Alumni Spotlight: From Layoff to Rewarding Career in Cybersecurity thanks to Ekata

By Mitchell Robertson on June 23, 2021

Courtney Hans is a lifelong learner with a diverse set of skills, an avid adventurer and an amazing Code Fellows Alum! Courtney spent her early career as a whitewater rafting and worldwide adventure travel guide before getting her MBA and joining REI. During her time at REI, she worked on the adventure travel team, new business strategies and adventures entrepreneurial unit, as well as a marketing unit in local brand engagement. That was until she was laid off as a result of COVID-19.

How I earned my AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification

By David Lee on May 10, 2021

Hey David! Congrats on passing the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam. Why did you decide to take the exam in the first place?

Thanks! Every modern technology professional should be adapting to the paradigm shift that is cloud computing. With AWS’ dominance in the cloud marketplace and the rapid post-pandemic adoption of cloud services by businesses reinventing service delivery, it’s a competitive necessity to have at least a foundational cloud certification on your LinkedIn.

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.

Build Your Own Home Cyber Range: Part 2

By David Lee on February 10, 2021

In part 1 of this three-part blog series, we looked at how to get a home cyber range started in order to host a threat detection ecosystem via VirtualBox. We deployed a Dell Precision T3600 along with VirtualBox, a budget-friendly computer model selected to support additional CPU cores. Next up, we will need to establish remote connectivity to conveniently access the command line, the screen, and the file system in order to treat this computer like a true dedicated server.

Build Your Own Home Cyber Range: Part 1

By David Lee on January 12, 2021

Ever wondered how cybersecurity pros simulate threats in a safe manner? Join me in this first entry in my series all about how I built my own affordable home cyber range, and how you can too!

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.

Empowering Community Colleges for Economic Change

By Teri Hockett on October 15, 2020

Community colleges across the United States are facing unprecedented challenges. Engaging students with relevant courses that help them achieve career goals in the tech industry is a difficult proposition, when faced with the trials of remote learning, constantly shifting industry demand, and fast-moving technological progress.

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!

10 Pitfalls That Can Hold You Back From Being Hired

By Mitchell Robertson on July 15, 2020

Interpersonal skills can help—or hurt—your path to landing a job just as much as technical skills. Check yourself for these 10 pitfalls to make sure they won’t stand between you and your dream job.

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.

Up Your Coding Game: Learn More with Code Fellows Tutoring Program

By Heather Cherewaty on March 2, 2020

Discover more ways Code Fellows is dedicated to helping students become confident, knowledgeable, and career-ready software developers.

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.

Learning to Code: 5 Paths to Becoming a Software Developer and How to Enhance Your Skills Along the Way - Part 4

By Heather Cherewaty on January 18, 2020

Are you learning to code or looking to improve your technical skills? 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. You can find September’s blog on “The Self-guided Route” here, October’s blog on “The College Route” here, and November’s blog on “The Code School Route” here.

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.

Learning to Code: 5 Paths to Becoming a Software Developer and How to Enhance Your Skills Along the Way - Part 3

By Heather Cherewaty on November 27, 2019

Are you learning to code or looking to improve your technical skills? 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. You can find September’s blog on “The Self-guided Route” here and October’s blog on “The College Route” here.

Meet Ada Lovelace (and Other Women Who Shaped Technology)

By Mitchell Robertson on November 26, 2019

Without women, technology would be nowhere near where it is today, but that’s a narrative that many people don’t yet know. Today, we’re introducing (or reintroducing) you to some of tech’s finest female trailblazers so we can all celebrate the women who pioneered the industry—and paved the way for generations to come.

Learning to Code: 5 Paths to Becoming a Software Developer and How to Enhance Your Skills Along the Way - Part 2

By Heather Cherewaty on October 11, 2019

Are you learning to code or looking to improve your technical skills? 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. You can find September’s blog on “The Self-guided Route” here.

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.

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.

Cooking, Coding & Career Changes: A Chef’s Journey in Learning to Code

By Kayla Asay on October 20, 2017

Hello! My name is Kayla Asay and I am a software engineer.

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

By Victor Benavente 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.

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.

15+ Programming Books to Keep on Your Shelf

By Sarah Fischer on March 11, 2015

Every developer needs a set of go-to resources, whether writing their first lines of code or building on 10+ years of experience. Our instructors are avid readers, and we’ve pulled together a few of their top picks to help you get started, stay current, and advance your skills.

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.

Example Blog Layout and Tutorial

By Ivan Storck on May 23, 2014

Starting a blog to share your new coding knowledge with the world? Use this tutorial to get started.