Imagine you’re supposed to attend a networking event this evening after work. How does that prospect make you feel? If you’re like most people, then dread probably sets in. While many people understand that networking is important to their careers, the reality of actually having to do it is another thing.
What if there was a better way to grow your professional network? What if networking didn’t require you to waste time awkwardly standing around hotel ballrooms or trading small talk in conference rooms? What if you could engage in effective networking just by going about your normal business and leading your everyday life?
A new social networking app called Crossed empowers users to do just that.
“It’s time to reinvent networking,” says Manny Manzel, the CEO and founder of Crossed. “With our app, people now have a new way to build their professional contacts — one that works organically.”
The problem with traditional networking
Research concludes that conventional networking makes people feel unclean. Most don’t like viewing others as means to their own ends, even if those ends are necessary to advance their careers. Instead, approaching others in this way makes us feel like we are dirtying ourselves. Few people identify as schmoozers or social climbers.
For this reason, many people avoid networking at all. Even when they push themselves to attend these events, they often head straight for the people they already know. Researchers at Columbia University found that 95 percent of MBA students wanted to meet new people at an event that was specifically designed for networking, yet spent more than half their time with their acquaintances instead.
Meanwhile, research also suggests that physical proximity can be important for networking to be effective. For this reason, people who desire a career in technology often see a boost to their career by moving to innovative technology hubs like Silicon Valley, while people who desire a career in music go to industry hotspots like Nashville or New York City.
The new Crossed app not only introduces people to valuable professional contacts without needing to endure a social mixer but also prioritizes the physical proximity of those possible connections.
How Crossed works
Crossed’s algorithm has been trained to focus on possible connections within local communities. Indeed, the app’s focus could even be described as hyper-local. Want to meet other lawyers who argue in the same courtrooms as you? Crossed can point you in the right direction. Want to meet the other remote workers typing on their laptops at your local library or coffee shop? Again, Crossed has your back. Want to meet other faculty members at your college or university? Crossed can make it happen.
How? The app leverages advanced geolocation technology to make introductions to people who tend to frequent the same physical locations. Since studies show that getting the benefit of an introduction can result in people — especially women in fields where they are underrepresented — connecting with more colleagues and making stronger ties, the introductions that Crossed delivers can supercharge users’ professional lives.
Does it sound like a dating app? Crossed can be one — or not — depending on what you prefer as an individual.
More than professional networking
Crossed can be used in three separate ways. Its Business mode enables users to take advantage of its proximity-based professional networking. Those who are only interested in forming these kinds of connections can be active only on this part of the platform so their profile will never be shown on the other two modes: Friendship and Dating.
Moreover, users can always see which of the three modes their prospective matches are active on, so if they want to avoid people looking for friends or romantic relationships in addition to professional networking, they can easily do so. Likewise, if a given user is open to friendship or romance, they can ensure others are of the same mind before they start messaging.
“Having these three separate modes goes a long way toward preventing misunderstandings,” Manzel says. “Your intentions are explicit from the beginning, and so are everyone else’s. If you’re only interested in professional networking, you can make that crystal clear. Ditto if you’re only interested in friendship.”
Are you open to dating but wary of yet another dating app? If so, then you aren’t alone. Dating apps have gotten a bad reputation over the past few years, and for good reason. They give users decision fatigue by requiring them to swipe through a seemingly endless series of profiles. Their populations can be infested with catfish, and they can get you excited about someone, only to learn later that they actually live far away.
Crossed improves users’ experience on all these fronts. Since geographical overlap is necessary for the system to propose an introduction, users aren’t bombarded with irrelevant matches or ones that would be too far away. The app also clearly marks which profiles have been verified.
A whole new way to network
With the arrival of Crossed, you can now take advantage of a whole new way to network, make friends, and ignite your love life. Say goodbye to uncomfortable networking events and hello to your new wingman: Crossed.
