Rapid Fire Questions with Chip The Intern

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.

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.