At first glance, the card above looks
like something a UTSC faculty member would have in their pockets. But
when we examine it closely, it's not hard to see that the card is one
that could belong to a student. Business cards, by definition, are cards
that contain information about a business or individual that are shared and distributed during formal introductions.
During my first year, back when I was a
beginner to the business world (I'm a certified professional now..) I
thought the idea of having a business card seemed, for lack of better
words, pointless. I thought it didn't make sense to have a card when I one, didn't have a business and two,
wasn't employed. But with that being said, it came as a shocking
surprise to find out that employers not only welcome business cards from
students, some even expect one. Last fall I attended a MESA hosted
event called CA Facts Night which was/is a social networking
event where students have the chance to interact with professionals in
the accounting field. So being the ambitious and slightly ignorant
person as I was, I decided to talk to a management representative at
Deloitte. We had a longer than usual chat but this is how our
conversation ended. "It was nice chatting with you. Do you have
a business card so we can keep in touch?" I would have loved my
response to be "Of course. I look forward to speaking with you again."
But we all know it didn't end as such.
So in conclusion, I learned that business cards were in fact not only
for business, but simply a means to share your contact information and
to make networking a lot easier. Building business relationships and
connects do not stop after the initial encounter. The strongest
relationships are ones that are continuous. Having a business card
present during networking events is having a tool that tells said person
that you are interested in more than the present conversation. You'd be
astonished how impressed an employer will be to see a card that simply
says Your Name, Institute and Program. Hey, it's better than writing
your phone number on a napkin, right?
Business cards like the one shown above can be purchased in bulk at the Management E-Store.
Cornell Jones
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