Personal Networking Cards 101

Almost everyone is familiar with business cards; small cards that you hand out to people to promote a service or product your business provides. What if you are a college student who doesn't have a business, or even a full time job? Can you still use such cards?

The answer is yes, and all is not lost if you are a student or work part time. In this case, they are referred to as personal networking cards, and can be a valuable tool in networking and job hunting if you keep a few key pieces of advice in mind. Note that advice is gleaned from various business card/personal networking card websites, and my recent experience.

Part 1: Creating the Personal Networking Card

-Keep it professional. It can be tempting to print cards on your computer, or to put wild and creative designs on them to stand out. However, cards printed on your home printer are more liable to tear, and sometimes don't look quite as nice as those professionally done. If you can afford to go to a printer, it's worth it. One local company I recommend is Quick Printing; they were very helpful, and the products looked great.

In regards to the wild designs, this might be fine if you are an artist or going into a similar field such as graphic design or fashion. If you are going into a more conservative environment such as a law firm, however, stick with something classic. I had a white card with my information in black, framed by a blue border. I wondered if it would look too plain, but someone commented that it looked very sharp, and that little bit of color in the border brought attention to the text (which is the important thing). A simple design would also be fine.

Finally, make sure that any slogans or e-mail addresses are professional. My surfgirlusa_2006 address might be great for friends or when I sign up for e-mail lists and newsletters, but isn't well suited for job applications if I want to be taken seriously. Your last name or a combination of first and last name is best (aka: stefaniehosford@........)

-Include the important things. For a recent college graduate, this would include essential information such as name, e-mail, home and cell phone, and possibly address. I realize some people are uncomfortable with the idea of having an address on networking cards, so that is up to the individual. In addition, recent college graduates searching for a job may wish to include their degree and a career objective. A career objective is similar to the oft maligned objectives that used to be prevalent on resumes. These are useful on networking cards, however, because they provide a succinct description of what you're looking for in terms of a career. It is possible to network successfully with someone, only to have them throw away or forget about your card later, since they don't remember much about you. The objective makes you more memorable, and others are more liable to keep you in mind when they hear about various job opportunities, networking events, etc. For seasoned job seekers, a mini resume with three or four key accomplishments would take the place of the objective.

-Practice proper business card/networking card etiquette at events. This will be the subject of a later post.

If anyone has created business or networking cards and would like to share how they designed them or what information they included, I'd love to hear about it!

I'm Back!

As you may have been able to tell, I had a rather busy year and failed to continue my weekly posts. Therefore, I am resurrecting this blog, in the hope that I can provide useful information to those interested in non-profit work, volunteering, or simply finding a job.

A brief update on my current status: I was accepted into the Master of Public Administration program at GVSU (I received my letter December 24th, which was a nice Christmas present), and I graduated with my undergraduate degree on May 1st, 2010. Currently, I am continuing to work part time substitute teaching, and from late June through early August I will be working at a summer camp for children and adults with special needs. At the same time, I am exploring internships and entry level nonprofit jobs. If I obtain one or the other, I shall be sure to update. Starting at the end of August, I will also share information I've learned in my public administration classes, in hopes that some of it will be useful to others.