If you waste this opportunity to impress by just reciting your business card, you will either wind up leaving your contact associating you with the stereotype of your profession (which can be quite negative), or speechless because of your completely obscure title. Remember to keep in mind that some titles only have significance to those that work in the industry, company, or department.

Instead, aim to deliver a description that packs a punch. Think of it this way: when you are writing a résumé, you try to highlight your experiences and performances. In this case, you are selling yourself verbally and need to make a good first impression. When mixing and mingling, a bad impression can result in you losing your possible contact and them moving onto the next person in the crowd.

So try introducing yourself by throwing a quick who, what, when, why, where, and how into the mix. There’s no need to answer everything, but by answering even a few of these questions, you can provide a wealth of information for your contact to pick at in a short amount of time. For instance, give this one a go (instead of just saying “I’m a writer”):

I attend and write coverage for fashion events in New York City for an online magazine called ZXY publications.

On a related note, the concept of jazzing up a bland description also extends to introducing friends to contacts. Simply saying “this is XYZ” doesn’t give the other person a lot to work with. Next time, try adding an interesting fact about them; for example, “meet XYZ, she recently spent a lot of time in Europe recently.” By doing so, you are helping out by building a bridge for your two contacts on which to tread.

When penning down your article, only write as much as you need in order to express your point. Writing too much dilutes what you’re trying to say and dissuades the reader from visiting again. When blogs were not that common, it was easy to get away with ramblings, since there were not a lot of everyday Joe’s voicing their opinions. But since blogging has become so popular as of late, readers can freely pick and choose what they want to read.

Having great content isn’t enough, you need to build relationships! Engage yourself in the online community by reading and commenting on other blogs, as well as meeting up with the bloggers. Consider this: you network with others at work and at social events, right? So why not for the online community too! By networking with other bloggers, you stand to gain more exposure and more connections, which can help you reach your blog’s full potential.

And finally, get some back-end work done. You’re competing against a lot of other blogs, so you want to make sure that yours is search-engine optimized and populating as many corners of the web as possible. What I mean by populating corners is that you want to make sure that you’re part of blog directories and listings, and search engines. There are many online articles that can help you to search-engine optimize your webpage; many of which are catered to those who are not in the field of web design.

I was a freshman at Emerson College when Facebook arrived.  I didn’t create an account until I was late in my junior year – not because I was a Luddite (which I’m not) but because I didn’t see any value in it.  Not everyone had made an account, and they hadn’t added photos, let alone video, or a lot of the robust features that we now take for granted.  I was finally converted as I approached graduation, and realized the potency of social media as a networking tool.  2 1/2 years later……I’m “hiding” 2-3 different people’s new feeds A DAY!  I have 300+ friends on Facebook, some of whom I have not spoken to in person in 7-8 years.

At the same time, I’m working here at The Ability Project and looking to reach out to my network for potential collaborations and partnerships.  I was never a focused and intentional networker, but through working on lots of projects, making friends and being as open to sharing information and my skills as possible, I build a decent network (for someone a couple years out of school).  So, I should be able to flip through the ol’ rolodex and pull out a few choice names and BAM! – we’re makin’ bacon.

Don’t kill the pig yet though – because a lot of these relationships have whithered and become extended over time.  We moved to different cities, we work in different sectors, life happens.  But HERE’s where Facebook and other social media rear their collective head:  Through small but constant updates on their lives, I feel like I have kept up with them! I could tell you that John Poortinga has worked on the cable show “Ace of Cakes” for 3-4 seasons.  But I haven’t spoken to him since we graduated.  I know James Palmer is still working with Sarah Silverman….but I haven’t spoken to or seen him in 2+ years.  I have lost the impetus to call John or James and “catch up” because I feel like I know everything that’s happened in their lives since we parted.

Maybe I need to amp it up and utilize the medium to it’s fullest – I should message and chat with them through Facebook and Twitter and send them videos of myself through Youtube and post pictures to my Flickr (I don’t have a Flickr…..).  BUT I DON’T!!!!  BECAUSE IT TAKES TOO MUCH TIME!  AND IT’S NOT REAL!  I spend 3 hours doing all this digital communicating, and I might get a comment or best case – a response video/picture/message.  What if I spend an hour on the phone with 3 different people?  Or a half an hour over coffee with 6 people?

I think it is important to cultivate interpersonal, face-to-face relationships and continue to define “friendship” by it’s root definition.

