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Professional Networking

Find mentors and sponsors

You need both: Mentors (coaches who give advice—ask 'Can I learn from you?') and Sponsors (advocates who talk about you in rooms you're not in). You can ask for a mentor, but you earn a sponsor through great work. Also build 'horizontal' networks—your classmates are your future coworkers, not competitors.

In the U.S., you need two different types of people in your corner. Most students don't know the difference, but knowing it will change your life.

Think of a mentor as a Coach. They sit with you and give you advice. They tell you how to fix your resume or how to handle a difficult boss. You can find a mentor by simply asking someone you admire, "Can I learn from you?"
Think of a sponsor as an Advocate. They are powerful people who talk about you when you are not there. They are the ones who say, "We should promote [Your Name]" during a secret meeting.
You can ask for a mentor, but you earn a sponsor by doing great work. A sponsor "bets" their reputation on you, so you must prove you are a hard worker first.

Record your progress

Mark this subsection complete to track your progress.