5 Tips for Making New Friends at Work

5 Tips for Making New Friends at Work 5 Tips for Making New Friends at Work 5 Tips for Making New Friends at WorkNew friends at work, sign us upDo you remember the first day of school? Butterflies conquered your stomach and a common worry included, Who will I sit with at lunch? At the end of the day, mom was there to pick you up and make everything better. While were not children anymora, the first day at a new job often reminds us of our school days. Just like it was back then, making new friends helps to integrate into these new situations and soon the first day jitters vanish.Making new friends at work is one of the best benefits of getting a new job. New friends inspire us to work harder and open our mind to new ideas. Office friends make going to work more pleasant and rewarding. Human resources experts say fostering new friendships increases productivity and teamwork, while reducing work-related stress.Even though its easy to binnenlandsee how friendships with co-workers are de sirable, building those relationships are not as easy as it first appears. Its important not to rush into anything. Build trust and rapport with colleagues before diving in and becoming full-fledged friends. Here are five tips on how to make friends at a new job the right way, without coming off as the creepy guy no one talks to at lunchtime.Put on a smile.A warm, genuine smile is the best offense and defense. Smiles put everyone at ease and sends the message I am approachable. On the way to work, play an inspirational CD or some upbeat dance music. Roll down the windows, and sing until youre blue in the face. This improves your mood and relaxes you a little. Before you walk into the office, look in the mirror, smile and tell yourself this is going to be a good day. Positivity helps boost your smile and makes your positive demeanor more believable.Just be careful not to overdo it. In other words, be sincere. Say hello and introduce yourself.This may seem obvious or common sense. Res t assured there is no such thing as common sense. The biggest mistake most networkers make is they never introduce themselves, and you cant make new friends at work without an introduction. Dont enter the building, hang your coat, turn on the PC and abflug working. That sends the message you dont want to be friends with anyone. Second, no one makes friends being a wallflower. Take the time to say hello to those in your immediate work area. Dont be shy walk right up to them, reach out your hand and say Hello, my name isOn the other hand, if your colleague is stooped over piles of files, it may be wise to introduce yourself a little later. Never interrupt a conversation and dont be pushy. Again, sincerity is the key. Just be polite and introduce yourself. Dont try to start a conversation. Your co-worker will guide you. They will either start talking or go back to work.Find a common interest just dont be too personal.Here comes the hard part. In order to learn what inspires your colle agues, you must listen. Pay attention to your co-workers interests and passions. Other clues can be gathered by the photos they keep on their desk, the mugs they use and even wallpaper they use on their computer desktop. Sports is a universal passion. If you are interested in the same sporting team or event, try to spark up a conversation about a recent game.Just dont get too personal. Mothers may feel comfortable talking about their children with other mothers. But it may make men without children a little uncomfortable. On that same note, stay away from politics and religion. There are no two topics more volatile than these. Start talking about the recent elections or a Supreme Court ruling and you may kick off World War III in the office.Be considerate of their input.Okay, youve been at the company for a few months, broke the ice with Al in accounting and invited him to the local college game this weekend, whats next? After extending your invitation, your co-worker may decline. I ts not the answer you should listen to but how they answered. If they volunteer information that theyre busy but otherwise would love to go, keep them in mind for next time.On the other hand, should they tell you no in a determined, short answer, respond warmly, tell them thanks for their time and move on. No one wants to feel pushed into being friends. Take rejection in stride. Its not you hopefully. Some people just arent compatible as friends.Dont rush into things.One of the common themes weve reiterated is patience. Building friendships takes time and making friends at work is no exception. A job is a long-term commitment, and youre going to be around your co-workers for at least a year. Theres no need to rush. There is no need to rush in adding people to social media, inviting people for beers after work or learning all their childrens names. Its better to take time and cultivate lasting relationships. Rushing makes you seem desperate and weird. This will more than likely push people away, instead of making any true friends.What if I never make friends?This may be a realistic fear for some. There are work environments that simply prevent people from becoming friends. Whether you dont have time to mingle, feel uncomfortable or your co-workers just dont fit with your idea of friends, there are no guarantees you will find you BFF at work. Before deciding its hopeless, take a look at the above warnings and tips. Are you pushing them away? Did you try too hard too soon? If you determine its not your fault, then a new environment may be in order.Want to see how your resume stacks up? Try out our free critique todayPhoto creditU.S. Department of Agriculture/Flickr

