If you read the trade magazines in the entertainment industry – publications like Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, and Variety – you’ll spot upcoming trends in our business before everyone else is taken by “surprise”.

Knowing which way the wind is blowing is critical to planning your career.

If you’re a make-up artist who specializes in horror films, wouldn’t it be great to know if Hollywood has warmed back up to scary movies? Or, if you’re a tour manager for Hip-Hop acts, isn’t it important to know how open Europe will be to rap concerts in the next 12 months?

I read the trades for my own benefit, to make my own career decisions. However, I noticed three trends that will affect my job stability and yours, whether you work in music, film, or television. Here are my predictions:

Prediction for Music Careers

The music business is cratering, and will continue to fall apart in 2012.

The latest bad news is that the major labels are losing their ability to break new artists on the radio. Without that power of promotion, the labels will become obsolete. All functions and responsibilities of the traditional label will shift to the individual artist.

This means that in order to work in music, you will need to know a major artist, or know someone who currently works with an artist.

Key Fact
Warner/Reprise laid off their entire promotional department. Source: Lefsetz Letter

My Recommendation
If you currently work in music, leave! If you aspire to work in music, consider another career!

Until the leaders at the top of the business figure out how to make money, there will be severe instability for everyone else.

Personally, I have pivoted my focus from Music Journalism to Web Production for Television because I don’t see a long career for myself in music. Keep reading; I explain more of my thoughts on that below.

Prediction for Film Careers

If you thought Hollywood was insular before, you haven’t seen anything yet.

Studios are finding great success with sequels and established franchises. That’s great news for the creative teams involved. They get to work on a guaranteed hit, and can leverage the residual aura and relationships to cherry pick smaller projects.

However, it’s a bad time for new ideas and new talent, even at the production level. Unless you’re already established in one of the few circles that’s been actively working the past 3 years, don’t expect your 2012 to be any easier.

Key Fact
13 of the top 20 flicks in 2011 were sequels. This trend is working and will continue. Source: Box Office Mojo, and NY Times

My Recommendation
Transition your career into television. You’ll find that your experience working long hours on short term projects is especially well suited for variety shows and reality television.

Prediction for Television Careers

The demand for television content is increasing.

Companies like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu are driving up the post-air value of shows.

Social media companies like Twitter, Facebook, and Google are competing to become the de facto place audiences gather to talk about a show, giving networks huge free promotional partners.

Most importantly, because media is so fragmented, television has become the last place a major advertiser can get in front of over a million people at one time.

As each network shifts its business model to capture the increasing value of television, new types of jobs are being created every week.

Key Fact
The growth of television ad spending is increasing, despite uncertainty in ratings. Source: Variety, Nielsen, and NY Times

My Recommendation
If you have passion and creativity, 2012 is a great time to plant a professional foot in TV land. If you already work in television, I suggest learning about the fastest growing segment of the business, called Social TV.

Right now, most functions of Social TV are being handled by the Creative Services or Digital department at networks. However, I don’t expect those silos to continue. Social TV will be something everyone will need to understand, from the writing staff to the Art Director.

Do you want to work in television? I stumbled from music to television by accident (long story), and since then I’ve had to figure out how to land gigs without relying on luck. Soon, I will be hosting an online seminar on how to break into television, even if you have no experience or connections. Sign up below to get notified when the seminar gets scheduled.

“Hashim, I want to pitch you a great idea.”

I was his mentor and he was a young photographer, new to the entertainment industry. We sat down for lunch in the gray cafeteria of the CBS Broadcast Studios, in between tapings of the variety show I worked for.

What the young man said next involved traveling the world, working with a legend in music, and getting paid to live out his childhood dream. All he needed from me was a simple meeting with the senior president of my television network so he could pitch his “great idea” upstream.

I clearly explained that his plan couldn’t work, and I wouldn’t help him.

