Questions · Networking
Networking questions that aren’t “so, what do you do?”
Conversation starters for conferences, mixers and industry meetups: openers that skip the job title, easy ones by the coffee, follow-ups once you’re talking, and a few before you swap contacts.
- 16 questions
- EN + TL on every card
- Free in the app
Kumustahan is a bilingual conversation card app: 1,200 questions in English and Filipino across 7 decks, with a short reflection on the back of every card.
Recall the last time you tried something new just because you were curious.
Ikuwento ang huling beses na sumubok ka ng bago dahil curious ka lang.
Would you try it again, or was once enough?
Susubukan mo ba ulit, o sapat na ang minsan?
The questions
16 networking conversation starters
Every question in English and Filipino/Tagalog, word for word from the Kumustahan decks. Open “Back of the card” for the reflection printed on the other side.
Instead of the job title
5 questions
Open with what they enjoy, not what they’re paid for.
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Which kind of task makes you lose track of time?
Anong klaseng task yung nakakalimutan mong oras kapag ginagawa mo?
Back of the card
The tasks that make time move fast can reveal what absorbs you, energizes you, or quietly fits how your mind works.
Yung tasks na nagpapabilis ng oras pwedeng clue kung ano ang kumukuha ng focus mo, nagpapagana sa'yo, o bagay sa utak mo.
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What event would you choose if the ticket were free?
Kung may libre kang ticket sa isang event, ano ang pipiliin mo?
Back of the card
Imagine the event is about to begin. What are you most excited to see?
Magsisimula na ang event. Ano ang pinaka-gusto mong makita?
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If you could open a tiny shop just for fun, what would it sell?
Kung magbubukas ka ng maliit na tindahan for fun, ano ang ibebenta mo?
Back of the card
What would you call your shop?
Ano ang ipapangalan mo sa tindahan?
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Recall the last time you tried something new just because you were curious.
Ikuwento ang huling beses na sumubok ka ng bago dahil curious ka lang.
Back of the card
Would you try it again, or was once enough?
Susubukan mo ba ulit, o sapat na ang minsan?
-
You receive one free round-trip ticket. Where are you going first?
May libre kang round-trip ticket. Saan ka pupunta?
Back of the card
Choose one thing you would want to do before flying home.
Pumili ng isang gusto mong gawin bago bumiyahe pauwi.
By the coffee and snacks
3 questions
The free food is the one thing everyone in the room shares.
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If someone were choosing a snack or drink for you, what’s one choice that would almost always work?
Kung may pipili ng snack o drink para sa'yo, ano yung halos laging okay sa'yo?
Back of the card
Tiny preferences can be an easy way to know someone better. It feels good when people remember the simple things.
Minsan sa small preferences tayo mas nakikilala. Nakakatuwa rin kapag may nakakaalala ng simple things about you.
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Name a food that tastes better when it's free.
Sabihin mo yung pagkain na mas masarap kapag libre.
Back of the card
Free food has its own seasoning. Sometimes the best flavor is the tiny thrill of not paying for it.
May sariling sarap ang libreng pagkain. Minsan yung best flavor, yung small joy na hindi ikaw ang nagbayad.
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Tell us a food combo you like that people might question.
I-share yung food combo na gusto mo pero baka kuwestiyunin ng iba.
Back of the card
Questionable does not always mean wrong. Some pairings just need one brave person to admit they work.
Hindi porket questionable, mali na agad. Minsan kailangan lang ng isang brave person na umaming masarap siya.
Once you’re talking
5 questions
Questions that show how someone thinks.
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When did you last change your mind after hearing a good reason?
Kailan ka huling nagbago ng isip dahil may narinig kang magandang reason?
Back of the card
Try an optional before-and-after: "I thought..., but now..."
Kung gusto mo: "Dati, akala ko..., pero ngayon..."
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Who is someone you respect for the way they live, even in small things?
Sino yung taong nirerespeto mo sa paraan ng buhay niya, kahit sa maliliit na bagay?
Back of the card
Respect often begins with small, steady things. A simple habit can show a lot about how someone moves through life.
Madalas nagsisimula ang respeto sa maliliit pero consistent na bagay. May simpleng habit na maraming sinasabi tungkol sa isang tao.
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What recent choice shows something that matters to you?
Anong pinili mo lately ang nagpapakita ng mahalaga sa'yo?
Back of the card
Finish if you like: "I chose it because I care about..."
Kung gusto mo, ituloy: "Iyon ang pinili ko dahil mahalaga sa'kin ang..."
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Which everyday invention from the future would you most want to see?
Anong pang-araw-araw na gamit mula sa future ang gusto mong makita?
Back of the card
Give the invention a name people could remember.
Bigyan ang imbensiyon ng pangalang madaling tandaan.
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If someone funded one helpful idea for your neighborhood, what would you build or improve?
Kung may sasagot sa gastos, ano ang gagawin o aayusin mo para makatulong sa lugar ninyo?
Back of the card
Picture its first day in use. What would you be happy to see people doing?
Isipin ang unang araw na ginagamit na ito. Ano ang ikatutuwa mong ginagawa ng mga tao?
Before you swap contacts
3 questions
End on something you can follow up about.
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What are you looking forward to over the next few weeks?
Ano ang inaabangan mo sa susunod na mga linggo?
Back of the card
Finish if you like: "The part I cannot wait for is..."
Kung gusto mo, ituloy: "Ang pinaka-inaabangan ko ay..."
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What have you done recently that you are pleased about?
Anong nagawa mo kamakailan ang ikinatuwa mo?
Back of the card
If your win had a tiny trophy, what would be written on it?
Kung may maliit na trophy ang nagawa mo, ano ang nakasulat dito?
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What would you like to make more time for this month?
Ano ang gusto mong bigyan ng mas maraming oras ngayong buwan?
Back of the card
Imagine an extra afternoon opens up. Would you spend it all on this or leave some time free?
Isipin na nabakante ang isang hapon. Ilalaan mo ba lahat ng oras dito o magtitira ka pa ng libreng oras?
How to use them
Before you ask
The best networking conversation starters ask about what someone enjoys, not what they do. Everyone at a conference has answered the job-title question all day, and the answer has gone flat. Ask which task makes them lose track of time, or which event they’d pick if the ticket were free, and you meet someone who actually sounds like themselves.
What goes wrong at most mixers is the interview: job, company, how long, then silence while both of you scan for the next person. The snack table helps, because food is the one thing everyone in the room has in common. Once you’re talking, a question about a time they changed their mind or someone they respect shows how a person thinks, and that’s what you’ll remember later.
Before you part, ask what they’re looking forward to in the next few weeks. It hands you a real reason to follow up, which is the whole point of networking.
Good for
Tips
- Ask, then talk less than half the time.
- Join a group of three rather than interrupting a pair.
- Note one thing they said when you exchange contacts, and mention it in your follow-up.
- When they ask what you do, answer in one sentence and turn a question back.
- Leave gracefully: thank them and say what you’re heading to next.
Decks for this
Networking
Frequently asked questions
What are good networking conversation starters?
Questions about what people enjoy rather than their title: a task that makes them lose track of time, a project they’d build for their neighborhood, something they tried recently out of curiosity. Then ask a follow-up.
How do you start a conversation at a networking event?
Go where people already stand together, like the coffee or the snack table, and ask a light question about the food or the event. Introduce yourself after the first laugh, not before.
How do you end a networking conversation?
Ask what they’re looking forward to in the coming weeks, exchange contacts if it makes sense, and say thanks. That gives you a natural topic for the follow-up message.
Bring a better question to the table.
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