HOW TO CREATE & BUILD MENTORSHIP IN ADVERTISING
THIS WEEK, 6/13-17
Hi there! I'm Tangie Murray, SVP at the 4A's Foundation. I'm excited to be hosting this bowl about Mentorship all week. I'll share helpful advice about how you can find a sponsor or mentor in the industry, and I'll offer some practical solutions on how the 4A's Foundation can help you grow your network. Bring me your career questions and I'll do my best to answer them. Let's learn from each other and have some fun! American Association of Advertising Agencies
I'm more seasoned in this industry, do you have any tips re: how I can expand my network?
Hi! Where's the best place to find mentors? I feel like asking someone to be my mentor, feels awkward for me...
Question - Why does it feel awkward? Remember a Mentor/Mentee relationship is a two way street. Your Mentor will likely benefit from the relationship as well. It can be, but doesn’t have to be someone in your org. Look to your ERG if you have one, ask friends and colleagues if they have mentors and how they went about it. But whatever you do, don’t let the awkwardness keep you from going for it!
At this point of my career, I need a sponsor and advocate, more than a mentor, how can I spot a sponsor? Or is appropriate to ask someone?
A Sponsor and Mentor don’t have to be mutually exclusive. You can have both - and a Mentor doesn’t have to be someone who is much higher ranking than you on the org chart. It can be someone who’s slightly more senior (or not) who you can learn from or who may have navigated roles or situations you find yourself in and can provide support and perspective. Now to your actual question :-) … find out if your company has an executive sponsorship program or if they know of senior leaders who are currently sponsoring or open to sponsoring anyone (even unofficially). Before you do, identify 2-3 potential Sponsors you might like to work with (in case they ask if you have anyone in mind). They should be someone who is somewhat familiar with you and your impact so they can advocate for you, bring you into the right rooms/meetings, and help you successfully navigate your org to advance in your career. They should connect you to their audience/network and become your biggest champion. And it’s ok if they’re not super familiar with all your accomplishments to start but you will want to make them aware of how badass you are, so they can really be effective. Not sure if your agency already participates in our 4A’s Foundation Vanguard program but check it out - we pair mid-career talent with mentors, coaches and exec sponsors in their org.
I don't consider myself entry-level anymore, how can I stay connected with mentors I have made so far?
I imagine it’s been made more difficult given the pandemic, but just reach out. Ping them on LinkedIn- let them know what you’re up to, ask them to meet up for coffee, drink, even a zoom or “walk & talk” to catch up. Whatever you do - don’t lose contact or let those doors close. Always be growing your network.
I always see more support for creatives in the industry, are there groups for those who work in account management, strategy, etc.?
Bowl Leader
Very interested in this question too, I find there was more support for creatives than non-creatives in the agency.
I'm freelance, is there a point to have a mentor? I would think a sponsor or/and advocate would be more beneficial for my career.
Especially and Certainly! A Mentor/Sponsor/Cheerleader/Champion/You name it, can be helpful to you to get your work in front of key decision makers so you continue to get work and grow your portfolio. And if you ever want to go in-house, having those relationships in tact will be beneficial. Are you part of any freelancers org or networking group?
Are you doing this directly on here, or is there a link to a separate platform where you'll be hosting? Excited to join.
Drop your question in the thread!
How can we get more senior people to be mentors? What's you best advice to help reach back?
Great question! If you’re looking to mentor someone in your org, I would ask your HR/People team if there’s a jr staff who could benefit from a mentor. If you’d like to officially mentor/coach a college student interested in our industry, feel free to reach out to our MAIP team at maip@aaaa.org. Each summer the 4A’s Foundation matches +200 interns (MAIP Fellows) with coaches. This summer’s cohort is already finalized but you can put your hat in the ring for the 2023 program which kicks off in the Fall. And, if you are looking to give back/mentor in general there are orgs like iMentor who pair college graduates with high school student mentees.
Awesome.T hank you so much for sharing.