At some point during the meeting, your contact’s body language and the flavour of the conversation may change. Your contact may start to ask interview style questions, and to relate aspects of your achievements and skills to some unknown requirements.

In this case one of two things is happening. Either your contact doesn’t understand that you are sincerely there to benefit from their advice and enlist their support, and not to seek employment in their organisation, or he or she does understand your intentions but wants to interview you anyway.

If you think the first case is possible then you must immediately clarify the position so that they understand that you have genuinely come for information and help and that you did not expect an interview. This will get the situation out into the open so you both know where you stand. If they genuinely have a job in mind then its best for both of you to know that and proceed in normal interview fashion. This is your chance to respond as you would in an interview. Tell them how you have researched their company and its industry, prospects and short and long term opportunities and then outline your achievements, skills and the contribution you believe you can make to the company

For a networking meeting to turn into a successful interview:

1.   You must not initiate the change. 

2.   You must determine if the change is a result of a misunderstanding and make it a good faith effort to make it a networking meeting. 

3.   You must label the change once it seems imminent or desirable.

Remember that networking allows a person to be evaluated by the contact even when no job exists. Sometimes the individual can create a job for himself or herself. Let your expectations, talents, personality and attitude shine through. Because you are so well focused, they may want you for their team.