what to talk about during coffee chat?

So, I'm grabbing coffee with a bunch of people this week, connected with them some months ago and we've spoken on the phone and exchanged some email. Once I got my current internship, I asked a few people that I had connected to meet with me for some coffee. What do we talk about though, work, the internship?

18 Comments
 

Just ask them about their job, their unique challenges, or how they got there. People love talking about themselves, and usually, if the person is not dry like a fucking cracker, that should get the gears turning quite well. Unfortunately for you, dry as bones people are a dime a dozen in the Finance industry.

...and the Truth shall set you free
 

I kind of know their backgrounds and work as we've spoken on the phone. I guess we'll just discuss how my internship is going, updates on how they're doing and we'll go from there. I actually haven't been able to go out on these 'coffee chats' due to covid, so I just don't know what to expect. Should be a normal convoerstaion like any other over coffee but I don't want to embarrass myself or waste anyone's time.

 

You´re missing the point here. If you vibe with the person, then the coffee chat is the perfect place to further do so. If you´re just looking for specific answers, ask them, but you´ll likely not get anything else from them. Just, you know, vibe with them. Tell a random story, a fun experience, or that you´re super excited for the bbq next week with your family or whatever. Just have fun. No one likes a dry conversation except dry people.

...and the Truth shall set you free
 
bibimbap

the more they talk about themselves the better they think the meeting went.. better they view you

this sums it up so well

+1 

I didn’t learn this until I was in my 20s - valuable advice. 

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

Thanks man, the meeting went well, he offered to pass on my resume to others he knew and will push me as they look to hire another analyst in the next few months. The reason I made the post was that I had already asked the type of questions you listed when we spoke on the phone when we first connected some months ago and I didn't want it to be repetitve. I have a few more set up with people I've already spoken with and others that I have not yet connected with, at least now I know what to expect.

 

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"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee

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