Embracing the Future: Code Fellows Integrates AI into Tech Education

By Mitchell Robertson on August 22, 2023

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, staying ahead of the curve is paramount for success. Here at Code Fellows, we have long held a reputation for leading the way in tech education, and we are continuing to do just that as we take a pioneering step by fully embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to prepare our graduates for the future. By integrating AI-powered tools like ChatGPT into our curriculum, we are revolutionizing the way students learn to code, innovate, and excel in the tech industry.

How to Accelerate Your Learning with Stacked Modules

By John Cokos on November 18, 2022

Learn. More. Faster.

It’s a bold promise and one that can be fulfilled only when we are willing to not only challenge our assumptions about how we learn but abandon what we think has worked for us in the past. Get comfortable being uncomfortable and really accelerate your learning with an experience-based, stacked approach.

Alumni Spotlight: Michael Greene - From Military Police & Game Designer to Software Engineer

By Mitchell Robertson on November 2, 2022

“If you have a hard time learning, then any new skill is going to be difficult for you. I think Code Fellows gives you the advantage of it being hands-on, Code Fellows just puts your hands on code way more than any sort of college setting. And finally, if you’re a veteran, don’t be ashamed to use your benefits! You’ve earned them!” – Michael Greene

Alumni Spotlight: Daniel - From Digital Marketing Specialist to Senior Product Designer

By Mitchell Robertson on October 20, 2022

“I joined Code Fellows to level up the position I was in. You find the resources to be a better person, to be a more capable person." – Daniel Nguyen

Is Code Fellows Better Than a Four-Year Degree?

By Mitchell Robertson on February 23, 2022

Conventional wisdom points to the value of a college degree, and there are a lot of benefits, but is it worth it? The annual cost of a college education has increased by more than 59% since 2000, while wages for individuals with a Bachelor’s degree have increased by only 5% (3% for individuals with only a high school diploma). This is not sustainable.

15 Ways to Pay for Your Education

By Mitchell Robertson on February 20, 2022

If a program has a solid return on investment—the employment rate is strong, as is the average graduate starting salary—but you don’t have the money to pay for it, how and where do you start?

6 Tips to Stack Your Job Search with Confidence

By Mitchell Robertson on February 15, 2022

In order to take a leap to find a rewarding new career in tech it will take grit and determination, confidence, support, and a strong support team. In your quest to become a professional in tech, leveling up your skills while stacking your job applications can lead to multiple offers and higher pay.

AWS Without Breaking the Bank

By Roger Huba on February 9, 2022

Imagine you are following along in an online tutorial that will walk you through creating a cloud-based API to serve up some data from an AWS EC2 instance, connected to a database. You complete the tutorial and end up with this great API. You decide to share it with your friend who will “ohh and ahh” at your site. A month later you get an email from AWS that mentions a bill is due. To your surprise, the bill is over $300. WHAT? HOW? No way! What do I do now? How do I keep this from happening ever again?

In this article, I’ll offer the essential guidance you need to keep this from happening to you (again?).

VET TEC: What Is It, and How Can It Help Fund Your Tech Education?

By Teri Pfeffer on February 3, 2022

Transitioning out of the military and into the civilian workforce can be difficult, so it’s helpful to know all of the resources available to help you succeed in a new career path. One resource available to you: the VET TEC program. Learn from our military program manager, Teri Pfeffer, about what the VET TEC program is and how it can help fund your tech education.

Making the Most of Your GI Bill®: Five Things Veterans Need to Know

By Teri Pfeffer on January 3, 2022

As a veteran, you already have most of what it takes to become a great coder: you have grit, determination, motivation, and are a great problem-solver. Thanks to our certification by the US Department of Veterans Affairs, you can put those skills to use with a career in the tech industry when you use your GI Bill® to fund your Code Fellows education. Our military program manager Teri Pfeffer explains the five most important things you need to know about the GI Bill® and how it can help kickstart your career in coding.

