How to make useful contacts and business acquaintances from the first conversation

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Several simple and working ways to help you get the attention of the people you want and find a good job.

It is best to establish useful professional contacts at large thematic events - conferences, exhibitions, meetings of employers with students, professional master classes. It's good if you are a professional yourself and you have something to share.

If you have no work experience, or you have decided to change the field of activity, or have not worked for a long time for various reasons, you probably think that you have absolutely nothing to interest a potential employer. You feel like an impostor who will certainly be exposed and politely rejected.

Do not despair. There are some simple and working ways to get the attention of the people you want, even if you have nothing to brag about.

Probe the soil

Ties are two-sided. Much depends not so much on your self-presentation as on your desire to get to know the interlocutor as best as possible.

Getting to know a potential employer is like a first date, where you just look at each other.

If it turns out that you do not suit each other at all, well, it's good that you quickly figured it out. You can immediately start looking for someone more suitable.

Ask questions instead of retelling your own resume. Think in advance what is important to you and what is unacceptable in your future work. Be interested in project details and company policies. It will feel awkward at first, but it will quickly pass.

Show genuine interest

Do not ask questions that can be answered yes, no, or I have been with this company for three years. You don't need data. You need a conversation to remember.

Do not forget that every person, even of the highest rank, wants to be heard and understood. The trouble is that in most cases we listen to the interlocutor in order to answer and say what we think. Suppress this desire in yourself and just listen.

While answering, repeat what you heard in other words and ask a new question.

From the moment you approach the interlocutor, he expects you to start presenting yourself. When he sees that you are listening to him, without trying to draw attention to his own person, he will thankfully tell you whatever you want.

Think about what you can offer to the interlocutor

Even if you've never worked, you still have a lot to offer. The main thing that your future manager wants to know about you is how you can be useful. Therefore, do not start communicating with a potential employer by asking about salaries and working conditions.

If he sees you as a worthy candidate and wants to get you on his team, you can probably negotiate acceptable terms. But first, think about what you can give your employer.

Take your time and do not impose

If you managed to strike up a conversation with the person you are interested in, do not start planning your future relationship and do not offer to meet tomorrow morning to continue the conversation. All that is required of you is to be liked here and now. In the future, this will play into your hands.

Don't show your strengths and weaknesses right away

In an effort to please, you do not need to demonstrate all your merits at once. Your interlocutor will mentally compare himself with you, and it will not be very pleasant for him to lose in this comparison.

Throwing yourself to the other extreme and showing self-doubt is also not worth it. Just don't hide the fact that you would like to improve your qualifications and learn something new.

By acknowledging your weaknesses, you give your opponent the right to his own imperfections. Both of you will relax and your conversation will become more casual.

Even if you don't have the most impressive resume, don't despair. Your desire to work and grow is much more important.