Coffee chat questions, and how to run one
A coffee chat is a short, informal talk with someone at a firm you'd like to join, usually 20 to 30 minutes. Ask about their path, their work and recruiting, never for a job, and send a thank-you within a day.
Updated
- Short. Career offices put it at 10 to 30 minutes. Ask for 20 and keep to it.
- Not a job interview. You're there for advice and information, so don't ask for a job.
- Bring questions you can't google. Ask about their path, the work and what recruiting was like.
- End with a name. Ask who else you should talk to. That is how one chat becomes three.
- Thank them within 24 hours. Mention one thing they said, then follow up when you apply.
How to run a coffee chat
Five habits that career offices agree on.
Ask briefly
Two or three sentences: who you are, why them, and a 20-minute ask with a few times to choose from. Then send a calendar invite.
Do your homework
Read their profile and the firm's careers page first, so you only ask what you couldn't find online.
Keep to time
Bring a short agenda and don't run over. Offer to stop when the time is up, even if it's going well.
Ask for advice, information and names
MIT's career office calls it AIR: advice, information and referrals to other people worth talking to.
Follow up
A thank-you within 24 hours that names something specific they said. Connect on LinkedIn.
From Yale SOM, Stanford GSB, MIT CAPD and Penn Career Services.
A 20-minute coffee chat
One way to split the time. Let them talk for most of it.
Show the 20 minutes
0 to 2 min
Thanks and who you are
Thank them, then say who you are and why you asked them, in 30 seconds.
2 to 6 min
Their path
How they got here and what they'd tell their younger self.
6 to 14 min
The work and the firm
What their weeks look like, the projects or deals, and what the firm is like day to day.
14 to 18 min
Recruiting
What they remember from the process and what stood out in the people they hire.
18 to 20 min
Names and thanks
Ask who else you should talk to, thank them and stop on time.
The split is ours. The 20-minute length is what Michigan's career office suggests asking for.
24 coffee chat questions
Pick four or five that fit the person. Each note says what the question gets you.
Their path5 questions
Easy openers that get them talking.
Can you tell me about your career path and how you got into this industry?
Yale SOM Career Development
Show why it works
The classic opener. It warms them up and gives you details to ask about next.
What made you choose this firm over the others you looked at?
Show why it works
Their reasons are often the best material for your own why-this-firm answer.
What surprised you most in your first year?
Show why it works
Gets past the recruiting pitch to what the job is really like.
What do you wish you had known before you started?
Show why it works
Turns their hindsight into advice you can use now.
Is your path typical here, or do people come in many ways?
Show why it works
Tells you whether your own background is common or something to explain.
The work and the firm6 questions
What you can't read on the careers page.
What does a normal week look like for you?
Show why it works
Concrete days, hours and tasks, not the brochure version.
What's a project or deal you're proud of, and what was your part in it?
Show why it works
Shows you what someone at their level actually owns.
How are people staffed on projects here, and how much say do you have?
Show why it works
A real difference between firms that rarely shows up online.
Who do you work with most, and how does feedback happen?
Show why it works
Tells you about the team and how people grow.
What's something about the culture that's true here but not everywhere?
Show why it works
Gives you a specific detail to mention later, in an application or an interview.
What's changed at the firm since you joined?
Show why it works
Shows interest in the firm as it is now, not as it was described years ago.
Recruiting6 questions
Useful, as long as it isn't a request for a job.
What do you remember about your own interviews here?
Show why it works
Gets you the format and the feel of the rounds from someone who went through them.
When you interview candidates, what makes someone stand out?
Show why it works
The most useful question if they interview. Listen for what they repeat.
How did you prepare for the case or technical rounds?
Show why it works
A prep plan from someone it worked for.
Which events or programs helped you most when you were applying?
Show why it works
Points you to the parts of recruiting that are worth your time.
Is there anything in my background you'd work on before applying?
Show why it works
Honest feedback, asked as advice rather than a favor.
What would you look for in a cover letter or resume here?
Show why it works
Specifics you can act on before the deadline. Harvard suggests bringing your resume in case there's a chance for feedback.
Advice and next steps7 questions
End the chat so it leads somewhere.
What advice would you give someone pursuing an internship or job in this industry?
Yale SOM Career Development
Show why it works
Open enough that they pick what matters most.
If you were me, what would you do in the next three months?
