Code Platoon Graduate Outcomes 2022

Code Platoon helps Veterans, Active Duty Servicemembers, and military spouses transition into civilian tech careers. So far, we have graduated more than 270 students into new software engineering careers.

A key component of our mission is to provide our students with more than just the necessary software engineering skills for their future professions. We also emphasize the soft-skills, resources, and networking needed to enter the tech field. Here are our results so far:

Code Platoon Outcomes 2022

• One hundred sixty-eight (168) Veterans, Servicemembers, and military spouses graduated in the last two years (6 cohorts)
• One hundred twenty-six (75%) of those graduates found software engineering jobs within six months.
• The median starting salary of those graduates was $86,000. After 24 months, the median salary increased to $100,000.
• Of the remaining forty-two graduates, sixteen are still looking for work in technology, seventeen didn’t actively look for work, and nine didn’t respond to our surveys.

We attribute our graduate success rate to multiple factors. First, our students come ready to learn and work hard every day. Second, our dedicated staff, corporate partners, and volunteers provide our students with everything they need to enter the tech workforce. Finally, our programs themselves offer comprehensive training for software engineering careers.

Our Full-stack Software Engineering programs teach students software engineering via two of the most in-demand programming languages–Python and Javascript. We also teach robust frameworks like React and Django, and our Immersive program students prepare to take the Amazon Web Services (AWS) certification exam. 

Our hands-on programs give students lots of time to practice what they’re learning. Our typical day features morning lectures and instruction, workshops led by tech professionals, and project-based assignments. Students participate in regular pair programming exercises and complete individual and group projects for their portfolios.

We understand that technical skills alone aren’t enough to start a new tech career. That’s why our programs include soft-skills development, resume prep, LinkedIn skills, and introductions to Agile principles. 

Students also receive technical, whiteboarding, and behavioral interviewing practice. Since our programs are designed specifically for the military community, our interview prep prepares them to showcase their tech skills and military experience. We even help prepare our students for the complexities of post-military life. We partner with Veteran resource providers like The Road Home Program and offer workshops on personal finance, workplace diversity and inclusion, and other essential transitional skills.

Getting one’s first job in a new field like software engineering can be difficult. To help bridge the gap after graduation, we offer our graduates paid apprenticeships, career placement services, and networking opportunities with industry professionals.

For networking, we’ve built a robust community of supporters, volunteers, and alumni to answer students’ questions about the tech industry. Code Platoon students pair with volunteer industry mentors to receive feedback. We also employ teaching assistants to offer aid during and after class-times. By the end of our programs, each of our students should have met at least ten experienced tech professionals.

Every aspect of Code Platoon’s programs and culture, combined with our students’ ambition and determination, leads to the success our Veteran and military spouse graduates enjoy after graduation.

If you’re a military community member, you can visit our website to learn more about the programs and start your application today.

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.