Best “Can I pick your brain?” request evaaaaaaarrrrrrr
I never fancied myself someone who would (a) blog, and (b) spell “ever” as “evar,” but there, I’ve gone ahead and done both. And so far, the sky hasn’t fallen.
One of my favorite moments Saturday was when a licensed massage therapist of ten years asked if she could trade me some time on the table in exchange for picking my brain about the freelance life (and not at the same time, which every good LMP knows would be a no-no). First I squealed, then I hugged her, then I squealed some more.
Like anyone who’s been in the same field for a few years, I get a lot of brain-picking requests. I write about how best to approach a “career hero” for a brain-picking session in Chapter 2 of the book. There I say to read up on the field first so you don’t ask boneheaded open-ended questions like, “What’s it like to be a firefighter?” I also recommend being respectful of their time (ask for 15-30 minutes max, unless you’re paying them), picking up the lunch tab (non-negotiable!), and thanking them profusely (you’d be surprised how many people take the advice and run, without even a quick email reply saying “Hey, thanks!”).
But here’s something I didn’t say in the book: If you have something to trade, by all means offer it up, just like that LMP who made my day. Sure, it won’t always work out, like the time someone offered me free admission to a “Discover Your Career Calling” workshop in exchange for a free seat in a freelancing workshop I was teaching, or the time a friend traded me acupuncture sessions for my copyediting services and I discovered that I couldn’t hang with the needle-in-the-forehead thing.
If you do trade professional services, trade dollar value for dollar value rather than hour for hour (or product for product), so both parties feel they’re fairly compensated. And work out how many sessions or products you’ll trade ahead of time.
If you don’t have something to trade and money’s in short supply, send the brain pickee a thank-you note containing a $5 coffee gift certificate, or buy them a small item off their Amazon wish list, or send them a funny but relevant book you found at a second-hand shop (idea courtesy of Xina) — something affordable but thoughtful to show you’re no slouch. With so many strangers asking for resume critiques, hits off their Rolodex, and advice galore, career heroes are more likely to remember those brain pickers who showed them a little love in return. The next time they have a job opening or freelance lead to pass along, you just might be the happy recipient.
2 comments February 22nd, 2007
