Coffee chat…what is it and why is everybody talking so much about it?
For us, international students, the concept of coffee chat is a foreign one. In your home country, asking someone out for a coffee might mean going on a date or that you are trying to flirt with them. Well, in Canada, that is not the case.
What is a coffee chat?
Coffee chat is a casual meeting between two people, the goal is to learn more about the other person’s experience and build a connection. Typically, coffee chat is done in-person where you would chat with someone over a cup of coffee. Coffee chat can also be done virtually as well, over video meeting platforms like Zoom for example.
What is a coffee chat for?
Coffee chat is an opportunity to connect and learn more about someone. It is a way to build connections, grow your network, and a gateway to future opportunities. Coffee chat is a good way to build a long-term professional relationship or eventually forming a mentorship with someone who you admire professionally. Most importantly, when it comes to job search, you can use coffee chat as a research opportunity to learn more about the industry, company, role, and build a rapport with someone in the industry
Why is coffee chat important?
Coffee chat benefits your career in the long-run from building meaningful relationships. Unlike going to a structured networking event, coffee chat is more relaxed and you have a chance to ask your questions in a casual setting. As a newcomer to the country, your network is limited and you might not know many people in the industry. Coffee chat helps you build a professional network of your own and access the hidden job market. With 80% of the jobs not being advertised in Canada, setting up coffee chat regularly increases the chance of tapping into the hidden job market and getting a referral.
Coffee chat for international students
Coffee chat is a crucial step in building a successful career in Canada. Since many of us are not familiar with coffee chat and find it intimidating, getting familiar with the concept and regularly practicing one is very important. Reaching out to a complete stranger, asking questions in your second language, and talking to someone more senior might feel awkward in the beginning but the more you do it the easier it will get. People are more than happy to help if you reach out to them in an appropriate tone and put on a hat of a learner.
How to set up a coffee chat
Since asking someone out for a coffee chat is not a common thing for international students, many of us do this wrong. Similar to how you would set up any meeting, you need to have a clear objective when setting up a coffee chat. Be clear about why you are reaching out to that person and know what you want to learn after the meeting. Let’s say you found someone who you think can help you in your career, find a way to send them a message either on LinkedIn or direct to their email. Draft a message highlighting the reason why you are reaching out, what you want to learn from them in a warm and respectful tone. If you don’t know how to write one, follow our template [LINK HERE] here.
Who to have coffee chat with?
We recommend starting by reaching out and setting up coffee chats with someone you feel comfortable with or someone who shares a similar interest or background. Start with your first level connection like alumni circle, professors, colleagues, and mutual connections. The best way is to ask to be introduced to someone. Our professional mentors at Empower are always here to help and you can reach out to them to set up a coffee chat directly, learn more here [LINK ADDED HERE]. Once you feel comfortable with coffee chats, start reaching out to someone outside of your first level connection like strangers on LinkedIn or a hiring manager of the company.
In the next blog, we will go over what to talk about at coffee chats and how to get the most out of it. Good luck
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