What a coffee chat is (and isn't)

A coffee chat is a short, informal call with a shepherd: someone who has already made the move you're thinking about. It's your chance to ask how they got there, what the work is really like and what they'd do in your shoes.

The basics

• Free: shepherds volunteer their time. On your plan, each request uses a KoffeePoint and one of your coffee chats. How many coffee chats you can book
• Short: 20 to 45 minutes, depending on the shepherd. Each shepherd's profile shows theirs under Duration.
• Online: when the shepherd accepts, we email you a calendar invite with their meeting link, such as Google Meet or Zoom. Some shepherds are trying audio calls on KoffeeChat instead. Audio calls on KoffeeChat
• One-to-one: just you and your shepherd.

What a coffee chat is

• A conversation about a real path: how they got their role, what a normal week looks like, what they wish they'd known.
• Honest feedback, if you ask for it, on your plan, your CV or your next step.
• A way to hear what it's like inside a company or industry before you commit to it.

What it isn't

• Professional, legal, financial or immigration advice. What a shepherd shares is their personal view.
• A job interview, or a promise of a job, an interview or a referral. Some shepherds may offer an introduction, but nobody has to.
• A place to sell something, recruit for unrelated schemes or collect people's details.

Making it count

• Come prepared: read their profile and bring two or three specific questions. Writing a request shepherds say yes to
• Be on time. If you can't make it, tell your shepherd as early as you can.
• Treat what they share in confidence as confidential, and they'll do the same with your CV and plans.
• Say thank you, and rate your chat afterwards. It's anonymous and takes under a minute. Rating your chat