Career Sponsorship: Empowering Others and Paying it Forward

By Deena Rini

For most career-oriented individuals, career pathing and progression is constantly on the forefront of the mind.

Perhaps you’re doing what you need to do, but you’re still being halted in your progression. Let’s face it: you can’t be fully present in 100 projects at once, while skillfully maneuvering through your career jungle gym and maintaining some semblance of a balanced life.

What if you had an advocate out there, talking on your behalf, promoting your skills and benefits in front of the most crucial influencers of your career while you’re not there? That’s what sponsorship is all about.

A sponsor is an advocate on their protégés’ behalf, connecting them to important players and assignments. This often stems from successful mentor/mentee relationships, according to the Harvard Business Review.

The article also notes that a sponsor can significantly impact one’s career by:

• Moving beyond just showing someone the ropes. In addition to imparting wisdom, the sponsor will further develop the mentee by involving them in projects and positions that can enable career growth.
• Apprising others of the individual’s exceptional performance and keeping her on the fast track.

Like with most things, there is risk in starting a relationship with a sponsor. It is a two-way street paved with trust.

If you have a sponsor that commits to you, reciprocate with a promise of delivering exceptional performance. You need to depend on and champion each other.

As a personal benefactor of a sponsor, both early in my career and currently, I have seen how powerful this relationship can be and what it can bring to your career: recognition, advancement, empowerment, fulfillment and, arguably most important, the desire to pay it forward.

Now it’s your turn. Take a risk on someone that embodies the values and shows signs of a future leader. Help create a culture of promoting one another, elevating those around you who deserve the chance to be seen, heard and respected. Be a platform for those who aren’t quite there yet but are certainly on their way.

So I challenge you, who is in your corner? Better yet, who will you champion?

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Securities offered through LPL Financial, member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Global Retirement Partners, DBA Oswald Financial, an SEC registered investment advisor and separate entity from LPL Financial.

This article was originally posted in 2017 and has been updated.