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Business cards
I've never bothered with them, so I am not sure what is appropriate to put in them.
More specifically, I've seen some people put both their academic & professional qualifications on it, others putting their professional qualifications only, and yet others intentionally omitting both.
I did a quick Google on this subject and it seems like opinions are split (perhaps leaning toward nothing except professional qualifications relevant to the job). What do you all think?
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Re: Business cards
I guess it depends on what you do. The one's I've received and the ones provided by the companies I've worked for only ever had a name, job title and contact details on them.
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Re: Business cards
I guess if you are a 'profesional' in a more traditional career, then you would be more likely to put your letters on it. Accountant, lawyer, engineer (a real one), that kind of thing.
I wouldn't do it, but then I don't have any letters to put on mine :)
Actually, I don't think I even have a job title on my ones. I use them so rarely i can't actually remember.
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Re: Business cards
I've neve had my professional quals on my business cards. Name, job title, contact details, all anyone's interested in. If I visit a client or supplier, they're not really interested in my qualifications, just who I am, who I represent & how to get hold of me.
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Re: Business cards
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Re: Business cards
Well, I have some personal cards which I give to people, its nice rather than standing there trading numbers on your phone. The basics are on mine, name, email and mobile.
As for the qualifications, why? If you are applying for a job these would be on your CV. TBH qualifications don't mean much now, its what experience you have.
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Re: Business cards
I wouldn't bother putting your qualifications down unless they're particularly relevant to the people you'll be giving them to.
However, I still laugh when I see people plastering the bottom of their emails with their qualifications. I don't care if you've got a Bsc (Hons), it's nothing to shout about, and I especially don't care that you've got any number of Microsoft qualifications.
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Re: Business cards
Cheers. I imagine that qualifications that requires work experience to obtain (chartered <area of expertise>) would be fair play? If I was a client, I would be interested if I have nothing else to go by in terms of judging their abilities.
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Re: Business cards
In my opinion, what you put on the card rather depends what you're going to be using them for. They are, after all, essentially a marketing tool.
Qualifications (degree, etc) might be relevant in the academic world, but are (IMHO) highly pretentious in the business world (especially as many are, erm .... two-a-penny) UNLESS they have a specific relevance.
Professional qualifications are a bit more tricky. It might be useful, for some contacts, to know that you're an engineer, lawyer, accountant, or whatever, and especially for accountants, there are a wide variety of different levels and types, so it might be relevant to know what you're Chartered, or Cost and Management, or Government, etc.
Personally, I put neither academic nor professional status on my cards. If you have my card in a business setting, you pretty much know what I am and putting that stuff on the card would be pretentious. If you don't have my card in a business setting or are a casual contact, then qualifications are probably irrelevant.
And personally, I like to keep cards clean, simple and uncluttered, with nothing that doesn't need to be on it on it. But it's just my personal reference, I guess.