Your First Coffee Chat: How It Works, and Why It’s Worth It

Every Coffee Chat on Cofferral begins with a simple step — reaching out. Behind each chat is curiosity, courage, and the hope that one real conversation might open the next door. Whether you're here to explore a career shift or gain insight into a field you’ve never touched, we’re here to guide you through it.

This isn’t just a how-to. It’s a gentle nudge to take that first step.

Start with a request

Found someone you'd love to learn from? Choose one or more topics that speak to where you are — or where you’re hoping to go. You might want to understand the real responsibilities behind a job title, decode a confusing job description, hear what makes a candidate stand out, or learn how someone’s career path unfolded. Each topic you choose helps shape the length and focus of your conversation. Each topic shapes the conversation length, starting from 15 minutes.

Then pick three time slots that work for you, write a short note, and hit Send. That’s it — you’ve officially stepped into the Seeker journey.

The Sharer will be notified, and they’ll have up to 5 days to accept. Most respond far sooner.

If they accept

Sometimes it's not a match — and that’s okay. If the Sharer declines or doesn’t respond, you’ll be gently notified. There’s always someone else to reach out to.

If they say yes, you’ll confirm the chat using Beans — our way of reserving time. Now the chat is officially on the calendar.

When it’s time to meet

You’ll both get reminders before your scheduled time. When the moment arrives, just click to join the video call. From there, the chat is yours — guided by the topics you chose, and shaped by the stories you’ll hear.

If things don’t go perfectly

Even with the best intentions, things don’t always unfold smoothly — and that’s okay. We’ve built Cofferral to stay fair and flexible when real life gets in the way.

You need to cancel

Plans shift. If you cancel more than 10 minutes before the chat, all good. If it’s within 24 hours, a small part of your Beans will go to the Sharer — a simple way to honor their time.

They don’t join the chat