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Coffee Chats 101: A Guide to Networking ☕️
Not sure how to start a coffee chat? From reaching out to making meaningful connections, here’s your three-step guide to turning conversations into career opportunities.
Written by Sara Yoo · Audio Production Coordinator
Networking is often considered one of the most important skills for building a successful early career, especially in college. One of the best ways to grow your network is through coffee chats. However, many students feel intimidated by having professional conversations with strangers or simply don’t know what coffee chats are or how to get started. Even for those who have overcome this initial barrier, knowing how to prepare for these conversations and apply what they learn to their careers can be another challenge. If any of these sound familiar, consider this your simple three-step guide to coffee chats: how to reach out, what to ask, and how to put what you learn into practice.
1. How to Reach Out
A common misconception about coffee chats is that it has to be with an industry professional you hope to get a job from. In reality, coffee chats are entirely customizable to you and what kind of experiences, lessons, or insights you are curious about.
If networking with a professional still feels daunting, start by reaching out to people within your existing network whom you want to learn from. Whether it’s your aunt who works in accounting, a family friend who owns her own business, or an upperclassman applying to graduate school, your circle is already full of valuable experiences and advice. Consider the people in your life whose career journeys interest you and reach out accordingly! Depending on your relationship, text or email may be the best way to get in touch.
You can also start within your own community! At Women in Business, our executive board hosts coffee chats where members can connect with execs, ask questions, and learn from their experiences. Taking advantage of opportunities like these is a great way to ease into coffee chats, build confidence, and practice networking in a more familiar environment before reaching out to professionals.
LinkedIn is also an excellent place to start when growing your network. Its search filters allow you to narrow down people by location, industry, and other criteria to find professionals whose experiences align with your interests. LinkedIn messages and email are both great ways to extend an invitation to chat!
When drafting your message, there are a few key things to keep in mind. First, be specific about what you want to learn whenever possible. Simply saying, “I would love to hear about your career journey!” can sound vague and impersonal, especially when professionals receive dozens of similar requests. Instead, mention a relevant project, role, or experience they’ve had and explain what you’d like to learn about it. Showing genuine interest in their work makes your invitation more personal and gives them a clearer reason to connect.
Second, schedule your chat in person if possible. Conversations often feel more natural and genuine face-to-face, though virtual chats are perfectly fine when distance or scheduling makes meeting difficult. Finally, be professional and courteous throughout the process. Offer to buy them a coffee, be flexible with their schedule, and choose a location convenient for them. After all, they’re taking time out of their day to help you, so make an effort to respect and appreciate that!
2. What and how to ask
Congrats! You’ve successfully scheduled a coffee chat…now, how do you prepare? First, always do your research beforehand. Stalk their LinkedIn! Where did they go to school? When did they graduate? What was their first job out of college? How did they grow in that role? Have they made any career pivots? Where are they now? Understanding someone’s career background provides valuable context for your conversation and helps you ask more thoughtful questions.
But what kinds of questions should you ask? This depends on what you want to learn, where you need direction, or what advice you’re looking for. Ask questions you genuinely want answered, keeping both their background and your interests in mind. For example, say you’re exploring careers in finance and wondering which roles might suit your introverted personality. If you’re speaking with someone who has experience across several areas of finance, you might ask, “How do the day-to-day responsibilities and work environments of client-facing roles, like financial advising, compare with those of more internally focused roles, like accounting?” This question is specific to your interests while remaining open-ended enough to invite their perspective. It also encourages a discussion you likely couldn’t get from a simple Google search.
Here are some suggested categories to help you build your question list:
- Their background and career journey
- Their day-to-day work and lifestyle
- Lessons they’ve learned along the way
- Topics you’re personally curious about
Once you have your questions ready, the next challenge is letting the conversation flow naturally while carrying yourself professionally. Meeting someone whose experience you admire and asking them about their career can feel intimidating. Keep these two tips in mind for your next chat:
- Treat questions as conversation starters, not a script. Coffee chats can easily turn into interviews if you focus too much on asking your next question. Instead, listen to their answers, reflect on how they relate to your interests, and respond with comments or follow-up questions. Don’t be afraid to share your own experiences when relevant! Meaningful conversations go both ways.
- Focus on learning and relationship-building, not immediate results. It’s easy to enter a coffee chat hoping for a referral or job offer, but the real value lies in building meaningful relationships that go beyond a LinkedIn connection. Tangible opportunities may come over time, but approach each conversation with the intention of learning about their career and getting to know them as a person.
3. How to apply what you’ve learned
You’ve had your conversation, and now it’s time to apply what you’ve learned to your career! Start by reaching back out to thank the professional for their time. Mention a detail or two from your conversation that you found especially interesting or insightful to make your message more personal.
Reflecting on what you learned and how it can shape your future is arguably the most important part of a coffee chat. Turn their advice into action by seeking opportunities to DO what they recommended. It might sound obvious, but following through is up to you! As you attend more coffee chats, keep track of recurring advice across conversations. If multiple people emphasize similar things, it’s probably worth taking their advice seriously. Keep an open mind as you try new things, challenge yourself, and step outside your comfort zone.
Finally, the connection doesn’t end once you send your thank-you email. Stay in touch and reconnect when you have a meaningful update, such as putting their advice into practice or achieving a milestone they helped you work toward. Building a professional network takes time, and maintaining these relationships is just as important as establishing them!
You’re ready to conquer your next (or first!) coffee chat. Remember, every conversation is an opportunity to learn something new, gain a new perspective, and take another step toward a career that’s right for you! Good luck, Wibbie! 💌