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Business Cards - The Job
Hunter's Calling Card
By
Sue Campbell, 1st-Writer.com
The job hunting business card
highlights the skills and qualifications you possess for the types of jobs and
industries you're targeting. It provides personal contact information, and
omits current employer information. It's easy to carry, easy to use, and very
discreet. It's a great option when a particular situation would make the offer
of a resume inappropriate or inconvenient for the recipient, i.e.: social or
professional gatherings (see Job
Hunting for the Holidays), professional association meetings, career or job
fairs (to provide to additional contacts and/or as a supplement to the resume),
etc. 
If you have a
resume Web page,
your job hunting business card should provide the URL to that, too. This
provides easy access to your resume document by your recipient. Providing the
URL to a PDF file provides the additional benefit of printing capabilities.
If you are actively networking
(and you should be!), a job hunting business card can be provided to anyone who
has the potential to help you in your job search. Who does this include?
Just about everyone you know and meet.
Many job hunters will, smartly
(and discreetly), contact friends, associates or colleagues to inform them of
their job hunting status. Some will do this by submitting a letter of intent.
But what are these friends, associates or colleagues supposed to do with this
letter of intent? They certainly can't hand out copies of it to potential
contacts or employers. And a letter of intent will often fail to indicate the specifics of a
job hunter's skills and background, or the types of positions he or she is
targeting. This leaves the responsibility to your network to remember
what it is you have to offer, and what it is you're hoping to secure.
A job hunting business card, on
the other hand, provides all the information your network needs to initiate interest and open the door for future contact, with very
little requirement of your network. Obviously, this means that each person on
you network list should receive several of your job hunting business cards and
be encouraged to pass them out to potential employers or other contacts who can
assist you in your search.
 Your
job hunting business card should include the key criteria necessary to establish
you as a qualified candidate for the types of jobs you're targeting.
Your job hunting business card
isn't intended to replace
the resume document, but rather to provide a convenient capsule of information
that will impress a specific level of hiring value. Again, if you have a resume
Web page, or a resume or bio online, you can include information on how to
access these documents
(such as a URL) that will provide your recipient with convenient method for
obtaining more
detailed information.
The information in your job hunter's business card should include a
title (i.e.: Sue Campbell, Professional Resume Writer), and any
specific areas of expertise, including number of years experience and/or
relevant education and certifications. If you're reading ads for the types of
positions you're targeting (and noting their various criteria), then you should have a good sense of what
potential employers are hoping to secure. Use this information to your advantage
in your job hunting business card.
Your job hunting business card
should also include your contact information, but don't include your current
employer's phone number or your work-related e-mail address on the job hunting business card. If you need to, set up a free e-mail account (such
as Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.) for
your job search that can be accessed from your regular ISP. Check both your cell and home phones to make certain your
recorded greetings are professional.
Before you begin handing out your
newly polished job hunting business card, make sure you have all your other job
search documents in order, including: your resume, cover letter, reference list, etc.
and that your interview attire is prepared. You want to be ready for all the processes
and opportunities that will follow.
For example, I recently suggested
creating a job hunting business card to a client, but warned him, "Make sure
your resume and references are in order." He said, "I really just want to test
the waters." Six weeks later he contacted me again, saying that
he needed to get his resume updated "ASAP." A company had responded to his job
hunting business card and was requesting that he submit his resume, "Today,
if possible." This was a company for whom he really wanted to work.
Three days later he had his updated information and references in order, so that I could begin working on his documents. This delay did not leave the type of impression he
was after - even though he did get the job. (By the way, this client is aware
that I am using him as an example in this article, and told me, "Hey, if it will
help someone else avoid the four days of panic I went through, you can even use
my name. I won't, but thanks "Joe" J.)
Above all else: be prepared.
Should I Hire a Professional Resume
Writer? / 1st-Writer.com Services
See more articles on
job hunting.
Good luck in your job search!
Sue Campbell,
1st-Writer.com - over 15 years
experience helping clients achieve their career and business goals. Feel free to
e-mail me
with any questions you may have. I'll be glad to help! |
