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Conversations Lead to Jobs: 100 Good Conversation Starters

Here are some conversation starters to break the ice in any professional situation and help establish a connection between you and others.

Donna Wright Profile
By Donna Wright 10 minute read

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Conversation Starters

Need help with how to start a conversation? Conversation starters can lead to exciting conversations for job candidates to network and build meaningful rapport with job interviewers. Conversations can occur just about anywhere but they’re particularly important during a networking event or before a job interview officially begins.

On this page, we’ll provide you with 100 of the best conversation starters for job networking, social settings and job interviews. These conversation openers can instantly lead you to deeper and more genuine conversations, paving the way for a great job interview and improving your chances of getting hired.

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Why conversation starters are important

Conversation starters can vary greatly depending on the situation, but they all serve as ice-breakers that can lead you to meaningful and deep conversations. Some conversation starters are suitable for a specific situation but entirely unsuitable for others.

For example, you may find yourself on a first date on Valentine’s Day, struggling to make some good vibes by engaging in some small talk. In this case, casual or funny conversation starters like talking about your favorite restaurant, favorite food or even sharing your worst pick-up line would be very suitable. Even asking your date silly “would-you-rather” questions or about their biggest regrets while in high school would all be suitable conversation starters for your first time on a date. But using these types of personal questions during a job interview can probably guarantee that this is the last time you’ll see that hiring.

Below we’ll go over good conversation starters to use with a job interviewer and great conversation starters for job networking. Finally, we’ll provide some practical guidelines for how to keep the conversation going once you’ve asked the specific questions and started the small talk.

40 Great conversation starters in a social setting

Once you’ve successfully used these conversation starters to engage in small talk at networking events, you can then maintain the conversation by asking more casual questions to build further rapport, such as the following, broken down by topic:

Conversation starters about goals:

Most people have things they hope to accomplish, both inside and outside of work. Talking about goals can be an excellent way to bond with other people and announcing these ambitions can keep people motivated to improve or progress in their own goals. Here are a couple questions you can ask, along with share a bit about your own self-improvement plans so that you can plan or celebrate together:

  • What are the top three things on your bucket list?

This may seem like a strange question, but deep conversation starters like this one, may yield some common ground between you and the other person.

  • What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?

This is a great way to listen intently to the mentioned advice, thank the person for sharing, and respond with how you’ll remember that piece of advice in the future.

  • What would you say is your hidden talent?
  • Who do you look up to most?
  • What is one thing you’d like to improve at work?

This is a great opportunity to mention your best work qualities should the other person mention something that happens to be your strong areas in business.

Light personal questions as conversation starters:

Sometimes talks that are too politically charged, too personal or revolve in gossip can get heated, and it is often best to steer away from overly controversial topics until you have a relationship with someone and know how they will react. Instead, discuss subjects that can lead to follow-up questions without making anyone uncomfortable, such as:

  • What’s the best purchase you’ve ever made?
  • Do you have any pets?
  • Do you have a work-related pet peeve?

A great way to avoid saying something in response that will not be favorable to the other person.

  • Do you know a lot of people at this event?

The answer to this question allows you to mention if you’re a newcomer and would like to be introduced to others for networking purposes.

  • Have you tried the food? Any recommendations?
  • Who do you look up to most?
  • How has your day been so far?

This is a courteous and simple way to elicit an answer from the other person. It gives you the opportunity to respond with encouraging words if a day has not been the best.

  • Did you have a childhood dream job?
  • What are your plans for retirement?
  • Can you survive without checking your cell phone for at least one hour?

This can elicit a simple “yes” or “no” answer but it’ll probably trigger a further explanation for anyone unable to disconnect from a cell phone.

  • What are three words that best describe your work demeanor?

The answer to this question provides a quick glimpse into the work environment. If the person answers with the words stressed, overworked and overwhelmed, it may not be a good place to work.

  • If you had enough money not to work, what would you do for fun?
  • Do you commute to work or work remotely?

It’s a good idea to see if a company requires employees to work in-house, hybrid or allows complete remote working opportunities.

  • What is the best gift you ever received?

Conversation starters about vacations and holidays:

People love traveling or taking time off to unwind. Trips are an exciting and engaging conversation topics as it brings a sense of bonding and joy to the conversation. You can ask about past travels or plans for upcoming trips as this offers a chance to bond over common destinations, or just to focus on thoughts of rest and relaxation.

