Ms. Career Girl

Top Menu

  • Home
  • Media
  • About
    • Terms of Use & Copyright Notice
    • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise
  • Contact
    • PR and FTC Disclosure
  • Subscribe

Main Menu

  • Home
  • Careers
    • Productivity
    • Career Confessions
    • #SideHustle
    • Job Search Advice
    • Resume Optimization Tool
    • Job Board
  • Lifestyle
    • Life After College
    • Health & Beauty
    • Style
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Product Reviews
  • Relationships
    • Dating
    • Marriage
    • Working Moms
  • Specials
    • Real Career Girls
    • Style Your Life
    • Book Club
    • Giveaways
  • Home
  • Media
  • About
    • Terms of Use & Copyright Notice
    • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise
  • Contact
    • PR and FTC Disclosure
  • Subscribe

logo

  • Home
  • Careers
    • Productivity
    • Career Confessions
    • #SideHustle
    • Job Search Advice
    • Resume Optimization Tool
    • Job Board
  • Lifestyle
    • Life After College
    • Health & Beauty
    • Style
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Product Reviews
  • Relationships
    • Dating
    • Marriage
    • Working Moms
  • Specials
    • Real Career Girls
    • Style Your Life
    • Book Club
    • Giveaways
#SideHustleCareer ConfessionsJob SearchWork
Home›Work›#SideHustle›Personal Business Cards for Personal Branding

Personal Business Cards for Personal Branding

By Aimee Guzman
Jun 28, 2010
21037
0
Share:

A few weeks ago I was invited to a fund raising event for a non-profit arts organization.  This was the perfect networking opportunity especially since I have been thinking about returning to the non-profit arts world.  As I was doing my hair and makeup I did a quick run-through in my head of the essential networking guidelines.

  • Be friendly and approachable
  • Have a good, strong handshake
  • Do research on the hosting company and key people
  • Business Cards

I was only missing one thing: business cards.

Business cards are like little souvenirs you get after meeting someone interesting.  Of course I have business cards from my job, but my current job has nothing to do with the arts or the non-profit world.  After all, you wouldn’t wear your workout shoes to a cocktail party (unless you are Mariah Carey and you exercise in stilettos).  Different outfits call for different shoes and the same goes for business.

Unless I was trying to start a business deal on behalf of my company, handing out those business cards at the event would not have made sense.  My work business cards would have also steered away the attention from myself as a potential non-profit arts leader in the making.  I did not want to introduce myself as a member of that company; I would rather introduce myself as someone who likes the theater, volunteers at museums and is eager to return to the non-profit world.  I also would not want to receive follow-up emails from people I networked with on my work email because they would not relate to my 9 to 5 job. I faced the same predicament when I recently attended a meeting for an organization called Emerging Arts Leaders. I showed up eager to meet young, hip, artsy soul-searches like myself but found myself empty-handed.

So to all you career girls, who have a 9 to 5 job that is not aligned with your career goals or are looking to make a career switch, or have a passion project outside of your 9 to 5, I suggest you have a set of personal business cards that represent who you are and not what the source of your paycheck is (if these two do not go hand-in-hand).

You may love your 9 to 5 job but as a Generation Y career girl you probably have other talents that you want to highlight.  For example, Nicole has a background in banking but she might also have a set of personal business cards that represent her as the founder of Ms. Career Girl.  You may also want to have a set of personal business cards if you were laid off and you are looking for employment.  Your business card can say your name and the degree you have if that degree is relevant to what you want your next job to be.  If you have a blog you might want to have a set of business cards that say your name, email, and your blog url.

Get creative and have memorable souvenirs that will contribute to your personal brand.

Note from Nicole: The picture here shows 3 different business cards I use.  The two green business cards are by Tiny Prints.  I couldn’t agree more with Aimee’s post!

Tagsbrandingbusiness cardsgen ymarketingnetworkingpersonal branding
Previous Article

Financial Institutions: Building Trust via Customer Service ...

Next Article

Why I Think You Should Meet Your ...

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0

Aimee Guzman

Aimée Guzmán recently graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara with a Bachelor of Arts in Dramatic Art and Queer Studies. Like a true flâneur she enjoys getting lost in big cities and prefers public transportation to driving. She is still soul searching but is getting close to deciding what she wants to be when she grows up.

Related articles More from author

  • Life After CollegeSelfWork

    Social Media Networking 101

    Nov 17, 2008
    By Ms. Career Girl
  • Work

    What’s Your Brand?

    Nov 21, 2008
    By Ms. Career Girl
  • Work

    Did Barack Obama’s Web 2.0 Campaign get him into the White House?

    Nov 22, 2008
    By Ms. Career Girl
  • Work

    Big Lies about your First Job

    Nov 24, 2008
    By Ms. Career Girl
  • Life After CollegeSelf

    Your Work is to Discover Your Work

    Dec 4, 2008
    By Ms. Career Girl
  • Career Confessions

    Jump Start Your Career by Becoming a Leader and Decision Maker

    Dec 8, 2008
    By Ms. Career Girl

  • Career ConfessionsLife After CollegeSelfWork

    A Tale of High Achieving Career Ladies

  • work in sales
    Life After CollegeSelfWork

    Why an entry level sales job is a great way to kickoff your career

  • Find a Career
    #SideHustleLife After CollegeSelfWork

    Get a Modern Day Career Path Dream Catcher

Subscribe

Job Search

As seen on

career advice blog badge oriel badge

Featured On

  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Resume Optimization Tool
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
© Copyright 2021 Ms Career Girl