A bird in the bush...?

Dear Black Chick,
I was approached at a recent industry shin-dig by the owner of one of my company's competitors. He told me to come see him if I ever thought about moving on. I'm pretty happy where I am now, but want to strengthen up the contact should I choose to change my mind on down the line. Is this wrong?
(P.S. I dig your site)

Hello, and thanks for the compliment!! Here's another question that's easy to answer.

First things first: a job is not a marriage. There were no vows of loyalty and devotion taken. While the relationship is mutually beneficial, I think it's important for you to remember that in the workforce, it's always better to have as many opportunities as possible--play the field while you can.

You call this get-together an "industry shindig". So, what do you do at industry shindigs, aside from drink as much free booze as you can before your motor skills begin to deteriorate? You network. You've taken a good first step by calling this man a "contact"; you've acknowledged to yourself that he could be a valuable person to know in the future. And people who want to give you money for a legitimate reason are always good people to know.

Keep his card. Check in with him from time to time, and if he does the same for you, make sure you remind him of why he decided to extend his offer in the first place. And, in the meantime, pat yourself on the back--because there's someone out there who's recognized just how kick-ass you are.