“Upon receiving the business card, one is expected to read the card over, noting name and rank, then thank the presenter saying "choudai-itashimasu", and bow. A received business card should not be written on or placed in a pocket; it is considered proper to file the business card at the rear of your leather case.” – Japanese Business Card EtiquetteIn Japan, a Business Card is a very serious thing. You do not stuff the card into your pocket like a used Kleenex; this is considered extremely rude. You do not bend or fondle the business card in front of its owner; this is considered a direct insult. You do not write on it. You do not fling it like a ninja star, you do not put it in spokes of a bike, and you do not toss it into a fishbowl for a chance at a free lunch at TGI Fridays.
But a lot of you laid off and unemployed out there have piles or boxes of your business cards from an old job. Or from several old jobs. Or from companies that no longer exist. If they’re just taking up space, I highly suggest you recycle them. While you’re not working, you can at least do something nice for the planet. But let’s look at the purpose of a business card for a moment.It’s “shared during formal introductions as a convenience and a memory aid”, according to Wikipedia (the expert on everything). Whether at a business meeting or at a function or on the street, it’s a way of introducing yourself and giving someone your contact info. Here’s my name and number so when you need to find me, you know where to look. Pretty simple. In Japan, as opposed to America, it’s used as a personal introduction as much as a business one. People have business cards that are more like personal cards. And there’s no reason why we can’t do that here, especially if you are unemployed and looking for work.
I was at my previously-mentioned local coffee hole one day not too long after I got laid off. I noticed a gentleman wearing a Kansas State University t-shirt here in the City of Brotherly Love, and as a former resident of the Sunflower State, I wanted to know his connection to the university in my former home.
I chatted him up for a while and he mentioned growing up in Kansas, but now he lived here and coincidentally worked at a company at which I had great interest in working (this kind of serendipity happens more often than one would think). I wanted to give him my info in case he heard about a job opening there, but I had nothing to give him. He tore a page out of the newspaper he was reading and I scribbled down my name, phone number, and email address. I never heard back from him. The most likely scenario is that no job ever came up and the guy never really intended on keeping my info for posterity. But my handwriting is notoriously bad, so in my paranoid mind, he went to work, found a perfect job for me, but couldn’t make out my chicken scratch. World: 1, me: 0. Serendipity fail.The next day I decided I needed a ‘business’ card for just such a situation. I searched online and was pleased to find that there are a lot of services out there offering cards in minimal amounts for a reasonable price. There were tons of options, and some really nice styles. I got a set with my name and contact info and my LinkedIn page listed on it. I highly suggest putting a website on there, whether it be a personal business one, your LinkedIn page, an online portfolio, or whathaveyou. Just make sure it’s viewable for business purposes (i.e.: not your Facebook page if you have pix of you at some debaucherous Flyers party
or from that lost night in Manayunk). I’ve mentioned before my love of the résumé-and-portfolio website that I use. This is excellent in conjunction with a business card. And make sure your email address is professional as well. People don’t think you’re professional if your email address is LoveyBunny@hellokitty.com or BretMichaelsFan@metalhead.org, or even worse, with a work email if you’re looking for a new job but currently have one. Get one with your name as your address, at a free webmail portal like gmail or yahoo or hotmail (and this is good advice for your résumé and for job-search websites as well). It will also minimize the likelihood of spam or fraud from giving out your everyday email address.In the time since then, I’ve given out my card to many people (and yes, into the prize box for the free value meal at Arthur Treachers). It’s been a pleasurable convenience to tell someone that I’m a writer looking for work, and here is all the contact info you’ll ever need for me. As I mentioned, this is also of great use if you have and job and are looking for a new one. You don’t want them calling you at work at risk of someone finding out you’re looking. But when you’re hunting for work, especially in the economy we’re searching in, you have to be as proactive as you can. Make it easy for people to find you.
Give out your card with aplomb. It can’t hurt. Get out there, get known, get on people’s radar. And hand it out with reverence and respect, holding it at the corners, facing the recipient, and politely bow like a good Japanese businessperson. They’ll know you’re serious and professional. Seems to work great for them.
I’m TheLaidOffLife@yahoo.com. You can find it on my card. Domo arigato.
Michael Hochman ◙ LaidOffLife@yahoo.com ◙ twitter.com/PhillyPartTwo
Michael is a Copywriter, Creative Marketer, and Broadcasting Professional still in search of full-time employment after 10 months of full-time job hunting, thanks to an “involuntary career sabbatical”. A Philly native and Syracuse graduate, Michael will gladly accept any job offer you may have for him. Any. Really. Please give me a job??* The terms (loosely) mean: Business card, Businessperson, and “Please accept this”.
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