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Like any good peanut butter and jelly sandwich, the MNtor Program won’t work without two essential ingredients: Mentors and Mentees. Mentors are those industry veterans who have gained invaluable knowledge and wisdom that comes only from years of experience and who give of their time to foster the next generation. Mentees are, simply put, that next generation of amazing designers who are eager to learn and grow.

We believe that by providing an introduction between like-minded people and allowing them to determine their own course of action, strong relationships will develop. At the program kick-off event, mentors will meet their mentees — either as a 1-on-1 pairing or as a small group, depending on individual preferences. Of course, we’ll be there along the way to set ground rules, give advice, and offer suggestions on things to do. Think of us as your support team.

For Mentors

Veteran designers are as important to young professionals as their college education — and sometimes, more so. Mozart had Bach. Stone had Scorcese. Taylor had Hepburn. Skywalker had Yoda. Without great mentors, much of what we know and love today would simply not be.

We know you’ve all thought about giving back to the design community. Well, if you’re a professional level AIGA member with more than five years experience, here’s your chance. Best of all, the program is free to Mentors, and you’ll set your own schedule and time commitment. We’ll provide an introduction to a like-minded individual or small group of emerging designers (in the first four years of their career) and you’ll use all of your experience to give them sage advice, offer career guidance, provide a glimpse into your own working world, and answer questions about how and why you do what you do.

Is this going to be an unbearable commitment? Absolutely not. We’ll provide the introduction and you’ll set your own schedule. You can meet as little as twice a month or as much as twice a week — whatever you can handle. And at the end of the four-month program, you can decide how best to stay in touch with your mentee.

For Mentees

This isn’t going to be a tough sell, so we’ll keep it short and sweet. If you’re an associate-level AIGA member with one to four years of professional experience, you can get paired up with someone who has lots of experience in your ideal profession and who is open to sharing their knowledge with you. And, at $30, it costs less than a concert ticket. Done and done.

Don’t get carried away, though. This is not a job-hunting program, so please be professional and respectful of your mentor’s time. To get things off on the right foot, you’ll need to have a pretty good idea of what you want to do with your career and what you’d like to gain from the mentorship in order to make the most of it. At the kick-off event, you’ll sit down and get to know your mentor and discuss your career goals and professional experiences thus far. Together, you’ll develop a plan for how often to meet over the next four months and a list of goals and topics for discussion.

In four months, as the program ends, how you decide to continue the relationship is up to you and your mentor. We hope you have forged a great relationship that continues for years to come. Or, it may make sense you to simply keep in touch via email a few times each year. Either way, you’ll have gained knowledge and insights that will prove invaluable as you continue down your career path.