On November 8th, I attended a workshop called “Small Talk: It’s a BIG Deal!” The workshop started off with the presenter, Elen Stein going around the room and shaking everyone’s hand. We soon found out that her partner canceled last minute but she tried her best. She first had us partner with the person across with us and attempt small talk while trying to fill out a worksheet we were given. Our goal was to fill the worksheet with names of people who had the same zodiac, took the same transportation, had the same graduation date, etc. Unfortunately, we never managed to fill them out as she quickly moved on to scenarios.

My group chose to act out a worker at JP Morgan and a stranger who wants to work there on a delayed train. However, everything quickly dissolved into hysterics when I, the JP Morgan worker, told him(the stranger), that I was going to the Bronx and he replied that he was going to Queens. With my (rather limited and confused) knowledge of the MTA, I asked him how he was going to Queens when I was going to the Bronx and we just started laughing. I realize now that we could have been taking some uptown train out of Manhattan.

Elen, as she told us to call her by her first name, asked for a volunteer to perform a scenario with her, and I, fueled by my hysterics, volunteered. Our setting was of a new worker of an organization approaching an senior worker during a meeting, where the president was late. My role was surprisingly the senior worker, and I think I did pretty well. I didn’t notice that Elen crossing her legs after I crossed mine, was a way of copying me and putting me at ease. It felt like, if I had been in her position, if the older, more experienced worker does this, I should do this too, but not exactly.

We’ve received a extremely useful packet with many tips that I will actually study before an interview, especially before an elevator one.