Three Ways To Start A Conversation & Improve Your Networking Skills

Posted by • January 28th, 2010 • 2 Comments

Not everyone is born with the salesperson gene that allows them to walk up to a complete stranger and talk about anything off the cuff. However, if you are in a job search, it’s time to buck up,  get over your fears and start talking to strangers. When you are looking for a position it’s not schmoozing, it’s networking.

Once you have gained a healthy confidence in starting a conversation it can offer an array of benefits for your job search and even your career. As soon as you have engaged someone in conversation, it’s easier to crossover to the things you could talk for hours about – your experience, your professional achievements and what makes you an ideal employee.

Here are three easy ways to help you realize that you too can talk to anybody about anything – consider them small steps to getting started with small talk:

  1. Walk the dog: Seriously – take your dog for a walk in a downtown shopping area and you’ll be amazed how your original quick 15-minute walk can turn into half an hour or more after other dogs stop to socialize with your pup or a fellow dog owner wants to talk to you about your pooch. If you don’t have a dog, reach out to one of your friends or family members and ask to borrow their dog – chances are they won’t mind if you take them for a quick walk downtown.
  2. Take your kids to a park with a duck pond: Not only is it a fun way to spend time with the kids, but it also offers you an opportunity to interact with other parents and other people who enjoy spending time watching the water flow by or ducks dip their head underwater. No kids? Again see if you have a friend who is in need of a babysitter for a few hours. I’m sure the mom would enjoy going to the grocery store without hands stretching out for every sugar-filled treat they see.
  3. Visit the local watering hole: Now we’re not supporting mass drinking here, but just a short stop at a pub for a cold pint. Either sit at the bar or go during off-hours (meaning times when the place won’t be filled to the brim) – it always seems that someone will strike up a conversation when the room is not overly crowded and they too are not intimated by what others are thinking or overhearing.

Have any other tricks to getting over the fear of networking? Or found other useful ways to strike up a casual conversation in hopes of garnering an interview or even a second interview. Share with us.

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Interviews, Watercooler
  • Madison real estate

    I went to a networking event last night in which everyone seemed to know each other already. While folks were busy getting a drink at the bar I placed my coat on the back of an empty chair at a table with two other coats hanging on the backs of chairs. When the presentation later started two gentleman approached the table, hastily grabbed their coats and started to leave, apologizing for taking up two seats when I must obviously be waiting for someone. I immediately laughed and admitted that in fact I was the one who had crashed their table! That was a great icebreaker which led to us talking a good portion of the evening, as well as exchanging emails with both of them the next day!

  • impovedsociallife

    I like the walking the dog idea, If you life in a nice neighborhood, you are bound to run into other people walking their dogs. You could also go to Librarys and strike up conversations with peopl about certain books. Same goes for book stores. But at times you have to be the initiater.

    http://improvedsociallife.com