In the case of Julia and Christina, Julia never actually asked Christina to be her sponsor. In my mind, I see what they did as a form of sponsorship. So I've never asked someone to be my sponsor. And if I, you know, I'm kind of realizing that that might be something that I need to do to get ahead in some ways."
Having a sponsor — someone who can use their influence to push your career forward — is invaluable. But how exactly they do this, and what your role is in making it happen, isn’t always clear-cut. Who should we be seeking to sponsor us? Should sponsors be candid with their proteges about what they’re doing on their behalf?
We pose these questions and others to Rosalind Chow, a researcher who studies sponsorship. She clarifies some of the ambiguity and talks about what should be transparent and what should stay unspoken. Then we hear how one of these relationships works between two lawyers, as well as between Nicole and Amy B.
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Our theme music is Matt Hill’s “City In Motion,” provided by Audio Network.