The Power of Saying Yes: How Taking the First Meeting Can Change Your Career

The best career advice I ever received was from a close family friend: 'Always take the first meeting.' It sounds simple, but this advice has opened doors I never imagined. Whether it's a job interview, a networking call, or an unexpected opportunity, that first conversation can be the key to unlocking your future.

I understood on the surface what that meant, and I followed the instructions. But to truly put into practice the sentiment of the idea took several meetings. It is a bit akin to “you need to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince.”

When You Get the First Interview

Naturally, some meetings come after you've applied for a job. For example, when I decided to transition from journalism to marketing, I interviewed for a marketing role with an accounting firm.

I walked into the interview room at the accounting firm, my nerves tingling with excitement about a potential career in marketing. But as the conversation unfolded, I realized something important—accounting wasn't my passion. Despite the opportunity, I knew I couldn't market something that didn't ignite my enthusiasm.

When You Are Recruited, Even if You Didn’t Plan to Be

Not all first meetings come from job applications. Sometimes, opportunities find you. This happened when a recruiter reached out to me unexpectedly, offering a similar role to what I was currently doing: VP of Operations for a marketing agency. 

Because I still follow this life-changing advice, I, of course, took the first call. The recruiter shared a lot of my values, and the money was too much to ignore. So I took a call with the agency owner. I know I would have gotten that job had I followed through on the interview process, they made that clear. But I didn’t want to waste their time since I knew it wasn’t the right fit for me following that conversation. 

See, the new agency was successful and growing. Their clients were huge names like Facebook, Instagram, and Oculus. But the same thing that made the agency seem cool was actually the one thing that terrified me: all those big names belonged to one parent company, Meta. So if Meta got mad at this agency and pulled their accounts, where did that leave the agency? Where did that leave me? 

I realized security was something extremely important to me in a job. While the job offered the big bucks now, it couldn’t offer me long-term security, and that was a deal-breaker. 

When Connections Connect on Your Behalf

Finally, there are the best types of first meetings: conversations initiated by mutual contacts. These are where my best experiences have all originated. 

Growing up, I danced my whole life. A friend of the family owned a dance clothing company and I modeled for her brochures a few times. I still am not sure what she saw in me, or why she decided to go out on a limb for me. But when I was looking for an internship to complete my journalism degree, she mentioned my name to her contact, Dee, at the publishing company that put out Dance, Dance Spirit and American Cheerleader magazines. Dee then told the person who headed up the internship program about me and asked her to call me as a favor to one of their advertisers. 

That phone call changed my life. I got my dream internship in New York City. It was one of the first times I could truly see myself building a life of independence. All because people who believed in me connected. Do not overlook these opportunities! 

And keep in mind it is paramount to be a kind human who does her best no matter the task at hand. You never know where the thing you are doing now can lead you in the future. 

This happened once again a few years later. I had taken a marketing job for a tech company that procured eBooks for libraries and schools—something I was much more passionate about than accounting! My manager ended up leaving six months after I was hired. 

In those first six months, he taught me a lot and we grew close. We stayed in touch after he took a new job, and when the time was right, he suggested the agency he was working for hire me to build the content marketing department they knew they needed. 

The rest is history. I have been working at the agency ever since, and it is the best career decision I have ever made.

Key Lessons Learned

The first meetings I took were absolutely paramount in learning more about myself and building my career.

I realized that passion is non-negotiable for me. If I'm not excited about the work, I won't perform at my best. For others, this might mean identifying the core elements of a job that fuel their motivation and seeking roles that align with those passions.

I learned that long-term security was important to me at that stage in my life, although it had not been before. 

I learned that it truly pays off to be kind, generous and willing to help, regardless of the task at hand. 

And I learned that if I do a good job in my current role, it can lead to bigger, better roles in the future. 

The lessons I've learned from those first meetings have shaped my career and my life. So the next time an opportunity arises—whether expected or not—remember that one conversation can change everything. Take the first meeting, and see where it leads you.

Stepping into your first job interview can feel daunting, but with the right preparation, you can stand out and nab the job of your dreams. Get your free checklist—Master Your First Job Interview: Essential Prep Tips for Graduates Transitioning to the Workforce.