What should I put on my business card, and what should I omit?

[RichardCranium]

Yes but don't you think it will be more credible to have Prince2 on it when I'm going for project management work. I was only going to give them out to agents rather than friends and acquintances.

Wrong! Friends and acquaintances should get them too. It's called 'networking'. "You know that exam I did? Let me buy you a beer 'cos I'm happy I passed... here, I have a business card now, waddya think? Take a few, you never know..."

Everybody you meet should get a business card.

I thought the point of business cards was to market yourself as well give out contact details. I don't want people (that aren't friends) getting in touch with me unless it is about a job.

Herman Dune BSc
HermanDune PM Enterprises
Professional IT Project Management to the Widget Industry
PRINCE2™ Practitioner & ABCD Certificated
Address
Telno
Mobile
Email: tulipHotPM@HermanDune.co.uk
www.HermanDune.co.uk

[RichardCranium]

Any more than who you are and what you do together with the company name and what they do if not obvious or well known(not forgetting obvious contact points), is just plain vulgar.

That's all well and good when your business card says:

Al Fayed
Harrods

or

Sterios
Easyjet

or

Elizabeth Regina II

but I don't think anyone on here is that well known.

Selling is vulgar. We are in business and what we are selling is ourselves. Ergo, our business cards must be vulgar.

I come back from conferences and professional body meetings with loads of business cards. Those that say "Name, some company, contacts" go in the recycling. Those that say something interesting are still kicking around on my desk years later. Those of people in my sector, or related technologies. The only way I know they are is because the business card says so.

There really is nothing wrong with a business card that says:

Fred Bloggs
Young, keen IT bod with a sense of humour.
Seeking junior, public-sector project management work
so I can practice my PRINCE2 Practitioner skills.
Low-end rate charged until 2009 for the chance
to run a real 12 month project.
Phone me on: 07xxx xxxxxx

if that is what you want to say.

There is no point being shy and modest when you are competing in the market, especially for project management work!

[The Lone Gunman]

Herman Dune
Project Manager
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Please call with your rate and location.