Our Microsoft MVPs supporting the Mentoring Circles for the Data & AI Bootcamp 

MVPs are helping prepare university students for the challenges and opportunities of the real world through the Microsoft Data & AI Bootcamp, hosted in partnership with Akkodis.

The two-week long bootcamp was designed to address the barriers that students may face in obtaining a technology certification by providing a flexible and accelerated learning program. In addition, the bootcamp highlighted the importance of building interpersonal skills through the power of networking, being an active participant in a wider community and empowering the students to showcase the best version of themselves on LinkedIn.

Connecting Microsoft MVPs to our next generation of leaders

Microsoft MVP for M365, Cameron Dwyer

Mentoring is a powerful form of professional development that connects experienced professionals in a field of interest, offering mentees guidance, feedback, and insights. During the Microsoft Data & AI Bootcamp, 28 passionate MVPs from across Australia and New Zealand put their hands up to give back as industry mentors in a Mentoring Circle session.

Microsoft MVP for M365, Cameron Dwyer, who works as a Chief Technology Officer, led a mentoring circle during the bootcamp. He describes being a mentor as a fulfilling experience, particularly in today’s rapidly evolving IT landscape.

Cameron says, “the rate of change, driven significantly by advancements in cloud computing and AI, presents both exciting opportunities and new challenges. Sharing knowledge and experiences to help navigate this dynamic environment was both rewarding and enlightening.”

“It is easy to forget how much business and industry knowledge you build up over a career. Hearing some of the questions that came out during mentoring, it wasn’t so much the technical skills that were blocking people taking the next step in their career it was more about the unknowns of the business world and how to go about finding that first role. It was a privilege to be part of their journey and growth,” continued Cameron.

The Iceberg Theory

Luke Murray, Microsoft Azure MVP

Luke Murray, a Microsoft Azure MVP and Cloud Architect & Consultant, shared his experiences as a tech professional in the bootcamp as a mentor. Luke also provided an Azure demo to the students studying for their Microsoft AI-900 certification and revealed insights on navigating a career during a Careers in Tech panel alongside other industry leaders, including Arafat Tehsin, AI Platform MVP.

When it comes to building a career in technology, Luke believes that whilst technology is always changing, the IT industry is almost an ever-green industry. He encouraged the students to either follow their passion areas or follow what they are curious about.

Luke compared a career journey to an iceberg analogy. “What people see is above the line (above the water). However, underneath the line (underneath the surface) is persistence, failure, hard work, most of us didn’t land our ideal job or role, some of us are still looking and that ideal role you may want can change – as technology changes, or what you want to do changes based on your own experience, and that’s ok, but in the end, we are learning, adapting, growing with each step,” explained Luke.

He continued, “instead of looking for a role that suits, look for a goal – something that you may want to achieve, or be part of, then you can reach out to likeminded people, locally or globally, who might work on or be part of the same goal, a job role, then becomes a means to achieving that goal.”

Focus on understanding core concepts & experiment by building projects

Cameron recommends those navigating their career to understand the core concepts we are trying to solve with technology and not so much focus on memorising the technical details. He says, “as technologies constantly evolve, it’s crucial to grasp the underlying principles, understand the problems they aim to solve, and how they conceptually address those issues. The specifics, like syntax and commands, can always be looked up in manuals or guides. It’s impractical to memorize every technical detail, but if you focus on understanding the core concepts and their applications, you’ll be well-equipped to find the finer details when necessary.”

“That doesn’t mean just read the concepts and you’ll be ok. I encourage you to dive in and experiment with the technology by building projects yourself. Although it might seem daunting at first, I’ve seen time and again that creating something from scratch gives a profound sense of empowerment. It’s like acquiring a new tool that unlocks the ability to build things you never thought possible, opening up a world of opportunities”, explained Cameron.

A mentoring exercise from Luke Murray

For Luke, having been around formal and informal mentors during his career, has helped him navigate frustrating and uncertain times. He is passionate about giving back and sharing his knowledge as a mentor. Luke also benefits through mentoring as he gets the opportunity to talk to people at various points in their own career and different backgrounds, and learn from them directly, helping to give Luke an open-minded perspective.

Luke shared an exercise that has been useful in his own career, called Fear Setting – What If, which is inspired by author, Tim Ferriss in this TED Talk. Whether you are a mentee or mentor, feel free to use this in your own mentoring journey.

Step 

Description 

Define Your Fear 

Write down what you are afraid of. Be specific and detailed. This could be anything from starting a new project, asking for a raise, ending a relationship, etc. Include all the worst things you can imagine happening if you take the step you’re considering. 

Prevent 

For each worst-case scenario you’ve listed, write down what you could do to prevent it from happening. Think of strategies or actions that could decrease the likelihood of these fears coming true. 

Repair 

Consider what you could do to repair the damage if the worst-case scenario does happen. This could include people you could ask for help or steps you could take to recover. 

Benefits of Attempt or Partial Success 

Reflect on the potential benefits of attempting the action or even achieving partial success. This helps balance out the focus on the negative and can provide motivation for moving forward. 

Cost of Inaction 

Consider the cost of not taking the action. This is often overlooked but is crucial. Reflect on what your life might look like in six months, a year, or three years if you don’t take this action. 

How can MVPs empower student communities
MVPs bring so much value to the wider community as industry mentors and it is one of the best ways to empower students. Hearing from those who have been there and done that, can be very inspirational.

Industry professionals and MVPs can encourage students to join the Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador program, or connect directly with Student Ambassadors for community collaboration or mentoring through Find an Ambassador. 

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