XHR Stacked Logo

I’m not shy to admit that blogging has been the single most important and defining career move for me.  Not because I’ve made millions of dollars because of blogging but because of the opportunities I’ve had and the great people and friends I’ve made a long the way.  Blogging has opened up another world for me.  I now think of my relationships and projects in a global context not limited by state boundaries or oceans.

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that when I first started my blog, BloggingforJobs almost four years ago did I think that it would lead to me starting my own business and becoming a thought leader in the HR & Recruiting community.  I created the blog as a way to differentiate myself from other Oklahoma Human Resource professionals while also engaging passive job seekers by providing them job search advice and tips. Honestly, I was looking for a cost effective way to fill my candidate pipeline.  The name BloggingforJobs was purely a spur of the moment decision.

I wrote for over two years with a small, regular readership taking the time to build my brand.  Finally, in early 2009 while on maternity leave, things began to change.  Glamour Magazine called me to interview me which led to several other new opportunities.  I had arrived.  Around the same time Twitter began accounting for 30% of my total website traffic and I made the decision to move to my own domain, Blogging4Jobs.  I wanted to be able to better control my content and design especially since my brand was becoming so important in my personal branding and differentiation strategy.  When I finally made the move, I had to shortened my new name to Blogging4Jobs only because the domain, bloggingforjobs.com was not available for purchase.  (I’m glad I did!)

I’ve been feverishly working on new logos for both Blogging4Jobs & Xceptional HR (my consulting company) that is streamlined and helps people identify that the two are really one in the same.  Building and launching a brand that is consistent and covers all your bases and sends a consistent message is a lot of work.  Most companies look to hire an outside agency to help them with this process but being the ambitious budding entrepreneur that I am, I am always up for a challenge especially when it saves me some green.

In addition to creating several new logos that are consistent with my new message and brand, I’ve had to update newsletter templates, twitter profile pages, and three separate websites that I currently manage as part of the Xceptional HR family (Blogging4Jobs, Tweeting my Business, & JessicaMillerMerrell.com).  And although the re-branding process has only just begun, I’m excited to announce the new logos.

In the coming days and months look for other both large and subtle changes to the Blogging4Jobs and Xceptional HR brands.  I’m thankful for your readership and look forward to having you along for the ride.

Your business card is an important part of you and your company’s brand. It’s an essential part of the business networking process. A good business card can say a great deal about you above and beyond the basic website and contact information. Done correctly a business card can to elevate your status and make you memorable with whomever you come into contact with.

The first recorded use of business cards dates back to the 15th century in China seen as a visiting card or calling card among business men.  While in Europe, this calling card was introduced in the 17th Century and 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 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 up on 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 networked 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.  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 and 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 the social business card and aren’t we all about social these days?  After selecting a poken and setting it up, you are able to quickly exchange contact information with other poken users quickly 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.

My friend, @pokengirl has graciously provided a number of pokens as part of the promotion for my Tweet This! Launch Party last month and is also offering a15% discount to my readers.  Visit her website at www.PokenGirl.com, purchase a poken, and use the discount code, Blogging4Jobs to receive a discount of 15% off your order.  This offer expires on March 31, 2010 so don’t delay.

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.

By nature it seems that the HR and Recruiting community is very social.  We like to have a good time and sometimes we like to take those online connections offline at events, unconferences, or tweetups (twitter meetups).  It’s nice to have a beer with a social media someone who in many ways you know better than your sister or co-workers through their tweets, facebook, and blog.  Even if you can’t make it to the unofficial SXSW tweetup, I still encourage you to attend one in your local area.  It’s a great way to see social media in action and how building online connections build your brand and grow your business.

So it’s with great pleasure that I invite you to the “Unofficial” SXSW Tweetup this Friday in Austin, TX beginning at 7:30 PM at Garridos Restaurant 360 Nueces St. Apt. 10, a five minute walk from the Austin Convention Center.

The event is not limited to only HR and Recruiting peeps but anyone who has an interest in meeting fun people who are attendees of the South by Southwest Interactive and Music conferences.  We’re also looking for sponsors to cover the cost of food and drink so if you’re a sponsor and interested in being held in high regard by 80 social media influencers in attendance, you know who to call.

As for the tweetup, I ask that you register first so that I have an accurate count for the restaurant.  And if you’re at the conference, send me a tweet and let’s hook up.  I’ll be in Austin from this Thursday thru Tuesday.