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Q: My wife joined a mentor program that was suggested to her by a very senior company official. The same official recommended a mentor who is only one level above her while everyone else has a mentor three levels higher. She feels very slighted and is not sure what to say -- or if she should say anything at all. I know in this current uneasy environment workers probably don't want any added responsibilities, which would make it difficult to find quality mentors.

Forget mentors. If you want to reach top management you'll need sponsors-powerful senior players who will stake their reputation on your behalf. While mentors offer informal advice and coaching, a good sponsor opens the doors of the promotion elevator and pushes a protégé through.

In this economy, you need to take advantage of every available resource to propel your career. Finding a mentor-and preferably a network of mentors-is an easy and smart way to get started. And, it won't set you back financially the way hiring a career coach would. Here's how.

Traditionally, in a mentoring relationship, a senior-level person provides guidance, support, and information for a younger person just beginning in a career. However, with rapid changes in the workplace, people living and working longer, and several career/job movements and shifts being the norm, an up-dated perspective of mentoring and learning is needed.

"In an effort to school senior executives in technology, social media and the latest workplace trends, many businesses are pairing upper management with younger employees in a practice known as reverse mentoring. The trend is taking off at a range of companies, from tech to advertising. "

Mentors can be essential, especially for people making career transformations. But unfortunately, a lot of mentor relationships fall apart after a few months because there is no formal structure to support them.

Realistically, your husband's chances of "going back" to the large company are minimal, at best, say the experts. "Companies are a lot like human beings," says Al Stewart, president of Business Mentors, Inc., a career management consulting firm based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

I am not your typical "geek" CIO. I have 35 years in banking, including 12-plus years from the business side as well as 20-plus years from the technology and operations side. I have asked about a promotion to COO, but I never really get an answer. I have no mentors and feel very isolated.

Q: I'm mentoring a young, ambitious engineer in our company. He's competent and demonstrates his energetic drive every day. However, he constantly makes spelling and grammatical errors in his writings. I've asked him to utilize spell-checking and re-read his emails. But mistakes such as confusing "our" with "are" and "there" and "their" aren't picked up with the computer tools. It's been over a year and he's still making these mistakes. What would you suggest as an appropriate next course of action? I am not sure if there are any additional classes he can take to improve his grammar/spell-checking skills.

Ah yes, Networking. Today, it has become a common exercise in the workplace and a vital part of the advancement of most careers. Networking can be accomplished anywhere these days, whether it be outside on a sidewalk, or at an obvious networking cocktail event. If it is done successfully, it can help you meet a future mentor, move you effectively toward an initial interview, or even allow you to make a lasting first impression with your first boss. However, successful networking can often times be harder than it sounds. Sometimes, it is hard to know all the right things to say or do and how to turn a 15-minute conversation into a potential life-lasting connection. With that in mind, I have developed a basic 5-step guide that gives the basics on how to untangle this mystery and turn any previously nerve wracking networking event into an exciting time of opportunity.

"Workers fired or disciplined for bad-mouthing employers on social-networking sites are fighting back using a decades-old labor law-a new front in the murky battle over what workers can do and say online."