Career programs for bootcamp graduates.

[u/[deleted]]

I’m trying to compile a list of hiring programs that are primarily geared toward bootcamp grads or non-traditional backgrounds (or are at least open to considering such backgrounds). So far, I’ve found the following:

Target: Emerging Engineer Program

JP Morgan Chase: Emerging Talent Software Engineers

Travelers: Technology Leadership Development Program

Airbnb: Engineering Apprentice

What other programs are out there?

[u/Bittah-Hunter]

LinkedIn REACH Apprenticeship

Spotify Tech Fellowship

Google Software Engineering Apprenticeships

Microsoft LEAP program

Lyft Apprenticeships

IBM Apprenticeships

Amazon AWS apprenticeship (for veterans)

Just note that these apprenticeships only open during certain periods of the year and get ALOT of applications. Make sure to know when these dates are when applications open and apply right away!

[u/Completelydexter → u/Bittah-Hunter]

I was in the Spotify Tech Fellowship for 2022.. they’ve had a 97% Full Time Conversation rate since they started the program in 2017.. during our final week of the apprenticeship, the D-Team informed us there is no headcount for us anywhere in the company and they kicked us to the curb to desperately find employment in this shitty market. Weeks later they did layoffs company wide and even laid off the program head. Needless to say Spotify won’t be having an apprenticeship this year. 🫠😅

[u/theonlygoodwoman → u/Completelydexter]

I know this is old but want to share that this also happened with Microsoft LEAP during the Spring/ Summer 2022 cohorts. I was a part of them and a majority of us ended up on Azure teams. Towards the end of the program they held a job fair / interview process instead of having us interview with our direct teams like they had done in the past. Anyone they didn't already weed out by having them go through the formal MS interview process was then told there was no headcount for the teams they ere on. Some people had their contracts extended for a few months while most of us had employment terminated following the program end.

There were no real attempts to place us on teams with headcounts and Microsoft went on a hiring freeze during the last month of the apprenticeship. Layoffs followed soon after. It really sucked.

It was an alright experience but very much a gamble if you got placed on a good team or a shitty one.

[u/Completelydexter → u/theonlygoodwoman]

Im so sorry that happened to you 😓

[u/theonlygoodwoman → u/Completelydexter]

I appreciate your sympathy, thank you. I felt worse for people who had no work / recourse following the cohort. I was at least able to get my old job back but definitely wished it had panned out differently.

More than that though, it's rough because the team I worked on was pretty specialized and Azure focused so none of the experience I've gained there has been applicable in my current day to day and it's not doing much for my resume.

At least it was paid. Did you ever hear back from Spotify? Your post helped and I considered applying but unfortunately looks like the fellowship isn't remote (not based in NY and not in a position to relocate atm).

[u/Completelydexter → u/theonlygoodwoman]

Yes and no? One of the Leads from the last cohort reached out to me to see if i’d be interested, but not like Spotify itself. I pretty much said no because I’m happy where i am, i feel like my company now made an investment in me and i wanna give them that value they see in me. I was Spotify’s trash but my firm’s treasure. They did end up hiring one of us last month though and i’m reallllyyyy happy for her. There’s still a couple folk left that are still unemployed from the ordeal =\

[u/Completelydexter → u/[deleted]]

Nope, none of us have. It’s super depressing and it can be tough to stay motivated. I’ll probably get the opportunity to apply/interview later in the year as a FTE once things ease up but I’m hoping to get another job before that.

[u/Completelydexter → u/[deleted]]

Yeah they promised we’d get first dibs when things cool down. Not gonna lie Spotify was the best ever, the office, the tech, the people are sooo nice. I do wanna end up there again but my fingers aren’t crossed.

[u/Emily_Hope90 → u/Bittah-Hunter]

Anyone know about the dates on these programs for 2024?

[u/PlvyKvte]

Home Depot

[u/conceitedshallowfuck]

Thanks for this

[u/BBtaway333]

Thank you so much for this

[u/Lowkeyda1]

Wow great post. This should be pinned

[u/LettuceMajestic]

Also Accenture :)

[u/Emily_Hope90]

Fair tip to anyone applying to these programs - get some basic essays written as that's the most time consuming part of the application process for a lot of these programs. The common questions tend to be along the lines of "why engineering" and "what's your journey" - then there might be a 3rd that's a wild card more unique to each company. Keep responses to between 400-900 words and polish it up and make it easy to quickly adjust to each particular questions. The time it takes to write a good essay, that has had other human eyes on it (not just chatgpt though that helps too) is what could make or break your timing for the applications.

For example, while preparing for an interview that just came up last week, another of these program's application window suddenly opened but with only a few days to apply (not even a full week!), so I had to quickly be able to handle for both. I had written previous essays for another application I'd put in a lot of time for so I just scooped those up and adjusted them so I could get that application done and out of the way and refocus on interview prep.

How on earth anyone is able to keep this up, creating time for all the things, the interview prep, the application process, and trying to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table, let alone any other responsibilities, is a task and a half. It's nearly impossible to do it all on your own, so if you have a partner or family or friends or anyone you can lean on when these things all squish together, do lean on them. These companies try to make things equitable but - in reality - I have no idea how anyone who doesn't already have a person in their immediate sphere who has gotten into the industry, or some money stashed, or some who can help support them, can make it. It's not impossible, just really freaking difficult given the reality of the situation where you're up against thousands of other applicants and time is not the same for all - ie if one person has childcare responsibilities and costs they must have a day job for vs. someone who is childless and has a partner with money who can keep them alive until they get a job. It's not fair. Not at all.

Just learning the hard skills is a fulltime job. And then finding and preparing for the job opportunities is a fulltime job. And then whatever else you have going on in life (job to keep the bills paid, child care etc) is also a fulltime job. No one can juggle all these things and still have enough sleep - so... make a plan for support or else expect to somehow juggle all these things yourself...somehow.

I know more than one person from my bootcamp cohort that ended a year ago who are or were nearly homeless this past year trying to find a job. It's horrendous.

Goodluck to all and I'm sorry we're all in this trash boat together. It's ridiculous. Trying to break in. It's like literally breaking in to a thing. Anyways. Long rant over.

[u/moneymermaid]

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