Partnering to Increase Digital Equity in K-12

By Mitchell Robertson on October 14, 2021

Code Fellows has partnered with the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and Central Oregon STEM Hub piloting a program to provide tech education to students throughout central Oregon. Now in our second year, we are off to a great start and long partnership to produce lasting change.

Leading the Way in Employment Outcomes

By Mitchell Robertson on September 2, 2021

At Code Fellows, we are passionate about helping individuals transform their lives through fast-paced career-focused technical education. This is why we are more than honored to announce that our recently audited employment results show that our alumni have achieved an outstanding 93% In-field Employment Rate.

11 Of Our Favorite Tech Podcasts For 2021

By Dr. Robin S. Apparicio on March 9, 2021

What is one thing that everyone in tech has in common? Lifelong learning. It is important to keep your finger on the pulse of what the pros are talking about. We need to always be pivoting, learning, and adapting. Thankfully there are brilliant people out there who are creating content that is innovative, informative but also funny, entertaining and inspiring.

3 Tips to Help You Avoid the Resolution Rut

By Mitchell Robertson on January 6, 2021

2021 is here and like most of the world, you are probably thinking about what your New Year Resolutions will be. Rather than fall into the rut of setting and forgetting your resolutions this year, create goals that inspire you to get up every day and get after accomplishing them.

Powering Jamaica's Digital Transformation

By Mitchell Robertson on October 14, 2020

Code Fellows is proud to be powering the digital transformation of Jamaica through training individuals with the technical skills to start rewarding new careers and accelerate Jamaica’s digital economy!

Walk-through: Selection Sort Algorithm

By Amanda Iverson on October 5, 2020

How do you sort?

You are dealt a hand of 10 playing cards. What’s the first thing you do? Organize them. One of my typical strategies for quickly doing so goes like this if the suit doesn’t matter: Find the lowest value card and put it in the left-most spot in my hand. Then find the lowest of the remaining cards, and place it just to the right of the first card. Repeat, until all the cards are in order. This process is similar to how a computer might sort a list of values with the “selection sort” algorithm. This is just one of the dozens of popular approaches to organizing data, but it maps particularly well to how humans often attempt to sort things. Let’s take a look at how selection sort works!

Value of Remote Working …. and Remote Learning

By Mitchell Robertson on September 10, 2020

Remote work is here to stay. “WFH” is the new normal for companies large and small. Job seekers and companies with positions to fill are slowly realizing how much this opens up opportunities for finding the right match. This is why it’s so important to learn the skills to be a productive, well-balanced professional who can work remotely.

Job Interviews: 10 Things to Practice

By Mitchell Robertson on August 3, 2020

Congratulations, you’ve landed an interview! Here’s how to make sure you don’t blow it.

How to Land a Job in Tech

By Mitchell Robertson on July 29, 2020

How do you land a great job with a tech company? The answer to the question doesn’t require a secret handshake or a hidden map – it requires grit!

A Half-Million Jobs in Cybersecurity - Here are the Five important things you need to know

By David Lee on July 21, 2020

With more than half-million job opportunities in cybersecurity according to cyberseek.org, looking for an educational program that will get your foot in the door isn’t easy. Make sure to consider these five important topics when looking for your next cybersecurity program!

Meet Christopher: Code Fellows Graduate, CTO, and Apple Keynote Speaker

By Mitchell Robertson on July 7, 2020

Christopher Cohen has always been one step ahead of technology. As a Code Fellows graduate and chief technology officer of FiLMiC Inc., Christopher is not only pushing the boundaries of what smartphones can do (and presenting his groundbreaking innovations to Apple developers at Apple Special Event Keynotes)—he’s pushing the boundaries of what he can do, too.

6 Keys to Writing the Perfect Cover Letter

By Mitchell Robertson on April 23, 2020

Let’s stop with the generic cover letters! A great cover letter should help you stand out. When written poorly, a cover letter can make a promising candidate seem like an uncreative, uninteresting boiler-plate copy.

