In-person networking allows you to make initial contact with several professionals and create longer lasting impressions. It is your chance to market yourself and personally obtain knowledge about your intended field from the people you meet. Even if you are not intentionally networking in your everyday life you may still randomly meet people who will be a great resource for you. One of the greatest tools you can have with you at these moments is a business card. Against common belief, business cards have remained a lasting tradition that carry many benefits for job seekers.
Impression
Among the many things you can do to create a good impression, handing out your business card is one of them. Rather than scrambling for a pen and piece of paper or browsing through a phone to share your contact information, a business card will make you stand out as a person who is prepared and professional. Show yourself as someone who is serious about meeting and connecting with others by having your information ready and compiled in a presentable form.
Follow-Up
Current advanced software and apps may allow you to exchange information quickly, but it is not always an effective and available option. The people you meet may not have the sharing app or be comfortable with using technology. A business card is the simplest follow up tool to a meeting and does not require extra effort. You can maintain and continue the conversation as you share your business card.
Exchange
Networking is about making connections with people, therefore efficiently exchanging contact information should be the logical goal. Do not always wait for the other person to make the effort to reach out first. A business card not only makes giving out your information easier, but also helps you broach the subject of asking for the other person’s information. Offer your business card first and if the other person does not reciprocate, ask. Show continued interest in connecting with the person you just met.
Reminder
If nothing else, a business card is a visual representation that can help the people you meet remember your name and associate it with who you are. At an event or in the field where you may come across hundreds of people, you cannot depend on the other person to memorize your name and everything that happened. A business card can serve as a physical record that will make recollection after the meeting easier.
Marketability
A business card is an effective and direct marketing tool. Inexpensive, portable, easy to hand out and containing contact information; you can continuously market yourself to whomever you meet wherever you go. In addition, a business card is a physical article that can be shared. While the person you meet may not have a job opening available, you simply make yourself a more referable candidate by giving out a business card and information that can be passed along.
Business cards have proven that they are timeless. Always carry a few with you because you never know who you will meet. Market your image and your name with a creative and effective business card wherever you go.