Dr. Leen Kawas Highlights the Role of Advocates in Career Growth: Beyond Advisors and Mentors

Building a successful career requires industry expertise, a stellar work ethic, and a commitment to stay abreast of new technologies and learning opportunities. In any industry, seasoned leaders can often play an integral role in a newer professional’s career trajectory.

Leen Kawas, Ph. D. understands the distinction between career advocates, advisors, and mentors. Dr. Leen Kawas also emphasized an advocate’s value to a younger professional unfamiliar with an industry’s dynamics. Finally, she detailed the steps involved in building a beneficial career advocate relationship.

Dr. Leen Kawas’ Career Guidance Perspective

Dr. Leen Kawas excels as Propel Bio Partners’ Managing General Partner. This Los Angeles biotech venture capital firm provides start-up and early-stage biotech companies with financial, operations, and technical support. Before assuming her current role, Dr. Kawas served as Athira’s Chief Executive Officer (or CEO). While there, she successfully oversaw multiple drug development cycles.

During Dr. Leen Kawas’ career progression, and in her interactions with clients, she became familiar with each type of career assistance. Young professionals who correctly determine their career guidance needs, and who remain active participants in the partnership, are well positioned for career growth.

How Career Advocates Differ from Advisors and Mentors

At first glance, career advocates would appear to mirror career advisors and mentors. However, each role is distinct from the other two functions. Dr. Leen Kawas profiled each leader’s contributions to a newer professional’s career growth.

Advocate Snapshot

A career advocate (or simply “advocate”) is directly involved in supporting a newer professional’s career journey. An advocate is familiar with their younger partner’s capabilities and achievements. Equally importantly, the advocate takes every opportunity to applaud those accomplishments. The advocate also ensures the younger professional receives credit for their work.  

Many advocates are also highly effective career connectors. They introduce their young partner to other leaders, some of whom may have skill-building opportunities available. Finally, advocates often vouch for their young partner’s commitment to take the actions necessary for career growth.

When working with an advocate, the young professional must commit to maintaining top-notch communication. The advocate should remain aware of their partner’s goals, skills, and relevant work history. From this perspective, the young professional should not hesitate to ask for opportunities to gain relevant experience.

Advisor Snapshot

Choosing the right career path is a highly personal decision. Ideally, a young professional will define fields that interest them while also considering industries with demonstrated growth potential. Before making the decision, the professional may obtain feedback from several credible individuals.

Work colleagues and friends may be willing to offer career guidance. However, they often lack the industry knowledge and resources to provide effective assistance. In addition, their relationship dynamics may not enable them to provide an objective viewpoint. That’s where a professional career advisor can become a valuable ally.

A career advisor helps each client to define their professional goals based on career interests and industry growth potential. The client’s personality, workstyle, and lifestyle needs also figure into the mix. Once the advisor develops a career roadmap, they provide career planning guidance and skills development resources to enable the client’s path forward.

Mentor Snapshot

Newer professionals often seek out a mentor, typically a respected figure in the same industry. This seasoned leader effectively becomes the mentee’s teacher and role model. During the mentee’s early career, the mentor guides them in identifying their career and professional development goals.

To realize these future objectives, the mentor helps their mentee develop and/or enhance their hard and soft skills. The mentor also helps the mentee find relevant skills development and career growth resources. These combined initiatives will position the mentee for continued career growth.

Every mentor/mentee partnership should have a foundation of respect and trust. Both parties should feel free to share ideas and express their opinions. That said, the mentee should choose the type of guidance they need. If they want to improve specific skills or need help preparing for an important presentation, they should voice the request to their mentor.

The Value of a Dedicated Advocate

A proactive career advocate is worth their weight in gold. Once an advocate undertakes this role, they take every opportunity to highlight the young professional’s talents and successes. These positive affirmations can help change perceptions about the professional’s value to the organization. Over time, this can lead to higher-level opportunities.

Dr. Leen Kawas emphasized that an advocate’s support can be especially important in a male-dominated industry (such as the biotech industry). Specifically, targeted advocacy can enhance a female professional’s or manager’s credibility with senior leaders and/or investors. Added credibility can open the door to positive outcomes.

Cultivating and Maintaining Career Advocate Relationships

Finding a career advocate takes time and patience. Dr. Leen Kawas highlighted this multi-stage process that can involve both internal and external networks. If the professional defines the specific areas in which they want assistance, they are more likely to find someone who will provide support.

Establish and/or Expand a Career Network

Each professional network connection can be a valuable career ally. The professional should identify accomplished colleagues whom they admire and respect. Ideally, these industry luminaries will be well acquainted with the professional’s work (and their documented achievements).

Dr. Leen Kawas noted that LinkedIn provides strategic search tools that enable identification of potentially beneficial connections. Once a connection is made, the professional should stay in touch and periodically offer items of value. Examples include relevant articles and information about notable industry events.

Capitalize on Network Members’ Strengths

Once the professional determines the type of assistance they need, they should identify network members well equipped to provide it. To illustrate, natural connectors are experts at bringing two complementary associates together.

In contrast, an instinctive mentor understands how to guide a newer professional through challenging career milestones. Finally, a senior executive may be well positioned to offer career-enhancing opportunities.

Cultivate Authentic Relationships

Dr. Leen Kawas emphasized that making sincere connections and building respectful relationships, should be the first priority. To begin, both parties should schedule time for an initial “informational interview” that doesn’t include any “asks.” Afterward, an old-fashioned thank-you note and regular progress updates can set the stage for further career discussions.

Promote Ongoing Professional Achievements

In any advocacy relationship, Dr. Leen Kawas said the professional should regularly update their advocate about each new career accomplishment. This strategic self-promotion helps demonstrate that the professional has the talent, drive, and focus needed to advance in their chosen career.  

Once the advocate obtains this key information, they are well-positioned to highlight the professional’s accomplishments. Ideally, this will also help elevate the professional’s standing within the company and the industry.