Understanding the Concept of Resume on Cardstock

As we stride forward in the digital age, the concept of traditional resumes is swiftly evolving. One of these innovative changes is the advent of resume on cardstock. Essentially, this format enables professionals to concisely showcase their skills, experiences, and qualifications in a tangible, pocket-sized format, also known as a resume card or business card resume.

The Rise of Resume Business Cards

Resume business cards have become a new frontier for professionals, especially for networking purposes. These are not your typical business cards. While they still display basic contact information, these cards now encapsulate the bearer’s professional profile, providing a snapshot of their career highlights.

This concept resonates with our fast-paced world, where brevity and conciseness are highly appreciated, making a resume business card an ideal tool for making meaningful professional connections.

The Utility of CV Business Cards

So, why have CV business cards gained popularity in recent years? The answer lies in their ability to bridge the gap between a conventional business card and a detailed resume.

A CV business card allows for a brief presentation of one’s skills and accomplishments, making it a powerful tool for networking events, job fairs, or casual meetings. It effectively communicates your value proposition to potential employers or business partners, creating an impactful first impression.

Incorporating Resume Business Card Templates

To design an eye-catching and professional resume business card, you can utilize various resume business card templates available online. These templates cater to diverse professional fields and design aesthetics, offering a wealth of options to suit your specific needs.

The key is to balance between professional allure and crucial information, ensuring that your card delivers a snapshot of your professional identity.

What is a Resume Card?

A resume card, often printed on quality cardstock, is a fresh take on the conventional resume. Instead of pages of detailed information, a resume card highlights the most significant aspects of your professional profile, all on a conveniently sized card. This strategy makes it an effective personal branding tool, ensuring you leave a memorable mark on potential employers or collaborators.

Mastering the Art of Business Card Resume

A business card resume should not just be a condensed version of your CV. The art lies in carefully selecting and presenting your skills, experiences, and qualifications that align with your professional goals. It’s about creating a succinct, yet comprehensive professional story that convinces others of your abilities and potential.

Including White Card on Resume

The term “white card” generally refers to a construction induction card, proving the bearer has been trained in safety measures for construction work. Including this white card on your resume or business card resume can be an effective strategy if you’re in a related field. It adds a layer of credibility, showing potential employers that you are trained and aware of industry-standard safety procedures.

Conclusion: Embracing the Future of Professional Networking

The world of professional networking is transforming, and tools like the resume on cardstock are at the forefront of this change. By strategically utilizing resume business cards, CV business cards, and resume card templates, you can leave a lasting impression and set yourself apart in the competitive professional arena. Don’t forget to add a touch of personalization, tailoring each card to align with your career goals and the professional image you want to portray.

Check out other articles by best-selling authors:

Dawn Rasmussen – Top Five Questions About Resumes Answered

Sunny Lurie – Eight Proven Strategies to Open the Door to a Vibrant New Career

Stacia Pierce – How to Search for a Job During the Holidays

Dawn Quesnel- Helpful Hints for Job Seekers

Stacia Pierce – Conceit vs. Confidence

Passing out your business cards as if they’re flyers will ensure that they will be thrown away as if they’re flyers. Only pass out cards to those with whom you have had a meaningful conversation, and wait until the end of the exchange.

Even though professional etiquette dictates that it’s inappropriate to request a card from someone in a much higher status or position than your own, we say you often have to step out of the comfort zone. If the mood is right feel free to ask, and couch it by saying that you’ll treat the information respectfully. Be clear that you will not share their contact information, nor will you bombard them with calls and emails. If you aren’t able to get a card, remember their name and company until you have a chance to write it down. The following day, call the company directory for the person’s title, direct line, or email address.

For those who are not of a higher rank or status, be brave enough to offer your card first. You brought these cards for a reason, so use them. Have a pen and paper ready so you can jot down your new contact’s information if they don’t have cards with them.

• Buy a nice card case, which keeps your cards clean, easy to access, and free of crumples and folds.
• Don’t use cards from your previous positions, and don’t cross through old information with a pen.
• When someone hands you a card, take a moment to read it. It’s rude to put it away without looking at it. Write down any special instructions on the back and store it somewhere safe.
• Do not store others’ cards in the same cardholder as your own. You risk giving out valuable contact’s cards to others by mistake. Not only do you lose an important card, you look unprofessional and disorganized. Another drawback is you may think you have more of your own cards than you really do. The cardholder may seem full, but in reality it may only be full of everyone else’s cards.
• Refill your case before all events to ensure you never run out.
• Take any card offered to you. It never pays to be rude when networking.

