Young professionals are told over and over again to acquire a mentor for professional success, but in my experience it’s a lot harder than it sounds—at least based on the classic model. I grew up assuming a mentor was your boss’s boss, or at least someone much older and wiser than you within your same industry or company, and entirely based on a formalized relationship. I pictured going to coffee with this person, receiving advice and instruction, and then putting that feedback into practice. I never once thought about the fact that this type of one-to-one coaching sucks up a huge amount of time and energy, so anyone likely to be a great mentor is likely hesitant to invest for free, or able to support only a couple of people at a time. I also didn’t consider the difference between a mentor and a sponsor: the former functions as a source of guidance and advice, but maybe not as an advocate or someone directly in your corner, while the latter can be anyone who recognizes your work ethic in way that improves your connections or visibility.
This challenge introduces a modern approach to mentorship: how you can line yourself up with people already on your side, be flexible in figuring out who and what might best serve your career goals, and start to establish the seedlings of such relationships.