One of the things that I think contributes a good deal to where I've gotten to today, is that of following up on new connections.
Generally, as a teen, I've found that people don't expect a whole lot from you. Which has its ups and downs. However, I've found one massive thing that sets me aside from a lot of my peers is following up new connections with a thank-you letter. I originally heard this idea from Issac Morehouse of Praxis, as a way of going above and beyond the call to action.
As a teenager, I honestly don't have a lot to offer some of the people I am asking for advice from. And the fact that they are willing to take time out of their day to help me out, shows a lot of how giving they are. So I've found the one thing I can give, and give honest, is that of appreciation. You show yourself to be a person of gratitude and a learning spirit. You also set yourself up for more opportunities to learn by showing appreciation.
I would even go one step further and describe exactly what you are thankful for. Maybe it's a specific piece of insight you hadn't heard before or a new book recommendation. Even in the cases where they didn't share anything new or particularly helpful, but you still want to show appreciation. You can put it in terms of thanking them for confirming more of the ideas. Showing that you respect them and that their confirmation is something you hold to a high standard and will act upon.
Key takeaways:
1) As a teen, you don't have that much to offer, so give what you can: appreciation
2) Follow up interactions with a short thank you note
3) You can go the extra mile, and in that note put exactly what you're thankful for and reword what they gave to you
4) If nothing you learned was new, show appreciation for confirming the ideas. This shows them that you respect their opinion.