In this section:

• Ready, Set, Network!
• Passing Out the Cards
• What are you Going to Say?
• Make Your Way Around
• Memorization is Key
• It Doesn’t Stop There

Ready, Set, Network!

Mark your calendar. Seek out professional organizations that relate to your interests. Check out seminars sponsored by places like the local YWCA. Listen in on a book-reading at Barnes & Noble, Borders or a small bookseller in your area. Pay attention to campus happenings such as guest speaker engagements. The more you’re able to meet like-minded people, the more your chances of finding the lead you’re looking for increase.

Check event listings daily. Every local newspaper, many magazines, and lots of Web sites provide event listings. Make a point to check these lists often so you don’t miss out on any networking opportunities. Look for events featuring speakers in your field, general business functions, new business launch parties or anything else that interests you.

Make notes. As you collect business cards at various events, jot down notes on the back of each card to remind you of the person you’ve met and where you met them. When you arrive home from each event, review the cards and decide what your follow-up strategy will be. Who seemed to have good ideas for your search? Who offered to help you further? Who did you speak with at length? Having notes on the back of each card will help you make personal connections when you follow up with each person you met.

Passing Out the Cards

Passing out your business cards as if they’re flyers will ensure that they will be thrown away as if they’re flyers. Only pass out cards to those with whom you’ve had a meaningful conversation, and wait until the end of the exchange to give your card.This technique ensures that your card is a powerful networking tool, one that allows people to contact you in the future when they can help out your job search.

Even though professional etiquette dictates that it’s inappropriate to request a card from someone in a much higher status or position than your own, we say you often have to step out of the comfort zone to get ahead. If the mood is right feel free to ask, and couch it by saying that you’ll treat the information respectfully. Be clear that you will not share their contact information, nor will you bombard them with calls and emails. If you aren’t able to get a card, remember their name and company until you have a chance to write it down. The following day, call the company directory for the person’s title, direct line, or email address.

When networking with those who are not of a higher rank or status than yourself, be brave enough to offer your card first. You brought these cards for a reason, so use them. Have a pen and paper ready so you can jot down your new contact’s information if they don’t have cards with them.

Here are some additional strategies for using business cards as an effective networking tool:

• Buy a nice card case, which keeps your cards clean, easy to access, and free of crumples and folds.
• Don’t use cards from your previous positions, and don’t cross through old information with a pen. Always replace outdated cards with new ones!
• When someone hands you a card, take a moment to read it. It’s rude to put it away without looking at it. Write down any special instructions on the back and store it somewhere safe.
• Do not store others’ cards in the same cardholder as your own. You risk giving out valuable contacts’ cards instead of your own by mistake. Not only do you lose an important card, you look unprofessional and disorganized. Another drawback is you may think you have more of your own cards than you really do. The cardholder may seem full, but in reality it may only be full of everyone else’s cards.
• Refill your case before all events to ensure you never run out.
• Take any card offered to you. It never pays to be rude when networking.

What are you Going to Say?

Your résumé is ready, printed and waiting. You’re stocked with business cards. Your clothes, hair, and accessories would make Donna Karan proud. Now you need the live version of you to live up to all of your preparation. Your sales pitch is the ammunition you need to make the most of any networking opportunity.

You make a great contact at a function, you call a job prospect on the phone, or you meet a recruiter at a career fair…you need to get them interested in you – fast! In these situations you have about 30 seconds to sell yourself. If you can’t, they’ll move on. This little pitch says a whole lot about you. You’re giving someone a nutshell version of who you are and what you offer. The goal is to develop style and substance that will pique their interest enough to inspire further conversation.

Similarly, a poor pathetic pitch – one that’s delivered in a boring monotone manner and lacking any clear message – will surely result in a dead end. Not too many people will go the extra mile to draw out information about you if you aren’t willing or able to do your part.

