Engineer Shares How to Learn Without Formal Mentors

Finding guidance in your career doesn't have to start with an uncomfortable conversation. Brian Jenney, founder of tech education platform Parsity, says you can learn from dozens of unofficial mentors without ever asking anyone for a formal commitment.

The traditional mentorship request puts unnecessary pressure on both people. You're essentially asking someone to commit unpaid time to guide your career indefinitely, which explains why many professionals hesitate to say yes.

Jenney recommends a simpler approach he calls the "copy-paste method." When you work with talented engineers or read content from respected professionals, pay attention to what makes them effective. How do they solve problems? How do they communicate in meetings? What resources do they use?

Then you adapt those strategies for your own work. Great artists steal, and engineers can too.

Observation only gets you so far, though. Asking targeted questions unlocks even more value. Jenney suggests simple inquiries that don't require a mentorship commitment: Ask managers how they handled difficult conversations. Ask engineers about their process for solving seemingly impossible problems. Ask knowledgeable colleagues what they're reading right now.

These aren't profound questions, and they don't need to be. You gather one useful piece of information, apply it, and move forward.

Why This Inspires

This approach democratizes career growth. You don't need access to senior leaders willing to formally mentor you. You don't need to work at a company with structured mentorship programs. You just need curiosity and attention.

The strategy works even if you're not surrounded by exceptional engineers. When you encounter something you don't understand, investigate it instead of scrolling past. Make curiosity your default setting.

Building a career isn't about finding one person willing to guide you. It's about collecting knowledge from many people who know things you don't. Watch what works. Ask questions when you're stuck. Copy the good parts shamelessly.

The best mentorship happens naturally when you stay curious.