The Art of Brag
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The Football Game
You're on the sidelines at your son’s football game. Another parent strikes up a conversation, eventually asking, "What sort of work do you do?"
Don't say: "I work at one of the big telecom companies. It's OK. The industry isn't great right now. I've been looking for a year, and I can't find anything. Let me know if you've got any contacts."
Why not? It makes you sound like a discontented whiner -- someone who wouldn't be happy working anywhere.
Try saying: "I'm a project manager at ABC Telecom, handling projects for Fortune 500 companies in the insurance and financial services industries. I love the work, especially my coworkers, but I'm feeling like I'm ready for a new challenge."
Next, ask him about his work -- you need to listen as well as brag -- and see if there are any common connections. Consider mining for leads ("I don't know if you know anyone in your company's IT department, but if you do...") at the next game.