COVID-19: How to Thrive in This Time of Uncertainty

By Mitchell Robertson on April 10, 2020

At Code Fellows, we are passionate about helping individuals transform their lives through education. We believe that it is critical to learn the skills that allow you to pursue your passion while also providing for you financially. Being able to work remote, means you not only have the ability to endure tough times like the ones we are facing now but also live where you want, work where you want, and live the life that you want.

Defining Impostor Syndrome: How to Own Your Success

By Mitchell Robertson on March 3, 2020

Late last year, life coach Micha Goebig gave a presentation on overcoming impostor syndrome at a Code Fellows Partner Power Hour. You’ve probably heard of the phrase, but you might not know exactly what it means. Don’t worry, you’re not alone.

Here, we’re detailing what impostor syndrome is and breaking down Micha’s tips for overcoming it and learning to feel confident about your success. Everyone lacks confidence sometimes, but with these tips, we hope to help you learn where that’s healthy—as opposed to limiting and destructive—so you can believe in yourself as much as we believe in you.

Meet Teri: Military Program Manager

By Mitchell Robertson on February 13, 2020

Teri is a big part of what makes Code Fellows so special. In an effort to connect with the veteran community and sharing what an amazing resource she is, we’re writing this peice on her so that current and potential students can get to know her and realize the wealth of support and passion she brings.

Which Coding Language Should I Learn First?

By Brook Riggio on February 5, 2020

Code Fellows’ own vice president of education, Brook Riggio, breaks down the differences between coding languages and shares his suggestions about which language you should learn first.

It's For You!

By Jeff Malek on January 23, 2020

I sent the response below to an email we received from someone who objected to one of our ads, which contained the message “coding is not just for the white, the male, the privileged, the wealthy or the college educated”. Hopefully this post will help others who may have been offended to understand the intent behind this message.

Why We’re Different Than a Coding Bootcamp

By Mitchell Robertson on December 17, 2019

Coding bootcamps have grown in popularity—but we at Code Fellows believe it takes more than the basics, which is why we don’t categorize ourselves as a bootcamp. In this post, we explain why.

7 Ways Veterans Can Optimize Their LinkedIn Profile for Jobs in Tech

By Teri Pfeffer on December 10, 2019

When it comes to professional networking sites, LinkedIn is the way to go. For veterans specifically, LinkedIn can be an invaluable tool when transitioning into the workforce outside of the military. Here, our very own military program manager and military spouse of 24 years, Teri Pfeffer, shares her top LinkedIn tips for veterans.

Meet Amber: Code Fellows Graduate

By Mitchell Robertson on October 1, 2019

When Amber Kim started Code Fellows, she wasn’t afraid to fail. In fact, she wanted to: “The faster you learn, the faster you know where the holes in your logic are, and the faster you can either pivot or work on your weak links.”

Meet Jen: Code Fellows Graduate

By Mitchell Robertson on September 12, 2019

When Jen Carrigan enrolled at Code Fellows, she dove in headfirst: she quit her job, dropped out of her computer science degree program, and devoted herself completely to the Code Fellows program instead. It may have been a risk, but it paid off royally—today, Jen is a Code Fellows graduate and software development engineer. Jen’s journey to Code Fellows may have been full of some twists and turns, but she reached her destination by taking it one step at a time.

Learning to Code: 5 Paths to Becoming a Software Developer and How to Enhance Your Skills Along the Way - Part I

By Heather Cherewaty on September 12, 2019

Are you learning to code or looking to improve your technical skillset? Join us for a 5 part blog series on the many paths to a career in Tech and how you can improve your skills, and your job prospects, along the way! Monthly, from September through January, we’ll be exploring various learning mediums and how to best leverage those resources for success. We’ll cover free online tutorials and courses, coding schools/bootcamps, CS degree programs, interview prep, and continuing education.

