When preparing for a Career Building Strategies seminar I recently hosted, I polled several social media groups I belong to on this very topic. I asked them: what career building strategies or advice would you suggest for aspiring women leaders who want to get ahead in their career?

Hands down, the number one piece of advice – whether from a man or a woman – that came up over and over again was this: networking! Does this surprise you? Probably, if you’re anything like me because I already feel that I’m pretty well networked, don’t you? Then again, maybe not as well as we should be, right?

Here’s some networking advice no matter what level you are at or aspire to as it relates to building your career.

Network outside your own company. This is one of the biggest mistakes that women make. Many women develop a company-centric network and they become very insulated. Network as much as possible outside of your own organization and with as many professionals as possible in other businesses that are different from your own.

Build a broad based network, not just in your industry. That means that you need to network outside your safe and comfortable professional group or niche. This might mean taking a risk and developing the courage to go out, enter a room full of strangers and introduce yourself. Need help? Read author Susan RoAne’s book, How to Work a Room.

Use social media to enhance your networking capabilities and experience. Everyone’s in the same boat when it comes to having time to network these days so don’t use lack of time as an excuse to take yourself off the hook. Instead, leverage technology and all the social media resources out there including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Plaxo, You Tube, and any others you like. This is a great way to leverage your time. If you can’t spend an hour at a networking event, then try to carve out an hour to connect with your network online?

Know what you want from networking. You’d be surprised at how much easier it is to network when you have clarity around what it is you’re looking to get out of it. Looking for new opportunities? Want advice on how to get promoted? Looking to connect with those with expertise in a particular topic? Once you are clear it will be easier to leverage your existing network and to ask for connections.

It’s been said before but bears repeating. At the end of the day, it’s not what you know but who you know.