One of the best ways to develop connections that can lead to your next job is to develop your networking skills. For many people they are not sure how to act or what to say when they are actively mingling with other professionals. They come across as unsure of themselves and hesitant in starting or engaging in a conversation with others.
A simple way to prevent this awkward experience from occurring and slowing your job search success is to learn what to say when networking.
Remember people are not nearly as interested in you, as they are in themselves. So the questions you ask, should be about them. Since they are an expert on themselves and what they have done, their answers will come quite easily.
A good way to begin is by introducing yourself and asking for their name. You could then find out where they work and their job title. At this point you could comment on someone else you know that had a similar job title and set of responsibilities.
From there you could ask about the direction that their industry is going. Then you could comment on what you have read about that industry and ask for more of their thoughts.
Another good question is “What are some of the challenges your company is experiencing”. Discuss their response and liken it to other challenges you have seen in related industries.
At this point in your conversation you could ask about hobbies or activities they might have and what they enjoy doing when not at work. Again, here you could bring up some of the things you like to do in your free time. You may find a common interest and with that the conversation could develop even further.
The key is to be yourself and take a sincere interest in the other person. By doing this you will
create a more comfortable approach to getting to know other professionals and possibly networking your way to your next job.
A simple way to prevent this awkward experience from occurring and slowing your job search success is to learn what to say when networking.
Remember people are not nearly as interested in you, as they are in themselves. So the questions you ask, should be about them. Since they are an expert on themselves and what they have done, their answers will come quite easily.
A good way to begin is by introducing yourself and asking for their name. You could then find out where they work and their job title. At this point you could comment on someone else you know that had a similar job title and set of responsibilities.
From there you could ask about the direction that their industry is going. Then you could comment on what you have read about that industry and ask for more of their thoughts.
Another good question is “What are some of the challenges your company is experiencing”. Discuss their response and liken it to other challenges you have seen in related industries.
At this point in your conversation you could ask about hobbies or activities they might have and what they enjoy doing when not at work. Again, here you could bring up some of the things you like to do in your free time. You may find a common interest and with that the conversation could develop even further.
The key is to be yourself and take a sincere interest in the other person. By doing this you will
create a more comfortable approach to getting to know other professionals and possibly networking your way to your next job.
By: Tom Borg
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