NEXTCOFFEE.AI | A BETTER FIRST COFFEE CHAT Free 30-minute workshop for student finance clubs Updated September 21, 2026 https://www.nextcoffee.ai/share-kit FACILITATOR PREPARATION Bring a timer and one public professional biography or career profile. Students need a blank document. No NextCoffee account or payment is required. Use placeholders in examples. Do not share another person's private email, resume, or conversation without permission. 0-5 MINUTES | CHOOSE A QUESTION, NOT JUST A FIRM Ask: What do you want to understand that a job description cannot answer? Example: How does a first-year analyst contribute to a live transaction? Have each student write one question and choose a person whose experience makes them well placed to answer it. An alumnus is a possible connection, not an obligation to help. 5-13 MINUTES | WRITE THE FIRST NOTE Write four short parts: who you are; why this particular person; what you want to understand; a small, flexible request. Keep the ask easy to decline. Subject: [School] student interested in your path to [Firm] Hi [First name], I'm a [year] at [School] exploring investment banking. I noticed [specific, verified connection or experience] and would value your perspective on [one question connected to their work]. Would you be open to a 15-minute conversation in the next couple of weeks? I'm happy to work around your schedule. Thank you, [Your name] Do not claim you attended an event, read a publication, or share a connection unless it is true. Remove any detail you could not explain in a conversation. 13-20 MINUTES | PAIR REVIEW Swap notes. The reviewer answers: 1. Can I tell why the sender chose this specific person? 2. Is the request clear without a long autobiography? 3. Does the message ask for advice rather than a job or immediate referral? 4. Does every claim appear accurate, and does the note sound like the sender? 5. Can the recipient comfortably decline? Underline one sentence to keep. Rewrite one sentence together. 20-26 MINUTES | PREPARE THE CONVERSATION Choose three questions, not a script of twenty: - What surprised you most when you started in your team? - What does useful work from a new analyst look like? - What would you learn earlier if you were starting again? Research answers that are already public before the call. Avoid requests for client information, confidential deals, or guaranteed referrals. End on time. 26-30 MINUTES | CHOOSE THE NEXT ACTION Each student writes one next step and a date. Review before sending. If there is no reply, one brief follow-up after roughly five business days is an option, not a proven optimal schedule or a promise of a reply. Respect declines and opt-outs. If the second note receives no reply, move on. After a call, send a thank-you referencing one useful takeaway. STUDENT WORKSHEET My question about the role: Person I could learn from: Public source and verified connection: Why their experience is relevant: My subject line: My draft: One sentence I will remove or simplify: Three questions for the conversation: My next action and date: OPTIONAL FOLLOW-UP MESSAGE Hi [First name], Following up on my note below in case it arrived at a busy time. I'd still appreciate hearing your perspective on [topic], if a short conversation is possible. No worries if your schedule doesn't allow it. Thank you, [Your name] REUSABLE RESOURCES Five email examples: https://www.nextcoffee.ai/resources/coffee-chat-email-template Conversation questions: https://www.nextcoffee.ai/investment-banking-coffee-chat-questions Summer 2028 preparation: https://www.nextcoffee.ai/articles/2028-investment-banking-summer-analyst-follow-up-system PERMISSION Student organizations and educators may copy, adapt, and distribute this workshop at no cost. A source credit is appreciated, not required. No partnership with your institution is implied. Examples are illustrative; they are not real student outcomes or claims about response rates.