Thanksgiving Spread by CarbonNYC on Flickr

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday. Who doesn’t love gorging themselves on tryptophan-filled meat and fatty casseroles (actually, common misconception: tryptophan doesn’t cause drowsiness. Your body just burns so much energy trying to digest the disgusting amount of food and drink we consume that you feel tired after.)

But Thanksgiving isn’t just an excuse to eat and sleep a lot. It is an opportunity to use your built-in network (family) to your advantage. And you don’t even have to use any awkward icebreakers like you do at networking events, because you know that every single aunt and uncle is going to ask you, “So, how’s school/class/work/job/life going?” or the dreaded “What are you going to do when you graduate?”

Don’t throw away this opportunity! You might be tempted to respond with a simple “Good” or “I’m not sure” and wander your way back over to the gloriously delicious bowl of stuffing, but try to actually have a conversation. These people are resources to be tapped and bonus: they actually care about you.

So, here’s your checklist:

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!