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How to apply to Code Platoon

November 3, 2021/in Blog /by Jim Hennessy

You’ve done your research. You’ve looked at the options. You’ve decided you want to attend Code Platoon’s Full-stack Software Engineering Bootcamp. Now what? It’s time to apply for the program.

While the Code Platoon application process is pretty straightforward, there are a few things to know before you start .

The most important thing is that the Code Platoon application includes two parts. Based on your level of coding experience, the application might take as little as a couple of hours or as much as 20 hours, plus time to prepare for the coding challenges (more below). Plan to complete the entire application before the application deadline for the program cohort you want to attend.

Part one of the application asks for your background, military service, and interest in attending Code Platoon. Plan 30 minutes for this part of the application.

When completing part one, provide as much detail as possible, but pay particular attention to the following questions:

Write a short bio – Tell us about yourself and why you are interested in a career in software engineering. Feel free to share your military experience and how you will build on that during your time at Code Platoon and in your new career.
Which cohort do you want to attend? – This is very important. There are two types of cohorts for our Full-stack software engineering program – Full-time Immersive and Evening & Weekends. Full-time Immersive students attend Code Platoon for 15 weeks, Monday through Friday, from 8am to 5pm central time. Evening & Weekend students attend the program three nights a week and all day on Saturday for 28 weeks. The Evening & Weekend program is often referred to as “Part-time.”
How do you want to attend? – If you plan on joining our Full-time Immersive program, you have two attendance options – In-person or Remote. Attending in-person is the best option for Veterans and military spouses who live in the Chicago area or would like to relocate to Chicago. In-person students attend the program in our Chicago classroom and typically compete for apprenticeships with top Chicago-area employers. Students may also access our program remotely. Remote students participate alongside our in-person students; they receive the same live lectures, classroom discussions, assignments, and team projects.
Scholarships – Scholarships are available for Veterans, military spouses, and active duty Servicemembers. Make sure you check out the available scholarships and mark any that interest you. We have a wide array of scholarships including affinity scholarships for Women in Tech, Black and Hispanic, Transgender Veterans and military spouses – just to name a few..

When you’ve completed part one of the application, you will be directed to part two. Part two includes coding challenges, short essays, and videos. This part of the application will help us determine and measure your programming ability and interest.

If you are a total beginner to coding we suggest that you complete our free, self-paced, Intro to Coding course before starting part two. Intro to Coding will teach you two things – Javascript fundamentals, including Javascript syntax, and problem-solving. These two skills are paramount to becoming a software engineer and being accepted into Code Platoon.

You may be asking, “Why should I learn how to code so that I can go to Code Platoon to learn to code?” This advance work shows grit and a deep interest in coding. Successful students regularly spend time on coding basics before applying, solidifying their interest and commitment to this new career.

Beginners should allow 40-80 hours of preparation before starting part two.

What happens when I complete my application?

Space in each of our cohorts is limited. This allows us to create the ideal student/instructor ratio to ensure the best learning environment for students. You are competing with many other applicants? An application that includes all the information requested and the highest scores from the coding challenges will be accepted into the cohort.

Our admissions team, including instructors, reviews complete applications. We use a rolling admissions process and usually respond to applicants within a couple of weeks (sometimes longer in the month before an application deadline). You can reach out to our Student Outreach and Recruitment Manager if you have questions while completing your application or waiting for your results. Good luck!

Jim Hennessey is Code Platoon’s Director of Marketing. Jim brings a strong background in non-profit marketing and start-up enterprises to the mission of Code Platoon. Jim is a graduate of Clemson University and currently lives in Chicago. Follow Jim on LinkedIn.

Ten Do’s and Don’ts for Living and Learning during Coding Bootcamp

October 20, 2021/in Blog /by Jim Hennessy

Code Platoon began its 16th full-time Software Engineering Bootcamp for Veterans, military spouses, and transitioning Service members two weeks ago. The start of Papa Platoon made us think about some of the “Do’s and Don’ts” for students attending their first coding Bootcamp. The list of do’s and don’ts falls into two categories – living and learning. Check them out.

