Tips for building your Intellectual and Career Entourage.

An inconvenient truth, for some.......

Your Intellectual and Career Entourage (Network) is more important to the success of your career than your degree.

Here are tips to building your network:

Get involved in online niche social networks. The power of the internet can give you a global career network. It’s never been easier to meet, connect and maintain relationships with people across the globe. Go to niche sites like Talent Revolution (careers lifestyle), FohBoh.com (restaurant) and Linked In (professional). Join groups, join in discussions and engage in “brain hook-up’s” with members.

Attend industry, community, professional and charitable conferences and events. Volunteer to help with the event. Hold positions within the organization. Don’t forget your business cards (like I did this week).

Never assume someone you meet has nothing to offer you. Read my blog post “16 year old mentor” a story about one of my greatest mentors ever and you’ll see why. I know a few people who have started their own consulting company and they tell stories about the most random people that gave them money shot leads.

Blog. Let people get to know you, your idea’s and your brand. Through blogging you can build a network of people that you haven’t even met that are out there talking about your talents.

Network with your idols. Don’t ever think anyone is out of your league you just have to figure out how to reach them and how to stand out. Whether their a CEO or a mind like Seth Godin, see if your icon has a blog if they do subscribe to it, comment on their stuff if you have something interesting enough or intelligent enough to say maybe they’ll comment back or better yet remember you. A blogger can get 600 comments on a post and they’ll read them all, that’s what they do. Find their blogs and get engaged.

Listen…. Seriously, stop talking about yourself and listen. People like to talk about themselves the Expert Networker will ask open ended questions, listen and let the other person do all the talking. The “talker” leaves feeling great about the experience and will claim “your awesomeness” even though they know nothing about you.

Be genuine and be charming. Give authentic compliments when deserved and engage in “random acts of awesomeness”. Send them a card or short email with a quick fun note. Give them praise in public and spread good gossip about them to others.

Be the Giver. Give value to the other person first. Offer idea’s, leads, recommend them to a contacts of yours. What goes around comes around. Networking is not stalking or spamming someone’s email address you just happened to run across. Networking is about building beneficial relationships. Give and you shall receive.

Remember that you are your own Career Agent. Whether you’re employed or unemployed your Intellectual and Career Entourage is critical part acheiving your Ultimate Career Lifestyle.