- inmotioncommunicat
#FindMeIn - Boston Edition
We are so excited to share our second post in the #FindMeIn series! Home of the Red Sox and Patriots, Boston, MA is famous for the passionate sports fans who cheer on their teams every weekend. For the less athletically inclined, the city is home to some of the finest art in the world. Boston is also on the map for business. In 2016, GE moved its headquarters to the city, and others are quickly following suit. Should you find yourself on a business trip in The City on a Hill, here are three snippets of info to take with you:
Fall (and kick!) back. It doesn't get more New England than Boston, and New Englanders take their autumn very seriously. If you’re lucky enough to take a work trip between September and mid-November, enjoy the weather, foliage, and festivities, both by yourself and with your clients. Host a business dinner at a restaurant overlooking a beautifully multicolored forest or get your professional headshot taken in the soft sunlight. Keep in mind that everyone wants to enjoy the fall season and thus may work with less urgency than usual, but...
In general, keep it quick & concise. Both Californians and Europeans, usually more relaxed and talkative in business conversations, report the more direct tone of East-Coasters to be surprising. Email (and sometimes conversation!) responses can be swift and only a few sentences. That being said, don’t swear off small talk forever: a good deal of Boston life happens in the suburbs, and so many people will be glad to talk about their families.
Get smart. With over 35 colleges in just Boston proper, you can imagine that education is very important to Bostonians. Perhaps unlike their west-coast counterparts, north-easterners place a lot of emphasis on where you went to school. Harvard? State school? If the topic comes up, they will probably ask. No need to worry if you don’t have a gold-plated diploma, however. We here at InMotion always recommend introducing your high school or university like this :
I attended [school name] in [school city + study abroad site if applicable].
I studied [degree name]. At school, I completed [scholastic accomplishment or extracurricular activity relevant to your major].
And I also did [early career experience]. The experience taught me so much about my field and my passions, and led me where I am today.
By ending with a career snippet, you smoothly transition the conversation away from school names and into your career experience. Aim to project your unique skillset and expertise, and you’ll impress any Bostonian.
It goes without saying that these are general statements and won't apply to every professional encounter you have in the city. Let us know your experience using #FindMeIn !
