The Voice of Job Seekers

Mark Anthony Dyson ★ Career Writer ★ Speaker ★ Thinker ★ Award-winning Blog & Podcast! ★ "The Job Scam Report" on Substack! ★ I hack and reimagine the modern job search!

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How to Make a Personal Business Card for Networking Today (at no cost)

How to Make a Personal Business Card for Networking Today (at no cost)

You need a personal business card today! If you don’t do anything for your job search today, make it easier for any job fair vendor, new contact you meet in person or online, or anyone you are exchanging value. A personal business card shows your serious about opportunities and ready to move forward. Even if you’re not looking right now, why not be ready for any opportunity in front you. Remember if you don’t stand out, you minimize your job opportunities!

 

Most of you may have written off having a personal business card because of the cost and the lack of creativity. Well, I can help you with both. All you have to do is the following:

All you have to do is the following to create a no cost but original electronic personal business card:

  1. If you have a LinkedIn profile photo, snap a picture on your mobile phone of the picture part and headline
  2. Download Canva app, create an account (you can use Facebook to build profile)
  3. Upload your LinkedIn profile picture to Canva
  4. Top of Canva interface you can choose the type of image you’d like to produce, select “card.”
  5. Pick a picture to complement your photo, crop, adjust to fit card
  6. You may need to go to your laptop to write in your LinkedIn customized address, email address, phone number, and maybe a website address.
  7. Once you’ve created an aesthetically pleasing card, save it and download to your phone
  8. Viola, you have an electronic business card to send Bluetooth, email, or post on social media

I think any mobile image will do, but LinkedIn has a nice template for a business card image. Will the ease of producing contact images make a real business card obsolete? Who knows. Whoever you meet, you want to make yourself memorable and make contacting you easy as possible. An electronic personal business card in any image in your phone (since you have it with always, right?) maintains your readiness for any opportunity.

Remember it’s just another tool of many you should be ready to employ for a recruiter, hiring manager, or an employee who can refer you.

 

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

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5 Ways Mentoring Others Add Career Value

5 Ways Mentoring Others Add Career Value

Our career paths have many twists and turns. One moment chaos and another, tranquility. It is a reminder of how far we come or fall short.

Experience brings many points of contacts and many places we’ve been. When we began, we didn’t know where to start. For most of us, we have begun a slow learning patience.

Read: 9 Ways to Keep Your Job Net-Working

1. Mentoring energizes

Mentoring others can energize us once we remember the zeal we once employed. Enthusiasm is still a critical attribute whether we’re seeking promotions, raises, or employment. The lack of it is unappealing, and a job candidate who lacks zeal doesn’t have a chance. It is not always an emotion, but it does display the fervor for getting things done.

2. Mentoring is a reminder of the basics

More experience often results in efficiency, but forget how we got there. The reminder of the basics can improve current results. Then when we mentor others, we can bring more value to the relationship. Maybe this could be a valuable start to a blog, training manual or producing a video using the manual.

Listen: How to Use Your Blog for Today’s Job Search

3. Mentoring tests your learning

You may have forgotten more than what your mentee knows. But relevant guidance is critical. It is an opportunity to learn some new tricks from our mentee and sharpen our skills.

We forget that technology from a year ago changes what we did two years ago.

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4. Mentoring creates gratitude deepening relationships

Appreciative mentees will make it known to many how you’ve inspired and developed them. When you’ve written a recommendation on their LinkedIn profile about their greatness is everything. Note how your guidance has transformed and improved a process or achieved something greater. This kind of act will create unmeasurable meaning.

Listen: Be BRAVE! Don’t Let People Should on Your Career!

5. Mentoring creates a serious job candidate– you may hire your mentee

Who else says you can “…become like your teacher but never greater than your master?” Prophets, philosophers, and mentors will say that imitation is the highest form of flattery.

If you mentored them well, they may imitate your spirit and do things like you do.

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Does it get any better when they’re successful too?

Out of everything, we need access what makes us tick. Once we have time to assess the mentoring process, many times we can come away with a renewed love for what we do. Or it can clarify why we need a change in our careers and ensure our decision to change was the right one.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

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9 Ways to Keep Your Job Net-Working

9 Ways to Keep Your Job Net-Working

Job networking is difficult because people expect so much to the point where it’s expectations are unrealistic.

Although referrals account for more than 60% of people finding jobs, networking is hard work. Not to mention there needs to be a mind shift in the way we use it.
Networking should be a way of life, not just a pill in the medicine cabinet.

Even when your career is well and productive, engaging your network should be a priority.

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If used right, job networking will be our primary career tool. You can’t take control of your career without it. Since it’s a little easier to initiate and sustain relationships anywhere in the world, there are some ways to foster useful long-term relationships:

1. Investment in yourself

Free is good and is encouraged, but when you research and are convinced paying is more than worth the value, then pay. There are countless stories of how iron sharpens iron when people are exchanging value with each other. It’s even better when one is out serving the other. Conferences, workshops, dinners, coffee, are all great–when it costs your something for the long term career goal. You don’t pay to meet the people, and you pay for the value people offer.

2. Give without measure

The people who I see with growing networks, who are always getting feedback and opportunities, and have set themselves up as the go-to insider or expert, are individuals who are very generous. There is no science to giving other than receivers are often more than willing to give back. The people we often see on social media who are successful in my eyes are the ones who have been givers for many years.

3. Widen the net

Usually, this would mean the number of people instead of diverse. In this case, a different network is everything. In your network, striving to have executive connections are as meaningful as the cab driver. Being considerate same says everything about your character people will need to know. We learn from a variety of resources, and somewhere along the way it is very useful.

4. Find out what works

Your network is a dynamic resource and not a static one. Whether it is a phone to people once a month or viewing your timeline, people are often sharing their successes. If you pay attention, there are golden nuggets you can apply to your career.

I think the old quote, “The best lessons are caught, not taught” is true.

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Some are willing to tell you how he or she got a raise, or negotiated their contract, or got a referral from someone they have yet to meet in person.

5. Challenge and be challenged

Back to my first point where I mention “iron sharpens iron.” When done in a healthy way, finding out the depth of disagreeing can outreach our intent and extend our learning. It does hurt to lower the defenses when someone questions a resource or our thinking about a strategy or procedure. Although it only works with people willing to respond to the rules of engagement, you’ll need to relate to everyone differently.

6. Treating people as individuals and not as a club

Honestly, no one is waiting with bated breath for what you have to say. You’re competing for attention (or more) like everyone else. It’s impressive when you remember people by name and not by group, network, association, or means of connections.

7. Celebrate their success

Write an update congratulating them, lifting them up (and only them). People will remember how you celebrate them. Can you do it without expecting anything back? It’s hard, but it will pay off.

8. Mourn with them too

People need support during hard times or tragedies too! Some people don’t know what to say, and I know it’s hard. A simple, “Sending positive thoughts your way…” or “Prayers for you and your family…” mean so much during those times. Losing a job is similar to losing family. It’s natural to mourn a lost job (or at least the friendships left behind.

9. Invite them into your world a little more

I love it when colleagues let me know when they are coming to town even if I can’t always get to them. The relationship means much more when you meet them in person, or they remember personal milestones (other than birthdays).
The goal in owning the trajectory of your career is mainly through the connections you keep going. If you are job networking just for the next job, you’ll find it frustrating and hard to find relationships productive. It is about professional relationships thriving through service.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.