Networking is critical for both personal and professional growth. Following these steps will help you build stable and strong connections:

• Begin with friends and family. Connect with those that have connections to what you need for work either for a new position or a skill you want to acquire.

• Be crystal clear on what you want and don’t want. Being vague will leave you empty handed. Also, it’s very important to have a succinct pitch on who you are and where your strengths lie.

• Be a valuable resource. In both giving and receiving, deliver what you commit to.

• Be a consistent networker face to face as well as on social media like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Have a strategy and apply it consistently. Face to face networking can be done at least once a week and make social media a daily habit.

You must have fun with it. Folks want to be with those who have a positive attitude and are sincere. Look the part so they want to be seen with you. Follow these guidelines to begin a strong network or refresh the one you currently have.

The Chicago Tribune Career Builder mentioned these seven shortcomings that will definitely kill your chances of being promoted:

1. Procrastination that results in missing deadlines or using lame excuses like the computer crashed.

2. Having a sense of entitlement: The “company owes me” is a phrase I hear all the time.

3. Doing only what is required of your job conveys the dreaded “It’s not my job” attitude.

4. Staying in your own corner: Eating lunch alone and never joining in on office social events.

5. Not being a team player: Only looking out for yourself.

6. Looking like you are going to a party or a picnic: Too much business casual is a career killer.

7. Maintaining your contacts: Meeting someone once is not networking.

Our everyday actions have a long life span. And in today’s highly competitive work world, every action is critical.

A major component of leadership presence is behavior. Below are seven behavior derailers:

• Smoking in public

• Being negative about yourself

• Constant complaining

• Acting like you have a close relationship with a colleague only when you want a favor

• Never apologizing for making a mistake

• Acting like you are smartest person in the room

• Gossiping

Some of us like a very streamlined appearance when choosing clothes. We want the impact of tailored elegance.

To add interest and to keep from looking too stark, remember key accessories and a perfect fit. Stylish heels for women and high gloss leather shoes for men will finish the complete look.

Lyn Paolo, the costume designer for Scandal, creates a commanding presence for Kerry Washington (Olivia Pope) by using these guidelines:

Choosing a palette: Men are always in navy and black. Her thoughts are that lighter colors stand out. (I favor lighter shades of blue or gray with white shirts to stand out for my clients.)

Ignoring trends: For Kerry, she looks stronger and more consistent in trousers, pumps and jackets. However, wear what looks best on you. If you look and feel best in skirts then wear skirts with jackets. Have the look be consistent.

Forgoing suits: Mix and match jackets and slacks or skirts to create a custom look. Colors can be mixed but fabrics must match to look smart.

Being understated: Have a signature piece. It can be a jacket, coat or jewelry. It will set you apart while not appearing too flashy.

Today, it appears that a majority of folks in the work world are unhappy but do not know what would make them happy at their job. For my clients with this concern, I ask that they begin a log with five columns.

A column that:

– Lists an activity they do

– Indicates if they like it and why

– Indicates if they don’t like it and why

– Suggests what would make the activity they do not like turn into one they would like

– Totals the number of likes and dislikes

At the end of two weeks, they need to review the log. The purpose of this activity is to determine a direction of what would make work a good fit or to help decide if it may be time to move out of their current role.

In a recent article Midge Wilson, Ph.D., a professor of psychology and women’s studies at DePaul University, talks about the Power Bob hair style. Wilson says the bob is “somewhat of a masculine style” that strikes a balance that’s neither too butch nor too silly.

In a paper on hair and first impressions based on a study funded by Procter and Gamble, study director and Yale University psychology professor Marianne LaFrance, Ph.D., wrote, “Within seconds of meeting you, people begin forming a first impression about the type of person you are, and it’s not your face that gives you away; it’s your hairstyle.”

According to the study, women with shorter hair are perceived as more intelligent and confident than those with longer styles. (You can see Power Bobs on Marissa Mayer, Meg Whitman and Hillary Clinton.)

However, I feel the longer hair is making a move forward. For example, look at the new executive of General Motors, Mary Barra, along with Michelle Obama. Both have a hair style that’s a bit more feminine.

Whatever hairstyle you choose, though, it must make your face the center of attention and not your hair.

You may have heard the saying: It’s not what you know, it is who knows you. I believe the new mantra is just who knows you.

Often, when a job opening is posted the hiring powers may already have someone in mind. This person is the one they know about including what they stand for, their personal brand and work history of success.

So, I ask— Who knows you and how do you network to increase the number of people that do?

There are at least five vehicles of networking:

• Formal events once or twice a month

• Informal, meaning casual by chance, in the hallway, parking lot, the elevator, etc.

• Social Media such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Spoke to name a few

• Being published

• Having a leadership role in an industry or work-based organization

You must have your personal introduction and interesting areas of conversation to share at a formal networking event and be involved in three of the above five networking vehicles. Otherwise, no will know who you are.

Important document that the resume is, avoid these mistakes when writing yours:

– Citing an objective. Hiring managers do not want to know what your objective is, they want to know how you can help them. You do this with a coherent summary of qualifications leading off your resume.

– Using irrelevant activities. Always keep any activities that you list job relatable. For example, avoid listing that you volunteer at PAWS unless you’re applying for a job at a pet clinic.

– Being inconsistent with tense. For your current job, use the present tense. For already completed achievements and prior jobs use the past tense.

– Listing too many tasks instead of accomplishments. For example, Managed a project team of seven high performance engineers, is a task. Directed a $1M production line redesign project that resulted in 20% more productivity for the second shift, is an accomplishment.

– Placing GPAs and school accomplishments on the resume. Only do this if you are a fresh graduate with little or no work experience and you’re applying for your first job.

The vast majority of the resumes I receive have one of more of these on them.

Steve Wyrostek, MBA, CPRW

Steve is a former manager responsible for hiring hundreds of employees. He has also written over 300 resumes, LinkedIns and cover letters for clients ranging from scientists to entry level grads in the US, UAE, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Mexico, Italy, etc.

He is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and heads up No Cliche Copy and No Cliche Resumes in New Buffalo, MI.

The new fashions for both men and women have made a splash with printss; mainly floras in women’s dresses and for men, plaid shirts and ties. How can you integrate prints in your wardrobe without looking like you belong at social event? (At social events you can push the envelope a bit.)

Women

Floral blouses, sweaters and scarves for the women are best with a solid companion piece or displayed in accessories like a necklace or a pin. (Michelle Obama does this.) It’s a trend that seems to be gaining popularity.

Men

Plaid shirts have gotten to be very bold going even so far as to be paired with a plaid print tie. It is considered modern prep. The more elegant way to add plaid is either in the shirt or the tie but not both at the same time. If you want to experiment, one plaid pattern must be larger in size. The main color should be reflected in both choices.

It is fun to add a trendy piece in pattern or color with the idea that it adds a contemporary elegance to your style.