What Is Our Career Services Team and How Do We Work With Students?
At Flatiron School, we don’t believe our responsibility to our students ends when they graduate. A coding bootcamp is a chance to reinvent your career and to reinvent yourself. This is why we have 1:1 Career Services. Their only priority is to help students get jobs and to start a tech career that they love. […]
At Flatiron School, we don’t believe our responsibility to our students ends when they graduate. A coding bootcamp is a chance to reinvent your career and to reinvent yourself. This is why we have 1:1 Career Services. Their only priority is to help students get jobs and to start a tech career that they love. Your success is our success. Plain and simple.And you can see the results of our Career Services’ efforts in our latest independently verified Jobs Report. We’re the only coding bootcamp whose outcomes are confirmed by a third party. We’ve achieved this by creating multiple levels of support for students and for the companies hiring our graduates. It’s not rocket science, it’s Student Success — and it’s one of the main reasons we are Flatiron School.
Step 1: We’re there with you early in the process, not just at the end
Flatiron School’s Career Services team starts working with students before they graduate — generally, once students have finished around 75% of their class. Students are paired with their own career coach who provides one-on-one support — career searches aren’t one-size-fits-all, and we know that. Currently, we have over 25 seasoned career coaches helping our students. “Just like our students, our Career Services team is wholly dedicated to their craft, and truly passionate about their work,” Gretchen Jacobi, Director of Career Coaching at Flatiron School, said.The career coach is not there to guide a student toward a particular company. Instead, the coach helps students achieve their specific goals and find their preferred job. It’s a team effort, and coaches work with students through every step of the job hunt. We literally wrote a book about this framework and how we work to make you a “no-brainer hire.” Students will also have several opportunities to network and engage with soon-to-be colleagues at Science Fairs and Campus Recruitment events. Most importantly, students are figuring out who they are and what story they want to tell.
Step 2: Telling your story
The interview process is about pitching you and your “brand.” Answering “Why do you want to work here?” or “How are you a good fit for the company and this role?” is as important as acing the code challenges. Flatiron School and our coaches work on telling your story as a person and a programmer. “Everyone has something they can improve when it comes to job-search skills. Our students are committed to that growth, and in exchange, our team is there to make sure students are constantly trying new tactics, learning from every experience, and ‘refactoring’ their approach at every turn,” Gretchen said.While we offer as much support as a student wants, they have their own work to complete. Students are responsible for networking and keeping in contact with us and professional contacts. Students will also have to draft their résumé and prepare for technical interviews. A well-prepared student is equipped to handle any obstacle when job searching.“We find a balance between challenging students to grow further, and letting them know that we believe in them and are there to support them the entire way!”There’s an additional layer of support that’s happening in the background. Our business development team is hard at work developing relationships and championing the quality of Flatiron School and its students.
Step 3: Business partnerships
Most businesses hiring tech talent are posting on job boards. That means they’re missing out on great candidates because their focus may be too narrow.Our team at Flatiron School builds relationships with hiring managers at various companies. We highlight the quality of our curriculum, discuss our outcomes, and showcase our reputation. For tech companies, it’s a welcome introduction — they’re typically very familiar with Flatiron School and its success.Traditional companies might be excited, but require some education. We’ve established a great network of employee partners through this work and by the reputation of our grads who have started their careers, earned promotions, and have become leaders at their respective companies.
Support after the first job
Flatiron School is with you all the way — we don’t end our relationship with students after they get a job. Every graduate has continued access to Learn.co, so they can add new skills and stay competitive. We’ve also had alumni ask for help when applying for their second job after graduation and we were more than happy to help. It’s an unofficial but important perk of being a part of the Flatiron School family. You can see how our efforts throughout every phase of the bootcamp experience pay off in our Beyond the Bootcamp report. We surveyed 164 alumni on what happened after graduation. What we saw was raises within the first year of employment and a diverse range of career paths. We’re extremely proud that 97% of eligible graduates from our NYC Software Engineering Immersive bootcamp got jobs in our latest jobs report. Through support and dedication, we look forward to maintaining the high standard set by our Career Services, our curriculum, and—most importantly—our students.
Disclaimer: The information in this blog is current as of August 21, 2018. Current policies, offerings, procedures, and programs may differ.
