3 People You Need in Your Career Network to be Successful

Anyone who has been in the job market for any period of time likely knows how important it is to have a network. The well-known social platform, LinkedIn has capitalized on this fact by creating a space specifically to form professional connections across companies and fields. But for all the talk we do about networking, many people are still left with the question of what their network should look like in practice. Read on to learn about three valuable players you need on your professional team to set you up for success.

A Mentor

A mentor is someone who functions as a teacher in your career. They know a lot about a particular area, lane, or professional niche that you don’t. That could be anything from business acumen in a particular area that you want to grow your knowledge in, to a particular functional aspect. If you’re a new manager or looking to become one, one of your mentors could be someone who has deep leadership or influence expertise. You want someone successful in this area who you admire and can really help you to widen your skillset and perspective in this particular area. Mentors are really important for your professional success because they know a lot about particular areas where you’re dealing with a learning curve and they should be able to give you an unbiased, unfiltered assessment or set of recommendations that you can apply to your day to day life. Mentors are infinitely valuable as it relates to your professional success!

A Sponsor

The second person that you want to think about having in your professional network is a sponsor. While a sponsor can be the same person as a mentor, they are two separate roles which fulfill different needs. Unlike the mentor, the sponsor is not a teacher. Instead, they are an advocate or ally - someone that’s really using their political or professional influence within your sphere to help you really uplevel at the company or in the industry of your interest. This is someone who has a little bit of pull either because of their relationships or positioning within your industry. A sponsor could be someone who is part of the company you work for or want to work for, who can have a conversation with people who are key decision-makers and encourage them to have a second look at you as a new hire or a candidate for a promotion. A sponsor knows your work and believes in your ability to provide value and therefore has no problem advocating for you.

A Connector (a.k.a. “The Plug”)

The third type of person you want to have in your professional career network is a connector. A connector is someone who is well-networked themselves, and therefore has access to information, resources, and people that will help you continue to grow and get things done in your career. They may not be the person that’s getting you tapped for that next-level leadership role or the person that you’re spending a lot of time with in a learning capacity, but they are the person that has strong connections and is willing to plug you in. This looks like the person who in conversation will let you know when they have someone you can talk to about a project you’re getting off the ground, and makes sure that contact info is exchanged. They don’t expect any favors in return, they’re simply well-connected and are willing to share those connections with others.

You might be looking at this list and thinking that you need to check each person off to add to your team. But also remember that you could also be a mentor, sponsor, or plug in a team as well. The exciting thing about a team is the reciprocity value of having people with different strengths and skills come together to use those strengths to propel one another forward. Now that you have the breakdown, it’s time to evaluate your team and make sure you’re in shape to play your best career game!

Are you looking for a community of women to bolster your network and take your career level up a notch? Enroll in the Career Maven Academy today and receive guidance and support as you navigate your career journey!