Having a network is all well and good, but bad networking practices could actually be hurting your career. Find out what networking practices Monster considers bad for your career.

As a professional, you must have a network. Networks can be the gateway for career opportunities you cannot find your way to on your own. But some common networking pitfalls could actually be having the opposite effect on your work life.

1. You're too desperate
This never bodes well in any kind of relationship, but leveraging your network buddies for when you are out of a job and the bills are piling up in especially hazardous. You want to develop a healthy work relationship with give and take in it. Make friends and be willing to share your information and resources ahead of the time of need, so when you do need something, people are happy to oblige.

2. Too much similarity
One of the points of having a network is diversifying - diversifying your interests, your career opportunities, even industries. After all, you never know when you might want to move sideways in your career as well as ahead. Don't just keep company with the people who do exactly what you do in exactly the same kind of companies that you do it - or even in your own company.

Expand your circle. Diversify. Keep the same network range but diversify in terms of job titles, age differences, geography and even ethnicity.

3. Too many people, not enough quality 
This is especially relevant to people who have a hundred friends on Facebook and Twitter, and must have given out so many of their business cards they don't even remember who they networked with last week. You don't want to fill in your portfolio with a million people - simply because it will equal a compromise on quality. You want a few that will actually be useful. Get personal with people. Make sure they remember you, and you remember them. Have meaningful relationships, not temporary flings.