From Dictionary.com:

Word History: A friend is a lover, literally. The relationship between Latin amīcus “friend” and amō “I love” is clear, as is the relationship between Greek philos “friend” and phileō “I love.” In English, though, we have to go back a millennium before we see the verb related to friend. At that time, frēond,the Old English word for “friend,” was simply the present participle of the verb frēon, “to love.” The Germanic root behind this verb is *frī-, which meant “to like, love, be friendly to.” Closely linked to these concepts is that of “peace,” and in fact Germanic made a noun from this root,*frithu-, meaning exactly that. Ultimately descended from this noun are the personal names Frederick, “peaceful ruler,” andSiegfried, “victory peace.” The root also shows up in the name of the Germanic deity Frigg, the goddess of love, who lives on today in the word Friday, “day of Frigg,” from an ancient translation of Latin Veneris diēs, “day of Venus.”

A friend is not a content stream – a friend is a lover – someone you love.  A friend is someone you can ask a favor of – and get an immediate “yes”.  A friend is someone who wants to help you, not for mutual gain (which is still OK) but to see you succeed.  A friend takes years to make, not a mouse click. Let’s use social media for all it’s worth, and celebrate the good things it adds to our culture.  But PLEASE!  Let’s also maintain our personal relationships.  I know I’m going to start trying harder.

Communications consultant Leil Lowndes points out in How to Talk to Anyone that people lose 30% of their energy when talking over the phone. This loss of energy may make you come off as a Debbie Downer, or even worse, unenthusiastic about maintaining a relation. To avoid losing this possible connection, Lowndes suggests to hike up the energy level – you may think you sound ridiculous, but really, you actually sound like how you would if it were a face-to-face conversation. Why? Well, the lack of a physical connection creates an emphasis on the need for an emotional one; so when you think about it, you’re allocating the connection made by seeing one another to an emotional level with your interest in the person.

Another great way to close the physical gap is to name drop. No, I don’t mean for you to talk about how you saw Johnny Depp at the local mall the other day. Lowndes gives the great idea of mentioning your caller’s name a couple times during your conversation. Hearing their name not only keeps their attention, but also reinforces the idea that the conversation is directed to them. That may sound silly, but think about it: there’s no eye contact, no hand gestures, and certainly no physical intimacy.  So aside from having your phone lines connected, you don’t have anything else linking you two.

Taking these two points into consideration, you are bound to increase the number of contacts you make over the phone. For more communication tips, be sure to read up more on How to Talk to Anyone by Leil Lowndes.

This article in AdAge is a must read. The positive advice about finding employment can also be applied to advancing your career.

Don’t Let Unemployment Slow You Down: 7 Tips for Keeping Up Your Momentum in a Difficult Job Market. http://adage.com/gennext/post?article_id=138785

Thank you Adrienne for your “shout out” and mention of The Ability Project. For more from this talented young professional visit her blog: http://askamillennial.blogspot.com/

1) Do not present a resume or ask for a job in an informational interview. The purpose of your meeting should be to learn a company culture and network in your industry.

2) Arrive to the meeting prepared with thoughtful questions.

3) The informational interview is a relaxed setting to practice your answers to future interview questions (i.e. “tell me about yourself”). You should not feel as if you are in an interview or selling a product; however, this is an excellent opportunity to practice your personal brand story or pitch.

4) Follow-up is critical. Thank each contact for his/her time, information, advice. Thank-you letters should be sent via email; a hard copy should be sent through snail mail.

5) Each manager and/or executive should be updated on any progress in your career.

6) Keep good records of connections made, including dates and follow-up tasks. I personally keep a well organized, ongoing list in an excel file.

As a Generation Y, it is often difficult to know who to contact and what exchange is appropriate. I am signing up for alumni events, industry related associations and specific Meetup.com affairs.

Other personal habits I have acquired while networking are to 1) confirm meeting time and place the day before, 2) follow up with unique, outstanding stationary, 3) get a business card, and 4) remember to small talk. Small talk is an art; often when I am taking myself too seriously, I forget to ask my mentor personal details. Taking note of these personal details on the back of his/her business card is a great technique. Then when I follow up, I can ask about family, vacation, home, etc. Every little detail counts when creating lasting relationships.

Stand out: Brand everything, especially your resume. Link your blog, showcase your internships, highlight your achievements, and take initiative. Your resume should be an extension of you. Be prepared to talk about everything on your resume and have a story to back it up. It should all support your personal brand story.

Employers have a wealth of potential employees that they can hire. Try to see things from the employer’s perspective and think– why would I hire you? Be able to give the reasons on what makes you a better candidate than the next person. It’s all about knowing your audience in order to effectively communicate your message.