mentoring women
Photo courtesy of istock

How to Turn a Mentor into a Sponsor

I’ve written about mentoring before as it’s a subject I feel very passionate about and I know how important mentoring is to build the type of career you want. I have immense gratitude for people who have supported me (and continue to support me) by sharing their wisdom and allowing me to learn from their experience. A positive, productive and long-term relationship with at least one if not a few mentors is something that I wish for everyone working today.

Sadly, according to a LinkedIn survey, one of five women say they’ve never had a mentor at work even though 82% of women agree that having one is important. The lack of mentoring opportunities may explain why women are under-represented in senior management positions. A study by management consulting firm McKinsey pointed out that women are in 53% of entry-level management jobs but that number drops to 37% for mid-managers and 26% for vice-president positions.

Really want to get ahead? Find a sponsor.

As important as mentors are, if you really want to get ahead and advance your career, you need a sponsor. And like mentors, women are under-represented when it comes to sponsors. Women are 54% less likely than men to have a sponsor...

To read the full article by Natasha Koifma, visit The Huffington Post.

Primary Category

Tags