I was talking to someone a few days ago and he was telling me about going to network meetings with people who really had nothing to say.
Do you ever feel, as a job seeker, that you don’t know what you could say when you network with people? Here’s what the guy I was talking to suggested you have a business card… something to help you and the people you are communicating with.
“A business card,” I asked?
I thoguht about it more, though… If you think about it, perhaps we aren’t using business cards well. It’s not just a paper to pass and tuck away… it’s something that can spark conversation, draw questions, clarify messages.
And then I thought about what other “networking vehicles” could be…
- Your elevator pitch. Does it spark conversation, draw questions, or clarify your messaging?
- Your clothes.
- Your mannerisms and/or attitude.
- Your “pre-resume.” Rick Gillis talks about a pre-resume and how to use it.
Do you have something physical that you bring to network events… like a book you wrote, or something like that?
I’m not saying that you need to have a “networking vehicle,” but the more I’ve thought about it the more I’ve realized how powerful “it” could be in your networking.
