This is the time of year to be around family and go to Christmas parties but don’t forget that these events are a great opportunity to network. Since these are social gatherings, I wouldn’t suggest a full pitch of your services or career goals, instead look for common connections during your conversations that could lead to a potential collaborative opportunity with them or perhaps someone they know.
When you are around people you already have established a relationship with it’s a good time to reconnect and during your conversation see if they have a need in a specific area that you have the solution for or if they have a skill set that you can collaborate together on any particular career needs. Here’s a personal example, someone could give me some graphic design work and I could help them expand their business network.
Since I’m a career/networking coach when I socialize with people at some point in the conversation I ask them if they enjoy their current job or what are some future career goals they have. If I see an opening, I can offer the a free consultation to see if I can help them come up with a strategy to meet their goals. If there isn’t an opening, I ask if they know someone that needs help establishing, changing or advancing their career. Also, you can create referral networks where you offer them $50 for every legitimate client they help you secure. You never know what resources you can tap into from holiday gatherings so take it easy on the eggnog and network.
Connect With Your Calling 