I empathise with those who are finding the pressure to adapt to the digital environs an endless and ever demanding requirement to keep abreast of an accelerating world. Never has there been a time when forging Relationship Capital with peers, colleagues and associates has been more relevant or essential. In the current global climate we all need to understand we have to create a personal brand afforded by digital mediums. Building your relationship capital requires a consistency. Here is a checklist for you:

EARN RELATIONSHIP CAPITAL

* Never overlook an opportunity to make a contact.
* Offer help to everyone even when you’re not asked for it.
* Make sure every contact you make requires a follow-up action.
* Initiate communications. Don’t ask people to call you, be proactive.
* Try to talk about the contact, not about yourself. Learn what he or she wants.
* Always look for interconnections among people in your network.
* Make personal introductions between contacts with a common interest.
* Create Relationship Capital Interactions that benefit everyone involved.
* Always stay in the loop when there are more than two people involved in a networking interaction.
* Help build the Relationship Capital of others.
* Be known as an adherent of Relationship Capital Ethics.
* Grow your network continuously.
* Keep track of your networking activities.
* Network daily until you no longer need help from anyone for anything.
* Build Relationship Capital with every encounter.
* And, above all else, always remain visible to your network.

The world is changing more rapidly than we can accomodate and we have a personal obligation to do all that we can to optimise our professional visibility, whether we are currently employed or seeking work. I encourage everyone to take the following test and ensure you are fully up to speed:

The Path 101 Digital Candidate Quiz

1) Google your full name.  Give yourself 2 points for every link on the front page actually about you.

2) Give yourself 10 points for having a blog that you update regularly with something professional (not just pics of your trip to Cancun).

3) Give yourself 2 points for being on LinkedIn, another 5 points for having a profile over 85% complete.  If you have over 150 contacts, give yourself an additional 5 points, but 10 points if you’re over 500.

4) If you are on Twitter, go to your profile page.  Give yourself a point for every Tweet of any kind of professional value on the first page.  Give yourself another 2 points if you link to your blog or LinkedIn in your bio.

5) Check out your Facebook profile.  Give yourself 5 points if you have filled out your employment history.  Subtract 10 points if your profile picture might be deemed “ridiculous”.  Subtract a point for every incriminating thing a friend of yours writes on your wall.  Subtract 20 points altogether if your Facebook profile is public to people in your city or school network and would be seriously damaging to your chances of getting a job if someone looked at your photos.

6) Give yourself an additional 10 points for every niche professional site that you actively participate on that is relevent to your career (like a social network for graphic designers or a stock trading site for those interested in finance).