I rolled my eyes at networking events for 5 years straight

I thought they were just fake handshakes and awkward small talk. Then I went to a local industry meetup in Pittsburgh after my boss basically forced me. This guy from a different company mentioned a project they were stuck on and I had solved the same thing the week before. We ended up talking for 30 minutes and he offered me a freelance side gig on the spot. Has anyone else had a random conversation at a meetup turn into real work?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_parker3d ago

Yeah that "random 30 minute chat" stuff is real but it only works if you actually talk shop. Most people go to these things and just do small talk about the weather. Instead ask people what they're stuck on right now. I've gotten three side gigs over the years just by listening to someone describe a problem and saying "oh I fixed that last month." You gotta go in ready to help people, not just hand out business cards.

owens.cameron3d ago

Wait, you mean a random 30 minute chat actually landed you paid freelance work right there?