Think of your pitch as a radio or television commercial that’s all about you. You are the product. What makes you remember a great commercial? It’s short and snappy. It makes its point quickly and cleverly and enables you to remember the product name. According to public-speaking authorities, you have 30 seconds to make your point, before your audience loses concentration. No matter how good or how interesting your pitch, 30 seconds is your limit. So sell, sell, sell! Go for it and make it work for you!

The 30-Second Solid Sell

This is an introduction to who you are and what you are looking for. Choose your words carefully – this is no time to wing it. How you represent yourself will determine if you get any further with this contact. Be short and concise, but add a specific instance to grab attention. For example, if you’ve got a chance to impress a recruiter at a career fair, this is an ideal 30-second opener:

“Hi, my name is Samantha Ward. I’m a computer science major with an art minor, and I’m really excited about combining these two interests. I’ve developed an interactive educational program to teach children how to draw. I’d love the chance to explore entry-level job opportunities with dynamic, creative software companies in the Houston area.”

If you’re at a networking event looking to make new connections, you might try something along these lines:

“I’m Lori Jones and I’m an electrical engineer with extensive experience in the aerospace industry. I’ve worked for Lockheed Martin for almost 15 years, but I’m relocating to New York City to be closer to my family. I’m exploring new arenas in which to apply my vast knowledge and capabilities.”

Once you’ve got an idea of what you want to say, get out a timer or use the second hand on your watch. Tape or record your pitch to make sure you like how it sounds or practice in front of the mirror or a video camera. Keep your chin up, smile bright and shoulders back. Dahling, you look mahvelous!

The 3-Minute Sell

Of course the goal of the 30-second spiel is to lead into a longer conversation once you’ve hooked your contact. You need to be prepared with additional, specific details about your experience and goals to keep the conversation flowing. Keep in mind the principles of the 30-second sales pitch, even in longer conversations: be concise and sell, sell, sell! Remember, this is the live, MTV-Unplugged version of the résumé you’ve worked so hard to perfect.

For your longer sales pitch, be able to identify three solid accomplishments, regardless of your career stage. Some good examples include: an extraordinary college project, a prestigious internship, supporting yourself through college, saving company money, increasing sales, launching a new division, or developing successful strategies for your employer. These are awesome coups that require practice to discuss with polish and poise.

Remember the Rule of Seven: Sales and marketing executives know that it’s rare to close a deal on the first try. The general rule is that the average prospect needs to be exposed to your sales message at least seven times before becoming a motivated buyer. Does this mean that you’ll get a job if you call a recruiter seven times? Not exactly. But it does mean that persistence pays. So remember to follow up with all job opportunities because it is likely you will not be offered a position on your first try…or your second…or your third. But ultimately persistence really does pay off.

Make Your Way Around

To join in a group conversation, walk up, listen for a few moments, and make a comment that does not change the subject.

If the person you’d like to meet is in the middle of a conversation, don’t interrupt. You’ll have a chance to speak with that person later. Once you do have their undivided attention, be cordial. No one wants to be bulldozed into giving you a job or business. If you make a hard sales pitch at a networking event where the mood is light and social, you will be perceived as needy, pushy, inexperienced, and worst of all, desperate.

At a networking event, it’s quite possible that someone will ask you, “So, what do you do?” Prepare an answer so this question doesn’t catch you off guard. More than likely, however, it will be up to you to bring up the fact that you’re searching for a job. It’s actually quite easy to broach the subject. Simply ask someone what he or she does, and often they’ll return the question and ask what you do. This is your chance to announce that you’re looking for a “new challenge”.

Politely say you’d appreciate it if they could send any contacts or potential leads your way. If they agree, exchange cards or contact information and secure a time to follow up. After you’ve handed over your card, leave the topic of job-searching. Discussing other topics will help you build a relationship with this individual and allow you to make a lasting good impression. In general, a networking conversation should last only ten minutes. You want to meet as many contacts as possible, so don’t monopolize someone’s time, and don’t allow yourself to be monopolized.

Avoid alcohol consumption. Getting tipsy is unprofessional, and you lose control of what you say and do. Be aware of your eating and drinking etiquette. Don’t stuff yourself before you go, but don’t arrive at an event famished either. Clean up after yourself, but don’t clear your own plate at a formal dinner event unless appropriate.

Don’t be the last person to leave an event, unless you’re staying to help the host clean up. Take your cue from other guests. Make sure you have talked to everyone you intended to before you leave, and say goodbye to the host, any close friends, and contacts you want to keep in touch with.

