I previously outlined 5 top tips as a quick introduction to networking, and I thought I would build on that with some examples of what you might ask as a student/graduate. These might be useful to bear in mind for The Guardian London Graduate Careers Fair or any other employer networking event.

About them

• What do you enjoy most and least about your job?
• How did you get your job?
• Did the job differ from what you expected?
• What degree did you do? Was it useful? Which aspects?

About the job

• Can you tell me about your typical day at work?
• Are there any many training opportunities?
• Do you get a lot of feedback on how you are doing?
• What sort of person fits in well at this company?

About job hunting in that sector

• What is the staff turnover like in this sector?
• Where are vacancies advertised? / Where does your company advertise?
• What sort of things make candidates stand out?
• Can you think of any courses or projects I could work on that would help me?

Asking for a favour

(After the above, if the conversation went well)

• Are there any opportunities for work shadowing/temporary work?
• Are there any projects I could help on to get a flavour of the job?
• Who else do you think it would be useful for me to talk to?

You might want to make some notes after a conversation to refer to later – names, tips, whether you got a good feeling that you would fit there?

For more advice and examples on networking, see this handout from The Careers Group – Networking, or browse the networking links in Careers Tagged.