Thank you for your interest in our Tech Leadership Development Program. Please click one of the drop downs below to learn more about our mentee or mentor application process. 

Mentee Applicants

Mentee applications for the 2024-2025 cohort are now closed.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the program, potential mentees must meet the following criteria:

  1. Be a staff member in Information Technology 
  2. Have completed their probation period
  3. Have at least 1 year of service at the time the cohort is selected
  4. Be in a career (type 2) appointment of 50% or more
  5. Have a satisfactory or meets rating on their most recent performance evaluation
  6. Be in career tracks grade 17-27, or equivalent (this includes all Business Technical Support Analyst and System Administrator positions)
  7. Commit to minimum participation of 4 hours per month for 12 months
  8. Have supervisor's support to participate
  9. Not be a member of the Tech Leadership Development Program Committee (in order to support a fair application and selection process; if interested, applicants may sign up to volunteer for the committee after admission decisions are finalized)

Monthly Programs 

The Tech LDP presents monthly programs focused on professional skills and leadership development. Past professional skills areas have included Lean and A3 thinking, product management, public speaking, problem identification and resolution, effective listening, embracing and leveraging the strengths of a diverse workforce, effectively providing and receiving feedback, creating and leading effective teams, and effective situational communication. Our outstanding leadership speakers challenge our mentees to grow attributes like confidence, courage, self-awareness, flexibility, inclusivity, empathy, resourcefulness, and creativity. 

Team Projects 

Mentees are grouped into teams of four and select a problem to solve. They work with subject matter experts to propose their solution, which they present at the end of the program. Most teams spend approximately one hour per week on this project over the last four months of the program. Examples of past projects are available on our website. 

Cost of Participation

The participant costs cover books, printing, mailing, virtual team-building events, and outside speakers. These costs are shared with participating departments. The Tech LDP has the enthusiastic support of each eligible department's leadership, and if you are accepted we will work with your department to cover the cost of your participation. 

Mentee Application Process

This is their opportunity to explain why they want to participate in the program, what they can bring to the program, and what they hope to get out of the program. Applicants are encouraged to describe their commitment to UCSF and the mission, citing specific actions and examples where appropriate. Applications are reviewed by the committee, and mentees are selected on the merits of their applications and the balance they bring to the year’s cohort. 

We generally receive three times as many applications as available positions, so we strongly encourage interested staff to join an information session to help them prepare their application. 

Application Questions​

  1. Why do you want to participate in the UCSF Tech LDP? In what ways do you feel this program can support you?  
  2. The Tech LDP is a very interactive program that involves building networks, sharing knowledge, and working collaboratively. With that in mind, what will you bring to the Tech LDP? 
  3. What gaps do you perceive in your professional development, and how do you think the Tech LDP might help you to address those gaps?
  4. Briefly describe your involvement in a project of which you are particularly proud. What was the impact of the implementation, and what were the benefits? Please describe any obstacles encountered, and give examples of your resourceful measures in addressing them.
  5. Development of a peer network is one of the unique opportunities available to Tech LDP participants.
  • What expectations would you have for formal and informal interactions with a Tech LDP mentee peer group?
  • How might such a network affect your individual goals for the program?
  1. UCSF is committed to building a community that is diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible. 
  • In your opinion, what does a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible environment mean to you and the people around you? 
  • What have you done to support DEIA-AR goals, either within UCSF or outside of it? 
  • What could you do to support this goal if you’re selected for the Tech LDP? 

Mentor Match

Once the mentee cohort is selected, the committee shares the resumes of the potential mentors with the mentees. Mentees meet potential mentors at the mentee/mentor mixer and interview potential mentors one-on-one. At the end of the interview period, both mentees and mentors rank their top choices. The committee pairs mentees and mentors using the highest mutual match. Mentees are guaranteed a mentor, but not all mentors are guaranteed a mentee. Mentors will not be matched with mentees within their direct reporting.

Once matched, mentees and mentors draft and sign a mentoring agreement. This agreement outlines the mentee’s professional development needs, the pair’s mutual goals and expectations for the mentorship period, the venue and frequency of their meetings, and communications. The pair returns the signed agreement to the committee within 2 weeks of match and checks their progress quarterly.

