MASTER OF THE GAME

Just when you have mastered the art of handing out your business card, along comes another way to make connections — social networking online. Online communities help you make connections for business, dating or personal interests. Specifics vary, but they generally work as follows:

• A friend or contact invites you to join the service. You may also join by visiting the site and signing up on your own.

• You create a profile describing yourself and your interests.

• You connect to your friend’s or colleague’s network, then expand your own network via message boards, blogs and connecting to members with similar interests.

• By joining via an invitation from someone you know — someone with interests similar to yours — you could easily be connected to a network of hundreds of people within seconds of joining.

Watch your steps

To help you navigate the new world of social networking, heed these tips:

Don’t jump at every offer to join a social networking service. Some focus on dating, while others are devoted to professional interests. Many mix business and pleasure — one moment you may marvel at a newfound friend’s taste in tunes; the next you realise she works at the company of your dreams.

But you probably don’t want to devote your time making contacts with 20-something music fans when you’re a 50-something sales executive with no interest in post-ABBA bands.

Culture rules

Social networking sites can be like high school, with arcane social customs and rules. Before contacting the colleagues of the friend who invited you to the site, get to know the site’s culture. A casual e-mail introduction may suffice at one site but could peg you as gauche — or worse — at another.

Profile facts

Even social networking spots devoted to fun over work can lead to career connections. Make sure your profile doesn’t include anything you wouldn’t want a would-be boss to see. This is especially true if you are using a site primarily for professional purposes.

“Potential employers may check out your profile and make a judgment call based on what they see and read,” according to a Tickle spokeswoman. “Tailor your profile to what an employer would want to see in a potential employee.”

Don’t be pushy

Many members of social networking groups have had bad experiences with pushy types.

“Be sensitive to individuals’ networks,” says Jenna Gausman, a career counsellor with Kerwin and Associates. “Do not be overly aggressive in trying to ‘get in’ with someone’s network.

Someone who is too persistent can be annoying and actually will damage their own reputation if they try too hard.”

Do what you say you will: To preserve your reputation, keep your promises when offering to facilitate a personal introduction or find a phone number. “You must follow through,” says Gausman.

And if you express interest in another individual’s help, be sure to follow up on the person’s assistance.