Be authentically interesting

- One question I get a lot as a career coach is how can I be more interesting when networking? Well here's a fascinating tidbit. Neuroscientists have found your brain gets more pleasure when you talk about yourself than it does from food or money. So the easiest way to be interesting is to just let others talk about themselves. Really! I once got a job offer after the hiring manager spent 45 minutes telling me about his role and family and upcoming vacation. But if you find yourself at a loss for words in social situations, here are some tricks you can try. Know your story. Being noticeably prepared when asked about your career will score a lot of points with new acquaintances and can even make up for awkward social interactions or being nervous. Naturally, in a job search you'll be asked about your goals. So have a clear, concise story. This goes beyond where you'd like to end up and includes how you came to this realization, the why. People relate to and connect with stories, so you can instantly be more memorable and interesting if you have yours prepared when you meet someone new. Don't ramble or think about it out loud in the first conversation. This is frustrating for someone to listen to and makes you look unprepared. Even if you're still figuring things out, you likely have enough to relay a brief coherent story that inspires further discussion. Look for connection points. A quick win for deepening new relationships is finding commonalities. Perhaps you both went to the same university, or are the middle child, or love travel. Sometimes you can find this information on social media, other times there are visual cues, such as a logo on a bag, and often these shared interests come up in conversation. Think about it. Have you ever been traveling and met someone from your home town? Instant connection and topics to talk about. Take advantage of straying from your primary conversation for a few minutes to explore these connections. We tend to perceive those we have things in common with as more likable. Be easy to help. People are interested in helping people who help themselves. So an easy way to score points in the likeability column is to avoid wasting someone's time. Most people you'll meet want to assist, but often others make it too hard to be worth their time. For example, if you send a list of 10 companies and ask if I know anyone who works there, you're putting a lot of the heavy lifting on me and I'll likely pass. However, if you send me two companies where I've worked previously and ask if I still have any contacts at these places, I'll be more inclined to invest 10 minutes. Do the work for them and your contacts will both appreciate it and help out. Being interesting is less about having witty comebacks and a lifestyle worthy of National Geographic and more about doing your homework, knowing your story, and finding connection points, so don't overthink it. Many job seekers overlook these simple steps, but now that you know, you'll easily navigate new conversations.