It wasn’t that his aspirations were too lofty. No. Nothing is worse than a creative professional who works in a magical field like music, television, or film yet boxes up his dreams to fit a false standard of reality. We work here to defy reality, both in our work, and in our careers.

So, the size of the dream isn’t the problem.

The real issue is that the young man I mentored had only one dream in mind – his own. His plan was to ask me, and at least two other people to risk our own reputations to build his career. He wanted us to sacrifice for his dream, with no regard to what we may receive, or more importantly, what we may lose.

Nobody Cares About Your Dreams, And That’s A Good Thing

Rule #1 of having a career in showbiz is to not expect anyone else to be concerned about your goals, unless that person is your mother.

Scratch that. Even your mom just wants you to succeed so she has something to brag about. And she’d be just as happy if you quit this risky business and switched to nursing.

So, that leaves you as the only person with a true concern for how your entertainment career goes.

Here’s the thing – in this business we don’t do favors, we trade favors.

And that’s good news for you. It means that whatever you want for your career can be achieved by being an enabler of the hopes of other people. You don’t have to rely on personal relationships and the kindness of strangers to get ahead. Instead, your ability to make others famous, wealthy, and fulfilled is directed tied to the frequency and size of the opportunities you will have to do achieve the same.

Far too often, both aspiring professionals and industry veterans approach the business as if they are owed a spotlight for their unique talents and amazing ideas. If that spotlight never comes, they blame tasteless executives, a stupid audience, and the unfair universe.

It would be better for you to dump the needy mindset, and adopt a giving outlook. Like DJ Beverly Bond did.

The Generosity Paradox

Beverly Bond started as a model, switched to being a DJ, and became the hottest name in the club scene.

She took her status as a celebrity DJ as far as it would go, doing parties for icons such as Prince and Sean “Diddy” Combs. For a period of time, DJ Beverly Bond lost a fair amount of buzz, as famous female musicians like Erykah Badu and Solange also took up DJing.

When club promoters overlooked Bond and did deals with the lastest celebrity DJs, do you think they cared about her life dreams, her car note, her cool new ideas, or past accomplishments? No! They wanted a packed club, and they were willing to go with anyone who could make that dream come true.

However, today Bond is even more famous, and much more powerful, and it has little to do with being a DJ. She is the producer of the most unique award show on television, Black Girls Rock, and the founder of a charity by the same name.

Bond started Black Girls rock to help young women learn about personal leadership through the arts. The innovative, New York based empowerment program is the smart way Bond has chosen to give back to her community and the music industry at large.

Because of her generosity, Bond is achieving new heights of fame and success. And I bet that she once again has offers to DJ around the world.

Give To The Industry, And The Industry Will Give To You

Bond’s story is not rare. Choose anyone who has consistently done great things for themselves in music, television, or film. You’ll find that as they walked their own path of success, they’ve helped many others walk with them.

They’ve shared their knowledge at conferences and trade shows. They’ve participated in “the union” and mentored college students. They’ve written books, given quotes to reporters, and started their own blogs. They’ve started charities, volunteered at charities, and given money to charities.

Here’s the paradox – they are the most generous with others who are generous. So, it’s not the needy, with big dreams that get a hand from givers. It’s others who set their mind on giving who get the most help from others!

To paraphrase a president, don’t ask what the entertainment industry can do for you. Ask what you can do for the entertainment industry.

If you commit yourself to service, I promise our business will commit itself to you.

Are you searching for work right now in music, television, or film and coming up empty? It’s frustrating, right?

You know that even the most qualified and connected in our industry face stretches of unemployment. It’s just the nature of the business.

But that’s no comfort to your spouse, your kids, or your own nagging self doubt.

I get questions all the time from job seekers who are having a difficult time landing their first gig, or a new one.

They come to me, wondering if they suck, or if their profession sucks.

I say it’s neither. The #1 reason you (and they) don’t have the job in entertainment that you want right now is because you’re working against the hiring seasons.

Tax accounts know the ins and outs of their hiring season, and they plan accordingly. You should too.

