The Office Scenario
You’re at a company-wide town hall, mingling in the auditorium. You strike up a conversation with Alex, a manager from the Operations department you've never met.
“It’s great to finally meet someone outside of the Finance team,” you say, smiling. “What’s been keeping you busy in Operations?”
Alex replies, “We’re scaling up our capacity to support the new SaaS rollout. It’s mostly about optimizing latency and ensuring we minimize downtime during the implementation phase.”
You nod confidently, but inside, your brain is panicking. SaaS? Latency? Downtime? You realize Alex is speaking "Operations-Speak," and you have nothing knowledgeable to say in return. You fear that if you say the wrong thing, you’ll immediately be labeled an outsider.
In moments like this—when you feel paralyzed by industry jargon—you need to learn to speak what communication experts call Jobbledygook.
What is "Jobbledygook"?
"Jobbledygook" is the specific, internal language used within a profession or hobby. To anyone outside that field, it just sounds like gobbledygook.
Here’s the challenge: Networking and making real connections require at least a basic understanding of the other person's world to get them to truly open up. If you sound uninformed, the conversation will often die quickly.
The good news is that you don't need to be an expert to sound like an insider. You only need a few simple techniques to master the basics of Jobbledygook.
3 Steps to Master Jobbledygook
Successful communicators know a secret: they don’t try to become experts in everything. They just focus on learning the insider's opening questions.
1. Avoid the “Dumb Outsider” Questions
Every job, sport, and hobby has questions that insiders ask each other. It also has questions that outsiders ask, which immediately reveal their lack of familiarity.
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Example: If you meet a writer, the classic outsider question is, "When are you going to write the great American novel?"
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Example: If you meet a dentist, avoid asking, "Heard any good pain jokes lately?"
Instead, learn how experts talk among themselves.
2. Learn the Insider’s "Opening Serve"
Just like a tennis player can judge your skill by your opening serve, a professional can judge how interesting you are by your opening question.
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The Astronaut Example: When an astronaut meets another astronaut, the insider question is, “What missions have you been on?” The outsider question is, “How do you go to the bathroom up there?”
When you speak the insider language, even just a little, your new acquaintance immediately assumes you have more insight into their world.
Practical Tip: If you're going to a networking event where you might meet artists, call an artist friend ahead of time. Ask them for a few good opening questions. For instance, don't ask if their work is in a gallery (it can be a sensitive subject). Instead, ask a more polished question like, “Is there anyplace I might be able to see your work?”
3. Know When to Pivot
After you ask your expertly crafted opening question, the other person will happily answer, thinking they’re talking to a knowledgeable peer. They will then "hit" the conversational ball back to you.
The key is to engage in on-target conversation for a moment or two, and then change the subject! You never want to fake that you are more knowledgeable than you really are.
When you eventually pivot the conversation, they’ll be all the more impressed. They'll think, “Wow, what a knowledgeable, well-rounded person!”
Bonus: Never Run Out of Things to Say
If you want to have conversational topics (or "fodder") for the rest of your life, build your personal status as a "Modern-Day Renaissance Man or Woman."
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Read Their "Rags": Professionals call their specialized trade magazines "rags." Ask friends in different jobs to lend you one of their trade journals. Reading just one will give you far more information than you need to sound like an insider.
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Use Scramble Therapy: Once a month, try something completely new and outside your usual routine—like attending a chess lecture, going bird-watching, or trying a new sport. Just one exposure to an activity can give you 80% of its conversational value. You learn the lingo and the right questions to ask, equipping you with material for life.
Mastering Jobbledygook isn't about faking expertise. It's about showing genuine, informed curiosity. When you use these skills, you move beyond small talk and emerge as a confident, connected professional.