Memorization is Key

There’s no better way to convey that someone is important to you than remembering his or her name. Yet, particularly in a job search, when you’re making lots of contacts, your brain may need to work overtime to remember everyone you meet. A few time-tested tricks can help.

Always repeat the name as you’re introduced. When someone introduces herself to you, your appropriate response should be: “Hi Lara Hall. I’m Anita Smith, and it’s nice to meet you.” Try to say the first name a few more times in a conversation, and definitely repeat it as you’re wrapping up. If it’s a difficult name, don’t be shy about asking how to spell it or even about its origin.

Association is a key tool in memorization. Do you know someone else with the same name as a person you just met? Is there a characteristic of the person you can identify with their name? Some examples include short Sally, long-haired Harriet, or Jane who drinks a lot of juice. Try to form a picture in your mind of the person, a defining trait (gorgeous gray hair, dazzling green eyes, or long, lovely nails) and envision their name over the image

It Doesn’t Stop There

So you made some great new contacts at last night’s networking party. Follow up, already! If you want to receive calls or emails, then you have to send some.

Secure follow-up instructions right away. When you first meet a contact or apply for a position, mention when you will contact them next. Write in your cover letter when you will call to check-in. Tell people you have just met when they can expect to hear from you. Ask interviewers when you can reach them.

Take any leads a networking contact gives you. Say your friend gives you a lead for a job you’re overqualified for that doesn’t pay enough. Call the job lead anyway. Your friend might find out if you didn’t and think you don’t appreciate her help. She may think you’re not taking her leads seriously, or that you are no longer job searching, which could result in her not giving you leads anymore. Just because you aren’t impressed with one job lead doesn’t mean you won’t be impressed with the next. Make sure you get the next one.

Contact anyone who serves as a reference for you. Whether you are offered the position or not, if you want to use them as a reference again you need to keep them informed of your job search status.

Follow through. Take action and follow through on all suggestions offered by contacts. Keep in touch and offer updates on how they have helped you.

Respond quickly, the sooner the better. If someone emails or calls, respond to the message the same day you receive it. When you meet someone new, call the next day. If you went to an interview, send a thank-you letter within 24 hours, and include instructions as to when you will follow up on the phone.

In this Section:

• Specifics to Get You Started
• Beyond the Basics
• Employee Referrals

Specifics to Get You Started

The aim of networking is to develop and maintain relationships – something women are naturally good at in their personal lives but not so great at when it comes to their careers. Think of networking as sharing: time, information, resources and opportunities. It can be as simple as just talking to everyone you know.

Networking is crucial throughout your career, but at this moment, you’re networking with a purpose: to find job opportunities. Your goal is to spin a huge web of contacts who will lead you to the person who will offer you a great new job. The larger your web, the more prospects you’ll have. The following tips and ideas will help you network like a pro, but it’s up to you to take action.

Keep a Rolodex. It’s crucial to keep track of everyone you contact. We love the old-fashioned fun of flipping through a Rolodex, but you may prefer the convenience of a Palm Pilot. An inexpensive notebook, address book, or box of index cards is just as effective too. Save all the business cards you receive during your networking activities and make cards for prospective contacts. Mark down the date of each interaction with each person: meetings, phone calls, and résumé mailings. Record who refers you to whom and how you followed up. Regularly flip through these contact cards or notebook pages to make sure no contact falls through the cracks.

Start close to home. The question is: who do you know? And the answer is: more people than you think! And those people know countless other people. So get the word out – seize every opportunity to publicize your job search. Shout it from the rooftops! Begin asking for assistance with the right attitude. You are in business to get a job. Tell your clergy, clubs, professional organization members, volunteer contacts, merchants, civic leaders, neighbors, and anyone and everyone they know as well. Don’t leave out your classmates, former classmates, school alumni, teachers, professors, coaches, and anyone who was ever on your team or in your class. Co-workers, former co-workers, bosses and friends’ bosses count, too. Be specific! Instead of just asking them “who’s hiring,” let them know the type of position you’re looking for.

Get your hair cut and your teeth cleaned. Mention what you’re interested in to everyone: your personal trainer, the babysitter, the butcher, the baker…you get the idea. You never know who might know someone who knows someone who knows someone. Hairdressers and dentists tend to know everyone, so tap them for leads.

