In their report ‘RAIL: A model for keeping the academic Mid-career on track’, Eastern Academic Research Consortium found that overwhelmingly learning from ‘lived experience’ was the most cited enabler for academic careers. Lived experience came in many forms but broadly was about having more senior people guide you through your career path. Mentoring and Sponsorship were highlighted as key enablers to mid-career success.

To learn more about these, make use of the guidance offered by the White Rose University Consortium:

• This video explains sponsorship, mentorship and coaching and the differences when used in a professional development context.
• The Sponsorship Toolkit provides information on how sponsorship is different from mentorship and how this can be a valuable tool for career development.

If you want to approach a potential sponsor, then you may find the advice on identifying and approaching a sponsor from the FLF Development Network’s Influencing Toolkit helpful.