Your business card is an important part of your brand, and that of your company. It’s an essential part of the business networking process. A good business card can say a great deal about you above and beyond a URL and contact information. When designed well, a business card can elevate your status with and make you memorable to whomever you pass it on to.

The first recorded use of business cards dates back to the 15th century in China, where it was used as a calling card among business men.  After its migration to Europe a couple hundred years later, the standard business card was used as a form of advertising for trade merchants that often included a map and directions of where the vendor’s product or service cart was located.  As printing became more popular in the 1800’s the business card finally reached the United States, quickly becoming a popular form of advertising and networking among businessmen and the general public.

As the business card gained in popularity, there became two distinct types of uses: visiting cards and business cards.  In the 19th century in the United States, visiting cards were used primarily by individuals as a way to establish social obligations.  A stack of cards would be housed in the hallway and became a catalogue of visitors as an early form of “While You Were Out” phone messaging that we are familiar with today.  Business cards were widespread among men and women and across classes.  People were looked upon in poor taste if they visited or attended an event or made a social call without one.

As our lives have become more virtual and network-based, our vision and idea of the business card has continued to evolve.  The traditional paper business card still holds true but the rise in popularity of iPhones and mobile devices has changed the way in which we exchange our contact information.  Even a Facebook friend request can be seen as a virtual, casual form of business card exchange. 

Popular iPhone virtual business card applications like Hoccer, Bump, and others have begun to take the place of the traditional business card.

• Hoccer. A free downloadable iPhone application offers the ability to exchange your contact information with a simple throwing gesture.  The application must be opened by both parties who must complete a throwing motion to exchange their information.

• Bump. With over 10 million downloads, Bump is one of the most popular iPhone contact exchange applications. Two people open the application and bump their iPhones with their hands.  After only a short setup, all your contact information is easily transferred.

• LinkedIn. With their most recent iPhone upgrade, LinkedIn now offers a contact information transfer service.  Both parties must have their bluetooth activated on their iPhone in order to exchange their contact information.  While in London, I was able to quickly exchange contact information by just sitting next to someone during a conference or dinner.

For non-iPhone users there are also alternatives to exchanging virtual contact information as well.

• Business Card Readers. Blackberry and iPhone users can use a data capture application that takes a picture or scans the business card right from your mobile device.  Another great application for this and other data capture purposes is Ever Note.

• SnapDat.  Create an exchange a virtual business card online with anyone.  In a matter of minutes, you can create a very professional business card to exchange on social media networks and other online communities.

• Pokens. Pokens are social business card (and isn’t everything social these days?).  After selecting a poken and setting it up, you are able to quickly exchange contact information with other poken users and are able to upload the contact information by inserting the USB from the poken into your computer.  These are great for large events and conferences where you can connect with a large number of people very quickly.  No iPhone, Blackberry, or Droid required.

So, what’s your experience with these technologies?  Do you use them or know others who do?  Is the paper business card dead, or are these new toys more novelty than game-changer?

Photo Credit Create It Displays and You Renew.

FTC Disclosure:  All products and applications listed and reviewed in this blog post were purchased and paid by Xceptional HR.  I did not receive them as a gift with the exception of the Poken.

Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is an author, new mother, and human resources professional with a passion for recruiting and all things social media.  She has over 10 years of experience in human resources & recruiting.

Her company, Xceptional HR provides businesses with social media, recruitment, and human resources strategy and consulting.   Jessica’s book, Tweet This! Twitter for Business was released January 2010.  Follow Jessica on Twitter, LinkedIn, & FaceBook.

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At some point during each week, chances are you will read at least one blog post.  However, the chances are slim at best that you are commenting on blogs.  I’m guilty of this as well.  Leaving comments on blog posts is an incredibly useful networking tool, but it takes some effort to come up with something that will be useful feedback for the author and future readers.

But, by not commenting on blogs, an opportunity is missed to connect and network with someone new who may not know you… yet.  This is a perfect way to further expand your personal brand.

