Jasmine Lam: Guide to Coffee Chats
Reaching out to strangers is intimidating, but it is the most insightful and informative thing to do when exploring different careers and industries. Coming into my first year of college, I had no idea what I wanted to major in and through informational coffee chats, I was able to discover new career paths and assess what aligns best with my strengths and values. There is so much to learn from everyone and coffee chats are one of the best ways to absorb information.
How should you approach a coffee chat?
- Outreach
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- The first part of a coffee chat starts with outreach. There are many ways to go about this, but personally, I found LinkedIn and references from other people to be the most helpful. Below are some examples of outreach messages I have sent to different industry professionals working positions I was interested in.
- The first part of a coffee chat starts with outreach. There are many ways to go about this, but personally, I found LinkedIn and references from other people to be the most helpful. Below are some examples of outreach messages I have sent to different industry professionals working positions I was interested in.
- After this initial message, hopefully you get a response and you can work together to schedule a time to meet. If you get no response after your first message, feel free to follow up with a short message about a week after to check in and see if they would be open to having a coffee chat.
- Preparation
- The next step after setting up a time to chat is preparation. Make sure you do your research on the individual you are speaking with, understand the purpose of your chat, and draft thoughtful questions to ask. Many industry professionals receive a lot of the same questions during coffee chats, so doing the prep work ahead of time to have insightful questions to ask is important and can make a long lasting impression.
- The next step after setting up a time to chat is preparation. Make sure you do your research on the individual you are speaking with, understand the purpose of your chat, and draft thoughtful questions to ask. Many industry professionals receive a lot of the same questions during coffee chats, so doing the prep work ahead of time to have insightful questions to ask is important and can make a long lasting impression.
- The Coffee Chat
- Come into your coffee chat excited and confident. Be genuine and let your personality show while also retaining as much knowledge and advice as possible. It is also helpful to take notes during your conversation so the individual knows you are actively listening and so you can reference them in the future.
- Come into your coffee chat excited and confident. Be genuine and let your personality show while also retaining as much knowledge and advice as possible. It is also helpful to take notes during your conversation so the individual knows you are actively listening and so you can reference them in the future.
- Follow Up
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- After your coffee chat, send the individual a “Thank You” email and follow up with any next steps you may have discussed. Be sure to thank them for their time and include details from your conversation. If you are interested in keeping in touch with the individual, try to send periodic messages and updates to keep them posted on what you are up to.
Good luck and happy chatting :)
Nov 13, 2023