Why Are Early Identification Programs So Important?
This post is part of the #askdevcolor series, where our members share their expertise and wisdom with the community. The author, Makinde Adeagbo, is the founder of /dev/color and an industry veteran software engineer.
I’ve had lots of opportunities offered to me that changed the trajectory of my career. A notable one was attending the Explore Microsoft program. This program was one of the first early identification programs offered at a large tech company. At the time, the program brought college freshmen and sophomores to Microsoft’s campus for a 6-week internship. We took some coding classes before working in small teams to build and ship new features on products like MSN Music and Windows SBS. Some of the best engineers I know went through the program as well.
It was an amazing opportunity to learn by doing. Going in I was intimidated, thinking that I needed to already know everything in order to succeed. But that wasn’t the case. Instead, I was expected to learn on the job, and everyone I worked with was super helpful in that process. I recall coworkers teaching me what XML was over a game of ping pong and not having the slightest clue what a Regular Expression was but learning by reading online FAQs.
At Explore Microsoft, I developed the confidence that I could learn on the fly and make an impact at one of the largest companies in the world. If you’re a young student like I was, don’t think that you need to be an expert already to succeed in a program like this one, or in any role for that matter.
Many companies now host their own early identification programs like Explore Microsoft, targeted at finding students with a lot of potential. If you are passionate about coding but don’t yet have a lot of experience, these programs are a great way to get into the industry. Because they are designed for underclassmen who haven’t taken many CS courses yet, you can get in and prove that you have the ability to learn quickly. Completing a successful early-ID program makes it dramatically easier to get future internships and start your career on a great path.
Here are some notable programs that I am aware of:
Curiosity, passion, and determination are important for getting in and succeeding in these programs. It’d be easy to assume that getting into the Explore program was as easy for me as applying online and getting accepted. In reality, I didn’t know the program existed, and applications had already closed by the time I approached the campus recruiter looking for a traditional internship. Not knowing that, every time I saw her at a career fair or info session, I asked her to give me a shot for some role, any role. With that persistence, she gave me a shot with an interview. Sometimes you just have to beat the door down.
The deadlines to apply to these programs are approaching quickly. So don’t wait. Go beat the door down. And if you’re already in the industry, but you know a motivated and hungry underclassman looking to break in, go tell them to beat the door down too.
/dev/color is a non-profit organization that provides Black software engineers with the support & accountability to achieve ambitious career goals. To learn more, check out our website and follow our blog & twitter account.
