Should You Have a Board of Advisors -

Should You Have a Board of Advisors - Recently, Marci Albohers Shifting Careers article in the New York Times hosted a guest author on the topic of a personal board of advisors: A personal board of directors is simply a collection of people who know you, are interested in your well-being, and have useful points of view. You consult with them on a regular basis - say once every six months.A person doesnt have to be famous, influential or even successful to be a good board member. All thats required is knowledge in a particular area. Your sister may offer better insight than the head of a trade association.  Ã‚   In the comments section of Albohers post, many laughed at the idea, suggesting that these advisors use to be called friends.   However, as Alboher notes in her introduction, assembling a personal board  Ã‚  is  not a new concept.   In the press toward personal branding, professionalizing advice that we might normally seek from friends and family  is not a surprising jump. Someone who is stuck in a career or job and doesnt know what to do next can benefit from purposefully assembling advisors.  Networking throughout your career is one way to create an informal group of advisors (maybe even a mentor if you are lucky).   Of course, it is important to vet your advisors.   You dont want people who will always agree with you, but you do want people who know you, your situation and are skilled in the topic about which you need advice.   Asking the wrong people (those who dont have your best interests at heart or dont know what they are doing) defeats the purpose. Sometimes, its a good idea to hire advisors.   For example, if you need tax, financial planning  or legal advice, you may want to consult a professional.   (Shameless plug:   if you need a resume  written, do seek advice from those in your field, friends and relatives, but recognize that most of them probably do not have resumes that optimize their skills and accomplishments. Youll do better if you hire someone to write it for you.   Im not the only one offering this advice!) Keppie Careers has a board of advisors to inform us about career trends in various industries.   Need a resume?   Job hunting advice?   Keppie Careers will help you every step of the way!