Let’s say you’re a production assistant. There are specific times of the year when television shows are staffing up. It’s a good time to get a job then.

But if the hiring season is out, your chances of getting a position are slim. It doesn’t matter how amazing your skills are or how high up your mentor is. It’s Winter time for your job search.

Now, there are nuances and exceptions to the rule that you need to get smart about.

So, I invited a bright and generous industry professional to help you get deeper in to the subject of hiring seasons.

Her name is Rachel Marks, and I discovered her entertainment career blog while researching this subject. When I saw how much help Rachel is giving to people in our business, I just knew she would be a great person to interview about this subject.

Rachel has worked on several reality shows like So You Think You Can Dance, The Jersey Shore, The Real World and The Biggest Loser. Along with reality shows she has worked on several live productions, like The Super Bowl XLIV Halftime Show and The Golden Globes.

I’m hosting a live call with Rachel on January 16th at 4PM EST.

On the call, we will cover:

1. The hiring seasons for different tyes of TV shows
2. What to do while companies are staffing, and when no one is staffing
3. Personal strategies we used to make hiring seasons work for us

(Even if you work in music, and not television or film, the concept of a hiring season still applies to you!)

Want to be in on this call with me and Rachel? Sign up to the Career Green Light newsletter below and I will send the details to your inbox sometime this week.

This weekend I surveyed dozens of blogs run by professionals in the music, television and film business to find material for my online course on Personal Brand Blogging.

I saw some blogs being used as living portfolios of work, and attracting a vibrant community of readers. I was even encouraged to see a “I got a job!” announcement on one blog by a recent college graduate who studied animation.

However, over 90% of the blogs I stumbled upon are making one or more critical mistakes, and it’s kneecapping the effectiveness of those sites. I’m sure these creative people are just running these blogs for the the fun of it, but it pains me to know that just a few simple tweaks could make blogging an important part of their career success.

Are you making one of these mistakes with your blogging? See my list below, and use the quick and videos I recorded to make the simple changes you need.

Mistake #1: Not Having Your Own Website, Domain and Email Address

Building a blog though Tumblr and Blogspot is simple and easy. But it also limits your ability to build a reputation through your blog.

If you do the work to make your blog amazing, then you end up promoting the blog service you use more than your own personal brand.

Same goes for having an email address through Gmail, Yahoo, or AOL. If you run email through your own domain, like Hashim@CareerGreenLight.com, your credibility goes through the roof.

Watch the short video below and you’ll see that snagging your own domain name is actually quicker than starting a website on any free service:

Mistake #2: Not Building The Right Audience For Your Blog

The second mistake I saw is from blogs that have absolutely no visitors.

No traffic is a symptom of a blogger failing to create a starter set of “superfans” who will spread the word about the site on their own.

I explain how to find those very important set of fans here:

Mistake #3: Not Having A Career Strategy For Your Blog

The last mistake I saw is from entertainment professionals who obviously lack any cohesive career plan for their blog.

The site is more of a neglected hobby than a true Personal Brand Blog.

In my experience, the low effort is due to the owner having no expectation that the blog will win any job or business leads.

The easy way to correct this mistake is to learn how to use blogging to leap over gatekeepers and connect with anyone you want. From there, you’ll have the motivation you need to sharpen your blog efforts, because it has become a major way you create new opportunities in your career.

I explain more in this video:

(Don’t take the strategy I shared lightly! I was able to cold call a major business in our industry and get them to co-promote one of my webinars using the plan I shared above. It worked for me, and it’ll work for you!)

Want to learn more about Personal Brand Blogging? I’m teaching an online class on how to use a blog in the entertainment industry to become the go-to guy in your field. Click here to learn more.

Watch me, the black guy in the red shirt, compete for a job on MTV’s reality show, “Hired”:

(Vanity alert – thanks to my wonderful new wife, who is a professional dancer, I’m 40 pounds lighter than what I was in this episode of the show!)

