When a friend of mine posted the article below on Facebook, I was about to ignore it, but the title caught my eye and I’m glad that I took the time to read it. As my longtime readers know, networking is sort of my “thing” and I spend a lot of time building and cultivating personal and professional relationships…because one never knows when a relationship can yield benefits. This article dovetails very well with the idea of networking as an important career building tool.

The writer of the article, Katherine Brooks, Ed.D, has been working in career services for the past 20 years and is currently the Director of Liberal Arts Career Services for the University of Texas at Austin. Her specialty is working with college students and alumni in career transition, both of which are among the communities most affected by the economic downturn of the past year or two. In the article, Dr. Brooks explains how being in the middle seat of an airplane can offer the opportunity to make connections that could result in job leads and career information. Further, she offers tips on how to initiate conversations with other passengers who may not be expecting to talk to anyone after boarding a flight.

As someone who has spent a little bit of time on airplanes , I can attest to the range of interesting people that one can meet on a plane and, while I’ve never found a job lead through an in-flight interaction, I have learned a lot about a range of careers from professionals that I just happened to sit next to on a flight. Also, you guys wouldn’t believe the amount of college and business school advice that I’ve given to students, applicants, and people who know students and applicants from the friendly skies. If you are fortunate enough to site next to the right person/people, there’s no telling how much you can learn and/or benefit from something as simple as saying “Hello” to your flight neighbor(s).

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“Job-Seekers: Grab the Middle Seat on an Airplane”
Author: Katherine Brooks, Ed.D.
Source: PsychologyToday.com, http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/career-transitions/201002/job-seekers-grab-the-middle-seat-airplane

Intro text for the article:

A routine interview question asked by a famous consulting firm is “Sell me the middle seat on an airplane.” It’s a great question– who can conjure up any value in that pariah of a seat? Some answer, “It’s the last seat on the plane– take it or leave it.” Others say, “You’re only one seat away from the aisle.” What’s the answer they’re looking for? Usually it’s, “You have the opportunity to meet two new people.” See they’re looking for “people” people: extraverts who naturally reach out for others and look to make connections.

And here you are, job-seeker, sitting in the middle seat between two people who just possibly might have a connection to your future career. This could be your “butterfly effect” moment: the unplanned encounter with someone who could help you.