Free Blog Comments Advice:

• Include a link – Links are an ideal way to further engage the author and future readers.  You might include a link to a prior blog entry you wrote on the same/similar topic.  You could include a link to someone else’s blog with a counter point.  You could include a link to SlideShare to highlight a presentation you found helpful.  The possibilities are endless; just make sure you are on point with the link.  Relevance is key when leaving comments on blog posts.
• Suggest an alternative – Let’s say that you do not agree with the post; commenting on blogs with the opposite position is another way to enhance your brand.  Taking a position, even playing devil’s advocate, is a means to engage the writer and possibly continue the conversation further.  It might provide a deeper picture of something that wasn’t considered by them previously.
• Provide statistics – When commenting on blogs, supporting your comments with statistics shows that you are doing your homework on particular topics.  Show your expertise, your interest and passion with supporting numbers.

Comments are a means to begin a dialog.  If you are looking for a new position, what better way to connect with others in your industry and begin to interact than leaving comments on blog posts that interests them.  Yes, this is a bit of an ego boost to them, but it also puts you in a better position to take the conversation further.  I do not know many bloggers who will not respond to comments so take advantage (but don’t be pushy) of their knowledge.

I challenge you to start commenting on blogs and including  links to your blog or homepage, but make sure you are easily found, or else the benefit is lost!

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Keith McIlvaine is a Social Media Strategist within HR and Recruiting for a Fortune 500 company.  When he is not focused on leveraging social media and networking, Keith is also a personal branding coach and social media mentor.  He is passionate about his family and is a major soccer fanatic.  Connect with Keith on Twitter and LinkedIn.  The statements I have posted on this site are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.

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Last week, my post featured a short video by my friend the Recruiting Animal about how to stand out on Twitter.  This week I thought I would go more in depth about how Twitter can be used in your job search.

Being in the job search is tough, and as a job seeker you are not alone (especially with the more than 15 million who are out of work and in the job hunt).  People don’t always prepare adequately for the job search, although they should be giving themselves a solid six months to get everything in order before they can expect results.  This provides the opportunity to grow and build your network using  both traditional (face to face networking) and non-traditional methods (social media networking).  Keep in mind that this can all be done while you’re still employed.  Don’t wait until you’re actively looking to build your network!

One non-traditional networking tool is Twitter.  Think of Twitter as a virtual cocktail party with more than 27 million people in attendance.  Like any traditional cocktail party or networking event, there are conversations (known as your twitter stream) that happen all around you.  Twitter is no different.  If your goals for Twitter are primarily business-based, it is extremely important to selectively join and be present for key conversations among decision makers or influencers in the industry in which you are looking for work.

These tips will help you turn Twitter into the ultimate networking tool:

• Follow People. Following others and retweeting or reposting their tweets is a great way to begin to build a relationship.  Use Twitter directories which are essentially online yellow pages to search for influencers in your target industry, location, or by keyword like Twellow, and We Follow.  Here are 15 more great Twitter directory sites courtesy of Mashable.

• SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Be found by making sure to include keywords that are searched by recruiters and hiring managers in your Twitter bio.  Consider words including industry specific software programs, certifications, and words that are repeatedly listed in job board advertisements.  Recruiters use keywords within your tweets and your bio to find you.  Make it easy to be found including key words and a link to your blog or profile.

• Hash Tags (#). Hash tags are used in Twitter as a way to sort and search by topic.  Some common hash tags for job seekers including #jobs, #jobhuntchat, #jobsearch, and #jobadvice.  Using your iGoogle account, you can set up an RSS feed of common keywords and hash tags in Twitter Search.  Setting up your RSS feed is a great time saving tip!

• Find Recruiters. I almost always suggest that job seekers take an aggressive approach to their job search.  Just as recruiters source and search for you, job seekers can seek out and connect with recruiters, human resource professionals, or hiring managers using social media search tools.  Twitter directories are a great start, but there are more advanced tools like Follower Wonk and Twitter Search which can help you further focus your search.  Both of these offer advanced search options, allowing you to search by keyword and even zip code.  Follow Wonk provides advanced bio search options.

• Building Relationships. Chris Brogan provides a crude yet effective example of social media networking and how to build relationships.  He likens immediately asking for a job or sale just after meeting someone to sticking your tongue down someone’s throat just after meeting them.  Basically, don’t ask for the sale until you have an established relationship.  Social media is undoubtedly a great way to connect, but can be somewhat superficial.  Networking takes time!  Make sure you establish a meaningful relationship with someone before asking them to help you.

Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is an author, new mother, and human resources professional with a passion for recruiting and all things social media.  She has over 10 years of experience in human resources & recruiting.

Her company, Xceptional HR provides businesses with social media, recruitment, and human resources strategy and consulting.   Jessica’s book, Tweet This! Twitter for Business was released January 2010.  Follow Jessica on Twitter, LinkedIn, & FaceBook.

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As the green economy grows and evolves, so will the green job market. Green careers are hot these days, as companies, organizations and all of us scramble to “go green”.

You may be thinking a green job is in your future. But do you have what it takes to compete for these sought-after jobs?

Before you dive into a career transition, scope out the lay of the land and get all your ducks in a row.

A great starting point is Job-Hunt.org. Rated “Top” or “Best” site for job hunting and careers by US News & World Report, Forbes, and PC Magazine, Job-Hunt is one of my favorite resources for all things job search, for any industry and any professional level.

Here are a few Job-Hunt green resources and other get-started-now suggestions:

1. Identify needs and opportunities.

Do a Google search for company names, product names and relevant keywords to find resources, relevant blogs, articles and white papers. Set up Google Alerts for relevant keywords. For some helpful tips, see my post, Use Google Alerts to Amplify Your Executive Brand Visibility and Job Search.

2. Determine which positions to target.

Job descriptions often provide a wealth of information about the industry, skills/qualifications, companies and their culture, and challenges they face.

Along with helping you decide what green jobs may be a good fit for you, job descriptions will help you determine whether your existing skill set is up to snuff and transferrable. You may need to sharpen your value proposition by learning relevant new skills.

For job descriptions, check out:

-LinkUp, a job aggregator that also includes employer websites

-Job-Hunt’s list of Green Job Boards

3. Research companies you want to target and compile a grand list of at least 20 to work on penetrating.

Your research helps you with market intelligence and due diligence, and prepares you to intelligently communicate with decision makers at each company. See Job-Hunt’s list of 50+ Green Industry Employers.

Visit each company’s website to find a wealth of information, such as Boards of Directors, C-suite company leadership, and news and press releases. Arm yourself with plenty of information to excel at interviews.

Research and make a list of key decision makers at your companies of interest. You’ll then work on positioning yourself in front of them.

4. Learn the lingo.

See Job-Hunt’s Green Industry Glossary and Guide to Green Terminology.

Leverage your newly-gained skills and knowledge to market your credibility and viability online. Blog and tweet about relevant topics so you’ll be found by hiring professionals who search online to source candidates.

5. Expand your network.

Do keyword and people searches at LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social networks to identify thought leaders and subject matter experts who are active there. Find out what they’re talking about and involved with, and which resources they rely on.

Look for your target list of key decision makers at your companies of interest and see what they’re up to on these sites. Look at their profiles to see which LinkedIn Groups they belong to. Join them and begin contributing. Follow them on Twitter and re-tweet them.

See Job-Hunt’s list of over 100 Green Industry Professional Associations and Societies, broken down by categories such as Biofuels, Building & Construction, Engineers & Engineering, Health & Medicine, Recycling, Solar Energy, and Wind Power.

How to use this extensive list of professional organizations:

Connect with and help people in the know in this thriving industry. Get a feel for whether you may be a good fit, too. Identify key decision makers whose radar you want to get on.

Check out the membership directories to source key decision makers and potential employers.

When you join a professional association, be sure to add it to your online career marketing communications (Brand-Yourself page, VisualCV, LinkedIn profile, web portfolio, etc.). Recruiters and hiring decision makers searching those keywords when vetting candidates will likely be led to your online materials.

Related posts:

Free Green Careers & Personal Branding Advice Guide

2010 Top 10 Executive Personal Branding and Job Search Trends

An Executive Personal Branding, Online Identity and Job Search Strategist, Meg is a 20-year careers industry professional and one of only a handful of people worldwide to hold the Reach Certified Personal Branding Strategist and Master Resume Writer credentials, both gold standards.

“I love my work collaborating with savvy senior executives and entrepreneurs who know where they’re going, but need help differentiating their unique promise of value in the new world of work and executive job search, and positioning themselves to work their passion. My clients are typically c-suite, senior-level executives and rising stars.”

Find out more about Meg at Executive Career Brand, and by viewing her LinkedIn profile and following her on Twitter.

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