That wasn’t the first time my Personal Brand Blog won me a job in entertainment.

Picture this. In 2001 I was an industry outsider, with big dreams and no contacts.

I wanted to be a music journalist, so I worked for free, writing underground hip-hop show reviews for a college radio station.

I loved what I was doing; writing was much more satisfying than my boring day job as a clerk in a city government office. And of course, I enjoyed the free show passes and the drink tickets promoters would pass to me, hoping to secure a positive review.

But all of my hard work was leading into a dead end.

The only connections I made were to people who wanted me to do more free work. And my writing was doing a lot to build up the radio station’s brand and audience, but zilch for my career.

By chance I read an article about a new way to publish articles online, that didn’t require technical or web design knowledge, or a college radio station to back you. With just a few clicks you could have your own website and share your thoughts with the entire world.

They called it “blogging” and I jumped into it like a fanatic.

Since then I tested and perfected ways to build my own audience and personal brand using blogging. And the results have changed my life and career.

I scored my first full time, paying gig as a writer through my blog. It turned out the founder of a hip-hop magazine was one of my readers. He sent me a simple email one day – “Hey, I like your website” – and I quickly responded. “Is it called a ‘blog’ or ‘weblog’” was his second email to me, and it wasn’t long before I was hired as his blog editor, with a staff of five freelance writers under me.

I also met my first mentor in the music industry through blogging, and she became my boss at Vibe Magazine, my second full time job in the business.

While working as an editor at Vibe, Def Jam Enterprises recruited me to help them launch a new website. It turned out their VP of marketing was another one of my readers. Without ever having to show a resume, I got added me to her team.

I did a short stint at the web startup, About.com as an editor. My job was simple – recruit subject matter experts and teach them how to run their own blog. The week I left I was working with experts in FOREX trading, Portuguese cooking, and interior decorating, teaching each of them how to do what I learned years before – attract an audience using a blog.

My next stop was my first job in television. I cold called an online editor at BET Networks, asking for a web writing job. She also knew me through the work on my Personal Brand Blog, but she didn’t have an open position for a journalist. Instead, she helped me land a gig as the Interactive Producer for one of the network’s shows.

I left the music business behind and focused on the television industry ever since.

It’s clear that I owe my career to the personal brand I created and audience I built, solely through my blog.

I thought I had a strange story, until I met other professionals in the business who leapfrogged gatekeepers, toned their talent, and gained unconventional success through building a following online.

They used videos, podcasts, webinars, photo blogs and all sorts of formats to express themselves.

Their voices and interested were varied. But the similarities are what really mattered. They each gave freely to their audiences, and their audiences gave back with a parade of unexpected opportunities to work in film, television, and music.

Just like my audience did for me.

And just like the audience of your Personal Brand Blog can do for you.

I’m teaching an online class on Personal Brand Blogging. And I want you to register.

It took me years to figure what works and what doesn’t on my own. However, during this 6 week online class, I’ll save you time, money, and headaches by showing you everything you need to know about:

• Choosing a topic that will attract readers and not get boring for you
• Using your blog to meet hard to reach people and get access to exclusive industry events
• Landing your next job in music, television, or film through your blog

I also have bonuses for the first 10 people who register. So, if this course is for you, move quickly on it.

You can click here to find out everything you need to know about the Personal Brand Blogging course.

Five years ago, two costume designers graduated from the same college.

They were very much alike, these two young creative people. Both had been better than average students, both were personable and both—as young college graduates are—were filled with ambitious dreams for the future.

Over time they gained similar experience working across the entertainment industry – on concert tours, television shows, and film productions.

Yesterday these two costume designers showed up early for a job interview. But there was a difference.

One of the designers was there to get the job, and competing against 45 other talented applicants.

The other designer was conducting the interview.

What Made The Difference

Have you ever wondered what makes the winning difference with a career in the entertainment industry?

