Although this open session was catered to those considering an application, the discussion served as a valuable reminder that finding opportunities for a variety of people with diverse backgrounds and experiences adds to the quality of the code we develop. In this article, I’ve compiled some informative and inspiring anecdotes from Will, Nadia, Taylor, and Karen, who shared lessons from their journeys as applicants, apprentices, and software crafters.
Will attended a tech conference that 8th Light sponsored, signed up to the 8th Light Talent Community, and completed the application process. He had previous consulting experience with consultants and boards of directors. It was a stringent process, but he came through it with a clear idea of the program and started his apprenticeship with his eyes open.
Nadia previously worked in music and film, and had a change of heart professionally around the time of the pandemic. She saw a friend leave the arts, attend a bootcamp, and get a job afterward, and she wondered whether she wanted to stay in film. She took a few JavaScript courses online, and then a bootcamp. After hearing about 8th Light’s apprenticeship, she found the curriculum to be well-rounded and appreciated that we invested and took the time to teach new engineers.
What attracted you to the 8th light apprenticeship program, and what experience did you have coming into the program?

Taylor was focused on early childhood development and Spanish in college, and then spent the bulk of her career working in hospitality and restaurant management. Right around the pandemic, enough was enough; the timing was right and she left her job.
Much like Will and Nadia, Taylor started with an online course and felt intellectually challenged in a way she hadn’t experienced recently. She had a friend who’d gone through a bootcamp and landed a volunteer apprenticeship, and the feeling that “you don’t know what you don’t know” is what attracted her to an apprenticeship instead of a junior developer role. She wanted to build on the foundation she’d developed on her own, and like Nadia, she was drawn to 8th Light’s investment in improving the team.