Ask HN: How do you mentor a junior programmer?
I'm a team leader of a small team of Java programmers. Recently we lost a middle programmer and hired a new junior one, who has just graduated from their university. This is kinda new to me, because they are my first junior since I became a team leader.
The question that comes in my mind every day is how do I make them grow without pushing hard. I heard that I shouldn't touch their keyboard — and I don't. I tell them how to do something in a _better way_ and why this way is better. I recommend them books to read, and they actually read them.
But I'm not sure that will make them grow. We currently don't have much junior tasks in our projects, so it's kinda hard to find them an appropriate thing to do.
Do you have any thoughts about that? Thanks in advance.