In many ways, I owe the last 10 years of my career to Jared’s selfless encouragement and support. It’s been a decade of newfound happiness, achievement, joy, friendships, and satisfaction that I may very well have missed out on if not for Jared’s generous mentorship.
I met Jared at the 2006 No Fluff Just Stuff conference in RTP. He was demonstrating the ease of setting up SVN and continuous integration, and inspiring a room full of programmers to take their practices to the next level. I approached Jared afterwards, and I was struck by his attentiveness and willingness to patiently entertain my questions after his full day of speaking. Little did I know that this was just a glimpse of the tremendous kindness and generosity that Jared would offer me over the coming year.
Within a few months, Jared motivated me to write a book, and then encouraged me throughout the process and generously donated his time reviewing my writing and making it better. He encouraged me to speak at conferences, and cheered me on each time I gave a talk. And building on those things, Jared helped me find the courage to pursue the most rewarding move of my career.
Each step along the way, Jared's mentorship was the perfect mix of thoughtful, constructive, and motivating. In helping me refine my résumé, for example, he considered both the big picture and the smallest details, even taking the time to offer advice like, "I don't think bullets should have terminating periods unless you have multiple sentences per bullet." And throughout, he was always encouraging, choosing to close that same email by saying, "Glad to do it. I can tell people I knew you Way Back When. :)"
This is just one example. Jared entertained countless other emails from me. He selflessly offered his guidance and support, spoke humbly and openly about his own pitfalls, and set a new standard in my eyes for what it means to be a mentor.
After re-reading my emails with him in which he helped me refine my writing, I'm certain he would point out that this story is "a bit wordy." Forgive me, Jared. And thank you for everything. I miss you.
In many ways, I owe the last 10 years of my career to Jared’s selfless encouragement and support. It’s been a decade of newfound happiness, achievement, joy, friendships, and satisfaction that I may very well have missed out on if not for Jared’s generous mentorship.
I met Jared at the 2006 No Fluff Just Stuff conference in RTP. He was demonstrating the ease of setting up SVN and continuous integration, and inspiring a room full of programmers to take their practices to the next level. I approached Jared afterwards, and I was struck by his attentiveness and willingness to patiently entertain my questions after his full day of speaking. Little did I know that this was just a glimpse of the tremendous kindness and generosity that Jared would offer me over the coming year.
Within a few months, Jared motivated me to write a book, and then encouraged me throughout the process and generously donated his time reviewing my writing and making it better. He encouraged me to speak at conferences, and cheered me on each time I gave a talk. And building on those things, Jared helped me find the courage to pursue the most rewarding move of my career.
Each step along the way, Jared's mentorship was the perfect mix of thoughtful, constructive, and motivating. In helping me refine my résumé, for example, he considered both the big picture and the smallest details, even taking the time to offer advice like, "I don't think bullets should have terminating periods unless you have multiple sentences per bullet." And throughout, he was always encouraging, choosing to close that same email by saying, "Glad to do it. I can tell people I knew you Way Back When. :)"
This is just one example. Jared entertained countless other emails from me. He selflessly offered his guidance and support, spoke humbly and openly about his own pitfalls, and set a new standard in my eyes for what it means to be a mentor.
After re-reading my emails with him in which he helped me refine my writing, I'm certain he would point out that this story is "a bit wordy." Forgive me, Jared. And thank you for everything. I miss you.
