Mission 5 Part One Meet for Coffee

Author's Note

It has been a while since I last wrote a post for CNC2018 Get a Job. The last post I wrote was How to Find 5 Contacts at the Companies You Want to Work For back in May 2021. Now, it is 2025, and a lot has changed over the past five years, especially in the job market.

Before you dive into this post, I recommend reviewing all the posts I wrote back in 2021 for the CNC2018 Get a Job Challenge. This isn't just a great way to catch up. It is especially a good idea to review every homework assignment you've done for this challenge.

==> Click here to go to the series page for the CNC2018 Get a Job Challenge!

2025 also means I'm updating the post format a bit more. So this post is going to be a little bit different than the previous missions in the series. But the same Code Newbie content will be shared.

Mission 5 Meet for Coffee

Finding a job comes with a lot of uncertainty these days. Social media is a time capsule of the last 5 years of people looking for work or dealing with various struggles related to work. However, networking has become even more powerful for job seekers.

When I wrote Mission 4 back in May 2021, participants were putting together a list of contacts at the companies they wanted to work for. Mission 5 is all about taking that list and scheduling coffee chats so they can learn more about the companies they are interested in and grow the connections they have with these contacts to help them stand out from the crowd.

Today's post is all about the art of the informational interview. This mission was all about preparing for these types of interviews, how to practice, and what to do after these interviews. I'll be sharing Code Newbie's tips for getting through each part of the informational interview process.

Next week is part two of Mission 5. This post will cover everything you need to do the night before your coffee chat, the day of the chat, and what you should after your coffee chat. I'll even share Code Newbie's self care tip from this mission.

Objective

Participants picked one contact from the list they created during mission 4 and scheduled an informational interview. After they completed this interview, they were encouraged to share how this coffee chat went. They could share what they would do differently or how it affected their job search approach.

Participants could write their response posts in the CNC2018 Get a Job Facebook group or on social media as long as they use the #CNC2018 hashtag at the time of the challenge. If you want to share how your coffee chat went, let us know in the comments for this post. Need help with your chat? Let us know in the comments, too.

What is an informational interview?

Informational interviews (or coffee chats, as others refer to them) are informal interviews where job seekers can ask their contacts who work at the companies they want to work for either coffee or a quick chat. Job seekers get to:

• learn more about the companies they are interested in and what the role they want looks like
• get practice marketing themselves -improve their elevator pitches

Your contacts at these companies benefit from the informational interviews too. They get to meet with candidates in a low-pressure kind of interview to get to know them and share what they know. Later, when the job seeker applies to the company, they will be able to provide a reference.

Recruiters and hiring managers are big fans of informational interviews.

All interviews are a lot like dating so Code Newbie advised participants to think of informational interviews as blind dates. Both dating and interviews mean you'll have to do a lot of them to find the right match, so don't be frustrated about the rejections. Interviewing is a skill and that means lots of practice.

Informational interviews are a great way to get practice and just be comfortable in an interview setting. Code Newbie points out that when job seekers do get an interview for a job interview, they will be ready since their pitch is going to be "refined, honest, familiar, and very comfortable". That means you will be confident, present, and engaged when that interview comes around.

Informational interviews might sound scary. As an introvert, interviews can be intimidating for me too. However, Code Newbie encourages job participants to think of informational interviews as the foundation of creating their future self.

Keep this in the back of your mind. That makes it easier to confront any discomfort you might be feeling and get closer to the self you want to be.

Pre-Informational Interview Checklist

Once you have a coffee chat scheduled, it is time to start getting ready. Most informational interviews can often be done on Zoom these days, but some still can meet up in person. Regardless of how your informational interview is going to be, you need to start getting ready. Code Newbie put together an action list of things you can do to get ready at this part of the process.

Practice your elevator pitch.

Remember that elevator pitch you made back in the 3rd mission? That is going to come into play now you are doing informational interviews. You can practice in front of a mirror, another person, a favorite stuffed animal, or even your pet.

Either way, you need to start practicing. If your interview is happening on Zoom, you can even record yourself on Zoom as a rehearsal for the big day. Your pitch might need some changes depending on who you are meeting with so make sure you tailor your pitch to the contact you are meeting with. You can get feedback from your practice partner or just rewatching your recorded pitch to see what you can keep and what you can improve on.

Review your short stories.

The short stories you created from that same mission are also going to be important for your interviews going forward. You will want to practice those the same way as your elevator pitch and make sure they are going to match the person you are meeting with. Code Newbie recommends you look over your stories to see if they highlight your strengths and interests.

Prepare your list of questions.

You are leading the informational interview so you will need to come prepared with questions. You will need to think of the person you are going to meet with. Informational interviews are going to be all about them and the company they work for more so than about you.

So don't be afraid to ask them questions. Just keep in mind that most coffee chats are kept for about 20 minutes. Zoom calls (especially using a free account) only go to 45 minutes so you will want to get straight to the point with your questions.

So what kind of questions should I ask?

Before you start coming up with your questions, you will want to Google the person you are meeting with and find out any information you can about the person you are meeting with. Code Newbie suggests spending 30 minutes doing your research as part of this step, but the goal here is to look at Google, social media accounts, or anything they might have posted on a blog or Medium. Your best friend at this part of the process will be LinkedIn so make sure you check out their LinkedIn page.

Once you've done your research, you will want to start putting together your questions. The secret here is to be as specific as possible. Below are some example questions Code Newbie put together that are specifically asking a potential contact about themselves instead of asking them the question "Tell me about yourself".

• I see that you worked on [project name goes here]. - What did you love about it? Did you feel like you learned a lot?
• I see you’ve worked in [job/industry] for [number] years. How has your role changed since you started?What are you most proud of?
• When you decided to leave [previous company name] and join [current employer name]. What drove that decision?
• How did you get your current position? (if they applied, what made you decide to apply when you did?}

Informational interviews are also about the company your contact works for. The answers your contact will give are going to paint a picture of what it is like working there. That's company culture and it is becoming very important for job seekers (especially for younger generations) when they look for jobs.

So these questions need to figure out what working there is like and what values are important for them. That will help you see if they match.

• I heard that working in [type of company] is rewarding because of [expectation]. What has your experience been like?
• How does the company's pay compare to the market rate?
• I find I do well in competitive environments. What’s that like at your company? How did your company reward employees who exceed expectations?
• I do my best work in environments that are more collaborative than competitive. How would you describe the environment in your company? How does it vary from team to team?
• How do features get implemented at your company? Who can give input on a project’s direction? Are developers able to provide feedback on a product level?
• Does your company have any programs focused on developer growth like mentorship, bag lunches, etc?

Now you can ask questions that pertain to you. At all costs, don't ask for a job! That's a lot of pressure to put on a person, and it is similar to someone asking another developer to be their mentor.

When people ask high-pressure questions like that, it can give people a bad impression of you or an icky feeling. You do want to let your contact know your situation and see if there are ways they might be able to help you in the future.

• I’ve been frustrated with the job search. Here’s what I’ve done so far [summary of what you’ve done]. What more should I be doing?
• I would love to work at your company at some point. If I wanted a position in a year. What are some things I can do to stand out as a candidate?
• I’ve spent a lot of time learning, including [summary of things you’ve been learning] and I’m wondering if I’m focusing on the right things. Given where your company is headed, what would you recommend I level up in?
• Since I don’t have a CS degree, I’m worried I won’t stand out as a great candidate. If you were in my shoes, what are some things you’d do to give yourself the best chance of getting a position as a [role you’re looking for] in the next few months?