Tips for In-Person Coffee Chat?
I've got an in-person coffee chat coming up with a VP. Haven't done one in the past so I want to make sure I'm not messing up simple etiquette.
For context, I've talked to them in the past and they've connected me to several people on their team for phone chats.
A couple of questions I've got:
- What attire should I wear
- What topics should I hit / are more productive to cover on a second convo
- Should I offer a coffee shop or let them (stupid, I know, just want to get the simple stuff right)
if you've talked a lot with this guy i'd turn it to a straight-up conversation. from my experience, people appreciate transparency so play the game a little but if there's a direct goal you have with this conversation (resume push, etc.) just come out and say:
"i've had great discussions with your coworkers, love the culture/deals/etc. that your firm has, xyz; i'd love to work for your firm, can you help me with how to do that?"
(obviously make this professional)
dress like you would to a family dinner, idk; don't wear the full-red nike tech outfit but don't roll up in your sunday best.
have them pick the place. if there's a ton in the area, you narrow it down to like three and have them pick.
take all of this with a grain of salt, btw. i've done two in-person coffee chats and got stood up both times
I think this covers the etiquette incredibly well; the key distinction here is that this isn't a cold coffee chat, but a warm one with someone you've spoken with. I'd like to especially echo the being stood up part; I've had chats with associates get rescheduled (into a phone call most times), because they received an emergency task at the 11th hour (really, it was 6:30pm) that they needed to tend to.
The industry is variable, and difficult to plan around, so don't take it personally if there's a no show or it gets pushed/converted to a call.
Great advice, but damn man you got stood up. They couldn't even shoot you a courtesy email.
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