Which statement best describes the difference between mentorship and sponsorship?

• A. A mentor provides funding; a sponsor provides feedback.
• B. Sponsor publicly advocates for opportunities and visibility; both help growth.
• C. Mentor provides guidance and skill-building; sponsor publicly advocates for opportunities and visibility; both help growth.
• D. Mentorship is informal; sponsorship is unrelated.

Answer: (C)

The difference lies in what each role provides for your development. A mentor guides you by sharing experience, offering feedback, and helping you build skills through learning and advice. A sponsor uses their influence to advocate for you, opening doors and creating visibility for opportunities, promotions, or high-visibility projects. Both support growth, but in different ways: mentorship focuses on developing capabilities and navigating challenges, while sponsorship focuses on advancing your career through active advocacy. The statement that includes both elements—guidance and skill-building plus public advocacy for opportunities—is the best description because it captures how these roles complement each other. The other options mischaracterize the functions or omit key ideas: one pairs wrong duties, another narrows growth to sponsorship alone, and another incorrectly treats mentorship as always informal and sponsorship as unrelated.