Watch the video below and see how some people are using online tools to help find a job, meet new people, or just network. Think about this the next time you apply for a job or meet someone online or off. There is a whole new way of doing things that can benefit you when used properly.
This is perhaps the most underused phrase in America today. Not in the sense the cashier at the burger joint does not ask you this anymore, but rather when you make a new connection how often do you follow up with “how can I help you, your business, your career”. It is not because most people are unwilling to help, but rather the question is not something that we think of when shooting a quick note to someone. But we should and need to start thinking this way, because by helping someone or merely offering to do so you will instantly have a stronger relationship with that person. In the end, strong network relationships are what accelerate you during the good times and pull you through the bad times.
Take a listen in to SpartX Co-Founder Steve Gonzalez address this very issue in his biweekly segment called Just Talking.
In today’s economic climate it is more important than ever to not only be thinking about the business you currently work for, but yourself as well. Meaning don’t just network for the company, network for you because today you may need it more. This is why it is important to have both a networking card and a business card.
But one thing you need, even more so than just a way to network your personal brand, is an ability to know who and what your brand is. Every brand has a mission statement so why should you be any different. Listen in below as SpartX Co-Founder Steve Gonzalez talks about these points and reveals his own personal mission statement.
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There is some notion out there that the palm sized rectangle, known as the business card, can only be carried if it is somehow attached to a business. This is far from the case, and in actuality far from the point of such a card.
The business card, regardless of what its name implies, is less about the business and more about the individual who carries it. Setting aside the fact that the business card of today does little more than announce the person bearing the card, it is a way for the carrier to connect with the recipient. That is the point, is it not? To connect with someone you meet, not connect your business with someone you meet.
Why then is there this notion that the card we all carry has to be connected to a business? And if it is not connected to a business, then you do not have the right to carry one.
This could not be further from the case. Actually those who are not connected to a business and do not carry a card are doing themselves a great disservice. When you are between jobs or without a business to call your own, that is the most important time to be carrying a networking card.
After all the point of a business card is to network, and who can really network without something that at the very least announces who you are and how to get a hold of you. That is why everyone should have a networking card; a business card not associated with any business but instead linked only to an individual.
Everyone should have a networking card in their professional arsenal. It does not matter if you are gainfully employed, happily employed, unhappily employed, or unemployed. Everyone needs a way to network themselves outside of an employment affiliation, and a networking card allows for that. It only makes sense in a day and age where there is no job security; where you could be on the street without work as soon as tomorrow.
So what should a networking card have on it? Well, much like a normal business card it needs to have your name and contact information. Outside of that is where the two kinds of cards differ. Where you would normally put a position or title, you need to replace it with something creative about yourself.
Say for instance, if you have a fair amount of experience in management and the years to match. Instead have doing something plain like “Experienced Manager” you might want to do something like “Seasoned Decision Maker”. The idea hear is to give the card some flair of your personality. Make the recipient remember you and want to know more about the person behind that card. Then top it all off with the web address to your professional site, if you happen to have a virtual card through SpartX or other web service.
For an example of a networking card see the SpartX Virtual Business Card below.
You do not just have to be between jobs to have a networking card either. It is a smart idea to have a networking card at all times. That way if you meet someone you like and think you might want to network with outside of work, then pass him or her you networking card. Likewise, when passing out a business card you should always pass out your networking card along with it, because you never know.
Similarly, if you have a SpartX Virtual Business Card account or professional profile on another site that is associated with your business card, you really should have another account that is solely for your networking card. Have multiple types of accounts is along the lines of the idea of having multiple types of business cards. All of which helps you network better, with the specific purpose to the networking done.
To get a SpartX Virtual Business Card visit www.spartx.com.
