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One of the smartest purchases I made in the past year was a set of personalized business cards from Moo,* an amazing UK-based business card company. It was recommended to me by an American expat in Rio, and I ordered them sometime last January. I bought a set of mini-cards, which are very handy and somewhat smaller than standard business cards, which makes them unique.
Moo allows you to upload your own image or to pick and choose from their wonderful designs to personalize your cards. You can mix and match different designs, or use big text on the graphic side of the card. I chose Sarah Green's minis collection, which has really funky designs in tons of colors. I had my Rio information put on the back, and since I've been home I handwrote in my New York phone number.
I've found that having these particular cards is incredibly helpful. They're small, so they're easy to carry around (I bought the handy mini-card holder, which people for some reason find intriguing, maybe because it's pink). They're really unique cards and people always react well to them, and frequently ask where I got them. I like to think they help me stand out, even if in a small way.
For expats, these are great to have whether you're moving to a new place or hopping back and forth between several places. In Brazil, having cards in English, while obvious for an American, was actually an advantage, literally working the "gringo card" (plus, there's only one line of text besides my name and contact info). When I came back to New York, I didn't order an entire set of new cards because I actually liked having my Rio information on there. I like to think that also helps me stand out.
While the past seven months were rough in terms of job hunting, having these cards has given me a little bit of extra confidence. There are so many factors that go into an interview, but having something high-quality and memorable for people to remember you by is really helpful.
*Note: I was not paid or compensated to write this! I just love the cards that much.
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Comments
01.22.10
I think especially if you're unemployed or working for yourself, business cards give you that extra edge. It also means it's super easy to get in touch with you. One of the best pieces of career advice I was ever given was that if it's even the least bit hard to find you, people wont make the effort.
I wrote about this a few months ago - about my "unemployment business cards". I swear I'm not being spammy, it just gives an example of what they can look like, even if you don't have a full-time job: http://bit.ly/6scTYX
01.22.10
p.s. I just ordered from them... you're right, AWESOME!!
08.18.10
I'm looking to purchase a set of personal business cards, but am not sure what information to include? My name, phone number and e-mail address? I don't want to clutter it with too much information, but also don't want to look silly with nothing on it...thoughts?
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