Early in my career, I had mentors who steered me wrong. They encouraged me to follow the business mainstream in a way that was just wrong for me. I don't blame them: I was hard to understand. It took me years to understand myself.

Since then I have avoided having a mentor, but reading these articles has convinced me that even at my age, I could use a sponsor. I hope I can find someone who appreciates what I can contribute and will help me find a good place to use it.

Fortune: Why I'm Over Women's 'Empowerment', 2017-Jan-17 by Sallie Krawcheck

In the workplace, women are recognizing that they need to move from having mentors (a mentor being “an experienced and trusted advisor,” according to the dictionary…in other words, sort of passive) to more “sponsors” (someone who actually advocates on your behalf at work). Today, women have three times as many mentors as men do—but half as many sponsors. Women are recognizing that this needs to shift, and smart companies are moving from mentorship to sponsorship programs.

Penelope Trunk Careers: How to manage your career if you're black, 2018-May-7, Recommendations based on an interview of anonymous black professional by Penelope Trunk

Black kids need credentials and a network of high performers who will support them in their adult life. Because people in the US have so much guilt about racism, people love helping high performing black kids. It’s so much easier than helping poor, low performing, probably destitute black kids.

Know what you want. As a high performing black kid, singled out by a college for high-performers, you make it easy for white people to help you. They will talk with you about your major, ask you what you want to do, and help you get that job. But you have to know what you want. You need help as early as possible and people can’t help you early if you don’t specialize early. Saying you want to try a lot of things means no one can help you….

Say yes when someone influential asks if you need help. Say yes first and then figure out how they can help you. They want to feel good about helping a black kid. They are looking for a way to help. You have to find the way, though, because they don’t know what you’re up against. So be sure to start by asking for help that’s easy for them to give. Then they’ll come back to help again. Keep in touch. Show them they’re making a difference. You’re their project.