Listening to a recruiter at a coffee shop in Chicago changed how I network

I overheard her tell someone that most people waste their 'ask' by begging for a job instead of asking for advice on a specific skill. Now I always lead with 'Can you help me get better at X?' instead of 'Do you have any openings?' Has anyone else tried flipping the script like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

casey_torres6027d ago

Hear me out because this is real. I started doing this exact thing about a year ago and it works WAY better. Instead of asking if they're hiring, I'll say something like "Hey, I'm trying to level up my cold outreach skills, could you give me two minutes of advice?" People actually WANT to help you get better at something specific. It makes them feel like an expert instead of some gatekeeper you're trying to get past.

sean11927d ago

Yeah but what happens when they give advice and then you ask for a job? Does that feel pushy or smooth? I've seen people try this and they nail the advice part but botch the transition after. Curious if you slide the job ask in right away or wait a few days. Seems like timing is the real trick here.