Who says you have to have to hold a position at a company to have a business card? Not me. In fact, I’ve had a business card ever since I was in college. Introducing…the student business card.
If you have any intention of networking (which you absolutely should), then you need to have a business card. I know, I know, some people say that business cards are obsolete these days since we all carry cell phones around 24/7. But that is exactly why you SHOULD have a business card. If done well, it will help you stand out amongst your peers who don’t have one. It’s like sending a handwritten thank you note versus a quick email. The time and thought you put into personally branding yourself will go a long way.
What to Include on Your Student Business Card
While in college, I wasn’t working with a company that created a card for me, and I was completing a new internship every summer. So what the heck did I actually put on my business card? Answer – The following:
- First and Last Name
- University and Proposed Graduation Date
- For me this looked like – Student at The Ohio State University, graduating Spring 2008
- Major (and Minor)
- Athletics and/or Extracurriculars
- For me this looked like – 4x Scholar Athlete: Captain, Ohio State Cheerleading
- For you? Maybe you’re a Chair with your Fraternity or Sorority, in the Marching Band, on the Soccer Team, in the Architecture Club, etc.
- Phone Number
- Email Address
- If you have a personal email address, like gmail, I’d recommend putting that here instead of your school email — it sticks with you longer into the future.
- LinkedIn Profile
- Your custom URL – if you don’t know what this is, I teach you all about it in my free five-day course on LinkedIn. You can sign up for access to the course over on the home page.
- Social Media Accounts & Personal Blogs
- IMPORTANT NOTE: I only recommend including Instagram, Twitter, or blogs on your business card if they are professional and help to tell your professional story. For example, maybe you’re a photographer and your Instagram account represents your beautiful photographs (not your college social life). Or maybe you are a writer and your blog is a great representation of your work.
- If you add this, don’t go overboard. Stick to the one that best represents you and leave it at that.
Looks like a lot of info, huh? Well if you were at a company, it would include your title, maybe a license number, a couple different phone numbers (office and cell) and an office address. So we are on par with the amount of information included on a corporate business card.
How to Design Your Student Business Card
Now, when it comes to the design elements of the card, this is where you get to stand out. Remember, this is a tangible representation of your personal brand, so make it scream you!
- If you have a personal logo that you use on a blog, it could be a great design element to use on your business card.
- Monograms with your initials are simple, classic and another great option.
- Photos that show personality and highlight your personal brand are a nice touch.
- I personally used Ohio State’s colors and created a stripe design with them. Remember, you don’t have licensing rights to your school’s logo so don’t go slapping that on your card.
Where to Get Your Student Business Card
My favorite company for business cards is Moo. They offer 15% off for students! You can choose your card paper type and shape, and even use one of their awesome design templates to help bring your personal brand to life.
If you’re on a budget, you can always go the DIY route and make your own business cards. All you need is a computer and a printer and some of these two-sided printable cards. This was my go-to method in college. It saves time and money and you can always print new cards on demand.
Bottom line, let your personal brand shine through. It will make you memorable, and keep you top of mind with the people you connect with. I’m still having fun with this. Below is an example of some cards I made with Moo for a conference I went to this past September. I hadn’t launched The Intern Hustle yet, but I still needed a good business card to hand out. I wanted a conversation starter, and it worked like a charm!
Have fun creating! I want to see what you guys come up with. Post your business cards on Instagram or Twitter and tag @theinternhustle.
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