If you are currently looking for work, there is one thing you should never leave home without.  Your resume?  Absolutely not!  A smile?  Good idea, but not where I was going with this line of questioning.  What else?  The one thing you should always carry with you is a business card.

I’m always surprised when I meet people at a networking event who do not have a business card to give me.  It is also poor form to give out a card with out-of-date information on it.  For a small investment, you can have  professional looking business cards printed through an online service.  I use VistaPrint, but I’m sure there are other reputable printing companies out there.

Here are a few do’s and don’ts when it comes to business cards for job seekers:

• Don’t print business cards on your home printer – it just doesn’t make sense when you can get professionally printed cards for so little money
• When ordering your cards, do select heavy card stock
• If you aren’t seeking a job in the creative arts, do keep it simple by choosing a neutral background color (e.g., white, irovy, light gray) with dark print in a standard type font
• Don’t put your picture on your card unless you want people to think you sell real estate
• Don’t choose a slick coating for your card because no one will be able to write on it (by the way, this is something I always do with the business cards I collect. On the front or back, I write the date, where I met the person and any other pertinent information)
• Do list your full name, certifications, and phone number
• Do list your email address and the URL for your LinkedIn profile
• Do list your generic professional title, assuming you are seeking a job in the same field (e.g., Marketing Executive, HR Director, Senior Project Manager, Executive Assistant)

What are other do’s and don’ts for business cards for job seekers?