With the annual performance review period completed, it is now time to start thinking ahead, making plans and setting goals for the upcoming year. If career development is on the list, then the Mentor Tech program may be worth a closer look.

Sponsored by Georgia Tech’s Office of Organizational Development, Mentor Tech matches faculty and staff who volunteer to assist junior employees with a desire to learn. The program taps into the wealth of experience and talent possessed by other successful Georgia Tech employees.

Mentoring is not only a viable method for growing career skills, but also widely viewed as an important tool in the process of life long learning. As an informal advisor, mentors also receive support from the Mentor Tech staff in the form of training and reference materials.

“We are recruiting mentors and protégés at all levels of the Institute,” said Deborah Covin Wilson, director of the Mentor Tech program. “Mentors do not have to be a supervisor, but must have a successful track record, possess several years of experience at Georgia Tech and be willing to commit two hours a month to a protégé. Prospective protégés should be serious about their professional development.”

Applications for this year’s program are available at www.mentortech.gatech.edu; the deadline to apply is May 14. Applicants will be notified of their status in early June.