With some work in the audio industry (especially freelance work), gigs and job offers can come through meetings versus interviews. Business meetings can take place at a workplace, over a meal or drink, or even at an industry event.
A meeting can have a number of purposes:
- Social/networking
- Information sharing/education
- Informal interview
If you identify the purpose of a meeting, it can help you better communicate and prepare.
Social/networking meetings
Social/networking meetings are casual meetings for the purpose of getting to know someone professionally (and their work), and finding how each may be beneficial to the other. These meetings can be more about forming friendships than work, but it is still important to maintain some professional/business boundaries. If you are more comfortable with people one-on-one, these types of meetings can be a great way to make connections.
Informational meetings
Informational meetings are planned meetings with the goal of education. An informational meeting is similar to having a no-commitment mentor for period of time, like shadowing on the job for an afternoon or a day. An informational meeting can help if:
- You have specific questions about a discipline or job role
- You’d like to learn from professionals about their job (anything from audio skills to business questions)
- You’re looking to network with professionals who have more experience or are more established in the community
For emerging professionals, informational meetings are a great way to start networking and let professionals get to know you – without asking for work. You will likely be the one asking for the meeting, so it’s good to be clear about the purpose of your meeting when you ask about it (“Would you have time for a call or Zoom to give some advice?”, or “Could I buy you coffee sometime to talk?”). If they response with, “get back to me in a couple weeks,” that’s a good sign they intend on trying to make time for you – if you follow up.
One mistake in an informational meeting is to treat the other professional too much as an equal. A social/networking meeting is more like a discussion between equals, but an informational meeting is more like a meeting between a teacher and a student. If you’ve asked someone for a meeting (with the impression you’re looking to learn) then act as you know it all already, it can come across as egotistical or as having a bad attitude.
Some informational meetings will be really productive and insightful and others will not. It’s similar to dating where you will connect with some people but not everyone. Some informational meetings will develop into business relationships and others you won’t hear from them again.
Once you have had an informational meeting, follow up with a thank you message. This is the optimal time to follow up on anything they offered to do. For example:
Thank you for taking the time to talk with me today! Your advice about where to look for work was really helpful and I will be following up with [person or company], as you suggested. Is it ok that I mentioned you referred me?
Informal interview meetings
A business meeting could be an informal interview, since it is an opportunity for someone to get to know you before deciding whether or not to offer you work.
If you apply for a gig or job then get an invitation from someone from the company for breakfast (and you haven’t met), it’s possibly an informal interview.
Suggested etiquette for in-person business meetings
Standard etiquette for a business meeting will vary from culture to culture – and entertainment industry etiquette may be different from that. If you are unsure, ask other professionals in your discipline and location about:
- Appropriate dress. What is considered professional, and what is overdressed for a meeting? For example, what is appropriate in New York City would be considered overdressed in Los Angeles.
- Paying. Who customarily pays (or offers to pay) for a meal or drink?
- Topics of conversation. What are acceptable (and off-limit) topics? Some cultures are more open about personal questions than others. Asking certain personal questions (like if someone is married or in a relationship) could send mixed messages about the purpose of the meeting, as well.
- Meeting Location. A meeting could happen in someone’s home, but this varies by culture and also within disciplines. Someone working in a home studio may ask to meet there – but the invitation can always be countered with another suggestion, such as a more public location.