Printed Business Cards

In this challenging job market people aren’t coming to your doorstep with jobs. You have to go out and meet the people who are hiring and impress them. Where do you meet these people? You can meet them through your existing contacts, including friends and family. Previous employers may refer you to someone. Another great way to meet the people with the power to shape your future is at networking events.

A great portion of the jobs that are filled aren’t even posted on the popular job websites. Many times, employers will reach out to a certain group of people and let them know they are hiring. These people might be contacted through listservs or networking events. What if you are present at one of these networking events? How do you prepare for this kind of situation?

You can’t bring your resume to a networking event. It is cumbersome for you, and the person you plan on handing it too. It can also come off as being desperate. You want to appear confident and relaxed.

If you want to come off as professional and confident potential employee, bring several business cards with you instead. At the end of your conversations, ask for the person’s business card and hand the person your card as well. If you really want to impress them, write down something personal about them on the back of their card. This way you can bring it up in your follow-up email. People are impressed when you remember specifics from a conversation.

Filed under: Business Card Help on September 21st, 2009