Meet Hector: Code Fellows Graduate

By Mitchell Robertson on August 19, 2019

When Hector Norzagaray enrolled in Code Fellows, he expected to learn how to code. What he didn’t expect was to find a community of people who rallied together to help him believe in himself—and make it through.

Field Notes: How to Prepare for the Technical Interview

By Misty Hays on January 19, 2019

Interviewing can be brutal. But it doesn’t have to be.

Field Notes: Impact is Greater Than Visibility

By Jeff Adelman on December 31, 2018

As you progress in your career as a software engineer, one piece of advice you may hear, from coworkers, friends, or a manager, is that you need to be more “visible.” What do these well-meaning people have in mind when they tell you to increase your visibility?

Field Notes: Advice for a Career in Programming

By Ted Spence on December 20, 2018

When I meet programmers about to embark on a career in the exciting and rewarding field of software engineering, they often ask for advice. The most common question I am asked is what programming language they should learn (I happen to like C#), but I’d like to share different advice today.

Closing the IT Skills Gap with Coding Academies: A Q&A with an Avalara Senior Software Engineer

By Jesse Hamlin on December 12, 2018

Avalara has hired several Code Fellows alumni over the past several years, with each one bringing grit, passion, and top-shelf training in software development. We sat down with Lee Broxson, Senior UX engineer here at Avalara and our first hire from Code Fellows’ program, to talk about his career after studying at a coding academy, and how programs like Code Fellows—his “alma mater”—are helping to shrink the IT skills gap.

4 Projects Sponsors, 8 Mentors, and 80 Devs Walk Into a Code School…

By Elizabeth Scutchfield on November 21, 2018

Thank you to everyone who participated in our first Community Hack Night Initiative!

Introducing the New Talent Portal!

By Elizabeth Scutchfield on October 26, 2018

We’ve launched a new way for hiring managers and dev teams to find their next teammate!

6 Reasons for Pair Programming

By Allie Grampa on August 24, 2018

Iterative loops. Code reviews. Fast feedback. Error checking and linting. These are software engineering practices that have proven to dramatically improve the quality of code developers produce. What if you can could get all of this, instantaneously, while typing code line by line and character by character? You can, with pair programming, a technique common to many agile work environments.

How to Choose a Stack

By Sarah Fischer on June 19, 2018

We get this question a lot: “How do I choose which Code 401 course to take?” Here’s how we answer.

How to Choose a Stack, Part 5: Java

By Steve Geluso on April 26, 2018

Java is powerful. It’s one of the most established, trusted programming languages in the software industry. Computer science programs teach it, and it helps companies big and small build secure, performant platforms.

How to Choose a Stack, Part 4: ASP.NET

By Sarah Fischer on April 5, 2018

How do you choose your first software development stack? More importantly, do you even know what a software development “stack” is?

Mock Interviews: The Path to an Effective & Inclusive Hiring Process

By Mitchell Robertson on February 7, 2018

It’s no secret. Software developers are in high demand, and the interview door swings both ways—they’re assessing your company as much as you’re deciding if they’re a good fit for the role.

Alumni-Focused Events Boost Grads’ Careers & Community

By Mitchell Robertson on September 25, 2017

As the first coding academy in the Seattle market, we launched our operations in 2013 with hopes of improving the quality of tech education and access to careers in tech.

Meet Rae: Yogi Turned Software Developer

By Mitchell Robertson on July 21, 2017

Rae Helsel is a yoga instructor who decided to make a career switch to mobile development. She shares how her background made her the perfect fit for a New York startup, what she loved most about her learning experience, and her advice for anyone considering a similar transition.

Meet Stefanie: From Psychology to Microsoft's LEAP Program

By Sarah Fischer on February 10, 2017

Stefanie Hansen was struggling to find a career path that was creative, intellectual, meaningful, and collaborative—until she started learning to code. Read along as she shares about her journey, getting accepted to Microsoft’s LEAP program, advice for aspiring developers, and more.

