So you secured the networking chat. Now what?
Do your homework!
Spend some time thoroughly learning about their professional background by looking at their LinkedIn profile, or perhaps doing a quick Google search to gather additional information. This process can provide valuable insights into their career journey and expertise.
Expressing genuine interest in the individual and asking the right questions are key in making a strong first impression. Here are a few questions to get you started:
I would love to learn more about your career path. How did you get to where you are today and what is the biggest lesson you learned from that?
What challenges did you face throughout your career journey?
What’s one piece of advice you would tell yourself knowing what you know now?
Ask if they made a career transition: Tell me more about your pivot from X to X. Did you find that your skills transferred over well?
In your current position, would you say your team values collaboration? What do you enjoy most about working in a collaborative environment?
Be professional
Listen twice as much as you talk. While you should briefly introduce yourself, remember to focus the conversation on them.
Respect their time, and keep the initial conversation to 20-30 minutes
Send a thank you email, and stay in touch if they feel like a valuable contact.
Subject: Thank You
Dear [Insert Name],
Thank you again for taking the time to meet with me today. I greatly appreciated learning more about you and your experience in [be as specific as possible here. Try to reference specific parts of your conversation to signal your interest in what they had to say]. Based on your advice, I will [show that their input and advice was valuable by sharing what your next steps are].
I look forward to staying in touch with you and will keep you updated on how things progress for me.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
