You’re out of work, pounding the pavement, applying for jobs on line and attending every job fair under the sun. It’s depressing especially when 2,000 people are all competing for that same opening. Somehow, some way, you have to set yourself apart. Here’s something you can try—something that doesn’t cost a lot of money. A business card.

How to Create a Business Card

The ingredients you need to create a business card:

Business Card Stock Paper: You can buy clean and professional looking stock paper at office supplies stores and even general stores like Target and Wal-Mart.

Computer and Printer: If you don’t own your own, you can borrow somebody else’s.

Template: You can download business card templates for free from Microsoft Office templates for whatever version of Office you use. Some of varieties of business card stock indicate that the stock is Avery compatible and provide the Avery number. But  most templates nowadays work with standard business card stock.

What to Put on Your Business Card

The design of the business card is a chance to express your personality and brand. But don’t overdo it. You also need to put the right information on the card. Business cards are not resumes. The information must be limited and still pass along your brand. List:

Your Name: This goes without saying.

Your Profession: I advise describing yourself as a “Professional” in your designated field, e.g., “Safety Professional” or “Risk Management Professional.”

Your Address: Street, town, state, zip code. You know the drill.

Phone/Fax/Email: If you list your home phone number, be sure to answer your phone in a professional manner each time you pick up.  If you don’t have a fax number, you can get a free on line fax number from the internet. Also list an email. If possible, establish an email address used solely for job hunting. Free email addresses are available from Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail etc. The email address should be simple and professional; or it might simply list your first and last name.

Website Address: List the address of your personal website, if you have one. That website should be a professional one, not a personal site on a social network like Face Book or My Space.

How to Deliver Your Business Card

The way you deliver your business card can be as significant as how it’s prepared. Here are some pointers.

DON’T attach the business card to your resume.

DO deliver the business card personally, if possible. Resumes tend to land in the circular file, especially when they’re received in batches of hundreds. So if your card is attached to the resume, it won’t get seen.

DON’T just run up to the recruiter or employer, hand them a card and walk off.

DO make the effort to get a minute or two of face time. When you meet somebody at a job fair, hand the person a resume but not a card. As you’re leaving, turn around and present your business card and politely ask the person for their card. This little dance, which I call the “corporate handshake,” kills two birds with one stone: It enables you to get the person’s contact information so you can follow up with a thank you note and, 9 times out of 10, it gets the person to stick your card in his pocket.

DO follow up with a thank you note. As both Glenn and Lauryn stated in their articles, the thank you note is a very important part of job seeking in today’s market. And enclose your business card in your thank you note.

Conclusion

Being the most talented person in your profession isn’t always enough to get a job, especially in today’s market. You need to market yourself and get recruiters to remember you. Creating and using the business card effectively can help you achieve the goal of standing out from the rest.

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