Why are some people stuck hunting for gig after gig, while others get a stream of plum opportunities frequently offered to them?

Everyone knows that having a strong professional network is essential to getting referrals and access in this business. That’s standard.

The key difference is in how that network is built.

The struggling creative professional relies on one-on-one self promotion to build a circle of like minded colleagues. However, the smart creative professional knows that traditional networking is too slow and difficult, so she looks first to build an audience, and the right people flock to her.

The Network vs The Audience

A network is everyone you know who will pick up your phone call.

An audience can be everyone you know, but includes strangers whose names and faces you’ve never seen. In 3rd grade we’re taught to stay away from strangers. In audience building, it’s those random strangers who come of the blue and offer you the best jobs, opportunities, and projects.

A network takes constant contact to keep warm. Drop out of the work circle for a year or two, and you’ll find yourself hustling to get back in the business, as if you’re now a newcomer.

An audience is different. It grows itself as people talk to each other about you.

Networking is hyper-competitive. To win, you need to know more A-listers and gatekeepers than the next guy.

Audience building doesn’t rely on cozying up to anyone special. However, other professionals who have an audience are more likely to work with you when you have an audience of your own.

Build a network, and you’ll have to continue network building for the rest of your career.

However, if you build an audience, the right people will seek you out for years to come.

Are You Building A Network or An Audience?

By now you should be convinced that having an audience of people who listen to you is essential to having lasting success in this over-crowded industry of ours.

The next thing you should understand is that audience building is actually easier than networking. You see, choosing to build an audience rather than networking takes a change of perspective, not some special talent.

What if, next time you hear about a conference, you didn’t just register to attend. What if you pitched yourself as a panelist (or a speaker, if you’re so brave)?

The first benefit is that as a participant, you go to the conference for free, or you’ll even be paid for your time. The second benefit is that you have a chance at building an audience of hundreds of people, rather than settling with networking with a dozen.

Whenever I sit on a panel, I get a river of people approaching me afterwards, hoping to network. It’s a much more effective way to meet great people than the standard networking advice I’ve read in any book.

I’ve only given one speech, but the experience gave me a long term client relationship with a reality show star. No networking needed.

The Best Way To Build An Audience – Do It Online

OK, maybe you’re shy, and even being on a panel makes you nervous.

And maybe joining a professional association to network the old way sounds better to you than starting a committee in that association so you can build an audience.

That’s fine.

You see, the absolute best way to build your own audience is online, through blogging. And blogging doesn’t require you to “come out of your shell” or travel to meet great people. (Hey, we’re connecting through this blog right now, and we don’t even know each other!)

A blog also allows you to build an audience using your best talents. If you’re terrible with words, but great with video, then a video blog is for you. And if you’re one of the costume designers I mentioned above, then a photo blog may the perfect way to present your work.

The Modern Entertainment Career

I see more and more creative people in our business choosing to build an audience for themselves online, and I love it.

People like Mark Malkoff, a former staffer at The Colbert Show used his video blog to land his own direct deals with IKEA and Air Tran.

Baratunde Thurston used his blog to build an audience, and the Science Channel made him the host of his own TV show.

Model Chasity Saunders and television producer Quan Lateef  created their own thriving business using their blog and podcast audience.

My favorite example is Rafi Kam, a web developer in New York who was hired to cover the Sundance Film Festival. His film credits? Just his video blog.

Want Your Own Audience? I’ll Help You

Earlier this year, Chasity and Quan hired me to build their blog for them. At the time, I considered myself retired from offering that type of service, because, to be honest, my prices are too high for most individuals. My focus these days are in serving larger companies.

So, we struck a deal. I would help them, if they allowed me to use their blog as a case study for a course I planned to teach on blogging as a professional in the entertainment industry.

The course would allow me to work with multiple people at one time, showing you how to build an online audience that gets you a huge network, access to events, and job offers.

Best yet, the course would be dramatically less expensive than hiring me for one-on-one work.

