Something to doGetting ahead
Find a sponsor, not just a mentor
A simple exercise to find someone senior who could speak up for you, and give them good reasons to
Why it’s worth your time
A mentor gives you advice; a sponsor uses their standing to put your name forward. Decisions about projects, promotions and new roles are often made in conversations you're not part of, and it helps to have someone there who knows your work and what you want. Sponsorship is hard to request outright, but it can be earned, by doing work that matters to someone senior and making sure they know where you're headed.
How to find a sponsor at work
You’ll come away with one senior person who knows your work and what you're aiming for.
We’ll turn this into a checklist you can tick off.
- Name one or two people who could speak for you.
Someone a level or two above you, with a say in who gets what: projects, promotions, roles. Ideally they've seen your work, or could. Your manager may be the first; their manager is often the second.
Tip: Pick for influence and fit, not fame. A respected leader who knows your area beats a big name who doesn't.
- Learn what they're trying to achieve.
What are they accountable for this year? What keeps them up at night? Listen in meetings, read what they share, or ask your manager. You're looking for where your work could help them.
- Give them a reason to notice your work.
Deliver something that helps with what they care about, and make sure they see the result. Offer to present your team's piece of it, or send a short update when your work touches their priorities.
- Ask for their advice on where you're headed.
Once there's some trust, ask for a short conversation. Share what you've been working on, where you'd like to go, and ask what they'd suggest. Someone can only speak up for a goal they know about.
To: a senior leaderI've really enjoyed working on the project with your team, and I've learned a lot from how you something specific you've noticed.
Could we find 20 minutes this month? I'd like to tell you where I'm hoping to go over the next year or two, and hear what you'd want to see from someone aiming there.
Swap the highlighted parts for your thing. Works on Slack, in email, or said out loud. - Keep them posted, a few times a year.
A short note when something you worked on lands, or when your goals shift. If they speak up for you, thank them specifically. That's what makes people glad to do it again.
Good moments for this: a few times a yearafter work you're proud of landswhen your goals change
We’ll turn this into a checklist you can tick off.
Keep going with Truest
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Anything else we can help you with this week?
Making it work for you
Every workplace is different. Here’s what to think about before you start, and what might get in the way.
Things to think about
Most decisions about you start with them. Keep them in the loop on anything you do with a more senior person, so it never feels like going around them.
What might make this harder
Start with your manager's manager. Offer to present your team's work, volunteer for something cross-team, or ask your manager to bring you into one meeting where your work comes up.
Questions people ask
What's the difference between a mentor and a sponsor?
A mentor gives you advice and perspective. A sponsor uses their influence on your behalf, putting your name forward for projects, promotions and roles. Mentors talk with you; sponsors talk about you.
How do I get a sponsor at work?
Pick someone senior with influence, do work that helps them succeed, make sure they see it, and tell them what you're aiming for. Sponsorship tends to be earned over time rather than asked for.
Can I just ask someone to be my sponsor?
You can, but it usually works better as the result of a relationship than the start of one. Asking for advice on your goals is a gentler way in, and it tells them what you want.
Why this works, and where it comes from
A lot of what happens in your career is decided when you're not there. Who leads the next project, who gets considered for the new role, whose name comes up when a senior leader asks who's ready. In those conversations, what counts is whether someone in the room knows your work and is willing to say so. That person is a sponsor.
The distinction was popularized by the economist Sylvia Ann Hewlett, whose book Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor argued that advice alone moves careers less than advocacy does. A mentor helps you think; a sponsor uses their standing to open doors. In Hewlett's framing it runs both ways: the sponsor puts their reputation behind you, and you give them outstanding performance and loyalty in return. That's why sponsorship is hard to request outright. It's usually earned.
From the senior person's side, this makes sense. Putting someone forward is a small risk. If you do well, it reflects on them, and if you don't, that does too. They take the risk most readily for someone whose work has already helped them and whose goals they understand. So the move isn't to ask for a sponsor; it's to help someone senior succeed, and make sure they know where you want to go.
It isn't the right move in your first months in a role, before you have work to point to. Start with the work. It's also slow. It builds over months, through work and small conversations, and it can't be forced. If it seems to be going nowhere, it's fair to ask plainly what they'd need to see from you. Senior people often respect a clear question more than a long, hopeful wait.
Other simple things to consider
More in Getting ahead
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Written by Truest, based on Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor (Sylvia Ann Hewlett). Last updated September 25, 2026. We sell a career membership; where that’s relevant above, we say so.