From Vet & Journalist to Student to Apprentice to HIRED! Tell us a little bit about your background. I’m an Air Force veteran with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, and prior to finding LaunchCode, I was working as a business journalist for a local newspaper. I heard about LaunchCode while reading and writing for the…
Coding As … Art?
Make All. The. Things. At first glance, it may be hard to find the relationship between coding and art — the dominant tech culture and perceived mathiness don’t necessarily scream “creatives apply here”. But talking with LaunchCoders who are also artists in Kansas City, known for its booming arts community, we found the connections are…
Apprentice to Developer: Mamata in KC
Making It In America Mamata, LaunchCoder & Software Developer Tell us a little bit about how you got here. I love to play with code. I do Java, Groovy, Android coding and also love different mathematical algorithm implementation. I have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering from India. I worked as a…
Apprentice Interview: Chris in Miami
Always Working Towards A Career in Tech Tell us a little bit about your background. I worked in retail beginning in 2012 when I was 17 (very happy to be out of the retail industry now!). I heard of LaunchCode while in Wyncode in 2016. I also go to Broward College part-time working on my associates…
Top 6 Networking Tips
Knock Their Socks Off For some, networking can feel like walking a tightrope, with frayed nerves and awkward moments. Finding a balance between being outgoing enough to be memorable, but also putting others at ease, all while communicating how wonderful you are can feel a bit overwhelming. While networking maybe a painful experience for some,…
Your Guide to a Stand-Out Resume
Great Resumes Lead To Great Interviews Part 1: Resumes & Rhetoric Part 2: Showing Off Your Skills & Project Experience Part 3: Sharing your Accomplishments and Education! Part 4: Getting to Work and Building that Resume! Part 1: Resumes and Rhetoric Resumes are key to landing the perfect job, but it’s no…
Employer Partner: Sherpa
There’s A Dollop Of LaunchCode In Sherpa’s Secret Sauce David Smith and Alexandra Fisher, co-founders of Sherpa, a senior living CRM platform that helps providers follow an empathetic process, tell us about their company and how LaunchCode has become an integral partner in making their company and mission successful. LaunchCode: Tell us…
Student-Teacher-Apprentice, Ryan
All-Around Perspective Ryan began his journey with LaunchCode in early 2016 as a student. After graduation he joined our team of Teaching Fellows for the next cohort of students in LC101 St. Louis, and has since begun an apprenticeship placement. Having spent time in all the main facets of LaunchCode, Ryan gives us his perspective on how everything went. Tell…
CoderGirl Story: Lilly
What a Difference a Year Makes Here at LaunchCode, we get inspired by all the amazing stories of our students, apprentices, mentors and teaching fellows every day. They’re the reason each of us comes to work every morning. This is Lilly’s story, with a little foreword from one of her biggest fans: “Lilly has been with…
Mentorship Matters with Citrix
Mentoring Makes A Difference Did you know that mentoring has a positive impact on both the mentee and the mentor? Turns out, it’s great for everyone involved! Mentoring gives everyone involved the opportunity to learn something more — a deeper understanding of the organization, enhanced skill recognition, improved job satisfaction, and so many more benefits! At LaunchCode, we’re continually impressed…
Why Conferences Are Key
Seize The Opportunities Whether you are a job seeker or a hiring manager, new-to-tech or a seasoned developer, conferences can make you a stronger thinker, business person, and developer. Community To begin with, conferences are a great way to meet other people who are interested in topics that you are interested in as well as learn more…
Meet Cody (You’re Going To Love Him)
Portland Apprenticeship Candidate How did you hear about LaunchCode? I heard about LaunchCode through Udacity. It was suggested by the career advisors as a great opportunity to break into the industry. I felt that if there was even a slim chance I would be accepted that I should apply. What motivated you to sign up?…
Interview With Shane
Student-Turned-Teaching Fellow Shane Tells Us All About His LaunchCode Experience Tell us a little bit about your background and how you came to LaunchCode. I received a B.S. in Electronics Engineering Technology from DeVry University in 2012 but was unable to find anything that really used my degree. I worked as an Electronics Bench Technician…
Introduction to User Experience
Pulling Back The Curtain On Our UX Process We’re living in the Technology Revolution, and as we experience the change in the job market, every other industry is trying to find their place. As demand for tech jobs increases, there is an increase in the need for related jobs in design and User Experience (UX).…
