Getting a work mentor is often held up as an essential part of progressing in your career. And that’s not an incorrect perception. A great mentor can be a huge help, whether by sharing information about their role or taking a look at your CV and providing notes. 

But sometimes, you need a little more. Sometimes, what you really need is a ‘career champion’. 

Eleanor Kaye, executive director at Newton Venture Program tells Stylist: “Mentorship has a big profile. Many people looking to advance their career believe they need one. It’s seen as a box that simply must be ticked.

“But very few people have any clear sense of what this mentorship should entail. What structure should the relationship take? What are you expecting to gain from it? And when should it come to an end?

“When pushed to analyse their desire to secure a coveted mentor, most can’t. And that’s because we’re approaching mentorship all wrong – seeing mentors as magical creatures who will solve our professional problems and unlock new opportunities for us. Instead, we should be thinking more strategically and realistically about why we feel the need to have one. 

“Mentors are fantastic if you’re looking to build a long-term relationship with a more experienced colleague or peer, ie someone who can provide advice or act as a sounding board for career decisions and challenges. But it’s not the only option. And I’d argue that when most people say they’d like a mentor, they’re actually looking for a career champion.”

What is a career champion? And how does it differ from a mentor? The crux is that while a mentor can offer guidance, advice and a supportive ear, a career champion provides more tangible opportunities and introductions. Think of it like this: a mentor might help you prep for an interview for an exciting role, whereas a career champion is the one who got you that interview in the first place by throwing your name into the ring.

“You’ve likely seen examples of career championing in practice,” Kaye notes. “The manager who consciously credits you and ensures seniors take note of your achievements; the company director who notices potential in junior employees and sends exciting new opportunities their way; a professional contact who’s always happy to recommend you for roles, send leads in your direction and keep the LinkedIn plaudits rolling in.”

Once you’ve worked that out, you can be more strategic when finding and choosing a champion versus a mentor. Your ideal mentor, for example, might be someone in a role you’d love to attain in the future, or who isn’t in your industry but has the kind of expertise you could benefit from. Your career champion, on the other hand, should be someone within your current industry (they might even be in your workplace) who will be able to back you up, be your cheerleader and shout about your accomplishments when opportunities pop up. 

Kaye says: “Ultimately, a career champion is on a mission to use their position and experience to directly support your career. There’s significant overlap with mentorship, but champions tend to address specific career goals with action, rather than advice.

“The right mentor can certainly help empower you to put yourself forward for career opportunities or promote yourself in the right context, but that’s not going to suit everyone. Sometimes, even the best advice and support from a mentor can’t tackle systemic barriers to career progression – whether they are diversity issues or practical challenges like not having a degree from the ‘right’ university.”

Having a career champion – or even having both a champion and a mentor – can really pay off. “Research into the efficacy of career mentorship and sponsorship showed that mentorship alone does not tend to make women, for instance, more likely to be promoted to top jobs, nor does it make them more likely to apply for promotions they are qualified for,” Kaye says. “Women in business are ‘over mentored and under sponsored’, the study concluded. However, it found that sponsorship – or the presence of ‘championing’ – did improve promotion rates.”

Anyone who’s ever had a manager who actively helps out with a promotion or who has landed a job thanks to a recommendation will know just how powerful having a career champion can be. 

Ultimately, it’s not about sacking off the idea of mentors entirely, but recognising that there are moments in your career when you need a champion. 

“I believe we need to reframe our approach to mentorship – broadening out the definition to a wider range of support and roles,” Kaye tells us. “If you believe you’d benefit from a mentor, start by asking yourself: am I looking for a trusted sounding board or someone to open doors? If it’s the former, a mentor might be for you. But if it’s the latter, you may be better off looking among your company, network or even peer group for a career champion instead.

“People who support your career come in many different guises. Some are formal, structured relationships, while others are more casual and opportunistic. All have their role to play. So before you start seeking out the support you think you should have, take a second to confirm what you actually need. Once you have that clarity, both you and your mentors or career champions will be set up for success.”

Images: Getty