Living Do’s and Don’ts

Don’t spend all your school days and weekends studying. You’ll burn out too quickly. Yes, Code platoon is intense, but make sure to take time off from coding each week. This will help you be more productive and thoughtful while you learn.
Do take time for breaks and drink LOTS of water. It can be tough when you’re in the middle of a breakthrough or just want to squash one more bug, but take regular breaks and keep yourself hydrated. Sometimes, you can think more clearly after walking away from a problem for just 5 or 10 minutes.
Do exercise. It’s great to have an outlet and keep yourself healthy. It’s easy to end up going to school early and leaving late, but don’t forget to take care of your health as that’s most important.
Do find a mentor — someone with experience in your field who is willing to share knowledge or look at your projects and offer constructive feedback. (Code Platoon offers professional mentors who are also Veterans or military spouses to help prepare our students for careers and apprenticeships).
Do lean on your peers in your cohort. These people are here for the same reasons as you, and they share a desire to learn and become professional software engineers.

Learning Do’s and Don’ts

Do read the error messages you get and try to understand them. If you don’t know, then Google what the error message means. You’ll inevitably see the same error message in the future, and if you know what it means, you’ll be able to solve it faster the next time.
Do break down each problem into smaller problems.
Don’t copy and paste code without trying to understand what the code is actually doing.
Don’t feel like you have to memorize every method or every way to do something. Google is your friend.
Don’t compare yourself to your peers. Everyone comes in with a different level of knowledge, and everyone learns at different tempos. If you work hard and keep pushing forward, you will eventually get it.

As a Code Platoon student, you will be challenged and rigorously trained in our immersive full-stack software engineering Bootcamps. Professional software engineers teach each class. The curriculum features lectures, pair programming, and independent study. Students get hands-on experience working with today’s web development tools, from programming languages to industry best practices. Code Platoon provides a solid foundation to launch a software engineering career.

Jim Hennessey is Code Platoon’s Director of Marketing. Jim brings a strong background in non-profit marketing and start-up enterprises to the mission of Code Platoon. Jim is a graduate of Clemson University and lives in Chicago. Follow Jim on LinkedIn.

Bravo Evening & Weekend Platoon Final Projects

October 19, 2021/in Blog /by Code Platoon

We’re showcasing the final group projects from the recently graduated Bravo Evening and Weekend Platoon. During each Code Platoon Full-stack Software Engineering Bootcamp, our students form teams to create capstone projects that showcase the coding, development, and teamwork skills learned in the program.

Bravo Evening and Weekend Platoon had 12 students participating in the 28-week program. Evening and Weekend students participate in the program three evenings a week and all day on Saturday. Many of the Evening and Weekend Program students have full-time jobs or other regular commitments that don’t allow them to participate in the full-time program.

Three projects were presented as part of the October 16, 2021, virtual graduation.

Tetris Lite is an updated version of the classic game built by three Army Veterans and a Navy Veteran. The game includes an authentication system, point currency, and award system. The team also added game upgrades that can slow the game or allow you to see ahead, along with user profiles and scoreboards.

Trivia Platoon is a trivia challenge built by two Marine Veterans, an Air Force Veteran, and an Army National Guard Veteran. The game allows users to play solo or against multiple players and features a lobby chat room for “trivia trash talk” among users. The team used React, Javascript, HTML, and Tailwinds CSS on the Front End. Django, Python, was used on the backend.

Appreciation Notes is an app that allows users to express appreciation for friends, family, coworkers. A team that included a Navy spouse, two Marine Veterans, and an Army Veteran built the app. The app features sentiment analysis, message prompts, and gamification. The team used GitHub Projects for Code Reviews and Automated Testing.

Check out all three videos below.

Code Platoon Graduate Outcomes 2021

October 12, 2021/in Blog /by Rod Levy

Since Code Platoon launched in 2016, our mission has been to prepare Veterans, military spouses, and active duty Servicemembers to become professional software engineers and developers. Over our first five years, we have graduated more than 200 students into new careers in software engineering.

