> Ask people in social situations personal questions that aren't too personal. So what do you do? How long have you worked here / gone to school here / known Ji

> Ask people in social situations personal questions that aren't too personal. So what do you do? How long have you worked here / gone to school here / known Jim / lived here? Great questions, except for the first one. It can be a way more personal thing to ask about than you might expect from such a simple (but very open) question. I personally dislike when people ask me that, because it makes me feel judged. I don't always want to talk about "what it is that I do". Instead, try to find out about it in a more roundabout way, asking sideways questions (which lead to the most interesting side-topics anyhow), so people can decide to volunteer sharing what they are passionate about.