Show why it works
Turns general advice into a short plan.
Is there someone you know that I might also benefit from talking to?
MIT CAPD
Show why it works
The question that keeps your network growing. Ask it last.
Would it be OK to send you a short update when I apply?
Show why it works
Gives you a reason to write again without asking for anything.
What's the best way to stay in touch?
Show why it works
LinkedIn or email, on their terms.
What should I read or follow to understand the industry better?
Show why it works
Easy for them to answer and gives you something to mention in your thank-you.
Is there anything I should have asked but didn't?
Show why it works
Lets them add what they think matters most, often the best answer of the chat.
A request you can copy
Short, specific and easy to say yes to. Swap in your own details.
- “Hi Sam, I'm a junior at State studying economics and I'm preparing for consulting recruiting this spring.”
- “I saw you moved from engineering into strategy, which is the path I'm hoping to take.”
- “Would you be open to a quick 20-minute call in the next two weeks? I'm free Tuesday or Thursday afternoon.”
Mistakes and follow-up
Mistakes that end the conversation
Asking for a job or a referral
It puts them on the spot. Ask for advice, and the help usually follows.
Questions you could have googled
Office locations and practice areas are on the website. Ask what isn't.
Being vague about what you want
Say which role and which kind of firm you're aiming for, so they can help.
Running over
Stop at the time you asked for. Offer to continue another day.
No follow-up
No thank-you, or one that could have gone to anyone. Name one thing they said.
Before and after
A week before
Read up
Their LinkedIn, the firm's careers page and one recent piece of news about the firm.
The day before
Pick your questions
Choose four or five, and write a 30-second intro of who you are and what you're aiming for.
Within 24 hours
Send the thank-you
Two or three lines naming something specific they said. Berkeley allows one to two days, MIT and Penn say 24 hours.
When you apply
Send a short update
Tell them you applied and what their advice changed. Harvard says you can name people you met in your cover letter.
What career offices say
From each office's own page, read on October 15, 2026.
Harvard10 to 30 minutes
Harvard's career office describes a coffee chat with employer representatives as a one-on-one or small group talk of 10 to 30 minutes. Bring your resume and connect on LinkedIn afterwards.
Harvard: coffee chatsUC Berkeley20 to 30 minutes
Berkeley calls it an informal conversation of 20 to 30 minutes that is not a job interview. Ask for names of others to contact and send a thank-you within one to two days.
Berkeley: informational interviewsMIT20 to 30 minutes
MIT says to request a 20 to 30 minute meeting, not to ask for a job, and to thank them within 24 hours. Its question list is built on advice, information and referrals.
MIT CAPD: suggested questionsMichiganA 20-minute ask
Michigan's sample request asks for a quick 20-minute call, and its advice is to ask for an informational interview, not a job.
Michigan: networking resourcesYale SOMHow to ask
Yale's career office says to be polite, concise and specific in the request, offer a few times and send a calendar invite, then a personalized thank-you.
Yale SOM: what is a coffee chatStanford GSBKeep to time
Stanford's alumni career page says to set an agenda, not to exceed the time you were given, and to ask near the end who else could advise you.
Stanford GSB: networkingCoffee chats lead to interviews, be ready for them
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Questions people ask
What is a coffee chat?
A short, informal conversation with someone at a firm or in a field you're interested in, in person, by phone or on video. You learn about their work and get advice. It isn't a job interview.
How long should a coffee chat be?
Career offices put it between 10 and 30 minutes. Ask for 20, keep to it, and offer to stop when the time is up.
How do I ask someone for a coffee chat?
Two or three sentences: who you are, why you're writing to them, and a short ask with a few times. A shared school, team or past employer makes it easier to say yes.
Should I bring my resume?
Have it ready but don't lead with it. Harvard suggests bringing it in case there's a chance for feedback, and Berkeley says not to take it out right away.
Can I ask for a referral?
Not directly. Penn lists asking for a job or referral as a common mistake. Ask for advice and for other people to talk to. If they offer to refer you, say yes and thank them.
When should I send a thank-you?
Within 24 hours, as MIT and Penn advise, or one to two days at most, as Berkeley says. Name one thing they said that helped.
How many coffee chats should I do before applying?
Enough to have a specific reason for each firm you apply to. Two or three people per firm is more useful than one chat each with many firms.