What You Should Remember: How to Get Ahead
The Change: Stop just reading the "About Us" page (Beginner). Start figuring out the interviewer's specific problems and recent successes (Expert). What to do: Look at their recent posts on LinkedIn or watch industry interviews. Don't just ask about the company; ask about their specific plan for the team in the next year.
The Change: Stop waiting for questions and giving "right" answers (Beginner). Start leading an important business talk (Expert). What to do: Use a 20/80 rule. Spend 20% of the time answering their questions and 80% of the time working together to discuss how to fix the current problems in their department.
The Change: Stop just listing your resume highlights (Beginner). Start giving a small preview of how you solve problems (Expert). What to do: Instead of saying what you can do, offer a quick, useful idea or a small example of how you would handle a specific problem they are dealing with right now. Show you are helpful before you are hired.
The Change: Stop being too stiff or too casual (Beginner). Start showing "Easy Professionalism": the confidence of someone who already belongs there (Expert). What to do: Handle the setting well. Arrive early, choose where to sit, and manage small things like ordering or paying without trouble. They are watching your people skills as much as your job skills.
The Change: Stop sending a generic "Thanks for the chat" email (Beginner). Start sending a focused note that outlines the next steps (Expert). What to do: Send an email within 4 hours that lists the three biggest problems discussed and suggests a clear "First Step" on how you would start solving them. Turn the conversation into a real offer.
Checking In: The Unscripted Talk
Calling this meeting a "coffee chat" is a bad name that gives unprepared people a false sense of security. It's really the Unscripted Check-in: a tough test of how smart you are socially and how professional you are, hidden inside a casual talk.
Using this meeting just to passively gather information is a mistake. Research from Princeton University shows people form judgments about trustworthiness and competence in as little as seven seconds. In a coffee chat interview, those first moments set the tone for everything that follows. Most people wait for the other person to ask something, not realizing that every quiet moment is a clue. They either seem too familiar and untrustworthy or too stiff and rehearsed. Either way, it shows they don't understand the situation, which can get them rejected before the official interview even starts.
"The best coffee chats don't feel like interviews at all. They feel like two professionals solving a problem together."
Dennis Tupper, Senior Talent Acquisition Leader, Korn Ferry
To do well, you need a step-by-step plan. First, you need Social Smoothness (showing you can fit the company's mood and explain your worth without reading from a script). Next comes Finding the Real Problems, where you use the casual setting to learn about the real operational issues that aren't written down in the job description. At the best level, the talk becomes Building the Strategy, where the discussion changes from you asking for a job to you acting like a partner checking your value and long-term return on investment.
To do better than everyone else, you need to change from someone who just does tasks to someone who reviews strategy.
What is a coffee chat interview?
A coffee chat interview is an informal, often off-site meeting (e.g. at a cafe) where a hiring manager or contact evaluates you through conversation rather than a formal Q&A. It feels casual but is still an assessment of your fit, communication, and how you add value. Treat it like a low-key professional check-in, not a free pass.
Many employers use these chats to screen candidates before official rounds. According to LinkedIn's 2024 hiring data, 77% of professionals who recently changed jobs used the platform to connect, and referrals cut the average time-to-hire from 55 days to 29 days. Informal coffee conversations often spark those referrals before a job is ever posted. Doing well means showing social ease, uncovering their real problems, and shifting the talk from "please hire me" to "here's how I can help."
Checklist: The Unscripted Talk
| What Matters | Bad Sign (Normal / Beginner) | Good Sign (Expert / Advisor) |
|---|---|---|
|
How You Perform
|
Focusing on the Job Description
You ask about a "normal day" or focus on what the job listing says. You wait for the interviewer to decide what success means for you.
|
Finding Hidden Goals
You figure out the "secret" goals: the specific problem the manager needs solved right now or the reputation risk they want to avoid. You show your value by solving their immediate headaches, not just the official goals.
|
|
Your Connections
|
Seeking Approval
Treating the interviewer like a boss you need to impress. You focus on getting their approval, often acting like a big fan, which suggests you don't have much professional standing on your own.