A key component of our mission is to ensure the successful transition of our students from military life to the professional business world. To accomplish this, we must teach students how to develop software and prepare them for the corporate world. We train our students on more than just the necessary programming skills. We also emphasize the soft career skills and networking needed to get into the right jobs. Here are our results so far:

Code Platoon Outcomes 2021

Ninety-two (92) Veterans and military spouses graduated in the last two years (6 cohorts).
Seventy-four of those graduates (80%) found jobs in software development within six months.
The median starting salary of those graduates was $72,000. After 24 months, the median salary of our graduates is $96,000.
Of the remaining 18 graduates, two went to work outside of software development, four looked for work but did not find it within six months, five graduated but did not actively look for full-time jobs, and seven did not respond to our survey.
Our graduates are more than simply employed; they have demonstrated great earning potential as well.

Graduate Outcomes 2021 We attribute the excellent success rates of our graduates to several factors. First of all, our students come hungry to learn and are working long hours every day. Second of all, we have some great tech community partners who help our students with job placement. And, of course, there is the program itself.

We provide excellent technical training in software development.

First and foremost, we teach programming skills. Our Full-Stack Software Engineering curriculum focuses on two of the most in-demand languages Python and Javascript, and robust frameworks like React and Django.

A typical day in the classroom features two hours of lecture and instruction, workshops by industry professionals, and dedicated time for programming challenges. Students participate in regular pair programming exercises and complete both individual and group projects.

We also know that while technical skills are fundamental to getting a good job, they are not enough to succeed. That is why our curriculum also includes soft skills training, resume preparation, LinkedIn skills, and interview preparation, including technical, whiteboard, and behavioral interviews.

Because we work with the military community, we tailor our interview prep to help our students tell their stories to civilian interviewers. We even help prepare our students for the complexities of post-military life. We have seminars on personal finance, workplace sensitivity and inclusion, and growth mindset.

We provide apprenticeship and networking opportunities to help our graduates get their first software engineering job.

Getting your first job in a new field like programming and development is hard. Paid apprenticeships are available in Chicago. These apprenticeships are a bridge from our training program to a new career in software engineering for graduates of Code Platoon.

We’ve built a strong network that our students can tap into, providing opportunities to learn more about entering and working in the tech industry. Code Platoon students pair with industry mentors and professional software developers who volunteer as teaching assistants. By the end of our program, each of our students should have met at least ten experienced software developers.

Each part of the Code Platoon program and culture, combined with the grit and determination of our Veterans and spouses, leads to the success our students enjoy after graduation.

Rod Levy is the Founder and Executive Director of Code Platoon. He holds undergraduate and Master’s degrees in engineering from Cornell University and an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he graduated with honors. Rod has also completed Dev Bootcamp’s web developer program.

Code Platoon’s Intro to Coding Ranked as Most Affordable Option for Beginners

October 5, 2021/in Blog /by Amanda Gordon

Code Platoon provides an affordable education option for Veterans and military spouses interested in software engineering careers. There are many variables to consider when choosing a Software Engineering program, including time, cost, and type of study. That’s why we offer Full-time, Evening and Weekend, and Self-paced learning programs.

Our free online, self-paced Intro to Coding program was recognized recently by Intelligent, an independent education resource provider, as one of the Best Online Coding Bootcamps for 2021. The program was ranked as the most affordable option for beginner coders.

“We are honored to be recognized as one of the top choices for Intelligent’s Online Coding Bootcamps,” said Rod Levy, Code Platoon’s Founder and Executive Director. “While our target student base is those who have served in the military or are married into it, our Intro to Coding course is available to anyone, regardless of any affiliation with the military or not.”

Intro to Coding is an 11 session course that includes seven hours of on-demand videos and more than 120 coding challenges to kick-start someone’s coding learning. Participants of Intro to Coding will walk away with the fundamentals of JavaScript, an in-demand and well-paying coding language to learn. Many of the participants who complete Intro to Coding attend additional coding Bootcamp programs and pursue careers in software engineering.

In their ranking, Intelligent recommended Intro to Coding by saying, “If you’re particularly busy, then it might be difficult to even keep up with the fixed schedule of a part-time coding Bootcamp. Code Platoon’s self-directed program allows you to complete your coursework whenever you find the time. With a cost of $0, it’s an excellent choice for aspiring coders who are concerned about their budget as well.

