Illustration by Matija Medved for Forbes
Hey Tech Lady,
Who was your greatest mentor or mentors and why?
— Rachel R., DevOps Engineer, via LinkedIn
I landed my first real office job the same year the movie "Office Space" was released and the similarities between the late-90s tech-scene dark comedy and life — my life — were, mmm, uncomfortable.
The receptionist with the high-pitched, annoyingly insincere positivity answering the phone in corporate accounts payable and asking you to wait just a moment? Yeah, that was me. I had a headset, a desk full of blinking buttons and tendonitis from repeatedly pushing the same buttons over and over. And over. It was demanding work with a steady paycheck and few prospects for the future.
Until Gayle Berkeley came into my life.
Gayle was the director of consulting at our company, one of the big .com's popular around Y2K. Each time she’d pass by my desk, we’d make small talk until one day she asked me to be her executive assistant. I was movin’ on up.
Gayle opened every door she could for me. When the company was offering tech courses, she never hesitated to approve UX design classes, coding courses in JavaScript and PHP, internal seminars on VBA for MS Office, gator wrestling. Anything and everything, I was there with bells on.
After each course I completed, Gayle incorporated my new skills into my actual job. I was 22 years old and learning computers for the first time — who knew!?
Gayle did.
“I saw potential in you and I wasn’t entirely sure if you yourself saw it yet," Gayle told me last week when we reconnected for the first time in 20 years. I was her first assistant, so she didn't quite know what to do with me at first, but she saw our relationship as an opportunity for both of us. "There wasn’t anybody pulling me up when I came up, so I always thought, if I can do that for somebody else, I want to.”
Gayle was a caring and thoughtful manager who wanted to make a difference for her direct reports, but back then, mentorship wasn't as much an official part of her job and it wasn't always celebrated, or even recognized. It just wasn’t a thing.
When I told Gayle what she had meant to me and my career, she was genuinely surprised. "It’s amazing the seeds that get planted and you don’t even know,” she said. I have told so many people my mentorship story, but not Gayle.
She hadn't realized the impact she had made, that she changed my life. "You’re the one who did all the work," she said. "All I did was lay the ground for you.” However you view it, I wouldn’t be where I am today without that ground under my feet.
The value of genuine mentorship is immeasurable. Without it, not only would I never have climbed the ladder, I wouldn’t have been able to reach the first rung. I’d never have discovered my passion for technology. I never would have been given the leeway to take on learn-as-you-go projects. I was fortunate to be given patience for my questions and my mistakes. Gayle's mentorship helped me reach my potential.
Gayle is a big reason why, after 12 years designing UX for Military Health Systems (Tricare) and coding for the Government Accountability Office and GE, I decided to become a manager myself. My goal as a leader and mentor is to motivate through positivity, invest time and attention in each and every team member, and empower them by giving my unwavering support. In short, I want my mentees to never say never.
Tell your Gayle and all the mentors out there what they mean to you, what you appreciate, and what's not as helpful to your career. Think of it as reverse encouragement, to keep the mentorship coming. And share your own mentorship experiences — and questions — in the comments section. Or email me at TechLady@forbes.com
Remember, especially if we identify as women, to support each other. If we’re in a position to help, whether it’s mentorship, advocating for a deserved promotion, helping to train someone, or simply listening — make time for it. You could change someone’s life and help shape the next generation of tech professionals.
More From Hey Tech Lady
