Why do people give out their business cards after interviews? (job, interest)

[UnemployedRage]

Originally Posted by Chris Isaak's Wicked Game

Clarkesvillemom nailed it. Never burn a bridge. You never know when you might run into them again at another place. It's a small world.

These people would not recognize my face if they met me 3 days from now. This is not meaningful networking.

[mom2justynsarah]

Originally Posted by Chris Isaak's Wicked Game

You do not know that at all. And I've spent a career bumping into people in northern and southern CA, and have many contacts statewide if I need a job.

Don't burn bridges.

Exactly! Also, how many times have you wanted to contact someone, but couldn't remember their phone number? It's a good thing to keep business cards. You never know when you might need them.

[jaypee]

Wow just wow.
Perhaps you can simply tear up the card right after the interviewer hands you one for a more dramatic effect.

[andywire]

They give you the card for one reason in my estimation... Even if they don't hire you at that time, you might be thumbing through your wallet in the future and discover that card. This might compel you to give them a call to see if they are hiring. I still have business cards from interviews conducted in years past, so just my thought.

Something similar happened that led me to reapply to my current job. I was going through my e-mail one day and started deleting saved e-mails received long ago. I came across an e-mail from my current employer sent the previous year and decided to ask if they were looking to hire. Turns out they were and I got a job offer in short order.

[Tober138]

Originally Posted by UnemployedRage

Is not it ******** to give someone a card so they can send you a thank you note while you have no intention of hiring them?

As someone else said, it is just a common business courtesy. I meet a lot of people at conferences, and I exchange business cards with pretty much everyone I talk to, even if they are someone I will likely never speak with again (and there are always a few I don't want to talk to again). Its just a formality.

[groar]

Originally Posted by jaypee

Wow just wow.
Perhaps you can simply tear up the card right after the interviewer hands you one for a more dramatic effect.

i'd add spitting on it and throwing it back in their face! HOW DARE THEY!!!

[Ted Bear]

Originally Posted by clarksvillemom

it's called networking and business development. you never know when you're going to run into someone again, and you'll probably remember that person if they gave you a card, you looked at it, and your brain processed it. It's not just about THIS job at THIS time. Does this come as a surprise to you?

This ^^^.

I am old fashioned, and still keep business card files. Maybe have a few thousand cards accumulated over a career.

You never know when you will have a need, or cross paths with, or be asked a question about, someone that you have met along the path of life. I don't speak with people for years, but have a need to contact them, and it is nice to have their contact information. You'd be surprised how decent the majority of people are when you contact them for a legitimate reason, even if your original contact was during an interview where you didn't hire them, or they didn't hire you.

People are people. Social media has tried to drive a wedge between real feelings and thoughts, but in the end, our biology is such that we generally like to interact, be recognized, and have human contact with the rest of our specie.

Having a business card with contact information is a way to bridge that gap.

[johnnytang24]

Is there anything people won't complain about?

[hnsq]

Originally Posted by UnemployedRage

These people would not recognize my face if they met me 3 days from now. This is not meaningful networking.

...it absolutely is meaningful networking. Good networking is about building a large system of loose acquaintances. It isn't about making very, very close friends. If you were given a business card, write the day/place you met the person on the back of it. Three years from now you have every right to call that person out of the blue and say "Hey Mr. xxx, my name is xxx, we spoke a few years ago in your office in the middle of June. I was wondering if you had a few minutes to talk?"

That person will give you time to talk 99% of the time. How is that anything but great networking?

[Miss Crabcakes]

Usually when I am handed a card, I am also given the chance to call or email if I have any further questions.

I used them to send my thank you email to the interviewer. Its helpful if you interview with several different people.