Networking with people in your field is a great way to make connections with potential employers, merely it'south not very practical to hand out your resume to every person you come across.

College students should arm themselves with business cards to help market themselves even if they aren't employed, co-ordinate to career experts.

"Once you're in the professional globe, you sort of make the supposition that people have a bill of fare--if you want to play in that world, you have to have the tools," says Lindsey Pollak, career expert and author From College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You lot Join the Real World. "It may feel weird equally a student, simply nobody on the professional side will be surprised at all because nosotros just presume that anybody has a card."

Slideshow: Hottest Careers for College Graduates

Having a business bill of fare shows initiative and a sense of professionalism to potential employers and helps students establish a brand. Here's what career and business concern experts had to say about what to include:

What to Include

Contact information should exist the principal focus on college students' business cards and should include: name, phone number and electronic mail address .

"If you want, you can include 'NYU form of 2011', or you tin include what field you're in, such as 'marketing professional'," says Pollak.

Tony Conrad, founder of About.me, points out that if you have a URL that recruiters might be interested in (such every bit a professional person web log, or personal Web site) you tin include a QR code.

"The fact that y'all have [a QR code] and sympathize it and that you're using emerging technology, that shows that you lot're aggressive enough to seek out something new and implement it to your benefit," he says. "Information technology means they can contact you for your specific talents and start the conversation already knowing some of your background."

Quality Matters

The experts hold there is zip more undesirable than a flimsy business card with ink that smears. In that location are many deals that offer business concern cards for free or at a highly-discounted price, but cheap cards make students wait unprofessional.

"[They're] printed on less than great stock--it'due south non heavy newspaper and on the backside says, 'for gratuitous business cards, call us'. Everyone who gets your card and sees that you got your cards for free, information technology only doesn't leave a expert impression," says career motorcoach Dilip Saraf.

Presentable business concern cards don't have to price an arm and a leg. Pollak suggests checking out sites such as Vistaprint and DesignYourOwnCard.com, which offer quality business cards for cheap.

"There are so many options at present," she says. "Fifty-fifty for $10, you tin can get something meliorate than printing information technology yourself."

Creativity

Depending on the field (especially in graphic blueprint, architecture, art, etc.), experts encourage students to get creative with their cards.

Conrad advises students include an aesthetically-pleasing image that makes a argument rather than going for shock value.

"Well-shot photography and clean typography has been a winning strategy in advertising for more than a century," he says. "If yous think of yourself as a luxury brand, present yourself every bit a luxury brand."

A logo or a slogan tin make your menu more memorable and stand out in a sea of stale cards.

"It needs some idea, some trial and error, but it's worthwhile once y'all grab someone's attention with the unabridged blueprint," says Saraf.

But students don't have to become over the top to make a good impression. A simple design of black ink on white or cream menu stock is fine as well, says Pollak.

"You absolutely cannot go wrong with the basics," she says. "Only make certain the font is large plenty because people of all generations and eye qualities are going to read your bill of fare, so brand sure you have at least 12 point font."

Card Exchange Etiquette

When exchanging concern cards, students should be confident, but know the appropriate setting and time to conduct business.

"If they get your name and engage in a conversation and you see that the person is interested in you, don't just thrust your business organisation bill of fare in their hand," says Saraf. "Avoid the practice of casually handing out business cards, considering that makes a [negative] impression."

Saraf besides cautions confronting asking people with seniority for their carte, it may come up off as disrespectful. He says students tin either hand out their card to see if the person reciprocates, or wait until asked for a card.

Conrad advises students conduct the card commutation after meeting someone for the offset fourth dimension.

"It's a very personal kind of gesture and I think there's a lot of power in property information technology back and giving it towards the end of a discussion," he says.

Although a card is a smashing way for people to call back your initial meeting, you can't rely on it to practice all of the work. Pollak explains that you have to be memorable enough in person for your business carte to really stand out.

"If you're dreary and boring and unfocused and your carte du jour is fabled, information technology's not going to help," she says. "You have to be the all-time representative of yourself and your carte is simply your information."