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Should New Law Grads Get Networking Cards for Their Job Search?

By Stephanie Rabiner, Esq. on May 29, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Opinions differ about law students having "business" cards. But you're a law grad now -- and you desperately need a job. And in this economy, the only way you're probably going to find one is by networking.

Enter the contact, or networking, card. This little piece of stiff paper makes the entire process easier -- and it makes you seem less like an unprepared idiot. No, really. It does.

Scribbling contact information on a scrap of paper makes everyone look bad.

Which is why, at this stage in the game, you can't get away with it anymore. Nor can you run around with a stack of your resumes -- it's tacky. You probably don't want to whip out your phone and add your new contact on Facebook either. And if you switch phones, there's also a good chance you'll get lost in the mess that is the digital phonebook.

Do you even know who half the people in your phone are?

A networking card prevents all of this silliness. Plus, it can get across your basic background and your contact info all while helping you make an impression. For example, the back of this blogger's card is stamped with a fun, yet appropriate, stylized photo she took on a trip abroad. It always gets people talking, bringing the conversation down to a more personal level.

Besides including some sort of professional, unique flair, you'll also want to put your name (duh), e-mail address and phone number. If you hold a law license or are waiting for results, let people know (you are a bar candidate). It's also a good idea to add your credentials -- we are all judged by where we went to law school, and in some markets, college.

Even if you don't want the flair or these added states, you still need to get a networking card with your basic contact info. Just remember not to use it as a crutch. You want a job, so you need to take responsibility for the follow-up.

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