Sounds interesting? Then check out the Personal Brand Blogging course that I’m teaching next week. I have a few extras for the first 10 people who sign up, which includes a $100 gift card.

Last week I surveyed Career Green Light readers who freelance in the music, television, or film industry and the results that came back shocked me. Even though many of you rely on freelancing to boost your income, almost none of you use the web to find clients.

This mean most of you are spending enormous amounts of time hustling for work through offline channels like conferences and trade shows. Even worse, some of you have no strategy at all, and look to luck and referrals from colleagues to get business.

That’s why I recruited Tommy, the Online Marketing Strategist to help you. I am doing a live interview with Tommy soon, so sign up to the newsletter right now and I will alert you about the call. Earlier this year, Tommy looked analyzed the mistakes I was making promoting my services online, and he gave me great advice on how to fix things. He’ll do the same for you.

Before you join the call, here are 3 things you should know about Tommy:

1. Tommy Is One Of Us

Tommy worked in television before launching his business coaching business. When he did, his first client was a musician who he helped use the web to quadruple sales.

You can see more of Tommy’s background by visiting his site, Tommy.IsMy.Name.

2. Tommy Has An Answer To The Self Doubt That Plagues You

When Tommy held his strategy session with me, the first piece of advice he gave me was to increase my criminally low prices. I knew I was charging my clients enough, but I was wishy-washy about upping my rates to the level of the service I provided.

Can you relate?

Tommy wrote a huge article on the topic, and you should absolutely read, print, and share it: “106 Excuses That Prevent You From Ever Becoming Great”

3. Tommy Is A Facebook Expert

Did you know you there is a way to let your personal brand shine on Facebook without being obnoxious?

Did you know you can promote your services on Facebook in a way that people will thank you for?

Tommy is the master at that. Check out his awesome (and free) series of Facebook tips and strategies for freelancers.

Join The Call

Want to learn from Tommy how to use the web to find better and higher paying freelance gigs? Sign up to the newsletter and join the call.

When a set designer needs to rent an antique bicycle on a Saturday morning, she turns to The Acme to find it.

The Acme is a vendor resource for the creative professionals in the art department. It was created by Libby Woolems, an Art Director based in LA.

For Libby, The Acme started as a side project. She created it to end the frustration people in her field felt when trying to find reliable resources on a deadline and a budget. Libby just wanted to help her collegues, but the project ended up changing her entire career.

Listen to this interview to learn how Libby’s passion project:

1. Strengthened her personal brand, and her professional reputation
2. Grew her professional network exponentially, and made her to go-to-person to recommend others for gigs.
3. Boosted her salary, even though money wasn’t her goal. Libby even credits The Acme with floating her career during the 2008 shakeout in the television industry.

This is not an ego boost interview where Libby brags about her accomplishments. The Acme creator agreed to the call because she wants to support Career Green Light’s mission of giving you the tools you need to take control of your career in the entertainment industry, like she has.

Feel free to download the interview to listen on your iPod or smartphone. And please pass his on to your colleagues who it may inspire.

Why do some people in the entertainment industry get the best jobs and the biggest breaks, while others have to fight for every inch of opportunity?

How come some people get their creative pitches green lit quickly, while others get stuck negotiating with gatekeepers?

What is the critical difference between professionals in our business who live out their dreams, and those who have to settle for second best?

I didn’t know it until recently, but all of the “A-listers” in entertainment can point to the same networking strategy as a source of their success. Trust me, if your boss isn’t doing this, then I’m sure her boss is.

Ask Sinatra and Stiller

Frank Sinatra is a legend. With three Oscars under his belt and too many Grammys to count, Sinatra was the top star of his time.

Ben Stiller is the current king of movie comedy. After snagging an Emmy for his variety show, he went on to star in films that have banked over 2 billion in box office receipts.

Both Sinatra and Stiller’s names can stand on their own. Yet, how can you mention Frank without thinking about his “Rat Pack”? And how can you talk about Ben without bringing up his own “Frat Pack”?

