the photography tips, Matheus, and many more! 💪💪

A big shoutout to the amazing attendees I had the pleasure of meeting like Maciej, Robertas, Gaivile, Vytautas, Ernestas, Nicolai, Ferdinand, Greta, Vitaliy, and more. It was wonderful to connect with everyone, and I'm so glad to have received such positive feedback about my easygoing and extroverted personality. I only wish I had met all of these wonderful people earlier, as it would have been amazing to hang out with them on my travels.

Finishing 2022 strong

In late November , I co-organized JavaScript Zagreb Meetup together with Vedran Blaženka for the first time at Infobip's Alpha Centauri Campus. It was a huge success, with a turnout of around 80 attendees, making it the highest-attended meetup in a while. I shared the stage with Ante Barić and I publicly presented my topic I Hate (Web) Development. It was an incredible experience to meet and connect with all the attendees, and I hope to see them at future meetups!

December was spent partying and recharging, but I have prepared a lot of interesting things for 2023!

2022 overall

Overall, I am incredibly happy with 2022. I didn't apply for a lot of conferences as I was trying to organize my time for other priorities, but I got into 3 conferences out of 4 where I applied ( 2 in person) which is a great result. 💪

While I didn't manage to meet all my goals for 2022, I am not too concerned as I knew what my priorities were and why I was making certain choices. Additionally, anything that I put on hold during 2022 can always be revisited.

What's coming up in 2023?

In 2023, my focus is still on growth as a developer, speaker, and mentor. I have officially launched my dev blog and I am planning to write regularly with Infobip Developers. I have at least 1 or 2 articles coming very soon. I am also excited about sharing my knowledge at 2 student internship programs. Additionally, I want to speak at 5 or more conferences (at least 4 in person) and work on my physical fitness. Overall, it's going to be a year of growth, balance, and development.

Next, I am a speaker at Build Stuff meetup online on January 26 from 7:00 PM CET. My topic is called Code Updates: 100+ Projects in 1 Hour? Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy! You can register here: CLICK.

Additionally, I was invited to participate in a Twitch live stream with one of the developer advocates from the USA with who I shared the stage at one of the conferences, so expect more soon. 😄