How To Have A Successful Project
Tips For Completing Your First Project To land a technical job, you should first complete a decent sized programming project to serve as tangible proof that you have the required skills. Unfortunately, this can be difficult and where great candidates often get stuck. Even after studying alone online or in a classroom environment, building your…
5 Personal PR Tips For A Career In Tech
Be Your Own PR Rep Congratulations, you’ve been placed into a tech apprenticeship with LaunchCode! Now what? Learning doesn’t stop when class ends and you land that apprenticeship — it’s only just begun. Welcome to your new career in tech. Here are some ways to make your professional journey a little easier. Think Of Yourself…
How To Be A Rockstar Candidate: Part 2
Part two of two on how to be a standout LaunchCode apprenticeship candidate. If you missed part one you can read it here. Technical Testing and Live Coding Every company uses different types of technical assessments. However the assessments used differ, and the tests given fall into two main categories: unproctored online assessments and live coding exercises.…
LC101: Q & A With Jesse
The LaunchCode Ed Team on LC101 Where did LC101 come from? LC101 is the product of about a year’s worth of work to create the best coding class we can — one that provides a solid foundation in programming, and is also accessible and enjoyable to a broad audience. This year, we’ve run 9 classes…
How To Be A Rockstar Candidate: Part 1
Part one of two on how to be a standout LaunchCode apprenticeship candidate. What We’re Looking For Getting your first job in tech can be a very tough prospect if you don’t have a computer science degree from a top university. The process can overwhelming, and it’s very difficult to know where you stand. LaunchCode helps you…
Student Q & A: Channon
Meet a Student Can you tell us a bit about your background? I recently graduated from high school. I’ve had four years of classical music training with piano, but 11 years of practice. Music led me to be good at math, and I believe math led me to be good at art. I have also…
Mentor Interview: CoderGirl Helena
Meet a Mentor We couldn’t carry out our mission to educate and employ eager, driven tech talent without the help of our amazing mentors. Helena has been a CoderGirl mentor for two years, where she imparts her wisdom and pro tips from years of experience as a professional developer. How did you come to LaunchCode? While studying Pre-Med, I…
Empowerment Through Mentorship
One-On-One Teaching Techniques So you want to help someone learn to be a software developer. What exactly do you do to help them succeed? Many people have built great careers without formal study but even more have washed out. (Check out this talk from Jeff Cohen at RubyConf 2016 about it.) How can you focus your efforts…
The Agile Process
The Agile Process at LaunchCode Building a successful project takes work and some serious perseverance. However, many people don’t realize that their success or failure in building a project depends on more than pure grit. The most successful individuals and teams create their projects systematically. They keep things simple and only work on what is…
LaunchCoder Q & A with Louis
How did you hear about LaunchCode? I saw a large poster in a window inside a St. Louis mall. After looking into LaunchCode.org, I found out more and went to the intro lecture given by Chris and a recent graduate who was interviewing for a job. Then I filled out the application process and was…
Functional Programming Languages
In your coding journey, you may have heard rumblings about Functional Languages. St. Louis hosts the annual Strange Loop conference, a prestigious tech conference focused specifically on functional languages. While functional programming is not particularly marketable, and shouldn’t be your first language, it’s still pretty interesting. Understanding the concepts behind functional programming languages can help…
LaunchCoder Q & A with Kevin
How did you hear about LaunchCode? I heard about LaunchCode from June Mercer, a Computer Science professor at the St. Louis Community College — Meramec Campus. Tell us about your background. I have 7 years of experience providing customer service in a variety of settings and graduated with an Associate of Applied Science, Database Management,…
LaunchCoder Q&A With Jeff & Jane
Jane, from Kansas City, and Jeff, from St. Louis, met in the middle of their two hometowns during college at the University of Missouri-Columbia. A few years and many adventures later, Jeff saw an online posting for LaunchCode Kansas City’s free CS50x course in the Spring of 2016. The course was free and only six…
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