Stanford
Career Education
Business concept. Credit: @jcomp / Freepik

Interviews and Coffee Chats

Scheduled interviews and coffee chats are an excellent follow-ups to an information session or a career fair. Both interviews and coffee chats provide students opportunities to connect one-on-one with an employer.

  • Interviews are the more formal option for employers to select candidates and increase the likelihood of receiving applicants.
  • Coffee chats are less formal conversations for employers to network and share information about their organizations, industry insights, recruiting processes or any other professional topics.
Decorative accent featuring eight dots representing the eight Neighborhood colors.

Guidelines for Interviews and Coffee Chats

Stanford Career Education facilitates interview and coffee chat opportunities Monday through Friday during the academic year in our Career Education building. To make the most of your engagement with Stanford students, please follow these guidelines:

Scheduling Recommendations

  • Optimal Timing: Stanford operates on the quarter system; weeks 2–8 of the quarter are ideal for connecting with students.
  • Hours of Availability: Schedule interviews and coffee chats between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM to align with students availability.
  • On-Campus Rooms: We offer eight dedicated interview rooms for your use.

Reservation Process

  • Submit your reservation request through the Handshake Interview module.
  • Reservations are free and assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

Job Posting Requirement

  • Attach a job posting to your reservation request. Students can only view and apply for positions with an associated posting.

Timing and Promotion

  • Submit requests at least two weeks in advance of your desired date to allow our Marketing and Communications (MarCom) team sufficient time to promote your opportunities.

Employer Responsibilities

  • Schedule interviews and contact students directly.
  • Provide necessary links for virtual events if applicable.
  • Interview and Coffee Chats Cancellations:
    • If an emergency forces a last-minute cancellation or a need for rescheduling, it is the employer's responsibility to contact the affected students and cc/bcc recruiting@stanford.edu. To cancel your on-campus interviews or coffee chats, please contact recruiting@stanford.edu.

By following these guidelines, you’ll ensure a seamless and productive process for engaging with Stanford students. We look forward to supporting your recruitment efforts!