(Not familiar with the Rat Pack or the Frat Pack? Then sorry, this entertainment career blog is probably not for you!)

It’s amazing that both of these men, who are on the A-list of A-listers, both chose to surround themselves with talented cohorts and friends. And It didn’t dim their talent at all. Instead, Sinatra would argue that his Rat Pack brung out the best in him, and Stiller would explain that his Frat Pack supports him, both in career and life.

You’ll find the same networking strategy repeated by people in music, television, and film at every level of the business. Smart professionals come together in tightly defined groups and help each other with their careers and creative work.

Some people call it a mastermind. Some people call it their inner circle. Sinatra and Stiller called it their “packs” (actually, Frank and Ben hated those names. But you see what I’m getting at).

Whatever you call yours, you need a group of like-minded creative people who will support and challenge you, and each other. Your professional network is incomplete and weak without one.

My League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

The idea of a networking group is not something I made up. But it is something I use in my own life.

I credit the existence of this site, Career Green Light with one large mastermind that I’ve been a part of for almost a year. This group is so valuable to me, that I pay to participate in it. It’s worth every penny.

I credit the life balance I have with my day job and side projects with a small mastermind I created of fellow career bloggers. The talented writers I talk to in this group give me the perspective I need to juggle my passions and responsibilities.

I credit my very sanity with a mastermind of friends who’ve I’ve known all my life. We used to meet on weekends in a library to go over the progress of our career goals. That group helped me through some of the most difficult decisions I’ve made about work since I started in this game.

Funny enough, as I was sketching the outline of this blog post, someone from that group emailed all of us about a reunion, because we disbanded last year. Of course, I’m clearing my schedule to make it happen!

Build Your Own Team of Super Friends

Getting a handful of friends to agree on lunch is hard. Forming a mastermind could be like convincing those same people to change their diet. But that won’t stop you from trying, will it?

Here are 4 ideas to make it easier:

1. Why don’t you work on that passion project that you’ve been burning to do, or pitch in on someone else’s? If the team that makes it happen works well together, ask that you all continue to meet, to support each other’s career goals.

2. Or, how about forming a book club around a read that will help you with your career? Select a book about time management and ask some people to get together weekly. Your mastermind won’t just discuss ideas. You’ll all strive to put the suggestions into practice.

3. Are you being mentored by someone who has a few other proteges? Consider putting together a group mentorship with all of them. Instead of just getting help from one veteran, you’ll get support from motivated group of peers.

4. Here’s an advanced technique I hope to make work for myself this year. If you freelance, consider linking up with people who serve the same type of customer, especially if they offer services that are different than yours. Your mastermind can double as a referral circle, and you can send each other work.

In any case, don’t get stuck on the format of a mastermind, or even the name. As long as you have a group of people devoted to helping each other, you have a career tool that’s worth your time and effort.

Advanced Networking For Everyone

If masterminds seem like a an unnecessary part of networking, that can’t possibly match your independent creative style, then you probably aren’t close to many A-listers.

At first it will feel unnatural to offer support to a set group of people, and meet at set times. However, once you see the positive effect in your life, and once you talk to successful people who have done the same, you’ll wonder why you didn’t join a mastermind earlier in your career!

It worked for Sinatra and Stiller. It works for me. And it’ll work for you.

One day, while working on the web, my Internet connection failed.

For most people this would mean not being able to do much. I’m a web producer for a TV show. This meant I couldn’t do anything.

I hopped on the phone with my Tech Support Guy and he walked me through a series of tests. The Internet was working for the rest of the office, so that wasn’t the problem. My LAN cable was properly connected – no problem there. The Tech Support Guy had me check my computer settings, and that’s where we found the issue.

When your computer connects to a website, it seems like magic, but in reality it takes a bunch of systems working at the same time, correctly, to send an information signal to your screen.

