Business Cards- Get 'em Now

New employees are sometimes handed a box of business cards.  Why?  They'll need them.  They will go to events and meet people, they will meet with clients or customers, they will be representing the company at an event. 

Your role as a job seeker is to treat this like a real job, so get yourself business cards.  You will need them. Writing out all your contact information is time consuming.

• You can give them out at events/seminars/meetings
• You can provide them to new or old friends you run into

Because you are on a budget, you will want to be frugal, but not cheap.  Don't sacrifice quality.  Shop around and find a good deal.  Check on-line.  You can find them for under $10 for 250 color printed. (vistaprintdotcom)

What do you put on them?  Simple:  Your name, phone number, email and job title you are pursuing. That's all you need.

There was a great discussion about what job title to put on your card in a workshop yesterday.  While there are different strategies and logic here, my thoughts would be to put something specific rather than too general. 

For example, I don't think Strategic Leader, Creative Problem Solver, Diligent Negotiator are helpful to anyone as job titles.  However, I do think it might be ok to list several job titles, for example  COO, General Manager, VP of Operations. 

What I am not recommending is using varying different types of jobs, such as Human Resources or Customer Service or Accountant, this isn't good branding. Don't be all things to all people. 

The title has to be just descriptive enough.   Listing Project Manager, doesn't say what kind of project manager.  Consider adding the industry too.  Project Manager, Software Development.

Comments

[Ram]

I was at a presentation few days ago, and i have noticed someone giving out her card (yes she was looking out for a job) to the presenter and others around while talking to those individuals. I didn't get a chance to meet her however, I later was thinking what kind of information she must have printed on the card. It has been challenging to me when I thought of creating a personal name card few years ago, where I didn't want to give my home address (and i don't have POBox#), I didn't want to put my work title, since it was not a card that I would use representing the work company. so obviously no company name either.. so I designed one with Name, Phone number, email address, area I live.

but then looking at the card, I didn't think it would achieve much since it doesn't have what my profession was and it didn't have a purpose in the card. And I dropped that idea.

So, are you saying, one would put the title aspiring to get? and print as " Position looking for: software development lead" ? It is much like an intro or a gateway to a resume, in a way?

-Ram

[PM Hut]

Being a Project Manager, I wouldn't go myself with the Project Manager - Software Development, it's confusing. Technical Project Manager is better. The former will imply that you're a Project Manager and a Software Developer at the same time.

[Deidre Dutcher]

Have you ever pulled a business card out of your wallet and no idea who that person is or where you met her? I would go a step further on the info that I put on my business card to make sure the information was actually useful. In addition to the job title, list some skills (since you're not putting a physical address, those lines plus a few more, are available). So if the job title is Executive Admin, I would add, Advanced Excel Skills, Outstanding Writing Skills, Thrives in busy environment, Scheduling & Organizing Guru. You should be handing your card to everyone you meet - give them something that jolts their brain and tells them a second time who you are and what you can do.