If you’re on the hunt for a job, career fairs can be a great opportunity, but it can also feel impossible to stand out in the sea of attendees. With tough job markets and a move to go paperless, digital business cards are becoming the secret weapon at career fairs.
Whether you’re heading to a career fair next month, next week, or in the next few minutes, there’s still time to create a powerful (and free) digital business card to share with recruiters.
Why digital business cards are essential for career fairs
When heading to a career fair, the long-held tradition was a padfolio full of resumes and business cards, but things have changed over the years, and even career fairs have gone digital.
1. No more paper resumes
Whether for eco-friendly reasons or internal HR rules, many recruiters will not accept paper resumes or business cards at career fairs. Unfortunately, that means making an impression and keeping your name top of mind for recruiters has become a bit harder. The good news? Digital business cards aren’t on the list of no-nos, so you can still make a lasting impression.
2. Share even more information
Unlike a traditional paper business card or a resume, you’re not limited to space. Digital business cards have space for everything you need to share. From all of your contact information to your resume, cover letter, and more, you can share absolutely everything there is that sets you apart from other candidates. Not sure what to add? Here are a few ideas:
- Add a PDF of your resume
- Link to your website
- Upload a tailored PDF portfolio
- Add a note with a short elevator pitch or cover letter
- Use the location field to share what areas you’re open to working in
- Feature a video on your card of past work or a self-introduction
3. Track engagement
See exactly how much interest you get from recruiters at career fairs with built-in analytics for your digital business card. You can see how many views, shares, and contacts you’ve made from your cards so you can gauge interest immediately.
4. Real-time updates
The worst pre-career fair nightmare might just be showing up with a resume or business card with a typo (ok, maybe that’s second behind showing up in your underwear). Thankfully, with a digital business card, you can make updates last minute so you’re never sharing outdated information.
5. Get information from the recruiter
Usually, at a career fair, you leave your information with the recruiter, but rarely do you have their information to follow up with. When you share your digital business card after they save your contact details, they are then prompted to send their contact information back to you, automatically saving it into your contact manager.
How to make digital business cards for a career fair
Making your digital business card is super simple. Start with creating an account with a digital business card platform—I recommend HiHello. Then it’s time to start customizing what information you add to your card. Here are some things to consider:
1. A headshot or video
Make sure they have a face to match your name after the fair is over. Include a professional headshot, or step it up with a live photo or video to really showcase your personality.
2. Your contact details
It might be obvious, but be sure to include your basic contact information. Email address and phone number are standard contact details to include on your business card.
3. Your resume
Many recruiters aren’t collecting paper resumes at fairs anymore, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still get your resume into their hands. Upload a PDF of your resume to your digital business card.
4. Link to your portfolio
Your resume isn’t always enough to showcase all of your skills. The good news is that digital business cards offer more space, so you can include links to your portfolio, website, or whatever else promotes the best of who you are.
5. Social media (but choose carefully)
Another great thing about digital business cards? You can include social media. If you’re prepping for a career fair make sure you add your LinkedIn profile, and consider what other channels might benefit you. If you’re a designer or photographer, maybe Instagram is a good choice, maybe GitHub is where you shine. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box with your digital business card.
6. Consider creating multiple tailored cards.
At a career fair, think of your digital business card as your cover letter. It’s your first line of defense for showing who you are, including and beyond your resume. Not only does it allow you to show your personality, but you can also create multiple cards, so you can tailor each card to the company or opportunity.
Ready to get started? Make your digital business card now with HiHello. Check out our business card examples for job seekers to get some inspiration.