  • Where’d you go on your last vacation?

This is just a fun question that can lead to a common ground such as vacationing at the beach or in the mountains, camping locally or sightseeing abroad.

  • What is one thing you can’t live without?
  • Living in the mountains or living by the sea – which would you choose?
  • What’s your favorite holiday?
  • Does the company celebrate holidays or seasonal events?

If you’re interested in a company that includes fun events like summer or holiday employee gatherings, you’ll get the answer from someone who knows.

  • Do you travel on business?

If you’re looking for insight in the business travel requirements, an answer to this question may yield an honest perspective on potential travel.

  • What was the best place you’ve traveled on business?
  • What was the longest business trip you’ve ever taken?

The answer can help you determine whether business travel with the particular company may be more than you’re looking for or anticipating.

  • Would you relocate for a great business opportunity?

This gives you insight into whether the person that you’re conversing with relocated to work at the present company, making the company more worthwhile to join.

Conversation starters about hobbies:

Hobbies are one of the most popular talking points. Learning what people like to do in their spare time can help you understand and appreciate them as individuals and can provide opportunities for future conversations. Here are some suggestions:

  • What’s your favorite movie of all time?
  • What about your favorite book?
  • What’s your favorite song?
  • What’s your favorite thing to do in your free time?
  • Are you a morning person or night person?
  • Who is your favorite author?
  • What TV show are you into right now?
  • Do you have a favorite sport?
  • Do you have a favorite podcast?
  • What’s your favorite type of music?
  • Do you have a favorite local restaurant?
  • Do you like playing party games?
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20 good conversation starters during a job interview

Pre-interview small talk can be crucial for ensuring a smooth and successful interaction during an interview. Preparing some good conversation starters can help avoid awkward silences and uncomfortable beginnings in an interview. In addition, they allow you to start interviews with an instinctive and personal touch making you more likable and provide perfect opportunities for follow-up questions regarding the job.

Here are some perfect conversation starters to use with an interviewer:

  • 1

    How long have you been with this company?

    Asking this question will help you find out just how much they like not just their position, but the company itself.

  • 2

    What do you like most about working here?

    The answers to this question gives you a gauge on the benefits of working for the company and whether you can see yourself joining the team.

  • 3

    What do you least like about working here?

    While many faced with this awkward question may not be completely honest, you may hear about some part of daily work life that you wouldn’t otherwise if you hadn’t been bold enough to ask the question.

  • 4

    What’s it like working with the team? What can you share with me about that?

    This question is helpful, not just for day-to-day purposes, but to get an idea whether you’ll be expected to work as a team, on an individual basis, or both.

  • 5

    What’s the culture like within the company?

    This is the type of question that helps you figure out if the company you’re interviewing at has a value system that matches your own. Learning about the formal and informal behaviors of how a company functions and creates an experience for both its employees and customers is essential for figuring out if you would be a good fit.

  • 6

    What aspect of your job is the most satisfying/rewarding for you?

    Another factor that goes into a successful interview is seeing how the company mentors and prepares its current employees for success. This question will help you find out what the most meaningful part of the job is to your interviewer, and provide you with excellent professional insights.

  • 7

    What do you think is the most crucial skill in your profession?

    There are many different types of skills; soft skills, hard skills and technical skills. Finding out which soft skill the interviewer values can help you get an idea of what communication style is most effective. Or, if they are more hard or technical skills-focused this will help you prioritize your ideal responsibilities in the role.

  • 8

    What would you say is the biggest reward of working here?

    Asking this question is a great way to hone in on what specific skills or talents are valued most by the company you are interviewing with and how the current employers feel about their individual contributions.

  • 9

    What interests you most/least about this job?

    While this may be a tough question, it will let you know what some of the more tedious aspects of the workplace could be — just remember to keep the conversation positive and emphasize that you are excited about the opportunity.

  • 10

    How do you deal with conflict in the workplace?

    This question is more of a litmus test for you as it will give you an idea if you’ll thrive at their company and if your voice will be heard during serious discussions.

  • 11

    If there’s one thing you’d like the company to change, what would it be?

    This will help you get an idea of the difficulties the company faces, and how open to other points of view the employer is.

  • 12

    What would you say is the biggest challenge you face in your job?

    Figuring out if the interviewer spends more time on the conflict or the resolution of this issue gives you some deeper insights into the professional workings of the company.

  • 13

    What motivates you at work?

