Office Hours / Coffee-Chats

Office Hours (aka “Coffee Chats”) are scheduled 15-to-30-minute, one-on-one on-campus or virtual appointments between students and employers. These sessions provide the opportunity to share company information, opportunities, and answer student questions. Though most of the conversations will focus on careers, the ‘Ask-Me-Anything’ nature should encourage a range of topics that can be covered. Office Hours are an informal, low-pressure way for employers and students to connect, that allow the student to explore different occupations, industries, organizations, or geographic locations. These conversations help employers engage students in a more direct manner while also allowing students to refine their career goals and possibly discover new ones. Employers are welcome to advertise to specific student populations, but CAPD asks that employers keep Office Hours available to every student from every course or class year.

Employer Instructions

Add your office hours event in Handshake once you confirm scheduling details on your end.

  • If on-campus – request and confirm space on-campus. CAPD has interview rooms available to rent for $200 per room/day. With the CAPD room reservation, the Employer-Relations team can be enlisted to create and manage student sign-ups as well as market your opportunity to students. Please email hiremit@mit.edu to schedule on-campus coffee-chats. Also please review MIT’s campus visitor policy regarding COVID-19 and connect with the Employer Relations team before arriving to campus.
  • If virtual – please include an external link for student sign-ups in your Handshake event listing and at least a day prior to their scheduled coffee-chat please email students with a link to the virtual connection. Also, please note that the employer is responsible for marketing this opportunity to students, and we recommend reaching out to students at least one-week in advance of the event date.

Student Instructions

  • Search for ‘Office Hours’ in the EVENTS tab on Handshake
  • View the upcoming Office Hours schedule and click on one you may be interested in
  • Read the description for more details including company profile, representative, and available times
  • Click ‘RSVP’ to access an external registration link.
    • Please note – some employers will be using different virtual platforms including Brazen, Yello, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts, etc.
  • Select an open appointment and secure your time to speak with the representative. Be sure to add the event to your calendar and arrive on time
  • Additional details may be provided by the employer upon confirmation of your scheduled appointment

For more information or if any questions, please email the employer relations team in CAPD at hiremit@mit.edu.