Whoever came up with that rule that you should arrive twenty minutes early obviously never spend twenty minutes trying to make idle chit-chat with a receptionist who had other work to do.
Repeat after me: Show up on time.
If the appointment is at 2 p.m., then arrive at 1:58. You just have to be on time. How often when you were working did you show up at someone’s office 20 minutes early? If someone wants to meet you earlier they’ll call. Trust me.
More importantly time is a key commodity, especially as you ramp up the networking. 20 minutes is a couple of phone calls to confirm meeting, make an appointment to your hair done, ring up a friend to arrange a beer (if you’re in transition, you’ll need one).
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