Mentorship and Sponsorship in Women’s Career Empowerment

So, let’s talk about driving careers forward, especially for women. We’ve heard a ton about mentorship and sponsorship, right? But let’s cut through the fluff and get real about what these roles actually mean and do for women in the workplace.

Mentorship: More Than Just a Friendly Chat
Mentorship. It’s not about just grabbing a coffee and sharing workplace war stories. It’s a dynamic, sometimes even structured - sometimes free-flowing relationship where someone of a higher level helps to guide, advise, and prop up someone newer to the business. Think of it as a kind of professional big sibling. It’s a space where knowledge and skills are taught and shared, and growth is encouraged. In fact, it’s expected.

The perks: With a mentor, you get a confidence booster, a networking guru, and a resilience coach, all rolled into one. They help with work skills as well as self-reflection, support, and being the person in your corner.

Sponsorship: The Career Game-Changer
Mentorship is someone in your corner. Sponsorship? That takes your career advancement to the next level. Sponsorship is mentorship’s bigger, older, and louder cousin. They are there to guide you, correct. In addition, they also stand as a senior leader who sees your potential and becomes your advocate as you move forward up your career ladder.

What does this mean for you? Sponsors help you to have your achievements noticed…and then recognized - whereas mentors help you to work towards those achievements with guidance and insight on how they have or would have done it themselves.

With a sponsor, you are building connections and receiving direct access to influencers in your career. 

Sponsors are your career’s secret agents. They see your talent and skills, likely before you yourself recognize them within you. They are your advocate, making sure that you’re not just IN the room, you’re the one SPEAKING in it.

The Glass Ceiling. How is This Still a Thing?
In a world where the glass ceiling still exists (so frustrating), a sponsor isn’t just nice to have, it’s a must-have, especially in a male-dominated industry. A sponsor helps to level the playing field and ensure that you have the same shot as your male counterparts.

Mentors are fantastic. But don’t mix them up with sponsors.

To really move up, break barriers, and shatter that damn ceiling, a sponsor is what you’re going to need.

Wrapping Up
Mentorship and sponsorship aren’t just business buzzwords. They’re real. And they’re seriously impactful to you while you navigate the dynamics of your industry.

Go ahead, find your mentor, seek that sponsor, and WORK to land in places with your career that you have only imagined…until now.