The right advice can dramatically change your career.

But to get that insight, it’s crucial that you talk to the right people.

Build a internet of people with different roles and your professional life will benefit from diverse perspectives.

Here are a few people you should regularly connect with.

Some guy who made your friend successful might not be the right mentor for you.

The mentor-protege relationship is unique.

Astudy by University of California, San Franciscofound some common traits of successful mentoring relationships.

after you grab a mentor, asking the right questions is important.

After all, it’s a line he fed me.

Connect with at least one person like that who will take your calls or reply to your emails.

Like with any networking, the best approach is to first look within your own circles.

Share something specific that you liked about their product/blog post, etc.

(i.e., an entertaining story or a deceptively simple tactic they offered).

Share how you have taken action or will be taking action.

You also get to take advantage of an expert’s experience.

Focus on the process, not on the result.

Look for peers who are happy to help you if you are willing to help them in return.

You will run across them at your office, at events, or in other work-related environments.

Much like a mentor, find someone who is on the same wavelength as you are.

This connection is also important because it lets you leverage a completely new professional connection.

It’s important not to get competitive; think of yourselves as a team, not as individuals.

In fact, partners do a lot of sharing.

This is a person you’re able to share the wins and woes with.

Partners will also share resources, opportunities and information.

That point about “sharing the woes” is particularly true.

The peer relationship provides a support structure that you could’t find in others.

Advice is free, dole it out and you’ll gain an ally.

Plus, you never know who is going to be a huge success tomorrow.

These people tend to grow and rise quickly.

Maybe five years down the road they’ll be investing and you’ll have started a company.

Have a long-term view.

Don’t just think about where people are now, think about where they will be.

And where you might be.

You learn with time that many of those were idealistic notions and can’t work.

Talk to a professional from a different field to learn about new ways of approaching solutions.

There are two upsides to talking to a professional from a new industry.

First, you’re free to gain a new perspective on your current problem.

Second, you might find new information that can be important to your industry.

Apart from these people to talk shop with, you shouldhave a good professional networklaid out as well.

Your professional web connection may not be where you want to discuss major issues.

But it is where the lessons learned from the aforementioned people will be put into practice.

Photos byJanos Levente,mama,tanel,LotusHead,David Boyle,barunpatro.