Business Card Tips

[Alex Whiteman]

Ok, first thing, I (obviously) already have an idea of what to put in a business card but my concern is the following:

I know what is used (or I used) in my country. . . but that may differ from a) what Chinese use and expect, b) what other foreigners generally use as I'm not from any of the English speaking countries, nor from any of the major developed countries. . .

Also the truth is that I haven't needed to use one for ages. . .

Ok, to the point, this is more or less what I have in mind:

Center: full name

Right below: BA in Management and/or MA in Finance and/or something like "Budget Analyst" or "Control Analyst" - I'm really not sure about this one. <-- need help with that

Bottom left and bottom right: Phone and e-mail, respectively.

Reverse: the same thing. . . in Chinese. Including my Chinese name and so on. . .

Other: Just plain white background, no lines, no designs, no nothing. . .

Any ideas?

[skylee]

My two cents - no need to specify your qualifications if they are BA / MA, etc. "Budget Analyst" or "Control Analyst" below your name looks good enough. But if you are a CFA and/ or CPA they will look good too.

The other things look ok. I think a plain white card is classy. Do remember to choose some good paper.

PS - I have just taken a look at the business cards that people gave me. As most people I know through my current job are academics, they hardly ever mention on their cards any qualifications other than PhD or higher. Some mention no qualifications at all. I also have some cards from some consultants associated with Cambridge. There are no qualifications on them at all.

I also have a card from a deputy of the National People's Congress of PRC. His card shows his photo at the lower left corner. You might consider including your photo if you want people to remember you more easily.

[PengHaoShi]

In addition to what Skylee said, I would call it either Financial Analyst (which is more like a profession) or Financial Controller (what is more like a job title). I also would suggest to include a photo, otherwise, it may look a bit empty. What is about address, you didn't mention this?

[Lu]

If you have an address, you could include that, it looks more... stable, established.

As I understood, 'financial controller' is a job title, are you sure you can call yourself that if you don't actually have that job at this time? I have no idea really, but you might want to make sure.

If you include a photo, make sure the photo is very good and professional-looking, and make sure the printer of the card can make it look good at the card.

White-only is nice, make sure you pick some nice paper, as skylee suggests. You could also add a little bit of colour if you like. On my first business card I had a bit of blue on the side which faded out, it looked a little more colourful but still professional.

[liuzhou]

As most people I know through my current job are academics, they hardly ever mention on their cards any qualifications other than PhD or higher.

That is normal in academia. You only cite your highest qualification, if any.

What is higher than a PhD?

[skylee]

Habilitation ... I have worked with a German guy with this qualification.

[liuzhou]

Oh that one. That is no higher than a UK PhD, for example. Higher than some European 'research PhD's' though. Certainly higher than Chinese PhDs. Habilitation 'degrees' are highly controversial and not generally considered part of mainstream academic qualification routes in most places.

But totally irrelevant to the point in question. If you feel the need to cite a qualification cite the highest universally recognised one.

[Alex Whiteman]

Thanks skylee and others for the good ideas. I'll have to think all this through a few times.

One question:

Would. . .

--- Alex Whiteman

-- Budget & Control

. . . look silly? I think it's more open ended (and as such would reflect better the truth and at the same time suit my most immediate marketing purpose).

[Ruben von Zwack]

A british PhD (or any) is not exactly comparable to a habilitation. That, as defined in Germany, Switzerland, and other countries, is something you do "on top" (after a few years normally) on your PhD.

Only then you can become a full life time university professor (as opposed to a university lecturer, teacher, junior professor, etc., which are no life time positions).

So the ranking order (at least in German, Swiss, Austrian, etc.) academics, is Dr. - Dr. habil - Prof.

Would be amazing if a British PhD did (almost) all of that

[liuzhou]

A "Prof" is not a qualification. It's a job title.

Anyway, as I've said before, it is utterly irrelevant to the topic under discussion. Sorry I ever mentioned it.

[Lu]

As it was explained to me, in the Dutch system, you get the job of lecturer at university (hoogleraar) and then your title is professor. If you leave that job for some reason, you are still professor. So it is a special kind of title. Although this may be different in other countries, I don't know.

Alex: that looks good, I assume you're looking for a job, you want to cast your net widely enough not to miss anything but narrow enough that people know what you have to offer. What you write now looks about right. Perhaps also ask the advice of someone in your industry.

[skylee]

OP, I think Budget and Control is a bit unclear. Perhaps you could consider Budget and Control Specialist? You do specialise in these areas, don't you?

I think there are variations in academic qualifications and job titles in universities in different places. I think there is no point in applying just one set of standards to different systems.

[Alex Whiteman]

I don't know. . . I don't have an academic background specific to that (some people go and do an actual posgrad in budgeting). I have experience in that, in the oil industry, which also means I was never concoting a budget of thousands of millions of dollars on my own or devising all the reporting by myself - I did device things when I had the opportunity but the day-to-day was mostly taking orders and "teamwork".

I know the drill but that's it. . . and just like my coworkers who were happy doing that, I could go back to that kind of thing if it means an income, a slightly different experience, and basically more time in China without having a black hole in my CV. . . and for that same reason I'd be willing to take a starting position in whatever else.

Back to the "Specialist" word, it sounds to me like I should be able to stand up and give a posgrad lecture on "proper budgeting" right off the bat, any minute, or step in into some random company and tell the management how to get their stuff together.

If I really really really have to put something. . . how about "analyst"?

I've seen cards saying things like So-and-so, Accounting audit. . . Process engineering. . . Legal advice. . . but maybe they are not common outside my country - which is fine; that's what I'm trying to find out with this thread (but ahh it would have been so convenient).

[Ruben von Zwack]

Financial audit, auditing, accounting is certainly common, I've come across that as a job description/title in one of the "Big Four" accountancy companies. So it would be common not only where I live but pretty much globally.

Analyst is very common too, but at the same time vague - I know people whose offical job description is "financial analyst" or "fond analyst" at a bank, and in at least one case I happen to know the guy has only got a diploma in political and social sciences (which is kinda scary )

Hope I got your question right!

[Alex Whiteman]

Yeah, I think so. I was thinking about cards I've seen where the activity the person does is noted, as opposed to the rank or qualifications.

So I would like to put "Budget & Control" because it's something I have experience in and could do again rather well.

. . .but if it really is that unclear, then I'll go for "Budget & Control Analyst" - which I like less because it's too long, it's redudant as to what I want to say and it subordinates me to the activity in question too much for my liking. . . "I can do budget and control" vs "what I am is an analyst of budget and control"

So that's my current dilema. . .

[Lu]

The difference is that 'budget & control' is what you can do, so if you want to put on your card what you are, you can add an 'analyst' or 'specialist' or 'professional'.

Edit: typo fixed after being made fun of.

[liuzhou]

I would strongly advise you DON'T use 'analist'. Unless you are a proctologist.