Networking Opportunities Are Everywhere

At a recent meeting, we chatted with an out-of-town guest about all the fun associated with air travel and mentioned the phenomenon of the occasional garrulous seatmate. One coworker said she doesn't like talking to strangers in an enclosed space, because you can't pick your conversation partner. As for me, I think being thrown together can be an opportunity to learn something new -- and may even be good for your career.

I used to travel quite a bit for several of my old jobs, so I've spent a lot of time on planes. Sometimes you get an antisocial neighbor, or you want to get some work done, and you're the one making the skies unfriendly. But when I've gotten to chatting with the person in the next seat, I've almost always had a good conversation.

One of the first things we generally ask any new acquaintance is what the other person does for work. This question leads to why you're on the plane in the first place, which turns into talking about the other person's profession, and so on. I've had great chats with people about work, and I've learned a lot about what others do as well as general trends in their fields.

For example, I once spoke to a high school guidance counselor who, like me, was flying home. She told me stories about how fast kids grow up today, which left me scratching my head, and how the modern guidance counselor helps out. She also revealed that many kids now want to work as forensics experts in a crime lab due to shows like "CSI," while a few years ago, they all wanted to be marine biologists because of the popularity of the movie Free Willy. Another seatmate wound up being an engineer and was interested in writing for the trade magazine I used to work for.

"Networking" can seem like a trendy buzzword, but it's important to remember that it's just conversation that can take place anywhere: the line at the grocery store, your next family party, even the bathroom. Chat it up even if you have a job, because business is based on connections -- and you can't make them sitting in silence.

For more on networking, check out Monster Community.

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