The way I think about it is that it’s coaching if you are making decisions for them about the path they should take. It works here because writing code is a fairly general skillset.
With mentoring, the crux of the problem is that you’re trying to help them navigate their specific situation. And in my experience both as a mentor and a mentee, “where are they trying to go and what do they really want?” is actually the hardest part, and it’s not something you can consistently answer because it’s their experience and you’ll never fully understand the nuances of it. You can’t lay out the path for them, you can only (try to) help them see further down the path they’re already on.
The way I think about it is that it’s coaching if you are making decisions for them about the path they should take. It works here because writing code is a fairly general skillset.
With mentoring, the crux of the problem is that you’re trying to help them navigate their specific situation. And in my experience both as a mentor and a mentee, “where are they trying to go and what do they really want?” is actually the hardest part, and it’s not something you can consistently answer because it’s their experience and you’ll never fully understand the nuances of it. You can’t lay out the path for them, you can only (try to) help them see further down the path they’re already on.