Digital business card for students and graduates in the UAE

A digital business card for students is a free, live page that holds your name, your degree, your best projects and a way to contact you, shared by QR code, link or NFC tap. At a UAE career fair you can hand a recruiter your CV, your portfolio and your WhatsApp in ten seconds without carrying paper, and the details stay accurate as you move from a first-year course to a final-year project to your first job.

This guide is written for university students, fresh graduates and anyone preparing for internships in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah or elsewhere in the UAE. It covers which career events exist, what to put on your card, how to work a fair, and what to keep private. We only describe what MyInfo does today.

Why students and graduates benefit from a digital card

When you have no job title and a short CV, the way you present yourself matters more, not less. Recruiters at a busy fair meet hundreds of people, and what they remember is usually a clear sentence and a concrete example. A card lets you give both: a line about what you study and what you want, and a link to something you built.

Paper cards are a poor fit for students. You change email address, phone, course year and even career direction several times in three or four years. Printing a box of cards for a semester-long job search wastes money you probably do not have. A digital card costs nothing to create and changes in seconds; see cost of reprinting business cards vs digital. Because every card starts on the free plan, which includes templates, sharing by link, QR and NFC, and Save Contact, you do not need to pay to look professional.

There is also a cultural advantage. In the UAE, first contact is often followed by a WhatsApp message, and recruiters are used to receiving a link. A card that opens on any phone without an app fits that habit. For the broader job-search angle, including freelance portfolios, read digital business cards for job seekers and freelance portfolios; this article focuses on campus life and the first job.

What to put on a student card

Start with a clear photo of your face in plain light. Recruiters do match faces to names after a long day, and best photo and banner for your digital business card has practical tips. Then add your name, and in the job title field write what you are, such as "Computer Science student, expected graduation June 2027" or "Marketing graduate, open to internships." Add the university in the company field.

Write a two-sentence bio: what you study or have studied, and what you are looking for. "Final-year mechanical engineering student at a UAE university, looking for a summer internship in facilities or manufacturing" is better than a paragraph of adjectives. Write a bio that gets read shows how to cut it down.

Use a professional email address rather than a nickname, and a phone number you actually answer. Social links should be limited to the ones you would show a recruiter, usually LinkedIn and, for creative or technical fields, a portfolio site. What to put on a digital business card lists the basics for any card.

Career fairs in the UAE: what is out there

The UAE has a busy calendar of career events, and it helps to know what each one is for. Ru'ya Careers UAE is the large national careers exhibition at Dubai World Trade Centre. According to WAM and Emirates 24|7, the 2026 edition ran from 28 to 30 September with more than 150 employers across over 23 sectors, aimed at Emirati talent. That edition has finished, but it is a useful guide to what the next edition will look like and when to start preparing.

Other events exist for specific groups. A national service career fair was listed for 15 to 17 July 2026 at Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo City, according to GCC Business News. Universities also run their own fairs. The American University of Sharjah held its Career Fair on 10 February 2026 and says on its event page that it is open exclusively to AUS students and alumni. The United Arab Emirates University held a two-day Career Fair 2025 on 3 and 4 September, and Zayed University hosts an annual careers fair at its Dubai and Abu Dhabi campuses.

Dates and eligibility change every year, so check your own university's careers office page and the organiser's site. Some fairs are limited to nationals or to enrolled students, so confirm that you can attend before you plan around it.

How to work a career fair with your card

Before the fair, finish your card and test it. Open it on a friend's phone and check that your photo loads, your WhatsApp button works and your CV link opens. Save your QR code where you can reach it in one tap, as described in keep your QR code one tap away. Pick five employers you actually want to speak to and read what they do.

At the fair, lead with your thirty-second introduction, not the card. Say who you are, what you study and what you are looking for, ask one question about the role, and only then offer your card: "I will send you my details now, may I scan your code or share mine?" Let the recruiter scan your QR code or open your link on WhatsApp. If they save your contact, you appear in their phone with your university and course as your title, which is more memorable than an unlabelled number.

Do not just collect free pens. Note the recruiter's name and what they said, because that is what you will use in the follow-up. How to network at events in Dubai and business card etiquette in the UAE cover manners that matter, such as offering your details with respect and keeping the conversation short when others are waiting.

After the fair, follow up the same day or the next. A short message with your name, the conversation you had and your card link is enough; see follow up with new contacts within 24 hours.

Add your CV, portfolio and projects

A card is a doorway to your evidence. MyInfo lets you add buttons to any link, so you can link a one-page CV hosted as a PDF, a portfolio site, a GitHub profile, a design folder or a project write-up. You can add a YouTube video such as a 60-second introduction or a project demo, and text sections (one on a free card, up to three on Premium) for things like "Education", "Skills" and "Projects." Details are in links, videos and text, add a YouTube video and add a text section.

