- The Coach: Helping You Improve and Stay Accountable
- The Mentor: Offering Career Guidance and Big-Picture Perspective
- The Sponsor: Advocating for You When You’re Not in the Room
- How to Build Your Network with These Three Key People
Success in your career isn’t just about hard work — it’s also about building the right professional network that will lead to faster career growth. Companies today spend more than $340 billion on employee training and professional development to help employees succeed in their career journey — but in reality, much of success comes down to having the right professional connections.
In order to truly thrive, you need three key people in your professional network: a coach, a mentor, and a sponsor. Each professional connection plays a distinct and crucial role in your growth, helping you develop skills, navigate career decisions, and open doors to new job opportunities.
There’s a simple way to remember their roles:
“A coach talks to you, a mentor talks with you, and a sponsor talks about you.”
Let’s break down the importance of each of these 3 professional relationships.
The Coach: Helping You Improve and Stay Accountable
A coach is someone in your professional network who works closely with you to enhance your skills, set goals, and provide constructive feedback. They help you fine-tune your abilities, correct weaknesses, and push you toward continuous improvement and professional growth.
What a coach does:
- Provides direct feedback on your performance.
- Helps set clear, actionable goals.
- Holds you accountable for progress.
- Focuses on skill-building for future job opportunities.
A coach is often a manager, a colleague with expertise, or even an external professional coach. They provide structured guidance to help you perform at your best in your current role and prepare you for future challenges.
The Mentor: Offering Career Guidance and Big-Picture Perspective
A mentor is a long-term relationship that provides guidance, wisdom, and support as you navigate your career. Unlike a coach, a mentor isn’t necessarily focused on immediate skill development but rather on helping you make strategic career moves and life decisions.
What a mentor does:
- Shares their personal career experiences and lessons learned.
- Helps you navigate challenges and big decisions with career advice.
- Provides encouragement and motivation.
- Offers insight into industry trends and career paths.
A mentor is someone in your professional network who has been where you want to go and can help you avoid pitfalls while offering perspective on what really matters in your career.
The Sponsor: Advocating for You When You’re Not in the Room
A sponsor is a high-level advocate who actively supports your professional development and job search by recommending you for opportunities. Unlike a coach or mentor, a sponsor has influence and is willing to use it to elevate you within an organization or industry.
What a sponsor does:
- Speaks about you positively in high-stakes situations.
- Recommends you for promotions, projects, or leadership roles.
- Uses their influence to create opportunities for you.
- Champions your success without you even asking.
Sponsors are typically senior leaders or well-connected professionals who recognize your potential and advocate for you when decisions are being made about hiring, promotions, or leadership appointments. These advocates are crucial to have in your professional network, especially during a job search.
How to Build Your Network with These Three Key People
Building a strong network of coaches, mentors, and sponsors takes intentional networking effort. Like job opportunities, you have to work hard and maybe even leverage your professional contacts to find the right one. Here’s how you can start:
- Identify Potential Coaches: Look for managers, colleagues, or external professionals who can help refine your skills.
- Find a Mentor: Seek out experienced professionals who align with your career aspirations. Reach out by attending industry events, joining professional groups, or alumni connections.
- Earn a Sponsor: Focus on delivering excellent work, building meaningful connections with senior leaders, and demonstrating leadership potential.
By having all three in your professional network — a coach to develop you, a mentor to guide you, and a sponsor to elevate you — you’ll set yourself up for long-term career success.
