An engineer, Joan Nweke, has advised young engineers to take the issue of mentorship and sponsorship serious.
Nweke spoke at an event organised by the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Victoria Island Branch, Lagos.
He stated that young engineers needed someone that would guide them through their career, life, and everything they wanted to do in life.
According to him, there is a distinction between, mentorship and sponsorship.
She described a mentor as “someone who must have an influence on the person seeking mentorship, while a sponsor is a someone who could speak, whose influence opens doors for you, someone who could move you up in your chosen career. But if you do not have sponsorship, then you rely solely on your good work, which someone could see and say, this guy is doing well, let me help him. They will promote him or her. Sponsors promote people they know, but in the absence of such opportunity, present yourself well, make sure you sell yourself.”
Chairman of FHI Oil and Gas, Stan Athekame said young ones must evaluate themselves before seeking mentorship or sponsorship.
“A lot has to be done by the mentee. Remember that the mentor is already established. My advice for them (mentees) is to maintain a low lifestyle profile, be humble, respectful, God-fearing, and remain focused with a vision that would take you to wherever you may wish to go. But if a mentee is deficient in any of these attributes, their future in their stated profession is very uncertain,” Athekame said.