I heard some ppl say it’s a bad idea, but what if you met someone who could really help you elevate in ur field. Like a customer. Y’all feel like there’s a way to go about it? A strategy? Or is this whole idea dead?
I used to work in oil & gas. I still to this day stay in touch with a lot of people from the industry. Some have become friends and we all live in different states. You never know when a contact can turn into a good opportunity.
Do it, but be careful. If you are both on LinkedIn for example, that would be a professional way to connect and stay in touch.
I don’t recommend, but being in contact might help who knows when. I used LinkedIn in growing connections. Here’s a good read https://www.cuppa.so/post/the-ultimate-guide-to-mastering-client-acquisition-2023
It is only a bad idea if lines are crossed. If your are doing professionally w/o jeopardizing business you are in and not asking the other person to jeopardize theirs, then it is only natural. It may make sense to check with your manager that you want to reach out and extend the relationship. It will give the manager the heads up and also might offer some guidance on how to do it well in the context of your company.
Good luck!
Vladimir