[jackkinsella]

I'm both. I'm a single (tech & non tech) founder of my company. I'll need to freelance in the summer as my business is seasonal.

I'm looking for ways to make the right impression to both possible employers and possible co-founder. I'm a social guy but I'm new to professional networking and don't know how to talk shop yet.

Please share what you've learned.

[phenning]

I've read lots. What I've gathered isn't rocket science, but maybe it'll give you a little direction like it did for me. First off, articles and blogs I've read have consistently said you should 1) explain your business in one complete, concise sentence, 2) be energetic and positive even at the end of an 11 hour day when you're exhausted 3) have experience in your field 4) be able to show that you've put effort into doing things yourself (that you're dedicated enough to do things yourself even when you have to learn how to do it) 5) be open, not secretive about your idea (most don't want to steal it, they want to know what you're worth in both content of character and idea 6) know when to exit a conversation when someone's giving you signals that they're not interested.

Hope that helps some. I'm also new to networking and my work is seasonal too, so I'll be doing my networking this summer as well. Good luck. Feel free to connect with me on twitter. @Paula_Henning