KatysBlog

About two weeks ago, I started the mentor matching cycle for Sun’s Global Sales and Service (GSS) SEED term and a PreSEED mentoring term. As of now, 37 out of 80 participants have been matched with mentors (46%). There were quite a few potential mentors who delayed replies until they got home from last week’s JavaOne conference. Both terms will run 15 June – 15 December 2009.

PreSEED participants are limited to “principal level” mentors (just below executive level). The 26 new PreSEED mentors have titles like Senior Staff Engineer, Manager, and Senior Program Manager. The 11 SEED mentors matched so far have titles like Senior Director, Vice President, and Distinguished Engineer.

Most of the mentees in both terms are based outside of the USA. The mentor and mentee often work at great distances from each other. So far, in addition to pairs who are both in the USA, we have pairs working from:

• 1. Bangalore, India and Tokyo, Japan
  2. Brush Prairie WA, USA and Sale, UK
  3. Burlington, MA USA and Velizy, France
  4. Camberley UK and Ratingen, Germany
  5. Hamburg, Germany and McLean VA, USA
  6. Hong Kong and Chengdu, China
  7. Kirchheim-heimstetten, Germany and Zaventem, Belgium
  8. London and Camberley UK
  9. Menlo Park CA, USA and Bangalore, India
  10. Menlo Park CA, USA and Beijing, China
  11. Menlo Park CA, USA and Madrid, Spain
  12. Montbonnot Saint Martin, France and Padova, Italy
  13. Prague, Czech Republic and Madrid, Spain
  14. Prague and Prague, Czech Republic
  15. Santa Clara CA, USA and Budapest, Hungary
  16. Santa Clara CA, USA and Gothenberg, Sweden
  17. Santa Clara CA, USA and Rome, Italy
  18. Somerset NJ, USA and Oslo, Norway

Quarterly SEED satisfaction reports over many years have shown no statistical difference between working locally and at a distance. The average program satisfaction reported tops 90%.

Mentor Matching Status

My first 22 email invitations for potential mentors in the Global Sales and Service (GSS) SEED term went out 27 May. The PreSEED emails went out the next day. In the first week after starting these mentor matching cycles, 22 of the 80 participants were matched (28%). This is low for a usual term but
with the Sun-Oracle transition uncertainties plus JavaOne this week, it is to be expected. Three more have been matched today already, so responses are picking up.

Both terms will run 15 June – 15 December 2009. The majority of both terms’ participants work outside of the USA. Only 7 of the mentor-mentee pairs matched so far are local to each other. Fortunately, quarterly SEED satisfaction reports show no statistical difference between working locally and at a distance. To see how the SEED mentor matching system works, read “SEED: Sun engineering enrichment & development” Research Disclosure Database Number 482013, defensive publication in Research Disclosure, Published in June 2004, Electronic Publication Date : 17 May 2004 (5 pages, PDF format)

Locations

21 GSS SEED Mentee Locations
Belgium   1,   5%
France    1,   5%
Germany   1,   5%
Hungary   1,   5%
Italy     1,   5%
Japan     2,   10%
Norway    1,   5%
Slovakia  1,   5%
Spain     1,   5%
Sweden    3,   14%
Switzerland    1,   5%
United Kingdom 3,   14%
USA       4,   19%
7 GSS Mentor Locations (so far)
Germany   1
India     1
UK        1
USA       4
58 PreSEED Mentee Locations:
9 China,    16%
2 Czech Rep, 3%
1 Germany,   2%
5 India,     9%
1 Ireland,   2%
5 Italy,     9%
2 Japan,     3%
1 Russia,    2%
2 Spain,     3%
1 United Arab Emirates (Dubai), 2%
2 UK,        3%
27 USA,     47%
17 PreSEED Mentor Locations (so far)
Czech Rep   2
France      1
UK          1
USA        13