Unlock the Hidden Job Market: 6 Steps to a Successful Job Search When Times Are Tough

Chapter 13. Make Your Networking Strictly Business

When you’re conducting an HJM research meeting, you don’t need lunch or “can I buy you a cup of coffee?” as an excuse to seek out a conversation with someone you have targeted as a good source of career information. This is a business meeting (not a social encounter) and should be treated with the uninterrupted focus that any business meeting should be given.

First of all, let’s get this whole lunch/coffee date question out of the way right now. Here’s what’s wrong with that approach:

• Lunch only happens once a day, and how much coffee do you really need? Somewhere in modern society, we have come to believe that when we want someone’s attention, we should offer the opportunity to eat. During ...