Photo by Lieuwe Terpstra on Unsplash
You’ve set up your general meeting with someone who can help your career. (In Vancouver we’d call that “a coffee!”) Our scripted series lab participants have come up with eight tips for your general meeting to make the most of this important opportunity.
- Do your research! Look for interviews, social media, and bio info online. Check out their work and, while you’re at it, use this research to prepare an honest compliment or two. You’ll feel more relaxed about who you’re meeting with and you’ll come across as more knowledgable.
- Right off the bat, you can ask what they’re up to and what they’re working on now.
- Be prepared for the conversation to volley back to you. Be rehearsed and ready to talk about your personal backstory and what you’re working on now!
- Prepare an agenda ahead of time. Consider how this person can help you in case they ask. (But only if they ask!) That said, be flexible and go with the conversational flow. Any meeting that builds rapport is a win.
- Be grateful! Thank them for their time, given how busy they surely are.
- On that note, be conscious of their valuable time and wrap things up in about 20 minutes.
- Offer to pay!
- Send a follow-up note to thank them for their time.
If you’ve got any great tips to share, we’d love to hear them!