5 Must-Ask Networking Questions

5 Must-Ask Networking Questions5 Must-Ask Networking QuestionsLove it or hate it, networking can be a real asset when youre job hunting. It gives you the opportunity to source new connections and even find a fellow job seeking friend to keep you company as you search. But dont waste your networking opportunity by snacking on the crab cakes or holding up the wall. The next time you start a conversation with a potential contact, mention these five must-ask networking questions.Five Must-Ask Networking Questions1. What do you like best about what you do?A typical networking conversation will almost always include the question What do you do? Unless youre well-versed in this persons area of expertise, your conversation might suddenly come to a screeching halt as you try to think of the next thing to say. Well, stumble no more. According to a recent Entrepreneur article, asking what the person likes best about what they do can be a fail-safe question for any convo. It gets the other perso n excited as they think bedrngnis of the pressure of finding a job, but what they love about their field. Plus, its a great way to keep the conversation going.2. How did you get started in the industry?This is a great follow-up question to the What do you like best about what you do? question. It can help you understand the persons history without them having to regurgitate their resume. You might even hear an interesting tale of how the person launched their career, and in doing so, you might discover that you have mutual friends or former colleagues in common.3. Where else do you network?If youre new to networking, having a heads up about some of the best networking events can be a great advantage. And if youre not really into networking, asking this question can help establish camaraderie if you both admit that you might be networking newbs or that you really find these events awkward.4. What are some of your biggest challenges?Finding a job can be a very isolating process. Thats why it can help to know that others are also going through the same job searching struggles you are. If youre speaking to a fellow job seeker, you might commiserate about not hearing back from employers after sending in your job application, or admit that you find some vorstellungsgesprch questions challenging to answer.5. How can I help you?The goal of any networking event is to establish contacts and form connections that can eventually yield solid job results. But networking isnt just a one-way street. In fact, flipping the script and focusing instead on how you can help the person youre speaking with can not only spread some goodwill, but might help you later on in the form of a job lead.