You see them everywhere. These ubiquitous little two-by-three-and-a-half-inch pieces of cardboard are usually found neatly tucked away somewhere in your wallet. If you’re one of the more organized than most, you’ve taken these rectangular pieces of colored cardboard and filed them away in a Rolodex or business card address book that’s filled with clear plastic pockets the size of business cards. and it is made specifically for this purpose. Those of you who are computer savvy and have the cards will use a computerized address book to categorize the information alphabetically by company name and match the information to the job description or person’s name.
Regardless of the method you choose to store your cards, you must remember that business cards are simply another form of marketing collateral. The amount of money spent on this form of advertising varies depending on the individual, the product or service being sold, or the organization. Large companies spend thousands of dollars on the graphics they put on them and hundreds of dollars more on the weight of the cards they use in this part of their marketing collateral portfolio. Aside from fancy graphics and card weight, all business cards work in exactly the same way; all indicate the name and contact information of the cardholder and the name and contact information of the company they work for.
The interesting thing about business cards is that most people outside of management don’t have them, nor do they understand how valuable a tool they can be, especially if they’re looking for a new job.
In an effort to be more proactive in your job search, or even if you’re just thinking about changing jobs or careers, take the time to go to your local office supply store and pick up some business cards. While most executive job search coaches will tell you that it’s absolutely critical that you get top-of-the-line models with slick graphics, lots of color, and raised printing, when it comes to looking for a new job, this isn’t always possible. It’s also unlikely that you’ll need 250 cards, which is usually the smallest number of cards you can order in a single batch.
All office supply stores have small packs of blank cards that you can use to create cards on your home computers. These cards come on standard letter-size paper, will fit in any type of home printer, and will give you ten cards per sheet.
Business cards are everywhere. They are highly portable and can be easily and discreetly passed from one person to another. These personal marketing collateral tokens are an ideal tool for job seekers.
Once you’ve convinced yourself that you’re missing out on a great opportunity to market your product or service, and before you take the initiative and exercise your creative side and go ahead and design some business cards for yourself, take some time to study how professionals do. Take a look at the wide range of business cards you already own. Before you go ahead and think about designing your own business cards, note the following:
o The amount of blank space on the card [Like résumés, lots of white space is good.]
o Font size and style [Is the font too small to read without magnification?]
o Portrait or landscape orientation [Use a landscape orientation for job searches – cards the have a portrait landscape will force people to fuss with it to get the information they need. In terms of a job search, it is one more annoyance that your future employer does not need.]
o Use of color and graphics. [Know that the use of colour will always increase the cost of the cards]
o One or both sides of the card used [For the purpose of job searches, use both sides! Put your contact information on one side and highlight your skill set on the other side. The “B” side of your business card should be used as a mini résumé]
Once you think you’ve created the card that represents you in a positive light, make up some mock cards and ask your friends for their opinion and input. Heed their suggestions and adjust your card images accordingly. The next step is to print some and start distributing them at every opportunity. TIP: Be frugal: Print some ‘test’ cards on plain paper. Then use this ‘template’ to line up your cards on the business card stock. TIP: Be generous: Give each contact two cards; one to keep, the other to give to a friend. You will be surprised where your cards will end up. Good luck!
© Salvino 20081004