Be a good listener. Even if you’re not great at small talk, it’s easy to be a good listener. Everyone loves to talk about him- or herself, and other people’s experiences are a great way to learn about a career or a company, as well as potential job openings. Just ask a few key questions:

• “What do you do?”
• “Where are you working?”
• “How’d you get started in that line of work?”

Then sit back and soak up the information. A random encounter at a coffee shop or on a subway may spark a new job or industry idea in your head.

Find a reason to call. We know it’s uncomfortable to call someone out of the blue to say “hello”, especially when what you really want to do is scream, “Can’t you find me a friggin’ job?” Find articles or news programs that you might recommend to your key contacts. “I saw this article and thought of you” shows people that you are up on your current events and that your professional life is at the top of their mind. This tactic is sure to impress! If you can’t come up with something quite as clever, invite your contact for afternoon tea or an evening cocktail at the newest spot in town. It’s less expensive than a whole meal, and that drink could lead to great connections. Instead of asking for a job, start by offering your contact the opportunity to share their career advice and individual stories.

Use your alumni association. College alumni are an often-untapped resource, which is a shame since they can be some of your best connections for career networking. Aside from maintaining a vast network of contacts, many of whom are ready to help fellow graduates, career service offices also offer a range of services. These include résumé critiques, career assessment instruments, seminars, career days, employer information sessions, alumni networking clubs, and access to online job listings. Most schools around the country provide reciprocity for their alumni at other schools. If you attended a small college and you’ve found that none of the alumni connections are relevant, ask your alma mater to write a letter on your behalf seeking services at other career centers around the country. Such arrangements allow you to tap into that network and make use of their resources. Similarly, when approaching alumni for assistance with your search, be prepared to share the latest campus news and excitement. This often provokes a sense of nostalgia and triggers memories from their time on campus. That connection can strengthen their desire to assist your efforts. It is also an opportunity for them to learn what kind of career opportunities new graduates are currently pursuing.

Build your Board of Directors. Success is not just about what you know, it’s who you know…and how you keep it all organized. Make sure you begin building a personal dream team or your very own Board of Directors, those people whose helping hands will boost you to the top of the career ladder. From people with a heart of gold to those with a pot of gold, the ideas is to create a prize-winning database of individuals who know your name and take your calls.

Support network. Oprah has Gayle – her best friend and sidekick – who she knows will always tell it to her straight. In addition to shopping, gossiping and doing other activities, they’re also able to love, laugh, and cry together. They know each other’s secrets, strengths, and foibles – and they adore each other, on good and bad days.

It’s rare for any of us to thrive on our own. We don’t need just need intimate partners or romance, we also need a solid support system to aid us in our personal and professional pursuits. The most successful women have indentified and developed such circles to aid their success. Regardless of your income level or field, it’s important to have best friend, mentor and role model. Sometimes it’s one person who fills all three roles; for other women it’s many.

Do your homework. Before getting in touch with your new or old contact, research his or her company thoroughly. Familiarize yourself with the organization’s structure, products and services, and competitors, as well as how this person’s job fits into the organization. Go beyond reading the website. Read trade journals and other industry magazines.

Prepare for an informational interview. You’ve convinced someone to give you their valuable time. Don’t squander it. Be prepared, professional, polite, and to the point. Create a list of questions to ask them based on your individual goals and the knowledge you have gained through your research. Among those potential questions are:

• Why does this type of work interest you, and how did you get started?
• Why did you choose to join your current company?
• What do you find most satisfying in your work?
• What are the major frustrations in your job?
• What pitfalls should I be sure to avoid?
• If you had to start over, would you pick this role again? Would you pick this company again?
• What are the top skills someone must possess to be successful in this line of work?
• What’s the best career advice you ever received?
• What advice would you give to someone starting out in or looking to break into this field?
• What professional organizations do you consider most beneficial for career development?
• What is the current hiring outlook for your organization? How does that differ from the hiring outlook in the industry as a whole?
• Would you be willing to review my résumé and provide feedback?
• What specific steps should I take to advance my career?
• When would be a good time to follow up with you to stay in touch

Asking questions like these ensures that you will help this contact feel confident that they have valuable knowledge to impart and that you will learn much from this networking opportunity.