Amanda Michelle Gordon is Code Platoon’s Content Marketing Coordinator. She is a U.S. Air Force Veteran and a graduate of SUNY New Paltz for Journalism and Sociology. In her free time, Amanda enjoys reading, the outdoors, and turning coffee into copy. You can find Amanda on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Unqork Partners with Code Platoon To Hire Veterans

September 20, 2021/in Blog, Partnership News /by Brenna Koss

Code Platoon, the mission-driven, non-profit organization that turns Veterans and military spouses into professional software engineers is excited to share its recent partnership with Unqork. One of LinkedIn’s top startups of 2020, Unqork builds complex, mission-critical software.

John Norton, a Veteran and a Sales Engineer at Unqork, shared more about the company’s goals of expanding and helping Veterans break into tech. John began working at Unqork in March 2020 and is a U.S. Army Veteran who served as a Radar Repairer for over four years. Upon separation from the Army, John was looking for a company that allowed him to apply the skills he learned during his time in service, while also providing room for career growth. He found Unqork.

As a part of his role at the company, John co-leads one of their Employee Resource Strategy Groups (ERSG): John co-leads Unqork Veterans, a group dedicated to Veterans. Through these groups, the company’s foundation holds a strong dedication towards promoting diversity in the tech industry.

“I haven’t worked with a lot of other companies that have put this much effort and consistent strategy into improving DEI metrics and really ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard at the company,” John said. “Unqork is making sure that we are really celebrating the diversity of background and thought. The result is awesome! We end up with better products, better ideas. We move faster and we are more agile,” John said.

Unqork specifically sees the value of hiring talent from the Veteran and military spouse community.

“What you generally find with Veterans is when you hand them the right tools and tell them to get the job done, they will do it. There is immense value in having somebody that you absolutely know you can depend on. Somebody who knows that no matter what the circumstances, they are going to accomplish the mission. Veterans are great problem solvers, dedicated, able to overcome obstacles fairly easily and keep a level head under pressure,” said John, giving a special note on Code Platoon graduates in particular. The company acknowledges the benefits of having Veterans at their company. “Across the board, the candidates that have come from Code Platoon have set a high standard in terms of their motivation, dedication and the education they have received. Unqork sees Code Platoon as a great resource for finding top Veteran talent for their technology facing roles.”

Code Platoon is proud to be one of Unqork’s community partners participating in a multitrack onboarding process. In an effort to hire more individuals related to their ERSGs. To improve onboarding, the innovative company Unqork has created a mini bootcamp to help candidates, including our Code Platoon graduates, transition to Unqork.

“With the forecast of consistent needs for our company to grow, we want to bring in folks that represent all walks of life and that includes Veterans,” John said.

Code Platoon graduates and the other candidates go through a three-week program that familiarizes the new hires with the basics of the Unqork platform. After two weeks of training, each associate builds an individual project and works on a group project.

“I found myself truly prepared for the Unqork onboarding bootcamp as a graduate of Code Platoon,” said Jarrett Hosey, a U.S. Army Veteran and Code Platoon graduate who joined Unqork in February 2021. “Over these last 7 months as a full time employee at Unqork, I’ve felt very supported as a Veteran. We have all sorts of connection points among fellow Veterans including a dedicated Slack channel and book club.”

The Unqork collaboration has been an innovative approach to hiring and onboarding.

“This process allows Unqork to tap into a qualified pool of military Veterans and train them up on the unique skills needed to be successful in a career at their company,” Rich Luby said. He is Code Platoon’s Career Service Lead. We are excited about our initial outcomes and we are looking forward to the next round of onboarding!”

If your company is interested in partnering with Code Platoon to source top military talent contact Rich Luby at rich@codeplatoon.org. You can learn more about partnership options here.

The Best Paying and Most In-Demand Programming Languages in 2021

September 13, 2021/in Blog /by Rod Levy

At Code Platoon, we track national demand for programming languages so that our Veterans and military spouses get the best tools for a career in software development.

This article highlights the programming languages that command the highest salaries and are most frequently targeted in job postings.