How to Choose a Stack, Part 3: iOS

By Sarah Fischer on December 2, 2016

If you’re exploring a career as a coder, your first question is probably “Which language is best?” followed by, “How do I learn it well enough for someone to hire me?”

How to Choose a Stack, Part 2: Full-Stack JavaScript

By Sarah Fischer on November 28, 2016

Exploring a career in tech, but unsure which language to learn first? In this series, we’re detailing the pros of each language you can learn here at Code Fellows to help make that decision a little easier.

How to Choose a Stack, Part 1: Python

By Sarah Fischer on November 23, 2016

We get the question a lot: how do I know which programming language to learn first? Since you’ll likely learn more than a few languages throughout your software development career, which language you learn first usually comes down to personal preference and what kind of software you want to build. In this blog series, we’ll lay out the pros of each language, show you what you can build, give salary and job data, and help clear up some of the questions around the languages we teach at Code Fellows.

Why Code? A Veteran's Take on Learning to Code at Code Fellows

By Mitchell Robertson on October 24, 2016

By now the news is out: Code Fellows is an approved school with the Veterans Association and Washington State, and you can use your GI Bill® to attend this coding bootcamp. So why do it?

How to Assess and Negotiate a Job Offer

By Mitchell Robertson on August 2, 2016

Effectively evaluating and negotiating an offer involves understanding individual priorities and knowing the hiring market. When switching careers, be prepared to ask potential employers for what you’re worth—and then negotiate for it.

Meet Clare: Scientist, Yeast Engineer, and Code Fellows Graduate

By Lauren Sauser on June 16, 2016

Clare Monahan spent half a decade as a protein engineer. As she neared her financial limitations as a scientist without a PhD, she turned her attention to writing code. Clare shares with us about her transition from the lab to the classroom, and then to a new career as a software developer.

3 Major Perks of Being a Software Developer

By Lauren Sauser on March 1, 2016

In the demanding market where they work, U.S. software developers earn almost double the average American worker. Additionally, the United States Department of Labor has predicted that the number of American software engineers will grow by 17% between 2014 and 2024—dramatically faster than any other occupational segment.

8 Tips Before You Hire from a Code School

By Mitchell Robertson on August 6, 2015

With the recent rise in code schools and the number of new devs entering today’s tech market, how can you be sure the grad you’re about to hire is the kind of quality you need for your team? Here are 8 tips to make sure you’re hiring the best.

TechHire Will Change the Game

By Mitchell Robertson on March 12, 2015

On Monday, President Obama announced the launch of TechHire, an ambitious employment initiative that will bring together government agencies, businesses, and non-profits to provide technology education and training opportunities to all Americans.

Peer programming: 5 reasons learning in a group beats studying on your own

By Sarah Fischer on October 30, 2014

Pair programming, a common term used in agile work environments, is the practice of two programmers sharing one workstation. At Code Fellows, we learn in groups, which I like to think of as peer programming, which is two (or more) programmers learning from each other in one unified setting.

Student project harnesses brain power to fly AR Drone

By Sarah Fischer on July 12, 2014

Before graduating from their Development Accelerator, students complete and present a final project. Robert, a JavaScript student, brought in an idea that involved an AR Drone 2.0, Mindflex Duel headsets, and an Internet connection. He teamed up with two other students and a TA to get his project—quite literally—off the ground.

Code Fellows is hiring instructors for local teams across the USA

By Mitchell Robertson on July 11, 2014

Are you an experienced web/mobile developer with a passion for teaching? If so, we’d love to talk to you.

What is UX Engineering?

By Dale Sande on December 24, 2013

UI Ninja and Unicorn are names that have been bestowed upon us by a fledgling industry still trying to crawl out of the primordial ooze that is Web App Development.