In the same way, when you land a great job in the music, television, or film business it looks like luck at first, but take a closer look and you’ll see that your professional network had to come through for you every step of the way.

If you’re stuck in a rut, and are not receiving the cool opportunities you know you deserve, you have a networking problem, just like I did with my computer.

Here, let me be your Career Support Guy and walk you through four simple tests you can use to figure out where you have a weak link in your networking.

Test #1. Who Will Take Your Phone Calls?

Don’t be fooled by your Facebook friends and Twitter followers – who will pick up the phone when you call? That’s your real social network.

I learned this the hard way. I’m blog buddies and Twitter pals with a guy named “J”. He also works at the intersection of television and the web. Though I’ve never spoken to him, I felt like we were friends. And why wouldn’t I? We’ve commented on each others posts, and retweeted each others tweets.

I had a hot idea for a podcast and asked “J” to hop on the phone with me to see if he would be interested in co-hosting the show.

“J” couldn’t find time in his schedule that week to talk to me, so I followed up next week. That turned out to be a busy time for him too, so I tried a few random calls spread out over the next couple of weeks, whenever the idea hit me again.

Finally, I gave up. I realized that no matter how many times our avatars appear in each others social web streams, “J” and I are not in each other’s real networks. I have as much of a chance pitching an idea to “J” as a guy he just met at a networking event.

Get what I’m saying? You will frustrate yourself if you expect that the 500 strangers that have connected with you on LinkedIn will have any real impact on your career.

It sounds like old school advice in this new world of social media, but you still have to connect with people deep enough to get them to at least take your call.

So, that’s your first test. How many people will talk to you in the real world? That’s the size of your true professional network. Start from there.

Test #2. Who Will Spread The Good Word About You?

Most people in your network will connect with you and leave it at that. A smaller number will become your advocates.

When it comes up that someone needs a rock star freelancer, the advocates in your network will mention your name.

When gossip spreads at work that your team is sinking a project, your advocate will make sure people know you had nothing to do with the mess.

Your advocate refers you when you’re up for a job at the company they work for. And your advocate recommends you when promotions are coming around.

See how important it is to have active supporters in your network?

Some people will champion you just because they’re nice like that. They love to help others and are generous with their praise. However, most people will only co-sign you if they are blown away by how skillful, interesting, or cool you are.

That’s why designing a strong personal brand is so key. Being a star in your field will mean never having a problem getting people to spread the good word about you.

Test #3. Who Will Bring You A Big Break?

An even smaller number of people in your network will have the willingness or ability to bring you a perfect opportunity.

These aren’t just the people who will give you the time of day, or passively co-sign you, like most of your professional connections. No. I’m talking about the few who are actively trying to help you succeed in this rough and rocky industry.

You probably call them friends, and for good reason. They don’t just know you, they understand you. They don’t just trust you, they have faith in you. And they don’t just like you, they love you.

So, let’s make this networking test simple. How many friends do you have in this industry?

It’s bad advice to shun making friends in our business. And it’s worst to see everyone as a friend.

I count as a friend anyone who helps me reach my dreams as if they were pursuing their own. Figure out who you consider a friend, and get more of them.

Test #4. Who Wants To Work With You?

Let’s go back to my story about “J”.

In one conversation I was hoping to move him from social media co-hort to my project partner. No wonder he didn’t want to listen to my pitch! “J” was being a smart professional, not an unapproachable insider.

The networking mistake that I see most often is the one I made – asking for too much, too soon.

If you’re just beginning your career journey, it’s likely that no one is picking you for their team yet. And those that do, only call because you’ll work for free.

So tt’s OK if, for now you answer this last networking question with “no one”. The important thing is to know what you’re aiming for.

Not more Twitter followers. Not more invitations to industry parties. Not even more testimonials to add to your portfolio.

The singular goal of your networking is to get better and better job offers!

If you’re not getting those offers, test out each circle of your network. And if something is wrong, you’ll know exactly what to fix.