We wrote on this subject in 2020 and have since updated the statistics for 2021. Here are our primary findings:

Javascript and Python developers continue to get paid well, landing #2 and #3 in salary, while C++ makes a jump this year to #1 in salary. But there are relatively fewer job posting for C++, with Java and Javascript leading in jobs posted (C# and Python finished close behind).

How we identified the current top programming languages

We began by searching Indeed.com, one of the largest job listing sites. For compensation, we examined the top 15 most popular languages in a Stack Overflow survey and mapped the average salary for job listings with those languages. For demand, we tracked the number of total job postings targeting those same languages.

Ranking programming languages by pay and number of openings

Python: Python is an interpreted, multi-purpose programming language. It holds the #3 position in Average Salary and #4 in the number of Job Postings. Python is seeing exploding growth due to its use in data science, machine learning, cybersecurity, and dev ops.

Javascript: Javascript took #2 in Job Postings and #2 in Average Salary. Javascript is an indispensable language to know for writing web applications.

C++: Now used primarily in gaming and high-performance applications, C++ stands at #1 in Average Salary and #6 in Job Postings. C++ is very fast and stable, but difficult to learn relative to the other languages in this list.

Java: Integral to large-scale legacy business applications and gaining new relevance through its adoption by Google for Android, Java climbs to #1 in Job Postings and #4 in Average Salary.

C#: C# maintains a solid user base through its adoption in the Unity gaming engine, standing at #3 in Job Postings and #6 in Average Salary.

Number of Jobs PHP: The language that powers WordPress, PHP is #7 in Job Postings and #7 in Average Salary. PHP is a general-purpose scripting language used for the development of web applications.

C: C is one of the oldest and most widely used programming languages, holding #5 in Average Salary and #5 in Job Postings. What makes this language so tough to learn is partly why it’s so powerful: concepts that are hidden to users in scripting languages like Python and Java are exposed in C, offering more flexibility and complexity.

SQL: SQL (or Structured Query Language) is the standard language for relational database management systems; it is a query language that allows users to draw information from databases. It ranks #8 in Average Salary and #8 in Job Postings.

What will be the most popular programming language in 2022?

It’s difficult to speculate how these programming languages will fare because the supply of qualified applicants affects the number of open positions. However, Python’s growth will probably continue as companies increase their adoption of data analytics tools, infrastructure software development, and AI tools (areas where Python shines). Javascript will continue to be the ‘language of the web.’

If you’re looking for more information on the usefulness of various programming languages, the TIOBE Index and Stack Overflow provide authoritative reports. Both consider industry demand and incorporate different approaches in determining the usefulness of programming languages.

If you’re a military Veteran or military spouse interested in learning to code, you can apply for one of our cohorts now.

Rod Levy is the Founder and Executive Director of Code Platoon. Rod spent 20+ years in finance and entrepreneurship. He was a Partner at G-Bar Limited Partners, where he co-founded and managed their volatility-arbitrage trading desk (BBR Trading) and was one of the founders of Cerrio, an internal software start-up. He holds undergraduate and master’s degrees in engineering from Cornell University, and an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where he graduated with honors. Rod has also completed Dev Bootcamp’s web developer program.

Oscar Platoon Final Projects

September 8, 2021/in Blog /by Code Platoon

The final step for Code Platoon students before they officially graduate from the Full-stack Software Engineering Bootcamp is the showcasing of their final group projects. This is where the students really get to shine and demonstrate all that they learned in fun, innovative, and creative ways by creating software applications as a team.

On Friday, September 3, 2021, 18 students graduated from Code Platoon’s 16th Full-time cohort, Oscar Platoon. Here are the three final projects from the recently graduated class.

First is “There Can Only Be One”, a fun new way to answer life’s toughest questions such as; ‘What should we watch on Netflix?” ‘What should we name the baby?’ and the classic ‘Where are we eating tonight?’

Check out “There Can Only Be One”, presented by Andrew Whitford a Veteran of the Air Force, Sarah Dellheim another Air Force Veteran, Marine Veteran Jeremiah Mauga, and Shawn Kiernan who served with the Navy for 20 years.

