There is no denying that the term “mentor” has been a long-standing buzzword circulating in society. For decades, mentorship has been a key notion taught to new hires looking for career advancement opportunities and is often used to optimally prepare college students entering into the workforce for its effectiveness.

Overall, we have all heard of mentoring even at surface level, or perhaps you have even been a mentor yourself at one point or another. But mentorship is not the only asset for career advancement and promotion. There is another top dog that has been gaining traction in recent years and taking over the spotlight, and it is called workplace sponsorship.

What is a Sponsor, and How Does It Differ from A Mentor?

Sponsors and mentors tend to overlap in some ways, but it is important to recognize that these are two very different terms that can help you with your career advancement journey in their own way.

For starters, a mentor is someone who you can confide in and help you blueprint out your career objectives to translate into career growth.

These people are there to uplift you, help you navigate through challenges, give you insightful advice, and support you in excelling within the role you were offered.

On the other hand, a sponsor is someone you should seek out when getting advice on your career is not enough anymore. This is someone who sees your potential, will advocate for you, and will boost your chances of climbing the ladder in the competitive market by opening more opportunity doors.

In fact, Business Insider showcases four studies that demonstrate sponsorship, not mentorship, is how the majority of power is transferred within an organization. In short, a mentor is a person who can help skill you for a role and talk with you about it, whereas a sponsor is that person who will help promote you and talk about you to others so you can obtain new levels of career success.

The Value of Having A Sponsor

Based on the definition above, I know that the most obvious value of having a sponsor is the monumental career advancement advantages.

These are people who will help you move up in the career world and act as your safety net so you can effectively take calculated risks such as asking for a promotion or being a part of a higher accredited assignment. But how this result comes to be is where that real value lies.

With that being said, below contains a list of the valuable things a sponsor can do for you, whether you are in the same room or not.

• They will advocate and/or hire you for a lateral position move because they see your potential and know you will learn how to excel in it.

• Whether your sponsor is in management or a floor worker, they will proactively throw your name out there if they feel that your skills match the requirements a team is searching for.

• Sponsors will take it upon themselves to scope out new opportunities for you that they feel you will thrive in, opportunities that will help you become more noticed and respected amongst upper management.

• They will help you align your skills and abilities with what certain career advancement opportunities mandate so you can be prepared to tackle it and leave lasting impressions.

• Lastly, sponsors can act as a gateway for you to make more connections and network with other professionals who can help you progress.

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Conclusion – Finding A Workplace Sponsor

Having both a mentor and a sponsor is the perfect way to spearhead your career advancement objectives and live the fulfilled life you have always envisioned for yourself. Intertwining both allows you to become optimally positioned from all sides so you can not only pave the path to success, but actually reach it.

As great as that might be, the cold hard truth is that not everyone receives a sponsor. It can be tricky to find someone who is willing to fight for you, and it may take some time to prove to them that you are worth the risk and their time.

The best thing to do if you are at this point in the game is perform at your peak every day, expose your knowledge to build your reputation, work directly with potential sponsors, and make sure to share your clear-cut goals with leaders.

17As a final note here, if you do happen to attract a sponsor and gain the immeasurable benefits from it, make sure to give yourself a pat on the back too. That person may put you on the fast track to career advancement success, but never forget that you are the one who did the work and proved yourself capable of advancing in the first place.

Coming from a career coach, that is something you should be proud of.