• Relax and treat them as peers. • Be curious. • Do not respond with one word answers (e.g. “Good,” “Yes,” or “No”). Give them details and more information so they can ask follow-up questions. • Listen actively to their responses. Ask follow-up questions to something they say. • Ask open-ended questions. They get the other person talking more than “yes/no” questions. • Open ended: How do you feel about rainy days? • Close ended (yes/no answers): Do you like the rain? • Ask their question to you back to them. For example, if they ask about your favorite book, you give your answer and then ask them what their favorite book is. • After they answer your question, give your opinion on the same question. • Remember the importance of non-verbal cues. Maintain eye contact, smile, and act engaged.

These first sections are great for the 5 minutes of small talk in an interview setting. The basics • How is your day going so far? • How was your weekend? Did you do anything fun? • Do you have any good plans for the weekend? What are they? • How did you spend the winter break/holidays/long weekend? • Do you have any plans for the winter break/holidays/long weekend? The weather • I heard it’s going to be beautiful/rainy/cold/foggy this weekend. How does that impact your plans? • This weekend was so cold/hot/rainy/beautiful. Did it impact your plans at all? • What is your favorite kind of weather? • If you could live anywhere based on weather, where would it be? • Non-question: You can always commiserate together on how people can’t drive in the rain or snow and the impact it has on traffic. This is a common small talk topic! Your location/surroundings • Have you ever been to this coffee shop, town, conference before? • What do you recommend to order? What are you going to order? • (If you’re new to the area) Where do the locals go? The rest of these are better for networking situations or situations when you have more time. Entertainment • Are you reading any good books right now? • Have you seen any great shows/movies lately? • Are there any apps on your phone that you can’t live without? I’m always looking for recommendations. • I’ve recently gotten into podcasts. Do you listen to them and have any suggestions? • What are your favorite accounts to follow on Instagram? • What type of music do you listen to? Hobbies • What do you do in your free time? • How did you become involved in that hobby? • What do you love about it? What is hard about it? • Are there any hobbies that you’d like to try or classes you’d like to take? Food • Do you eat out around here often? Do you have any good recommendations? • Do you like to cook? What types of things do you like to make? • If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? • What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten? • What’s your go-to comfort food? • Are there any foods that you absolutely would not eat? • What are the best cheap eats around here? • Does your family have any “secret” or famous recipes? • What’s your favorite restaurant that other people don’t tend to know about? Travel • If you could fly anywhere for free, where would you go? • What’s the coolest road trip you’ve ever been on? • Where’s the last place you traveled? What did you do there? • Do you prefer action-packed vacations or relaxing on the beach? • What’s the next trip you have planned? • If you could take a workcation or sabbatical, where would you go and what would you do? • What’s your favorite thing to do around here on the weekends? Sports • Did you watch the game this weekend? • Do you follow any sports/sports teams? • How did you get interested in that sport? Did you play growing up? Life • Are you from around here? Where did you live when you were growing up? • How is that different from here/now? • What’s the weather/people/hobbies like there? • Do you have any pets? Are you a dog person or a cat person? • What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Just for fun (not for an interview or formal setting) • If you were in charge of picking the eighth wonder of the world, what would you choose? • What do you wish you had placed in a time capsule 15 years ago? What would you place in a time capsule today for people to open up 100 years from now. • What’s the strangest compliment you’ve ever gotten? • Have you ever thought of a cool invention or company, only to discover someone had already invented or started it? • If you could teach a college course on any subject you want, what would it be? • What’s the most out-of-character thing you’ve ever done? • What would be your ideal superpower? • If you could have any type of animal for a pet, what would it be?

• Religion • Politics • Race/Gender/Sexuality Do: • Follow their lead. Typically, you wouldn’t engage in one of these topics until the other person brings it up. • Continue the conversation if you share similar beliefs and are comfortable talking about it! You can form great relationships with others by discussing these topics. Do not: • Argue with people who do not share the same beliefs. • Take it as an opportunity to lecture or educate them on why they are wrong. ​ You should steer the conversation to benign, non-combative topics. There is a time and place to discuss opposing views on hot button topics, but small talk while interviewing, networking, or on the job are not going to be those times.