BlueTeale

BlueTeale t1_j68zcyg wrote

Not that my thoughts carry any weight but...

  • The people I know who naturally befriend everyone don't go into a conversation with an objective. The objective is just to talk with them
  • Ask questions about them, but be sure to relate or bring yourself in enough otherwise it's just an interview. Be sure to bring your own passion to the conversation (assuming it's relevant). We remember people for what makes them stand out. "Steve's the guy who really likes F1 racing", "BBQ Mark" etc.
  • Experienced folks, in my limited experience, aren't usually against sharing wisdom. Start off with, "I'm kind of new to X, and was curious how Y works. Because it seems like Z would be best option but ...." don't go on long. Leave the floor open to them, and then ask engaging questions.

I'll be honest I really struggled with this in my early to mid 20s. Ended up working with a lot of Owners/Executive types, all much higher caliber and experience level than me. I think my biggest mistake was thinking that I need contacts and therefore I went into each conversation with an objective. To befriend the other enough to be able to use them in the future.

This was the wrong approach, I never connected very well. And it's because I was trying to use people (even the ones I liked, it was becoming second nature).

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