How to Prepare for a Networking Event

How to Prepare for a Networking EventHow to Prepare for a Networking EventNetworking events can be invaluable for meeting new connections, reinforcing others, and providing an opportunity to improve your professional profile. However, for some personalities, networking events can feel imposing and foreboding. Learning how to prepare for a networking event can alleviate some of these concerns.If you prepare properly, you can overcome the networking jitters rather easily and get the value from your interactions at every networking event.Follow these tips on how to prepare for a networking eventPrepare your elevator speech.Some of the fruchtwein important preparatory tasks will occur prior to the networking event that you plan to attend. One such task is to prepare and practice an elevator speech, which is a three- to five-minute description of what you do or an important project that youre working on. Having this information prepared in advance will put you at ease when asked, What do you do?Update your online networking accounts.Before attending your networking event, review and update your business networking accounts, including LinkedIn, your professional website, or other affiliations that feature profiles about you. Include your latest accomplishments, promotions, relevant volunteer work, and other important updates. After youve met an interested party at the event, theyll likely look you up online and having these accounts updated will promote the positive image you wish to portray.Scrub your social media pages.Similarly, you should take a keen look at your social media pages such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and others. Scrub these sites of any overly personal information or opinions, which could possibly turn away a future business contact.Get new business cards.There are many resources for inexpensive business cards or contact cards available to allow you to bestellung new, updated cards prior to your networking event for little out-of-pocket expense . Consider the message you wish to convey when selecting the theme of the card and consider what information you wish to share on the card.Remember, this is for business building, so consider including only your name, work phone, work email address, website or LinkedIn profile URL, and work address. Refrain from adding personal information.Peruse the speaker list.Now that youve attended to all the prep details for the event, its time to draw your attention to the event itself. Before arriving to the event, request the program and list of speakers from the event organizers. Look up information on the speakers and identify those whom you wish to meet. Make notes on the program and make a list of talking points to use with these chosen speakers.Feel free to discreetly carry the program and notes with you so you can refer to it prior to introducing yourself.Steer clear of cell phones or connection barriers.Heres another great tip for how to prepare for a networking event. Avoid carrying your cell phone in hand or any other device that will create a barrier to a firm handshake or that will make you look disinterested and unapproachable.Connect with pertinent people after the event.Be aya to focus on meeting some guests of the event, as well as presenters. Collect business cards and use your prepared talking points to have engaging discussions. Also, prepare some questions of fellow guests to show your interest in their work and be sure not to dominate any conversation with your own news. Once home, reflect on the event and those youve met. Find these folks online and like or follow their social media pages and send them a note to work on building a professional relationship.Know someone looking for a job? Refer a friend to with this link- youll get a month free service and theyll get 30% off

10 Things NOT To Do in a Project Interview

10 Things NOT To Do in a Project Interview10 Things NOT To Do in a Project Interviewby Kristine Schoonmaker, MyConsultingLife.ComInterviews can be nerve-wracking, especially when whats at stake is a role for you and a new project for your firm. During the proposal process clients often want to meet the prospective team, or at least the key members, before they make their final decision. And its understandable. If you were going to pay someone even $50,000 for a project, never mind millions, wouldnt you? While you may have found internal staffing conversations to be less formal, this isnt the distributionspolitik to wing it. Here are a few mistakes I personally witnessed this week that you should avoid if you find yourself in the hot seat.Speaking too generically and overusing buzz words. Every consulting firm a client considers is going to be concerned with strong project management, milestones and dependencies. Dont waste their time talking about these things in generic terms. Let t hem know what makes you different than everyone else and what unique experiences and skills you bring to the team.Answering the wrong question. Its normal to be nervous, but dont be so consumed by it that you dont listen to the question. If you show you cant understand what they are looking for before they even sign on the dotted line, they wont have much confidence youll be able to do it when it really counts.Not following up when their question is unclear. By the same token, hearing the question, not understanding it and throwing any answer at the wall to see if it sticks is equally bad. Like you should do in any conversation, if you dont understand the question, dont guess. Ask them to clarify what they mean. Even if you dont have a good answer, at least youll demonstrate strong listening skills. Having only one example. If youve only worked on one project, thats ok. But you dont want to sound like you have no experience to draw on. Consider in advance how you might tee up your e xamples from your one client engagement so that they sound like they could be from different clients. You might also want to have examples of other projects your firm has been involved in to share as things we have done with other clients. Your goal is to build their confidence in you and your firm. Taking a one-size fits all approach to their problem. Just because you did something one way on your last project doesnt mean it will work for every situation. Clients want to know best practices but they also want to know you get their business. Everyone thinks they are unique. Build credibility by showing them you know whats worked well before, but avoid sounding inflexible when you reference other engagements.Being too casual. While you want them to feel comfortable with you, you arent old friends yet. Casual language like yall, juicy, and stuff are simply not appropriate for this type of conversation. Did she really say juicy? Oh yesI heard it personally.Not knowing the client situat ion in advance. It always amazes me how many people walk into a situation and have NO idea what they are getting into. Dont make this mistake. Have enough sense get the scoop on the scope of their project before the meeting. Using examples of what youve done with 100 people, when they are talking about 5000 doesnt translate. If you dont know how you would handle something of that size or scope, at least ask a subject matter expert or more seasoned consultant in your firm who would know. Talking over the client when they are trying to clarify their question. This can be a challenge when you are on the phone, but if you hear background noise, dont just keep talking. Stop and ask if someone was trying to interject rather than continuing to talk over them. Not understanding the role they want you to play. Are you building the system or building the training for the system? Do they have an internal team youll be leading or are you doing the work? If they realize youre unclear about the r ole, its way too easy to departure questioning whether you have the skills to do what they want you to do. Not giving an answer when they ask for a recommendation. This may be your first face to face meeting with the client but you should always have a going in position about your work stream based on the background information you have. If they ask for a specific recommendation, you dont have to commit to an answer but at least be able to refer to best practices to keep in mind based on their project needs.So whats my advice to avoid these mistakes? Do your homework, prepare well, know what makes you different, have a perspective and be professional.Kristine Schoonmaker is The Career Lifestyle Coach for Consultants and founder of MyConsultingLife.com. Her bi-weekly ezine Accelerate offers practical insider advice and quick tips from a former consulting exec to help YOU take greater control of your career and stay engaged in your personal life from the road. If youre ready to have it all an amazing career in consulting without giving up the lifestyle, relationships and experiences you want, get your FREE subscription now at www.myconsultinglife.com.