A coffee chat is a casual, informal meeting, usually over coffee, for networking or career advice. It's a low-pressure way to build connections or seek guidance in a relaxed setting.
The goal of a coffee chat is to leave a positive impact on the person you’ve invited to chat with you, to simply make a friend. It can be challenging to put yourself out there but coffee chats can be fun, valuable and worth while. With a little practice, you’ll be making new friends and connections in no time.
Finding people to chat with can be a bit of a challenge. You have to send a lot of messages and sometimes only get a few back. Persistence is key and don’t take it personally if someone doesn’t message you back. Its very likely nothing to do with you.
One of the most important things during this stage is to make it as easy for the person to show up for this coffee chat as possible. You book the meeting, you bring the questions, you offer some time slots that you’d be available for. Don’t make the person go back and forth trying to schedule something with you, theres a chance you can lose them if it becomes to difficult to book the call.