Published May 11 2009, 05:31 PM by Ross Taylor
The short answer is YES. But how, in an age of digital everything, can this small piece of cardstock hold so much power?
It travels from the designer, to the print shop, to your hands, and then into the hands of a prospective employer, a networking contact, peer, friend or other business relation.The most important part of a business card’s life is actually none of the above steps but rather what the recipient does with it. Do they keep it or trash it?
Many of us already have some form of a digital signature (often featured in our email correspondence), but we’re not so digitally entrenched as a society that we don’t occasionally step away from our computers. It is those face-to-face, in-person interactions where the business card becomes king.
It can ensure you’ll be remembered. When you’re in the midst of a job search, being memorable is invaluable and can be the difference between a call-back and no call at all.
A small 3″x4″ card — the beauty of it is that you have carte blanche! Design it however you like. Include as little or as much information as you like. Be bold. Be memorable. Be different.
Make this card a true tangible representation of you. The natural inclination is to highlight your contact information and be professional in design, but (as some of the options show below) if you can take that natural inclination and transform it into something undeniably you, why not?
I once received a bright red, fold-able business card presented in a small envelope. The business card itself was a mini adventure. It was from an event management company and, to this day, I have not forgotten them or the impression they made.
You should be looking to make the same impression. Amongst the hundreds of cards any notable person at a company may receive, what can you do to ensure that they keep yours and not trash it?
