Using a digital business card in your job search: CVs, interviews and careers fairs
By Online Business Cards Editorial Team | Published | Updated | By profession
A CV has to be short, but recruiters often want more. A digital business card can hold your portfolio, references and links in one place, and give people at careers fairs an easy way to keep your details.
Job hunting involves a lot of sharing: your CV, your LinkedIn profile, examples of your work, and your contact details, over and over again. Recruiters and hiring managers are busy, and anything that makes you easier to find and remember helps.
A digital business card is not a replacement for a CV. It is a small, tidy page that holds the things a CV has no room for, and gives people you meet in person a quick way to keep your details. This guide is for graduates, career changers, freelancers looking for a permanent role and anyone actively looking for work.
What a digital card adds to your CV
A UK CV is usually two pages. That leaves little room for:
- examples of your work, such as a portfolio, writing samples or projects
- a short video introduction, if that suits your field
- links to your LinkedIn, GitHub, Behance or published work
- a more personal introduction than a CV allows
Your card can hold all of these, and your CV only needs one line pointing to it.
What to put on a job-search card
Section | What to include
Details | Your name, the kind of role you are looking for, email and phone
Bio | Two or three sentences about your experience and what you are looking for
Documents | Your current CV, and perhaps a portfolio PDF
Gallery | Examples of your work, if it is visual
Social links | LinkedIn first, then anything relevant to your field
Testimonials | Short quotes from former managers or clients, with their permission
Your headline matters. "Graduate civil engineer looking for a site role in the North West" tells a recruiter far more than your name alone. Our guide to writing your headline and bio has more examples.
Keep personal details to a minimum
A job-search card will be seen by people you do not know. Share a phone number and email you are happy to give out, and leave off your home address, date of birth and other personal details. UK employers do not need your date of birth or a photo on a CV, and the same applies to your card. If you add a photo, make it a clear, professional one.
Our guide to digital business card privacy covers what to share and what to leave off.
Add your card to your CV
Put your card link in your contact details at the top of your CV, next to your email and LinkedIn. Use a short, readable link rather than a long one, and test that it works from the PDF you send.
You can also add the QR code to a printed CV for interviews and careers fairs, although many applications are now read on screen, where a link is more useful than a code.
Use your card with LinkedIn
LinkedIn is still where most UK recruiters look first. Your digital card works alongside it:
- add your card link to your LinkedIn contact info or featured section
- add your LinkedIn link to your card, near the top
- keep your job title and headline consistent on both
Our guide to using a digital business card with LinkedIn explains each step.
At careers fairs and networking events
Careers fairs move quickly. You might speak to a dozen employers in an afternoon, and each recruiter meets hundreds of people.
- Have your QR code ready saved as a photo on your phone, so you can share it in seconds.
- Keep a few printed CVs or simple cards for recruiters who prefer paper.
- Ask for their details too, so the follow-up is yours to make.
- Follow up within a day or two, mentioning what you talked about and including your card link.
Our events guide covers what to do before, during and after.
In interviews
Interviewers sometimes ask to see examples of your work. If your card holds your portfolio, you can open it on your phone or laptop to show them, and send the link afterwards. Mention it in your thank-you email: "My portfolio and references are on my card here."
Keep it current
Update your card when your situation changes: a new qualification, a project finished, a role accepted. When you start a new job, you can change the headline and keep using the same card, so people who saved it during your job search still reach you.
Which plan you need
For job seekers, Brand Presence (£45, one-off) is usually enough: your details, bio, documents, gallery, social links, testimonials, password protection and analytics, which shows how often your card is opened. The Business Plan (£90, one-off) adds tools such as bookings and enquiries that are more useful to freelancers and businesses. Compare them on our plans, or see the online business card.
Read next: Digital business cards for sales teams and salespeople and Which industries benefit most from a digital business card? A guide by trade. You can also browse all our guides.
Frequently asked questions
Should I put a digital business card link on my CV?
Yes. Add it to your contact details at the top, next to your email and LinkedIn, and check the link works from the PDF you send.
What should a job seeker put on a digital business card?
Your name, the role you are looking for, contact details, a short bio, your CV, examples of your work and your LinkedIn link.
Should I include a photo on a job-search card?
It is optional. UK employers do not need a photo on a CV. If you add one to your card, use a clear, professional photo.
Can I keep using my card after I get a job?
Yes. Update your headline and details, and the same link keeps working, so people who saved it during your job search can still reach you.
Should I put my home address on a job-search card?
No. A town or region is enough. Employers need a way to contact you, not your full address.