PreSEED Mentoring Term

Paul’s Halloween mask

Jack-o’-lantern lights, glass squash

Mexican Skeleton Lady

I’m delighted to announce that Sun’s new worldwide Engineering-wide
PreSEED mentoring program is now accepting applications. PreSEED is a
mentoring program aimed at helping Engineering staff in the Member of
the Technical
Staff job family (grade 5 to 9, MTS-2 to MTS-4 equivalents) who have
been getting almost all “Sun Standard” annual performance ratings onto a
path which may lead them to higher engagement.

PreSEED and SEED?

One way to think of PreSEED is as a preliminary to the successful SEED
Engineering mentoring program. The PreSEED and SEED program take a broad
definition of Engineering. PreSEED alumni are welcome to apply to the
SEED program. Since 2001, the CTO-sponsored SEED program has a proven
track record of strong diversity, very high satisfaction, high regard by
management, and high retention. SEED participants as a group earn more
promotions and higher performance ratings than Sun overall. Individual
experiences will vary.

Sponsor? Schedule?


Greg Papadopoulos (Sun CTO and EVP) sponsors the PreSEED and SEED
worldwide mentoring program. This PreSEED term will run from January –
June 2009. Applications will be accepted starting now (Halloween,
31 October 2008). Application materials should be submitted as soon
as possible. The application period will close on 14 November 2008 at
12 p.m. (Noon) California Time, or as soon as 100 complete applications
are received.

PreSEED’s General Selection Criteria:

1. All participants are in Engineering.
2. Only regular Sun employees may participate.
3. All annual performance ratings in the last 3 years must be
   a 2 (“Sun Standard”) or better.
4. Manager support is required.

What about GSS?

Global Sales and Service (GSS) worldwide Engineering or technical staff
at the principal level (US Grade 10 to 12, or non-US equivalent) or above –
by 7 November, please consider applying to the new GSS SEED Mentoring
Pilot Program sponsored by

Peter Ryan, Sun’s Executive Vice President, GSS, and

Hal Stern, GSS Distinguished Engineer and Senior Vice President, and
12-time SEED mentor. GSS worldwide Engineering or technical staff with jobs
equivalent to MTS-2 to MTS-4, in job grades 5 to 9, are welcome to consider
PreSEED. For more, see my blog:
October 22, 2008.

Become a Mentor?

Mentors must be the global equivalent of U.S. job grade level 10 (Staff Engineer) through Senior VP. PreSEED Mentors are in grades 10 to 12 only
(not yet executive level). SEED and PreSEED Mentors can come from any
part of Sun, not just Engineering.

More?

More information on the SEED worldwide Engineering mentoring program
is available at
http://research.sun.com/SEED/

Images Copyright 2008 by Katy Dickinson