Next up was “The Trendy Investor” a platform designed for the savvy investor in all of us. With Trendy Investor, users can stay up to date on market trends, including crypto currencies, and make the best investment possible.

See the application that Alexander Saunders and Reno Averill, both Veterans of the United States Army, and Navy Veteran Vincent Brunstad brought to life as their capstone project!

The final project in the line up really speaks to the nature of Veterans wanting to give back. Oscar Platoon graduates Jack Shuff and James White who are Veterans of the Army, Stephen Sun and Marc Stanley, both Veterans of the Air Force, and Navy Veteran Jonas Paulikas all wanted to create an application that would provide value for future Code Platoon students and instructors.

Their project,“Slacker” is a resource finding web app which allows users to find the reference material they need with a simple search rather than scrolling through pages of information. This app integrates with Slack and has the potential of making the breakneck pace of learning code more bearable.

Check out how the “Slacker” team put together this app!

The Intern Experience: Vetted into the Nonprofit World

September 2, 2021/in Blog /by Jewel Hale and Chip Lauterbach

Each Summer, Code Platoon has the pleasure of gaining an intern through New Sector’s Summer Fellowship program. For three months the selected intern gains firsthand experience in the work we do at Code Platoon, and this year we had not one but two incredibly talented folks join our team. Jewel Hale and Chip Lauterbach, both of whom are Marine Veterans.

“During my summer working with the amazing people at Code Platoon, I was able to get a firsthand glimpse at how a non-profit worked,” Chip says. “I was fascinated by the level of commitment that each member of the team had and even more impressed by the skills of the students that were on display in the class sessions that I observed. Overall, the team with Code Platoon made me feel right at home. The fact that many of my coworkers were also Veterans and that our students all share that connection to the U.S. military made me feel that I could contribute back to my fellow Servicemembers.”

“Working with Code Platoon has been an incredible experience,” says Jewel. “As a Veteran myself, I was very excited to partner with an organization that focuses on improving the lives of Veterans and military spouses.”

While serving in different departments, Chip rocking the Marketing side of the house with his hit piece Rapid Fire Questions, and Jewel stepping up to plate for the Development submitting a sizable grant for the organization, both experience the same feeling of welcoming to the team and endured the odd challenges that come with the remote work experience.

“I received such a warm greeting from the leadership and staff, including the department I worked with, the Development team. Alicia and Brenna have been fantastic supervisors and teammates,” says Jewel. “In our weekly meetings, I felt included, like I was a part of the team. Everyone was so encouraging and always offered assistance if I needed it. I was extremely nervous because I had minimal experience working with development, and I was not yet used to working from home. It was really nice to know I had that support.”

“I worked directly with the social media marketing team and seeing all of the hard work that went into making Code Platoon’s online presence take shape gave me the type of experiences that I practiced and studied while in college working on my degree in broadcast journalism,” says Chip. “Journalism and Social Media Marketing are definitely different, but both utilize many of the same tools and online presence. Working remotely from my home in Richmond, Virginia, also presented a challenge, although by now most people have adjusted to work/life during this age of social distancing and my coworkers at Code Platoon made me feel welcomed and were ready to hit the ground running when it came to working on tasks.”

“I am grateful for the opportunity to work with and learn from those at Code Platoon,” Jewel says. “I have learned so much that I know will contribute tremendously toward my career in the nonprofit sector.” Chip agrees with that same sentiment.

“My experiences here have helped me prepare for the next steps in my life, and I am very grateful to everyone at Code Platoon for this opportunity,” says Chip. “I think more Veterans would benefit from knowing about Code Platoon.”

We are beyond impressed with the hard work and dedication they provided in such a short span of time. While their daily presence in the organization will be sorely missed, we are confident that they will continue to do great things with their careers and we hope that they will remain in contact as members of the Code Platoon family.

Jewel Hale is Code Platoon’s Summer Development Intern. She served in the United States Marine Corps and is attending Norfolk State University with a major of Sociology.

Chip Lauterbach is Code Platoon’s Summer Social Media and Marketing Intern. He served in the United States Marine Corps and just recently graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a major in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Political Science. In his free time, he enjoys running around playing games with his daughter and thinks of the great outdoors as his second home.

