Networking Script Builder

Coffee Chat Guide

Everything you need to know about using coffee chats to build genuine relationships and advance your career

What is a Coffee Chat?

A coffee chat is an informational interview where you learn about someone's professional experience and goals. Its primary purpose is to build trust and for both people to get to know each other.

A coffee chat is not a place to ask for a job. If you go in with the sole intent of asking for a job, you're doing it wrong. That's just asking for an interview.

Why You Should Do Coffee Chats

Future referrals

Build a relationship now, and when you apply later, you can get referred — sometimes even skipping the line to meet the hiring manager directly.

Career exploration

Learn what a particular role or industry actually consists of, and get direct advice from someone who's done what you want to do.

Exposure to new opportunities

You'll be exposed to a variety of new industries, roles, and opportunities you didn't even know existed.

Inbound opportunities

Recruiters and contacts from the people you meet may reach out to you about new roles — opportunities that come to you.

How to Reach Out

Email is recommended over LinkedIn or Twitter — everybody checks their email. Keep it short and specific. Mention the particular reason you decided to reach out to them.

Mention a specific reason you're reaching out to them
List 2–3 specific topics you'd like to discuss
Reference something from their profile, blog, or talks
Keep it under 5–6 sentences
Follow up if they don't reply — you're not being pushy

Don't

Say generic things like "Would love to pick your brain"
Send the same copy-paste message to hundreds of people
Ask for a job directly — that's an interview request, not a coffee chat
Write long paragraphs about yourself

The worst thing that happens is someone says no or doesn't reply. Most people will ignore your email. That's okay — you're still alive.

Example Outreach Email

Notice how this email is specific about why the sender chose this person and lists exact topics to discuss:

"Hey Jay,

International student from Cal, came across your profile — congrats on the job!

Wanted to chat about your experience recruiting in tech. Specifically, wanted to ask about:

How you bring up sponsorship with employers (at what stage, how you frame it etc)
Your econ background & how this has affected the type of roles you've looked at.

Let me know if a quick 20min chat this week would be possible."

How to Prepare

Someone has given you their most valuable asset: their time. Don't waste it.

Research deeply

Spend at least an hour going through their LinkedIn profile, blog posts, panel talks, and any published work. Compile notes.

Go a layer deeper with questions

Don't just ask "Why did you transition into X?" Instead ask: "Given your background in Y, what appealed you to X? Am I right in thinking that given my interests in A & B, I'll also benefit from a transition into X?"

Prepare a bank of questions

Have questions ready, but don't treat them as a rigid script. Use them as structure, and let the conversation ebb and flow naturally.

During the Conversation

Let it flow. Use your questions to add structure, but don't make it a series of Q&A. Go on tangents when something catches your interest.
There is no script. Your first few chats will be mostly questions and answers, but as you practice, you'll develop a habit of steering the conversation more naturally.
Be genuinely curious. As long as you're genuinely interested in their professional journey (rather than begging for a job), you'll come across well.
Take notes. Not necessarily to remember everything, but as a tool to highlight important parts and internalize your learnings better.

After the Chat

Send a thank-you note

Follow up right after your chat with a nice thank-you message.

Stay in touch

In the coming months, if you work on something cool or explore new opportunities related to what you discussed, let them know.

Watch for inbound opportunities

You might be surprised at how many people end up reaching out to you — recruiters, new roles, and connections you never expected.

Ready to put this into practice?

Use the tools below to generate personalized outreach emails and coffee chat questions based on these best practices.

Cold Email Generator

Fill in your details and the recipient's info — our AI crafts a specific, personalized cold email that mentions exactly why you're reaching out to them

Example Output

Hey Jay,

International student from Cal, came across your profile — congrats on the job!

Wanted to chat about your experience recruiting in tech. Specifically, wanted to ask about:

How you bring up sponsorship with employers (at what stage, how you frame it etc)
Your econ background & how this has affected the type of roles you've looked at.

Let me know if a quick 20min chat this week would be possible.

Notice how this email is specific — it mentions exactly why the sender chose this person and lists the exact topics to discuss. Being specific shows you're not spamming hundreds of people.

Your Name

Your School

Your Year

Your Major(s)

Recipient's Name

Recipient's Company

Recipient's Role

Why This Person? (what caught your eye)

Specific Topics to Discuss

Your Goal

Your Availability (optional)

Additional Context (optional)

LinkedIn Outreach Optimizer

Generate a concise, professional LinkedIn message to connect with someone at a company you're interested in

Example Output

Hi _____,

I hope you're having a great _____. My name is _____ and I'm a _____ year at _____ University studying _____. I'm currently _____ at _____.

I recently applied to the _____ Role / Program at _____ Company and was curious if it might fall under or be connected to the work you support. I came across your profile and thought you might be the right person to reach out to.

If this doesn't fall under your team, I'd really appreciate any direction on who might be best to connect with.

Thank you so much and I hope you have a great _____ ahead.

Best,