Beyond the Basics

Getting ahead in your career is not just about contacts, it’s about relationships. And one way to solidify relationships is with consideration. Remember, it’s often the little things that count such as cards, gifts, a phone call, or an interesting article clipped from the newspaper. Here are some inexpensive ways to keep yourself in the minds of your professional contacts.

Meet for drinks and appetizers. This is an easy way to say hello and spend a few minutes with a casual contact. If there’s someone she knows who you want to know too, ask her to bring that person along too, and remind them that you’re treating so there’s no arguing or confusion. Tell your contact why you want her to bring someone else along, of course. Nobody likes to feel like they’re being used without their permission.

Make a sports date. This is a classic stay in touch ploy in the world of men. It’s time we adopted it too. There are so many avenues to pursue:golf, tennis, jogging, walking, Yoga, a Pilates class, aerobics or kickboxing, for instance. You’ll be doing your heart a favor as you work on your networking too!

Have a networking party. This is like a Tupperware party, but you’re selling yourself, not plastics. Invite a group of contacts you think would be congenial with each other for brunch or wine and cheese. There’s no need to do any kind of presentation, because you’re just inviting folks to get together socially. Your hostess skills and your enthusiasm will leave them with a positive impression without the stiffness of a formal presentation.

Make this gathering a tradition. Make your get-togethers so great that people will be clamoring to get in. Remember reading about the Grand Salon in Paris? In 1750, it was THE place to be seen. But not only was it fashionable to visit the salon and view beautiful artwork, it was political too. There’s great prestige in rubbing elbows with influential types…and that goes for today as well as 18th century France.

Get in for free. Call your local Chamber of Commerce and other major business organizations in your city to get a calendar of events where you might make good contacts. Volunteer to help prepare, set up, clean up, or perform any other service that will get you into the event at no charge. Women For Hire’s favorite trick is to volunteer to work at the check-in desk where the nametags are displayed. This way you’ll be able to meet and greet every attendee, then schmooze with them later when you’re off duty.

Use the power of technology. Design a website about yourself and promote it to everyone in your address book. One woman we know got a job by writing a very clever email about herself and sending it to everyone on her address list. She requested her email buddies to forward her information to five friends. She received two job offers within three weeks.

Get published. Promote yourself as an expert to association newsletters, local newspapers, community Web sites and other publications. Most smaller publications are eager for good content and happy to consider a well-written article or even a short tidbit. Getting published means getting your name out in public (in front of eyes who may be hiring), and a published article is always a good résumé item or notable achievement to mention in an interview. If you’ve designed your own Web site, be sure to link your articles to it.

Reach out and touch someone important. Next time you see a newspaper or magazine article about a successful woman in your industry, write her a note of congratulations and ask if she has any advice to offer a peer in her field. Most women will be flattered that you read about them and happy to share some nuggets of wisdom. Why not ask to interview the most admired woman in your field? Consider writing an article about her for an association newsletter. If your article is published, the featured woman will not only read the article, she’ll share it with her friends and colleagues.

Learn your rights. If your spouse was relocated, check with his or her company to see if spousal support is offered for job placement. Many human resource offices offer career assistance helping a spouse find a job.

Employee Referrals

One great way to avoid not feeling guilty about bugging your friends and family to help you find work is to check into their company’s employee referral program. Find someone inside your ideal company to email the human resource department on your behalf with a strong referral. If a current employee writes to their human resource contact saying, “Here’s someone my neighbor went to college with. I’ve talked to her and she sounds very intelligent. I’d like to forward her résumé,” that contact is much more likely to take a look at an unsolicited résumé than if your resume came in with the ordinary mail.

Why do internal referrals work? Companies want to maintain good relations with current employees. Even if your résumé doesn’t look perfect, the human resource department may touch base with you simply out of courtesy. Then it’s up to you to impress a hiring manager with your strong interpersonal skills. It helps if your recommendation to human resource came from a senior-level employee, but even an assistant’s referral will get positive attention.

Many large companies offer financial incentives for referrals that lead to successful hires. But even if the employee doesn’t end up with money through their firm’s employee referral program, the real motivation is helping a friend or contact get a foot in the door! Remember, networking goes both ways. Your recommender may need your referral too someday soon.