Check out this really interesting interview with Jonathan Lister, who runs LinkedIn Advertising, about how business cards, CVs and resumes will be redundant in the not-too-distant future.

Keeping abreast of trends like this can put you ahead of the curve. Many of my banking clients tell me stories of moving banks or careers at just the right time, leaving good colleagues stranded in awkward situations and limited prospects. Here are five tips for banking professionals looking for job security, career options and increased wealth.

Great networkers are good networkers who have just taken their craft a little bit further. In the world of banking, networking is crucial. You might be outward facing with a sales angle to you role, trying to hit targets and create business opportunities. You might have a number of stakeholders and partners to build relationships with. You might be internally focused but ambitious, planning moves up the corporate ladder and needing to build your professional profile.

Whatever the reason, good business networking skills are vital for serious banking professionals looking for maximum reach, profile and influence. Here are five of the top traits of the best professional, profitable and productive networkers:

What are you doing to convert your pipeline of switch business before the New Year kicks in? Are you resigned to things dragging on and losing out on beefing up your end of year sales targets? Are you encountering the 'slow no' as prospects hunker down for the winter season and settle for what they've got? Are you being pressured by line managers to convert your pipeline, get the cash in the till and get those prospects 'over the line?

If so, here are seven top tips for closing those deals before Christmas and creating some urgency with the switch.

Just been reading a great blog post The Most Valuable People in Your Network by Rob Cross. In Malcolm Gladwell's Tipping Point, he talks about the critical number of 150.

When companies, churches, gatherings, networks and communities expand beyond that point, it takes a different level of managing to make things run smoothly. But with technology, online social networking and mobile tools, the networking landscape is changing. So in your role as a banking professional, what's the optimum size of your business network?

As a banking professional, if somebody 'googled' you, what would they find? Do you have an online presence, and indeed, do you want one? How open are you to the power of the internet to build your connections, your profile and your business?

Whether you call it virtual networking, online networking, social networking or e-networking, this relatively new phenomenon is here to stay!

Everyday, thousands of people join hundreds of online networking forums, communities, sites, clubs and virtual worlds. Many of those are in banking roles. And here's why...