Guest Post by Tammy Kabell, Founder and CEO of Career Resume Consulting
I (Tammy Kabell) hold a monthly networking meeting on the third Monday of every other month that you’re invited to, and I’m surprised at the number of people that attend that or any other job search networking meeting without having a job seeking business card.
So I’d like to take this opportunity to help you out with that…
A job searching business card is absolutely imperative to your networking efforts. Especially if your current business card (if you have one) is from a different industry or has a different job title than what you’re seeking.
Here are my recommendations of what goes on a job seeking business card:
Your professional headshot – studies have shown that business cards with pictures on them are much more likely to avoid the trash can than those without. I recommend a professional headshot, because if you’re looking for a mid to high level job, it’s important that you brand yourself professionally. You can get good pro headshots from places like The Picture People or Portrait Innovations (both chains/franchises) or another photo studio. They cost about $75, but it’s very well worth it. I would avoid in-store photo shops like WalMart and Target; I’ve just found their quality isn’t consistent, and they’re around $50, so for the extra $25, you can have a much better headshot. I recommend a light background and a dark suit or blouse. A professional headshot on the upper right or left corner of the card helps them to remember you after you meet.
Your contact information – at minimum, you need a cell phone number and an email address, but some people decide to put their home address as well. It’s your call.
Links to your LinkedIn page and an online resume – that way, every time you hand out your business card, you’re actually handing the person an electronic copy of your resume. You can create an online resume for free at www.visualcv.com.
Target Job Title – right underneath your name, you should have your target job title. This may be different from your current or most recent title, but it gives the recipient an idea of what type of job and at what level you are qualified (Like Outside Sales Representative vs. Director of Sales).
And on the back, I recommend either a bullet pointed list of your top 3-4 strengths, or a call to action, like, “If you’d like to be seen by the biggest customers in your industry, let’s have a conversation about what my experience and abilities can do for your top line revenue.”
And finally, I recommend buying them from Vistaprint.com. I haven’t found a local source that is cheaper, as long as you get premium card stock, color and glossy on the front and black & white and non-glossy on the back. Don’t pay for extra shipping – they’ll get delivered to you in about 5 business days using their cheapest shipping method.