    Motivation through teammates or management would give you an indication of the company culture and daily work life.

  • 14

    What challenges is your business currently facing?

    The answer to this question allows you to explain how your hidden talent can benefit the company to help with the current challenges.

  • 15

    Are you currently reading any books about business that you’d like to recommend that I read?

    This shows that you’re willing to do your homework to better understand business principles and better yourself.

  • 16

    What is your greatest professional achievement to date?

    Seeing that a person’s achievement was made at the current or former company can give you insight into the growth potential or success of a company.

  • 17

    What surprised you about working for this company?

    Whether the answer to this question is favorable or negative, it’s good for you to get some sense of what it’s like to be in the organization, and how content the employees are.

  • 18

    I read that your team won an award. Can you explain the accomplishment?

    By complimenting the other person, shows that you’re a team player and can share in the professional successes of others.

  • 19

    Your company’s latest blog post was very inspiring.

    Sharing that you follow the person’s blog and stay up-to-date on the latest social media professional resources makes you stand out from the crowd.

  • 20

    I enjoyed your webinar about this industry.

    This shows your interest in the industry and that you’re interested enough to learn more through attending webinars.

Top 40 conversation starters for job networking

Having the skills to start and maintain an interesting conversation is an excellent communication skill for job networking events. Choosing the proper conversation starters for networking events can help you develop meaningful rapport with other professionals in your industry, make new connections and build long-lasting relationships.

Networking events provide an excellent opportunity to build potential partnerships with professionals in your industry. But you can’t make these potential partnerships if you don’t leave a great first impression, and for that, you must know how to start and maintain great conversations. Therefore, to fully take advantage of networking events, use these five great conversation starters to mingle with like-minded professionals and develop meaningful relationships and potential partnerships:

  • 1

    What did you do for a living before your current role?

    Networking events provide the opportunity to meet new people in your industry but it’s also good to know where people’s backgrounds lie. Questions like these are a great way to bond with peers over past work experiences.

  • 2

    What was your first job?

    Everyone has had a foolhardy or funny experience at their first job so broaching this topic is a great way to break the ice and form attachments with new peers.

  • 3

    What’s the best thing about your job?

    This question is a great way to get others to talk about their responsibilities and achievements in a casual setting and for you to get a better idea of what your role entails.

  • 4

    What’s an average day at the office like for you?

    Having someone describe their typical day is a great way to get a feel for what someone’s favorite and least favorite parts of the day are through observing their body language as they walk you through their experience.

  • 5

    What would be your dream job?

    Delving into what kind of work environment and company culture a person prefers to work and how it will positively impact themselves and others is ideal for discovering a person’s core values.

  • 6

    What is the highlight of your day?

    This question is a great litmus test for seeing what people find urgent, joyful, or satisfying in their day to day lives.

  • 7

    Who’s your role model for your career?

    Finding out who people admire in a professional setting shows that someone values their career success and their motivations aren’t just about being able to produce a set of outcomes alone.

  • 8

    What made you interested in your career?

    Getting an answer to this question will help you understand what a person’s career objectives are and how they plan to learn and grow their skills.

  • 9

    What’s the biggest regret of your career so far?

    Talking about how we deal with failure is not only a good way to bond, but also can lead to new ways of looking at problems.

  • 10

    What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had this year?

    Learning new ways to adapt to problems and share struggles you were able to solve or overcome shows you are taking both the conversation and this opportunity to network seriously.

  • 11

    Do you work for this company or are you a guest at this event like me?

    Conversing with a current employee of the company you want to work for may be a quick foot-in-the-door start. If the person is only a guest, this networking could lead to other job openings.

  • 12

    What’s your best networking tip to break into this industry?

    The more you network, the more your name gets out there and the better your chances of getting inside industry information regarding future opportunities.

  • 13

    Do you know any employees working at this company?

    Finding the name of someone who works at a specific company gives you the chance to reach out via social media like LinkedIn.

  • 14

    What is your role at the company?

    Showing that you’re interested in the person that you’re conversing with, will make you look less self-centered and only concerned about landing a job.

  • 15

    What department do you work in?

    The answer to this question allows you to learn more about the company and its roles.

  • 16

    What brings you to this event?

    This is a good way to share the reasons why you chose to attend the event.

  • 17

    May I introduce myself?

    It’s always nice to approach a conversation slowly, rather than be overly aggressive.

  • 18

    How long have you been at your current job?