Rapid Fire Questions with Chip The Intern

August 5, 2021/in Blog /by Chip Lauterbach

Good morning, good afternoon, good evening and whenever you are watching this I hope that all is well. My name is Chip the Intern and today I will be chatting with Code Platoon’s very own Greg Drobny. Greg is Code Platoon’s Student Outreach and Recruitment Manager, meaning he is one of the first people that you will talk to if you are a Veteran or Veteran spouse looking to join one of our cohorts right here at Code Platoon.

While we are going to be answering some of the most commonly asked questions, so if you are starting the Code Platoon journey and you see this video, hopefully, this can help guide you along the way.

Chip: Greg.

Greg: Chip!

Chip: Are you ready for some rapid fire questions?

Greg: As a matter of fact, yes I am!

Chip: Do I need to have any experience in coding to apply?

Greg: Short answer; no. Longer answer; we do provide all the materials necessary to get you up to speed in order to pass the assessment to get into Code Platoon and bring you straight from complete beginner all the way up to the level of entering Code Platoon.

Chip: Does Code Platoon accept the G.I. Bill?

Greg: Yes! However, strong caveat: One must be present in the classroom in Chicago to take full advantage of the G.I. Bill. For those outside of Chicago who want to attend remotely, VET TEC is certainly an option.

Chip: What if I’m a spouse of a Veteran who does not have access to the G.I. Bill?

Greg: Not only are you accepted into Code Platoon as a spouse, we also have a scholarship just for you.

Chip: Do you offer career services and job placement?

Greg: Yes we do. We have a robust job placement effort that takes place after one graduates from Code Platoon, to include paid apprenticeships for our graduates in the city of Chicago with some major organizations.

Chip: I’m currently working a boring day job and won’t be able to do classes in the daytime. Is there any kind of option for me?

Greg: Yes indeed there are. For people in your situation, a boring day job, we actually have an Evenings and Weekends Program that enables you to go through our program in a little bit extended period of time but still keep your day job.

Chip: What’s the graduation and success rate for each class?

Greg: Code Platoon currently boasts a 91% graduation rate with an 85% success rate of placing our graduates in roles in software development within six months of graduation making a median salary of $65,000 a year.

Chip: I can’t attend in-person classes. Is there a remote option?

Greg: Yes, as a matter of fact, during the COVID crisis we went 100% remote with a lot of success with our students. Our remote students attend virtually, so they will be attending the same class as the in-person students, just doing so from a virtual platform.

Chip: Will I be working in a group setting?

Greg: Yes, and I know that this strikes fear into the hearts of anyone who’s ever been to a college class and done 90% of the work while taking 10% of the credit. However, this is why our application process is what it is, which ensures everyone who is at Code Platoon truly wants to be there and everyone will be putting in solid effort.

Chip: Is there anything else to learn other than coding stuff?

Greg: No.

Chip: Okay, I have a chance to get a job. What sort of certifications will I be earning beforehand?

Greg: Graduates of Code Platoon will walk out of the program with three certificates. One, the Code Platoon Graduation Certificate, two, the AWS, the Amazon Web Services Devops, and three, a SAFe agile framework certificate.

Chip: How big are the classes and will I be able to receive all of the proper attention I may need from an instructor?

Greg: As a matter of fact this is one of the areas where we can say that Code Platoon is a true nonprofit. We would rather have smaller classes where people can receive the immediate attention of instructors than have big classes just to make a lot more money. We want to ensure the best possible learning environment and we believe that smaller classes is ideal for exactly that.

Chip: Well thanks Greg for doing this.

Greg: Always a pleasure.

Chip: And that was Rapid Fire Questions with me, Chip the Intern and Code Platoon’s Student Outreach and Recruitment Manager, Greg Drobny.

If you’re interested in joining one of our cohorts and becoming part of the growing pool of Veterans and Veteran spouses that are entering into the world of software development then check out our website, www.codeplatoon.org. That website is again, www.codeplatoon.org.

Take a look around and maybe fill out an application. Our link will be down in the description. My name is Chip the Intern, thanks so much for watching, leave a like and a comment below and have a lovely day.