In 2025 I was seeing a lot of posts regarding dirty play in the tech job market. ‘Dark’ mentoring in particular. Were mentee’s main goal is to ‘crack’ the job market and get the job no matter what. Such mentees are driven by the prospect of well-paid position, and not by tech itself.

While it’s impossible to walk in someone else’s shoes, I believe such mentoring is a dead end. We are spending a third (give or take) of our lives on our jobs. At least most of us do. And what a torment would it be to waste it doing what you dont want to do. On the other hand, if you are driven by the process itself, time spent turns into fun. At least partly.

One movie hero once said:

Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.

Tue Jan 20, 2026 / 145 words / Motivation Mentoring