The situation:
You're at a party of ballers, but you can't stand anyone. You're gritting your teeth so hard you're convinced that you just swallowed a chunk of enamel.
The choices:
Excuse yourself to the bathroom and never return, mingle for 30 minutes before making a good excuse to exit, or suck it up and stay the course - because you never know what offers will come when drunken conversations ensue.
The obvious answer:
Remain at the party for just enough time to have a few cocktails and get a few business cards. You never know when they'll come in handy - and free alcohol is free alcohol. Departing early would be foolish and staying all night could make you the sex slave of a 50-year-old real estate baron.
The situation:
Your friend's rich sports agent uncle is taking you out to dinner.
The choices:
Dress up to the nines, go casual, or wear something in between.
The obvious answer:
Wear your best - if you make a good impression, you could take advantage of his connection to George Steinbrenner and start off as Brian Cashman's assistant in July. The "Milwaukee's Best" T-shirt doesn't cut it, and while your button down is great, we're not at a bar on Long Island. Why take the chance of being shown up by a guy who knows nothing but Armani?
The situation:
You're seated on an airplane making productive chitchat with the person seated next to you who could hold the keys to your brilliant future. But then you run out of things to say.
The choices:
Throw on the iPod headphones to avoid the awkwardness, ask some more questions about the person's experiences, tell said dignitary your life story.
The obvious answer:
Keep the conversation flowing in a cool and collected way. Allow breaks for the person to breathe and catch up on any work that he's doing without bothering him every time he's about to jot a note. Don't stare over the shoulder either. But remember, throwing on your iPod is a huge no-no because your future benefactor may take offense to this. Running your mouth won't make you a lifelong compadre either.
