Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: ”Coffee date” etiquette

news.ycombinator.com

21–30 of 69 posts

Re: Ask HN: ”Coffee date” etiquette

#23

The purpose of a coffee date is to weed out people who don't drink coffee. You wouldn't want to work with such a freak of nature!

Darn. Never touched coffee myself. People always seem surprised especially when they discover I'm a developer.

We'll just go ahead and assume you don't drink coffee because you're too busy munching on mouthfuls of Adderall tablets like they were Tic-Tacs.

Re: Ask HN: ”Coffee date” etiquette

#24

The purpose of a coffee date is to weed out people who don't drink coffee. You wouldn't want to work with such a freak of nature!

OP is in Sweden. "To have a coffee" is so common that it's a 4 letter verb (att fika) and they are among the top nations for coffee consumption. So while your point still stands, the number of people you exclude from this request is pretty small...

Re: Ask HN: ”Coffee date” etiquette

#25

The purpose of a coffee date is to weed out people who don't drink coffee. You wouldn't want to work with such a freak of nature!

Darn. Never touched coffee myself. People always seem surprised especially when they discover I'm a developer.

We can assume you don't get enough sleep like the rest of us. What are you using then, soda?

Re: Ask HN: ”Coffee date” etiquette

#26
The idea is that you area always better off if you have a personal connection to a human being.

Most hiring managers would be thrilled to be introduced to someone talented who comes recommended by someone they trust.

The point of having coffee is to have an informal chat which allows for lots of information exchange without the formality of an interview (for either party).

Also, you get a good sense of things like culture fit and interests, which can often make a big impact on hiring decisions.

In addition, that you want to get to know the manager is a good sign that you take your career seriously and want to work somewhere only if it's a very good fit.

People who already have a great job don't make knee-jerk career decisions. Doing a coffee signals that.

Re: Ask HN: ”Coffee date” etiquette

#27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Darn. Never touched coffee myself. People always seem surprised especially when they discover I'm a developer.

We'll just go ahead and assume you don't drink coffee because you're too busy munching on mouthfuls of Adderall tablets like they were Tic-Tacs.

Oh. I think I have a sensitivity to caffeine, because drinking coffee causes an onset of a migraine that I don't like when I'm writing code or managing systems.

Re: Ask HN: ”Coffee date” etiquette

#28
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We'll just go ahead and assume you don't drink coffee because you're too busy munching on mouthfuls of Adderall tablets like they were Tic-Tacs.

Oh. I think I have a sensitivity to caffeine, because drinking coffee causes an onset of a migraine that I don't like when I'm writing code or managing systems.

Typically caffeine headaches occur when you stop drinking it.

Re: Ask HN: ”Coffee date” etiquette

#29
post #18
post #4

I'm a sysadmin manager in the US. Let's suppose that I have a position open (at http://www.smartleaf.com/careers/ ) and that you think you're qualified for it. You could send me your resume and a cover letter. This would be impressive, because very few people manage to do this according to my rigorous demands (plain text or PDF, tell me a story about an interesting technical problem you solved). Or, if you knew someo…

Job Requirement: "You must be: Clever, competent and kind" I wish more job descriptions were like this one. Straight and to the point, not much fluff or buzzword padding all over the place.

The kindness requirement is awesome and refreshing. I was shocked just how much vitriol gets spewed in an average workplace, directed at customers, fellow employees, inanimate objects. I gravitate towards the people I work with that aren't like that, so specifying 'kindness' right up front is great.

Re: Ask HN: ”Coffee date” etiquette

#30

The purpose of a coffee date is to weed out people who don't drink coffee. You wouldn't want to work with such a freak of nature!

You can learn a lot about someone's coffee habits. How much sugar, how much milk. How much... whiskey.

    - Shall I put rum in the coffee?
    - Sure.
Post reply on HN