Can everyone have a career mentor or are they only suitable for certain roles?

Since our school days, we have been made aware of mentors who help us develop our ambitions, achieve our goals and advance in our careers. But career mentors can be even more important when it comes to the specific measures that mean advancement: challenging tasks, promotions and salary increases. A mentor, a career champion, can be a game-changer, especially for minority professionals.

As important as godparents are for career advancement, we hear just as little about them as mentors. Can everyone have a career mentor, or is it only important for certain jobs? Here's what you need to know.

A professional symbiosis

Most of us have had a mentor or been one ourselves. Mentors are advisors. They help the mentees to realize their ambitions and plans. Mentors are qualified for this task because they are experienced experts. They have relevant professional experience that they can offer. Mentors do not have to work in the same company or even in the same industry as the mentor. They are wise men, coaches and advisors. We need them, but we need them differently than career sponsors.

Godparents are older colleagues. When they notice the talent of a younger colleague, they take a special interest in supporting and advancing their protégé's career. Sponsors use their connections to help their protégés to help achieve success by standing up for and assisting their protégés Salary increases and Promotions help. Supporting a talented, up-and-coming professional also helps the sponsors. They increase their reputation and leadership skills while promoting their protégé's career ambitions. It is a symbiotic relationship based on action, promoting the reputation and ambitions of both sides.

The added value of sponsorships

Career sponsorships are an important part of advancement. Teresa Perez von Payscale points out that almost 57% of employees have career mentors. Employees who have sponsors tend to be paid more. Perez calls this the "sponsorship premium," noting that professionals with sponsors earn nearly 12% more than their counterparts without sponsors.

Professionals who hold more senior positions typically benefit from more internal advocacy. Perez explains: "When we look at the data by position, it shows that those higher up the career ladder tend to have a higher sponsorship rate. 55% of individuals (i.e. those who do not manage other people) say that they have a godfather. With each step up the career ladder, the number of godparents increases: 59.2% of managers, 63.1% of managing directors and 65.5% of executives say that they have a godfather at work. "

In addition to higher remuneration, other benefits are also available, such as: B. the opportunity to take on tasks, some of the benefits that can arise from being supported by a senior colleague. Since a sponsor is usually a respected member of the company or a well-known figure in the industry, their willingness to recommend you is very important. They can also help you get access to training that suits your needs Career advance.

Are there sponsorship opportunities in my company?

Sponsorships are usually associated with senior positions in larger companies. But even for smaller businesses, personal support is an effective way to move them forward, although perhaps in a less formal way. Sometimes applicants have career mentors without even being aware of it. I have spoken to many employees who were promoted thanks to the recommendation of a senior colleague who they may not have even known was advocating for them. Nevertheless, career mentors play an important role in many companies' decisions about who gets promoted.

Likewise, large companies aren't the only ones using internal employee reviews to make promotion decisions. A similar dynamic often exists in small and medium-sized companies, where sponsors advocate for their successors or convince managers to invest in an employee's training. Self-employed people can also attract clients and gain access to finance thanks to career mentors who lend credibility to their work.

The concept of career mentors is increasingly being expanded beyond the business and tech worlds to a variety of other industries such as education, politics, media and many other professions.

How to find a sponsor

A sponsorship relationship is built over time. It is based on trust and confidence. There is a lot at stake when it comes to promoting someone to a leadership position. For this reason, managers and entrepreneurs are often cautious. Career mentors are people who leverage their own reputation by vouching for your strengths and promoting you as a candidate Career opportunities and recommend promotions. They are important because they advocate on your behalf and help allay management's potential concerns about your hiring or promotion.

While mentorships are ubiquitous, sponsorships typically occur by invitation and can therefore be a bit more subtle. Many companies have mentorship programs that are easy to find and approach. However, finding a relationship with a godparent may require a different approach.

A sponsorship often arises quite organically because the younger person must represent great value. And often the older person is looking for added value in the younger person, i.e. a skill or an experience that they themselves do not have and that allows the older person to expand their own sphere of influence. So it's reciprocal. It comes with some risk. And it's really about both people moving forward.

It can be challenging to build an organic relationship. Your colleagues will be willing to promote you if they have confidence in your skills and abilities. Career sponsorships are tricky because you can't just find them. The process must begin with your own performance. You need to make a list of your accomplishments and talents so that people are willing to risk their own reputations to fight for you behind closed doors. If you don't already have a relationship with senior executives at a company, career mentors need to take notice of you.

However, not only can you do great work, you can also increase your chances of being noticed for your work and achievements. You can also promote your visibility by taking advantage of all opportunities that allow you to showcase the factors that make you a unique and talented person. By being transparent about your career goals, you also increase your chances of being noticed. Finally, you can target potential career mentors by making an effort to identify high-ranking individuals in a company that appears to have a lot of social capital. From there, you should strive to build relationships with them based on shared interests and your passion for the job.

Professionals looking for a career mentor should first find a mentor. He or she may know more about the promotion process in your company. He or she may also be able to establish a relationship with a potential sponsor. Conclusion? First, prove your worth by meeting or exceeding expectations for the job, then proactively communicate your career aspirations.