I am not really one to talk since I dont drink or smoke myself (older Millennial) and I met my fiancé at school. I am just passing along their things they said as people who were GenX (a fact worth remembering here).
The issue is I am willing to engage with people who do that, but I wont myself. I can tolerate alcohol if I must, but its not my thing.
I have generally used alternative methods to network, and at least for work I have relied on my work horse mentality to pull me along. But then, I also have Aspergers so there is something to be said that I dont really think I am missing out on anything by not really socializing outside of specific arenas (usually game shops and table top).
Well Asperger’s is its own beast. One thing that older men usually look for in someone to mentor is someone that can match their lifestyle or surpass it, that means being able to handle liquor, cigars, etc, not in excess but to be able to manage as they do. They want the guy to shot pool with, golf with, etc to pass their wisdom too.
While definitely true, the management at the shop I work at has given me a lot of autonomy and has me working on product for our number 1 customer. Simply because I demonstrated a high degree of detail and care for my work in the parts I build, so they have trust me with the more important jobs. And that is something I take pride in.
This is probably more of a cheat code than you realize; Cigar shops are one of the few 'male only' spaces that you'll find, nowadays.
It's also a 'classy' enough hobby without being weird(as opposed to, say, guns), and would probably give you a good natural 'in' with your local high muckity-mucks.
Food for thought.
...not that I'm gonna pick up cigar smoking as a hobby, but it makes you think.
I am not really one to talk since I dont drink or smoke myself (older Millennial) and I met my fiancé at school. I am just passing along their things they said as people who were GenX (a fact worth remembering here).
I drink and smoke (cigars), probably the best networking you can do as a younger male is be willing to smoke a cigar and shoot the shit.
The issue is I am willing to engage with people who do that, but I wont myself. I can tolerate alcohol if I must, but its not my thing.
I have generally used alternative methods to network, and at least for work I have relied on my work horse mentality to pull me along. But then, I also have Aspergers so there is something to be said that I dont really think I am missing out on anything by not really socializing outside of specific arenas (usually game shops and table top).
You can nurse a drink for hours. Just have it in your hand so you are behaving like everyone else.
Well Asperger’s is its own beast. One thing that older men usually look for in someone to mentor is someone that can match their lifestyle or surpass it, that means being able to handle liquor, cigars, etc, not in excess but to be able to manage as they do. They want the guy to shot pool with, golf with, etc to pass their wisdom too.
While definitely true, the management at the shop I work at has given me a lot of autonomy and has me working on product for our number 1 customer. Simply because I demonstrated a high degree of detail and care for my work in the parts I build, so they have trust me with the more important jobs. And that is something I take pride in.
This is probably more of a cheat code than you realize; Cigar shops are one of the few 'male only' spaces that you'll find, nowadays.
It's also a 'classy' enough hobby without being weird(as opposed to, say, guns), and would probably give you a good natural 'in' with your local high muckity-mucks.
Food for thought.
...not that I'm gonna pick up cigar smoking as a hobby, but it makes you think.