|
Checking Their Power
You check how much influence the interviewer has internally. You gently find out if they can actually support your future work and give you the needed tools, treating them as a potential long-term partner.
|
|
How You Talk
|
Choppy Q&A
The back-and-forth Q&A feels choppy. You give a long answer you practiced, and then stop. It feels like an interrogation, not a smooth, important talk between equals.
|
Pivoting to Advice
You use your comfort level to smoothly switch from small talk to deep business ideas. You answer questions by connecting them to the company's problems, turning the chat into a joint planning session about the company's future.
|
|
Future Focus
|
Self-Centered
You focus on your own career growth, benefits, or how the job fits into your life. This tells the interviewer you are there to take from the company, not build its value.
|
Matching Your Effort
You discuss the role as an important piece of a bigger puzzle. You talk about how your unique skills create a "shield" for the department, focusing on long-term company benefit rather than just your next promotion.
|
| Bottom line: Bad signs treat the coffee chat as a performance where you seek approval. Good signs treat it as a working session where you prove value before you're hired. | ||
How to See Your Results:
- If you see yourself in the Bad Signs: You are a standard candidate. You might pass the basic "vibe" test, but you aren't showing the deep thinking needed for important jobs.
- If you see yourself in the Good Signs: You are a Strategy Partner. You successfully changed the casual talk into a high-level consultation, making the final hiring step just a formality.
The Basics (New Hires to Mid-Level)
For new hires, this "Coffee Chat" isn't a deep conversation; it's a check for Following Directions. The interviewer just wants to make sure you meet the basic requirements. If you fail at the simple things, they won't care how good your technical skills are. You are either someone they can trust or someone who will cause trouble. There’s no in-between.
Being on Time
What to do: Show up 10 minutes early, find a good spot, and have your things ready before they get there. The Test: Being dependable. Being late means they reject you right away.
Showing You Did Homework
What to do: Mention one specific thing they or their team has done in the first three minutes. The Test: Doing your homework. If you don't show specific knowledge, it means you are just making noise.
Respecting the Clock
What to do: Tell them how long the meeting should last at the start, and be the one to say it’s time to stop when the time is up. The Test: Managing your time. Respecting paid work time is required.
The Pro (Mid-Level to Senior)
At this level, the "Chat" is a session to find out what's wrong. Your job is to go past just proving you can do the job and start pointing out the specific problems making the leadership lose sleep. You aren't there just to take a job; you are there to offer a solution to a business issue they might not have even named yet.
Business Results: Linking Work to Money
When talking about past jobs, explain how your work directly helped the company's profits or main goals. Instead of listing what you did, explain how you turned the boss's idea into real money for the market.
Working Smart: Scaling and Systems
Show that you don't just work in the company, but you also work on the company structure. Talk about how you've moved teams from "putting out fires" to having good, repeatable systems that work even if you leave.
Working Across Teams: Handling Silos
Know that no team works alone. A Salesforce survey found that 86% of employees and executives blame workplace failures on poor collaboration or communication. Use the talk to ask how your job affects Sales, Product, or Finance. Show you know how your actions help or hurt other groups, making yourself a helper who connects teams, not just someone defending their own area.
Mastery (Lead to Boss Level)
At this high level, the "chat" is no longer a screening; it's a tough talk about where you fit and if you align with the company's long-term direction. They already know you can do the job from your history. You need to show you understand the company’s current focus and where it’s headed. The talk must move from what you are good at to how you will use time, money, and influence.
Handling Influence and Knowing Who Holds Power
Look beyond just the "team" to the whole group structure. Figure out where the real power is. Your goal is to show that you can deal with internal fights without hurting the company's overall value. Example Question: "To reach this new goal, where do the main internal obstacles come from, and how has leadership handled different demands from different people in the past?"
Balancing Pushing Forward vs. Protecting Assets
Show you understand the current economic situation and how it affects risk tolerance. Talk about why you made money for the company in the past by handling market ups and downs well. Example Statement: "Given the current market, my focus changes from just growing sales to making sure profits are good and protecting our main assets against expected slowdowns."
