Career Networking and Your Business Card Diving in further - Hallie Crawford

Career Networking and Your Business Card Diving in further I got some positive feedback on my recent posts where I dove deeper into specific topics that I write about in my Career Articles online. (Thanks Dina for your response). So Im going to do more of that this weekI hope its helpful. Business Card Tips and Etiquette How important is your business card? Are you in the kind of business where you use it a lot, or not at all? I used to work in a field that didnt require much use of the business card. So I subsequently used mine as bookmarks, to write to do lists on, and now to be honest, I have a large box of old unused business cards in my office that I just cant bring myself to throw away. I like to recycle as you know and hate wasting paper. Now that Im in business for myself, I realize just how important these little cards are, especially if youre in the job market or in business for yourself. So how important are they? Theyre important, and heres why: 1 They make a statement about who you are. Because I can control the way my card looks, the look is very important to me. Its my image and my 1st impression. If youre in business for yourself, or looking for a new job, make sure your card makes a statement about who you are. 2 Think about your personality what kind of card fits your personality? Create one that fits who you are. 3 Consider the job youre searching for what kind of card is most appropriate for that field? More conservative and straightforward or creative and funky. My cards walk the line between creative, bold, hip and professional. I always get comments on them, it makes me that much more memorable to the person Ive just met. So make yours that way. Make a statement, the right statement. 4 If youre in between jobs, should you make up a card? Yes, especially if youre attending a networking event. You need something to hand to people right? You can easily get cards made for free online these days, or something done at Kinkos. It doesnt have to cost a lot to look good. So make something up with your contact info and the type of job youre looking for. Include the title of your current or previous position on there so people can identify you with a specific field. If youve got a sense of humor include something funny and memorable. Making a good first impression is important in career networking and your card is an important part of that impression. Good luck! Hallie career coaching