Contact cards help with networking and job hunting during the holidays
Alumni soccer games and winter break are fast approaching and many people will be traveling home to visit classmates, family and friends in the coming months. If you are looking for work, these people are a source of referrals for job opportunities. You’ll want to have a contact card ready to share. This is not the time to write your information on a piece of paper and wait for it to be saved. A contact card is very similar to a business card. It shows that you are a professional and that you take promotion seriously. Listed below are the key items you’ll want to make sure are on your card.
Key elements of your contact card:
Name – Use your full name or the name you use on LinkedIn. Hiring managers will search for you online by name. Make sure you’re consistent with how you use your name online and keep it professional.
Grade (s) conferred – Right after your name, list the titles conferred, such as MD, JD, PhD, BS, AA, etc.
LinkedIn URL – This will let people know that they can get more information about you and your skills online. Put your LinkedIn URL on the line below your name. LinkedIn is a key job search tool.
Phone number – Do not use a work phone number. You want your card to be relevant after you leave the military or your current workplace. I recommend that you use your cell phone and not your home phone number. Your cell phone is always with you.
Physical address: Entering your physical address is optional.
Email address: You must have a professional email address. Don’t use an email from work or an email from school. You want an address that you have access to when you are no longer employed or attending college. Keep your email address professional-sounding and don’t use addresses like “hotchickatyahoo.com” or “[email protected]. Use an adult email provider. Don’t use Yahoo, Hotmail, or AOL. Update your email to Gmail. Or use a personalized email that you can get when you buy a domain name for a website or blog.
Leave the back of your contact card blank. Do not include your job title or your skills. You don’t want to limit your marketability by having a limited list of skills or job titles. There is no space to list everything.
Military affiliation is an optional item. I recommend having one card that shows you are a veteran and one that shows you are not. If you are networking with companies that are friendly to the military, then you would use the card that shows your military affiliation. Don’t put your rank on your business card. This can lead to someone stereotyping you or discriminating against you based on your rank and not looking at your current education or skill set.
Make sure your contact card is made from quality card stock. Do not try to print them on your home computer. Use a font that is professional and large enough to be read. I do not recommend putting an image on your card. Again, you don’t want to be discriminated against because you don’t have the ideal weight, or have a hair color or hairstyle that doesn’t resonate with the hiring manager.
When you attend football alumni meetings, Christmas parties, and work functions, don’t force your card on anyone. If the person asks if you have a card, you’re good to go. Also, when people ask you what you are doing, you can say that you are looking for work and ask them to inform anyone they know who may be hiring that you are looking. After leaving the event, you can follow up with that person by sending them a handwritten note and including a contact card or two.
The contact card is just a must have tool in your job search toolbox. It only takes a person a few seconds to see you and your contact card and form an opinion. Make sure it represents you in a positive way.