FAQs

  • How many applications have been submitted in the past? What has the acceptance rate been? We have accepted 60 mentees (12, 12, 16, 20) in the first 4 cohorts. We had a total of 139 applicants across all 4 years, so our overall acceptance rate is 43%. However, our acceptance rate has been dropping each year. Last year it ended up at 43%, but it would have been 34% if we hadn't expanded the cohort from 16 to 20. 
  • What can potential mentees expect from the application sessions? As part of our DEI initiative, the committee members (who will be scoring applications) will not provide direct coaching during the application sessions. Instead, we are engaging our alumni to help provide potential mentees with application support. During application sessions, they will be addressing common questions and may share their past experiences in applying to the program. 
  • What can mentees expect to get out of the program after one year? 
    • Connect professionally and personally with UCSF/external leaders 
    • Get to know your own strengths and maximize them 
    • Meet people from other departments and expand your network 
    • Learn skills to enhance your career and personal life 
    • Collaborate on a project with a group of great people, each possessing various strengths to complement each other, and propose solutions to make a difference 
    • Expand your work cycle 
    • Build long-lasting relationships with colleagues at UCSF 
    • Get to know different facets of the UCSF ecosystem 
    • Check out our past program sessions and speakers 
  • Does the mentorship usually last even after the yearly program is completed? Yes. The bonding, friendships, and mentoring last long after graduation. Many of our mentees and mentors maintain strong relationships post-graduation. Alumni may consider applying to join the committee and/or to be a mentor to others. Take it as high as you would like.
  • How do I pay for the program? The Tech LDP is supported by each participant's department. We have enthusiastic support from the leadership in each of our eligible departments. If you are accepted into the program, we will work directly with your department leadership to cover the costs of your participation. There are no out-of-pocket costs to individual participants. 

Mentor Applicants

Mentor applications for the 2024-2025 cohort are now closed.

Mentors should be respected UCSF leaders with a strong interest in staff development and be committed to the UCSF mission. Mentors should be willing to commit a minimum of 2 hours per month for 12 months to their mentoring relationship. We encourage senior technologists, directors, managers, and supervisors to apply to be mentors. We try to recruit at least 2.5 times the number of mentees in potential mentors (e.g., 50 mentors for a cohort of 20 mentees) to give the mentees the best possible match. 

Mentor Match

Once the mentee cohort is selected, the committee shares the resumes of the potential mentors with the mentees. Mentees meet potential mentors at the mentee/mentor mixer and interview potential mentors one-on-one. At the end of the interview period, both mentees and mentors rank their top choices. The committee pairs mentees and mentors using the highest mutual match. Mentees are guaranteed a mentor, but not all mentors are guaranteed a mentee. Mentors will not be matched with mentees within their direct reporting. 

Once matched, mentees and mentors draft and sign a mentoring agreement. This agreement outlines the mentee’s professional development needs, the pair’s mutual goals and expectations for the mentorship period, the venue and frequency of their meetings, and communications. The pair returns the signed agreement to the committee within 2 weeks of the match and checks their progress quarterly. 

Mentoring FAQs

I’m not a mentor! 

Do you listen to your work friends when they want to vent? Do you help people find the right connection to help them get their questions answered? Do you give constructive feedback to your coworkers or staff? Do people come to you for advice? You are already mentoring! 

I don’t have time. 

In the initial match period, you will meet with many mentees during our mixer, and mentees might schedule short follow-up meetings with you after that. If you match with a mentee you are committing to spend 2 hours per month meeting with them. Most mentors find these meetings rejuvenating and inspiring, and definitely time well spent! 

What’s in it for me? 

Through the Tech LDP, mentors get to meet people they might never interact with. You get to meet mentees and fellow mentors from across UCSF IT. If you match, in addition to meeting with your mentee you get to attend our monthly classroom sessions and hear from respected leaders from across UCSF. Learning is two-way in a mentoring relationship. Honing your feedback skills, gaining insights into how other groups and individuals work together, reflecting on your own values and how you present in the workplace, and a myriad of other insights that come with going deep with another person outside your normal sphere. But most of all, you get the satisfaction of sharing your insights with your mentee, so that they get the benefit of that wisdom as they build their own career. 

What happens if no one picks me? 

The process is designed to give the mentee the best chance of matching with a mentor in their top three choices. To make this work, we try to recruit 2.5 times the number of potential mentors to the number of mentees. For a cohort of 20 mentees, this means at least 50 potential mentors. Every potential mentor is trying to help the mentees find the best person to be their mentor, so when you meet with mentees you should think about which of the other mentors they might also want to meet with. At the same time, the best match is one where the mentee and the mentor have a strong rapport and mutual respect, so don’t be shy and let mentees know which of them you would like to match with! Even if you don’t match, you’ve helped our mentees reach their goals. 

I haven’t been at UCSF very long. Am I qualified to be a mentor? 

There is no minimum service requirement to mentor for the Tech LDP. Mentees will often ask for help navigating the organization or understanding a process, but no mentor is expected to have all the answers. The best mentoring relationships involve shared discovery and problem-solving. 

I don’t manage people. Can I still mentor? 

Not all managers are leaders, and not all leaders are managers. Not all of our mentees want to manage people, so we are always looking for mentors who are strong individual contributors. 

If I apply to mentor could I be rejected? 

No! The Tech LDP doesn’t screen mentor sign-ups. Once you sign up you are a potential mentor for our mentees. The mentees and the mentors select each other through a mutual matching process. 

I’m not in IT. Am I still allowed to be a mentor? 

Yes! While the mentee cohort is restricted to staff in IT, we encourage all technology leaders from across UCSF to sign up to mentor.