    This is a good indication of the company’s reputation for long term employees or if there is a large turnover rate.

  • 19

    Is there anything you miss about your old job?

    It’s always a good idea to hear job-changing stories of business professionals in your industry.

  • 20

    Which are the most important skills for employees on your team?

    A quick way to learn what skills you may need to learn or improve.

  • 21

    Are you currently working on any new skills?

    This allows you to see if there are learning and training opportunities within a company.

  • 22

    Who is your favorite mentor in this business?

    The answer to this question will give you leads on more networking opportunities.

  • 23

    What’s the best professional advice you’ve ever received?

    Should the professional advice have been given by an industry mentor, you can then connect with the mentor on social media.

  • 24

    Do you have any professional advice for a recent graduate?

    All professionals need to begin somewhere so industry advice early on can lead to a great start and a promising future.

  • 25

    Do you recommend any classes that I should take?

    This shows your respect for the professional’s recommendation in addition to your willingness to learn and grow in the industry.

  • 26

    Can you introduce me to someone from the HR department?

    This may seem pushy but connecting directly with someone from the human resources team could be your ticket to a job interview.

  • 27

    Have you been to this business event before?

    The answer will lead to a deeper conversation sharing information about current job roles and potential opportunities.

  • 28

    Did you relocate to this city to work for this company?

    This is a subtle way to ask the person where they’re originally from and the background of landing their current job at the company you’d like to join.

  • 29

    Do you prefer working remotely or in an office environment?

    The answer will be based on personal opinion and will allow you to share your feelings on the topic.

  • 30

    Has your company or team won any awards?

    Learning about company successes allows you to be complimentary toward the other person.

  • 31

    Do you do freelance work on the side?

    The answer can start a conversation about current workload or needing freelance to earn extra money.

  • 32

    What projects are you most proud of?

    This gives you the scope of project types available at the company and gives you the opportunity to respond with details about a successful project you worked on.

  • 33

    Why are you passionate about your career?

    A chance to agree with the other person based on why you also selected this career path, industry and job role.

  • 34

    How does the company overcome challenges?

    Learning that a company comes together as a team or makes a few individuals drown during business challenges, is a good indication of crisis management.

  • 35

    What is your measurement of a successful job?

    Not all jobs show success in numbers or performance so asking this question is necessary to see whether you’ll fit in with work expectations.

  • 36

    How might you improve your company’s efficiency?

    This is a great way to share your accomplishments with tackling such efficiencies in previous job roles.

  • 37

    Is this company open to new ideas and brainstorming?

    If you’re an “idea” person, you want to gauge whether the company gives its employees a chance to be heard by pitching ideas.

  • 38

    Will the company invest in future technological upgrades?

    There is nothing worse than joining a company unwilling to update to new, more efficient technology.

  • 39

    What is your ideal work environment?

    Not all work environments are the same so it’s always good to get an insider’s view.

  • 40

    How does the employer describe a leader?

    This question allows you to respond to the answer to say how you have the right leadership skills or how you aspire to be a business leader one day.

5 tips for keeping the conversation going

Once you’ve successfully gotten the conversation started, it’s equally important to keep the conversation going in the right direction. You can do this by being an active listener. To be an effective active listener, show the interviewer that you’re listening by having open body language, and by making and maintaining eye contact. Show that you have summarized what the speaker has said when you ask relevant follow-up questions to show them that you are invested in the conversation and want to continue it.

Here are five ways to keep the conversation going:

  • Practice your nonverbal communication: This means that you show interest on your face, you’re not crossing your arms, your tone of voice is positive, and you feel comfortable in your surroundings.
  • Use active listening: Active listening involves paying close attention to what someone is saying to you, rephrasing what the person is saying and asking clarifying questions to understand what they are saying. Remember to focus on the speaker and avoid distractions by paying close attention to who you’re communicating with, engaging with them and asking questions.
  • Steer the conversation to topics you’re both interested in: Ask questions that begin with who, what, why, when, where, and how is an easy way to narrow down broader topics to the parts that interest you or to sublet change the subject without being forceful.
  • Ask open-ended questions: These are questions that are phrased as a statement which would then require a longer response then something static like a “yes” or a “no.” AN open ended question can also lead to follow ups which will help keep the conversation flowing.
  • Have conversations with people you’re comfortable with: Use friends and family to test out new conversation starters and practice elaborating on new topics with them.
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More job search and networking resources

ResumeHelp provides conversation starters to break the ice in any professional situation and to help establish a connection between you and others. It also has plenty of other resources and guides for networking and making connections.

