The perceived importance of mentoring and networking to blacks in graduate/professional schools and the effect of the experiences on career advancement were studied. A questionnaire administered to 157 black professionals tested seven hypotheses, including the following: (1) black students' participation in the mentor-protege relationship varies by time and the location of the graduate/professional institution; (2) the younger the person, the less likely a mentor-protege relationship will occur; (3) blacks who attended northern, predominantly-black undergraduate schools or predominantly-white graduate schools are less likely to participate in the mentor-protege relationship than are blacks who attended historically-black undergraduate schools or predominantly-black graduate schools; (4) blacks are more likely to have been involved in a relationship less intensive than mentoring, such as sponsor-student relationship, and advisor-student relationship; (5) blacks who participate in the mentor-protege relationship will show greater career advancement than those blacks who did not have the experience. Analyses of the findings, information on respondent characteristics, a literature review, a discussion of policy implications of the findings, and a bibliography are included. (SW)