Being a Good Steward (Leaving a Legacy)
Realize that every leader eventually leaves, so think about making the company strong for the long term. Talk about training people to take over to show you are building lasting systems. Example Statement: "Success here means making sure the plan lives on after the leadership changes. How do we make sure the important strategy survives when people inevitably move on?"
Get Better at the 'Casual Talk' Interview
For Reaching Out
Guide to ConnectingLearn the right way to be friendly but also respect someone’s time. Get ideas for personalized opening lines and writing messages that work. For virtual settings, see our guide on mastering the virtual coffee chat.
For Talking
Practice ToolOrganize your best work stories into digital cards so you can keep a natural conversation flow while making sure your key successes get noticed.
For Learning
Note-Taking ToolWrite down cultural clues and inside tips right away. It automatically creates professional summaries to help you change your future job applications. For another informal format, read what to expect in a lunch interview.
Winning the Unscripted Talk
Calling this meeting a "coffee chat" is a bad name that gives unprepared people a false sense of security. It's really the Unscripted Check-in: a tough test of how smart you are socially and how professional you are, hidden inside a casual talk.
Using this meeting just to passively gather information is a mistake. Most people wait for the other person to ask something, not realizing that every quiet moment is a clue. They either seem too familiar and untrustworthy or too stiff and rehearsed. Either way, it shows they don't understand the situation, which can get them rejected before the official interview even starts.
The Three Steps to Win
-
Social Smoothness
Showing you can match the company's mood and explain your worth without reading from a script.
-
Finding Real Problems
Using the casual meeting to find out about the real problems that aren't written down in the job description.
-
Building the Strategy
The talk changes from you asking for a job to you acting like a partner checking your value and long-term return on investment.
To do better than everyone else, you need to change from someone who just does tasks to someone who reviews strategy.
Common Questions
1. Will I seem too formal in a casual coffee chat?
The opposite is true. Being socially smooth means being relaxed but focused. Being "professional" in a cafe isn't about what you wear; it’s about having the people skills to be focused but comfortable.
When you focus on the company’s problems (Finding Real Problems), you stop the awkwardness of "putting on a show" for the interviewer. You stop being a stiff applicant and become a peer who is helping solve a high-value issue.
2. Is it risky to ask about power dynamics early?
Risk comes from bad delivery, not the questions themselves. Building Strategy is about asking, "How does this team help the whole company succeed?" instead of "What are the politics here?"
Smart leaders and executives like candidates who try to understand the structure. It shows you want a long-term job where you can bring high results, not just any available position.
3. What if the interviewer has no real plan?
This is the biggest trap. If the interviewer has no plan, they are secretly testing if you can lead the talk. If you don't guide the conversation, you fail the test of leadership readiness.
Use the lack of structure to show your own framework. If they don't set the path, you lead the way. Proving you can handle an unclear, unscripted situation is the best proof that you are ready for a senior role.
4. How do I follow up after a coffee chat?
Send a short email within a few hours. Thank them and recap one or two problems you discussed, then suggest a clear next step you could take. That turns the chat into a next move instead of a dead end.
5. How long should a coffee chat last?
Usually 20 to 30 minutes. State the length at the start and be the one to wrap up when time is up. Respecting the clock shows you can manage boundaries and their time.
6. Should I bring my resume to a coffee chat?
Have a copy in your bag but don't pull it out unless they ask. The goal is a conversation, not a presentation. If the talk goes well, they'll ask for it or tell you where to send it. Leading with your resume turns a peer discussion into a job pitch.
Focus on what matters.
Moving from a normal chat to the Real Test shows you've gone from just being someone who "looks for" things to a "Thinker" who brings big value. When you focus on Social Smoothness, find the company's secret problems, and build a foundation of Strategic Architecture, you stop being a candidate waiting for approval. Instead, you become an advisor checking if this potential job is a good partnership. You aren't just asking for a seat at the table; you are showing that the table is better with you there.
Partner on Your Career