Keep it to a few buttons. For most students that is CV, portfolio or best project, LinkedIn and WhatsApp. If you are in a creative field, add your portfolio or menu to your card gives ideas for showing work, and best links to put on a digital business card suggests an order. Make sure every link opens without a login, because a recruiter will not request access.

Arabic-speaking recruiters will appreciate a bilingual presentation; see Arabic and English on one card if you are applying to employers who work in both languages.

Internships and first-job applications

Your card is useful far beyond fairs. Put the link at the bottom of your CV and in your email signature, and use it in your LinkedIn contact section. Add a digital business card to your email signature takes a few minutes and means every application email carries your portfolio.

For online applications, paste the card link in any field that asks for a portfolio or website. On video interviews, drop the link in the chat afterwards so the interviewer has your details; digital card for video calls and remote meetings explains how. When you attend an assessment day or interview in person, a QR code on your phone lock screen replaces fishing for a printed CV.

If you are applying through a university portal, follow the portal's rules about what you can share, and use the card as an addition rather than a replacement for what the employer asks for. Your own university's careers office can tell you what employers expect in your field.

Internships are also where mistakes are cheapest to fix. If a supervisor or a teammate asks for your details on your first day, you can share the card instead of typing numbers into their phone, and after the internship you can update the card with the project you delivered. Ask your supervisor before you add a company name or logo to your card, and never publish confidential work. A short line such as "Marketing intern, summer 2026" is accurate and safe, and it tells the next recruiter that someone trusted you with real work.

Privacy, safety and PDPL for students

A card is a public page by default. Anyone with the link, QR code or NFC card can open it, and public cards that have a name or company can also appear in search engines and in the card directory. Treat everything on it as visible to a stranger. Do not put your home address, your date of birth, ID numbers or your parents' details on it. Share a phone number only if you are comfortable with recruiters calling it; many students prefer WhatsApp and email.

If you want to share your card with a limited audience, Premium private cards use a six-digit access code; see privacy and private cards and make a card private. Also read digital business card privacy: what is public and keep your personal number off your card.

If someone leaves their details with you, for example a recruiter, treat them with the same care you would want for your own. The UAE's Personal Data Protection Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021) applies to many organisations that handle personal data; our explainer on PDPL and your digital business card keeps it simple. This is general information, not legal advice.

Keep one card from campus to career

Choose your card address carefully, because it is the one thing you cannot change without changing the link everyone has. A name-based address like myinfo.ae/firstname-lastname will still make sense when you are a graduate trainee. Avoid including your university or graduation year in it. Choose a card address people remember and choose your card address explain the rules.

Then update the card as your situation changes: swap "student" for "graduate", add a new project, and when you start your first job change your title and company the same week. What to do when your job title or number changes is a short routine, and update your digital business card in 30 seconds shows how quick it is. The same card can carry you through your first promotion.

Free or Premium for a student?

The free card is enough for nearly every student. It has templates, a live page, QR and NFC sharing and Save Contact. Premium adds lead capture, visit analytics, private cards and priority support, and it is activated with a licence PIN from a MyInfo partner. It can make sense if you run a society, a student business or a freelance side project where people need to leave their details with you, using the Exchange Contact button; see lead capture and the pricing page.

If you are curious about the differences first, MyInfo free vs Premium: what you get lays them out. If you are working as a freelancer while you study, is a digital business card worth it for freelancers is worth reading.

A simple pre-fair checklist

Two days before an event, confirm you can answer yes to six questions. Does your card show your course, your goal and a professional photo? Do your CV and portfolio links open on a phone without a login? Is your QR code one tap from your lock screen? Do you have a thirty-second introduction memorised? Do you know five employers you want to meet? Have you got a short follow-up message ready to send?

If any answer is no, fix that first. If you have not created a card yet, create your free card and complete it in an evening, using the digital business card setup checklist as a final pass.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to pay for a digital business card as a student?

No. A MyInfo card starts on the free plan, which includes templates, a live page, sharing by link, QR code and NFC, and Save Contact, so a student can look professional without paying. Premium is optional and adds lead capture, visit analytics, private cards and priority support, activated with a licence PIN from a partner. Most students never need it. Upgrade only if you run a society or side project where you want people to leave their details with you.

What should I put on my card if I have no work experience?

Lead with what you study, what you are looking for and proof of what you can do. That means your course and expected graduation date, a two-sentence bio, a link to your CV, and a link to your best project, portfolio or GitHub. Society roles, volunteering and competition entries can go in a short text section. Keep the photo clear and the email professional. Create your card now and improve it as your experience grows.