Top 12 Ice Breaker Questions for Networking Events
The following 12 ice breaker questions can be used to start and maintain a conversation with a person you are meeting for the first time.
1. What attracted you to the [insert] industry?
2. How did you get your start in the [insert] industry?
3. What do you enjoy most about your role with [insert] company?
4. What do you enjoy most about your profession?
5. What advice would you give to someone just starting out in your business?
6. How is business?
7. What is the #1 challenge your company/industry faces in today’s economy?
8. Most businesses have experienced a great deal of change in the last 5 / 10 years. Has your industry seen any significant differences in how it operates now, versus 5 years ago?
9. Looking ahead, what changes do you see forthcoming in your business?
10. Are you happy with the company’s strategic direction?
11. If you could change anything about your job/your role/your company, what would it be?
12. What one thing would you do with your career and/or business if you knew you could not fail?
You don’t need to ask all of these questions in a first encounter with someone. Commit to memory the questions that feel comfortable for you – that you know you could ask with sincere interest.
Remember, people do business with people they like and trust. The most enjoyable conversations are the ones where people can talk about themselves!
Good Hunting!
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Mark James, CPC is the founder and CEO of Hire Consulting Services (HCS). Established in 1999, HCS is a highly customized executive outplacement and career coaching firm for executive-level professionals.
Mark is equipped with over 25 years of experience in Executive Career Management Coaching, as well as Outplacement and Executive Search Consulting. He is the author of the three best-selling books—Keys to the C Suite: Unlock the Doors to Executive Career Path Success, The Interview Mindset: The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Your Career, and The Recruiter Mindset: The Ultimate Guide to Working with Executive Search Recruiters.
Mark uses a proven and successful strategy and structured process to fully enable his clients to conduct a professional job search campaign and with the singular goal of securing their next career opportunity in significantly less time it would take without a career coach. Clients gain a new perspective of their marketing value coupled with executing a strategic plan and closing the deal on their new role in their next job.
