Coffee Chat Kickoff

In Mod 4, you all did a great job with your first coffee chat! I know for some of you it was quite stressful, my first couple coffee chats definitely were! I hope you feel proud of yourself for breaking the ice and are now ready to keep this energy moving forward 🚀

As we talked about in the CoffeeChatPD lesson there are many benefits of coffee chats including:

Real-world Context: Coffee chats help bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge gained in class and real-world applications. Interviewees will share real world examples that illustrate how coding skills are used in actual projects and workflows.

Networking: Engaging in coffee chats allows you to expand your professional network. Building connections with experienced professionals can lead to mentorship opportunities, potential job referrals, and a broader understanding of the industry landscape. But it’s key to note, the tone of the coffee chat should not be job seeking, even though there is a fair chance it might help lead to a job.

Interview Preparation: While you are not the one interviewed in this context, coffee chats still develop your comfort level talking with an unknown professional and help the actual interviews feel less scary.

The Assignment

The expectation for Mod 5 is that you will have two more coffee chats by the end of Week 4.

✅Deliverable✅: By the end of Week 4, send the LinkedIns of the two people you chatted with along with your answers to the following reflection questions:

• How was your experience finding someone to chat with?

• What are some of the takeaways from your conversations?

• What do you want to do similarly in your next coffee chat?

• What do you want to do differently in your next coffee chat?

3.5 weeks is a long time between assignment and deliverable! This is an opportunity to practice your time management skills. If I were you, I’d use tools such as Slack reminders or Google Calendar tasks to remind myself in a couple of days to follow up with folks I hadn’t heard back from.

If you haven’t found two people to chat with by the end of Week 2, reach out to your instructors. In your message, include everyone you tried reaching out to who hasn’t responded. There should be at least 6 folks!

Let’s Get Started!

For the rest of this session, now is the time to start finding folks you are interested to chat with and messaging them to see if they are open to chatting! Reference back to the Coffee Chat PD for ideas on where to look!