What You Need to Know About a Virtual Coffee Chat

When you’re connecting with someone for the first time, you want to make a strong impression. Trying to accomplish this when meeting in person is challenging enough. Learning how to network virtually presents a different set of challenges that you’ll need to overcome. In either case, the reality is that networking is important. If there’s an opportunity for you to sit with someone who can potentially impact your career, directly or indirectly, you shouldn’t pass that up. Think about this: someone worth knowing and connecting with has agreed to share their time with you. You need to respect that time by being clear and intentional with your conversation. Before taking the first steps to prepare for your virtual coffee chat, you need to know what you hope to get out of it. This clarity will go a long way in driving the conversation and nurturing the relationship so that it’s not just a one-time thing.

What is a virtual coffee chat?

Coffee chats are usually in-person meetings you set up with someone you want to add to your network. A virtual coffee chat is the same thing, except you’re meeting people over a video app or software like Zoom, Skype or even Google Hangouts. In either case, coffee chats are an effective way to make networking more personal.

Why a coffee chat is important

There are many ways in which a coffee chat can help impact your career.

• Builds trust and genuine connection - Trust is one of the core principles of any relationship, and a business relationship is no different. A coffee chat, virtual or in-person, is a way to begin building that trust and showing the person that you value their opinion and guidance.
• Gives you an insider look at a field or position - Coffee chats give you an advantage. You’re able to get insight into what it’s really like working in your field, and possibly even your role. That kind of information should help inform how you go about preparing to not only land that job but thrive in it once you do.
• Builds your network - We can’t emphasize enough the importance of networking. It’s the main reason you’ve set up this coffee chat in the first place. Knowing people within your industry who have experience they are willing to share is a valuable asset. It’s important to continue seeking out opportunities to network beyond a simple coffee chat.  

Be mindful of these things when chatting online

As we mentioned before, a virtual coffee chat has its own etiquette. The very fact that you’ll be communicating through technology means there needs to be additional steps taken on your end to be sure the conversation goes smoothly.

• Find a quiet place - You don’t want to put yourself in a situation where the person on the other end of the line is struggling to hear you. Having to repeat yourself because of background noise can be distracting and come across as unprofessional. For that reason, it’s a good idea to also close all the windows in the room you’re sitting in for the duration of the conversation.
• Do a test run - As advanced as our video technology has become, you should always do a test run. You want to make sure links are working, your microphone is on and at the right volume and that you’re not sitting too close to the screen.
• Pay attention to the details - Is your lighting right? What’s in the background as you’re having this conversation? If you have roommates, did you let them know not to disturb you during the time you’ll be on the call? These are all questions you need to ask yourself before starting the chat.