Check out these resources if you need help with:

  • Career Advice and Planning: The following articles will help you get through the process of preparing for your career search so that every aspect of your job application is complete, accurate and that you’re ready for success.
  • Interview Tips: When a job interviewer asks questions about your resume, how should you answer them? Just follow ResumeHelp’s professional tips and guide to find out how.
  • Interview Questions: Behavioral interview questions are questions recruiters ask candidates in order to get an idea of their soft skills, personality and communication skills. Figure out the best way to answer these questions just in time for your next interview.
  • How to Use the STAR Method in Answering Questions: Here’s how you can ace your interview using the STAR method.
  • Job Search Guide and Tips: There are many sites you can use to search for jobs, so where do you start? Here’s ResumeHelp’s tips on the top sites you can use for an effective job search.

FAQ: Conversation Starters

Have questions? We’re here to help.

What are some cute conversation starters?

While experts may not suggest you use a “cute” conversation starter in a job interview or at a networking event, it can be used in social settings to break the ice. Here are some cute conversation starters:

  • If you could have a superpower what would it be?
  • What’s your favorite comfort food?
  • What is your favorite season?
  • What was your favorite subject in school?
  • What’s your favorite song and dance move?
  • What was your most embarrassing moment?
  • Which do you like the most: dogs or cats?

Answers to these cute conversation starters could help instigate an engaging conversation.

How do I move past small talk?

Using any conversation on this page can help you get off to a great start. To move past the small talk, segue the topic into questions the other person may be interested in. Then, through that switch in the conversation, you can subtly get to the point of the topic you’re looking to discuss whether it’s more information about a company or job, networking opportunities or job interview questions.

Why is small talk important?

Small talk is important because it helps pave the way for authentic and deeper conversations down the line. It also increases your ability to bond with others and enables you to find common ground and shared interests with those around you.

What are the worst conversation starters?

Regardless of the situation, topics relating to politics, money, social media, personal family questions, death, religion, sex,gossip, or any controversial opinion tend to be awkward conversation starters. Start a conversation the right way with the questions on this page, and you’ll build your conversation skills and make meaningful relationships.

What are the best conversation starter topics?

Here are a sampling of great conversation starter topics you can use to begin conversing with others:

  • Sports
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Music
  • Things you want to learn
  • Hobbies
  • Family
  • What makes you laugh

What is the best topic for a conversation?

The best way to broach a conversation with someone doesn’t actually revolve around a particular topic, since interests are subjective. If you want to see if a new person is interested in talking to you, start by asking them for help. While this may seem counterintuitive as it opens you up to more rejection than simply doing nothing, directly asking one person for help with a small task (something with clear expectations like finding a lost pen) is rewarding for both you and the other person. It’s a quick way to establish emotional closeness as you are expressing a vulnerability in asking for assistance and this enables a wired response for kindness in the other person leading to a positive social interaction, thus making it easier in the future for you to talk about more personal matters with this person.

How do I start a unique conversation?

If you are looking to avoid the “nice weather we’re having” conversation or other topics that may lead to awkward silence, the best way to begin a unique and interesting conversation is with a compliment. It can be something as simple as noting someone’s novelty socks and asking where they got them. Or if a coworker had a great suggestion for a project, tell them that — and why you like the idea. This approach will foster a more unique and personalized conversation than just asking how their weekend was or if they are as confused by daylight savings as you are.

How do I make small talk?

Being positive and purposeful are the first steps in making good small talk. Being thrown into a room full of strangers and acquaintances can be both confusing and anxiety-inducing so pause and take a moment to think about what you would want to share with another person and what they might like to know about you, like a hobby you have or the last movie you liked and form an open-ended question around that. Simple questions like “How are you” lead to one-word answers but if you ask an open-ended question like “What did you think of today’s presentation?” and practice your active listening skills you can develop a dialog with another person that is both engaging and beneficial.

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Donna Wright Profile
WRITTEN BY Donna Wright

Donna is a career expert with extensive experience in the fields of Marketing, Publishing, Direct Mail and Communications. She’s witnessed firsthand the importance of a powerful resume and cover letter to a job search, so she takes great pride in helping change the lives of job seekers by sharing expert career advice and tips to help land the perfect job.

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