Week 61: Do you have time for coffee?

Week 61: August 2, 2025

Do you have time for coffee?

While we normally send this message during peoples' summer internships, we wanted to revisit the importance of casual networking as you reintegrate into school.

There is often pressure at school for internships to directly lead to full-time offers. Let's face it though, that doesn't always happen. There's a very real chance that you took this position planning for it to be a stepping stone... or as your summer continues, you realize this position may not be as good a fit as you'd hoped. Here are five ways to network towards your first choice job.

The 100 Week Sprint team

To-do's this week

Got 5 minutes? Find out how to stay in the loop with your school's alumni events occurring in your city. It might be as easy as following a Facebook or LinkedIn group.

Got 30 minutes? Make a spreadsheet of everyone you networked with in the past year who you should stay in touch with from this summer, including a means of tracking your contact with each of them.

Got an hour? Write emails to the first few people on that spreadsheet and ask (you guessed it): "Do you have time for a cup of coffee?"

Five ways to network towards your first choice job

1. Drink your coffee (or tea, or some sort of nifty frozen beverage): this is the time to connect with people in person in a way you couldn't while you were in school. Your summer schedule, while busy, should allow you a little more flexibility to connect in person. Whenever you talk to anyone via phone or email, be sure to ask, "Do you have time for a cup of coffee?" (This is especially helpful if you are in the city where you're hoping to land after you finish school.)

Read on for more tips to keep up your networking momentum this summer.

Missed a week or two? Click here for our article archives.

Having trouble viewing this email? Open it in a new window.

Explore more on 100weeksprint.com