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Coffee Chat 101

An informational interview (aka coffee chat) is an informal conversation with someone related to your career. These are not interviews and the objective is not to explicitly request job opportunities.

Coffee chats can help you:

  • Explore careers and clarify your goals

  • Expand your professional network

  • Build confidence for job interviews

  • Get advice and up-to-date career information

  • Seek out mentorship or advice

Who is a good person to contact for an coffee chat?

Social Media Connections

Connected with someone who is doing work you’re interested in? Following someone in your field? These are great folks to reach out to on LinkedIn.

Note: LinkedIn has recently made the shift to only allow 5 free messages to be sent per month. Following someone and engaging with their content can be a great way to begin a conversation & connect without having to send a message. People are more likely to accept a connection request from someone they recognize from their comments!

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Although LinkedIn markets itself as the “professional Facebook”, don’t forget about the other social media platforms like Bluesky, Instagram, and even TikTok. There are industry professionals utilizing all of these platforms and could prove to be great interviewees. 

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Alumni

High school and college alumni are great contacts to interview. You have common ground established already because you both attended the same institution. If you have a LinkedIn and list your previous educational institutions, LinkedIn.com/alumni is a great place to search for fellow alums.

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Professors, Teachers, and Team Members

While you might not want to be a college professor or a staff member, you’d be surprised at the number of connections they have! Connecting with instructors in the industry you’re looking to break into let's them know your career goals, how they can assist you, and might point you towards some great resources to network.

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Family & Friends

This is probably the easiest connection to establish early on. Have an aunt that works in your industry? Does your friend group have connections with someone in your area of interest? It never hurts to ask and lean on the relationships you already have established.​​

How do I ask for a coffee chat?

Research

Research the field, industry, and positions you’re interested in learning more about. Make a list of questions you’d like a potential interviewee to answer. Decide what information you would like to obtain about the occupation/industry. Make sure to have an updated resume handy (just in case!)​​

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Arrange

Contact a potential interviewee via email or social media like Linkedin. Be specific in your request and let them know who you are, why you’re asking to meet with them, and how long you expect it to take place. The general recommendation is to keep the interview to about 30 minutes. If they’re willing to dedicate more time – even better!

It is recommended to dress business casual or [business professional](https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/starting-new-job/guide-to-business-attire#:~:text=Business professional for men typically,like an oxford or loafer.) depending on your industry. For instance, in the tech field it's much less common to see full suits in interviews because the attire is more relaxed.

Try to arrive 5 minutes ahead of time. Before ending the meeting, ask for names of others who might be helpful to you and ask permission to use their name when contacting them.

Once the interviewee has agreed to meet with you, make sure to clearly communicate the date, time, timezones and how you’ll connect at the time of the call. An easy way to schedule these meetings is to use a free program like Calend.ly to sync your calendar

Are there places I can go to arrange a coffee chat?
 

LinkedIn: a professional networking platform where individuals and companies connect to build relationships, share information, and find opportunities.

Lunchclub: a networking platform that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to connect professionals for one-on-one video conversations.

ADP List: a global, free online mentorship platform that connects individuals, particularly those in the design and tech fields, with experienced mentors to help them advance their careers.

Mentoring Club: Connect 1:1 with industry leaders for personalized guidance and career acceleration.

Follow up

Immediately following the interview, make sure you have a record of some highlights from the conversation. Be sure to send a thank-you note to your interviewee within 48-hours of the interview. Try to include any specific information from the meeting in your note.

What questions should I be asking?
 

Prepare a list of questions that are relevant to you and what you would like to obtain from your informational interview. Brainstorm questions regarding the work environment, potential opportunities, salary, the industry, and the background of your interviewee.

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The best questions are the ones you care about.

These might be good places to get started:

  1. On a typical day in this position, what do you do?

  2. What training or education is required for this type of work?

  3. What personal qualities or abilities are important to being successful in this job?

  4. What part of this job do you find most satisfying? Most challenging?

  5. How did you get your job?

  6. What opportunities for advancement are there in this field?

  7. What are the salary ranges for various levels in this field?

  8. What can I be doing now to set myself apart as a future candidate in this field?

  9. How do you see jobs in this field changing in the future?

  10. What advice would you give a person entering this field?

  11. What types of training do companies offer persons entering this field?

  12. Which professional journals and organizations would help me learn more about this field?

  13. From your perspective, what are the problems you see working in this field?

  14. If you could do things all over again, would you choose the same path for yourself? Why? What would you change?

  15. How do you stay up to date with changes in your field?

  16. Who do you know that I should talk to next? When I call him/her, may I use your name?

  17. What obligation does your work put on you outside the work week? How much flexibility do you have in terms of dress, work hours, vacations?

  18. What do you find most rewarding about this work, besides the money?

  19. How does your job affect your general lifestyle?

  20. How has COVID-19 impacted your work?

  21. What does your career path look like beyond this position?

  22. What led you to this company and what keeps you here?

  23. What was something that surprised you about this field or your role when you first started?

  24. Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?

  25. Are there any questions I’m not asking that I should be?

  26. Would it be alright for us to stay in touch?

  27. What is a typical entry-level title for this industry?

  28. What type of work samples or portfolio should I be trying to develop as I try to move into this career?

  29. What do you look for when hiring for this field?

Resources

Occupational Outlook Handbook for researching careers and occupations

Indeed Article on writing thank you notes

Career Contessa Article and Podcast on Informational Interviews

Calend.ly to make appointment scheduling easier

KeyValues Culture Queries has an additional list of questions to ask if you’re feeling stuck

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