FAQs 2023 Fellows Application

FAQs 2023 Fellows Application

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Program Overview

Our program is designed for:
  1. Currently enrolled students who attend a U.S. college or university
  2. Students who identify as Black and/or Latinx
  3. Students seeking internships in the summer of 2023 (and NOT full-time employment)
  4. Students who plan on returning to school after their summer internship (Fall 2023)
  5. Students with experience coding
  6. Students who are interested in advocating for racial equity in the tech industry
  7. Students who HAVE NOT previously participated in the Fellows Program

There is no age limit for the Fellows Program as long as you meet the criteria above.

If that’s you, then we encourage you to apply for our 2023 Fellows Program.

We require students to have some experience coding. Our Fellowship is designed for students who desire to gain experience and make an impact in the tech industry. As part of our application process we require applicants to provide a code sample as part of a technical screening assessment. Applicants who are unable to pass this stage will not be able to complete the application.
Our Fellows Program is designed to offer support and resources to students who will be returning to school in the Fall of 2023. While graduating students would not be eligible for our Fellows Program, we offer other programs that would suit the emerging professional. Check out our website for information on our other programs.
All of our Fellows are paid competitive salaries (minimum of $1,300 weekly post tax) by their company. Housing is not usually included in the program but it depends on the company where the Fellows work.

No, you do not have to move to the San Francisco Bay Area to participate in Code2040 programming. However, depending on individual company guidelines, travel advisories and CDC guidelines, you may need to relocate to where your internship is being offered by our partner company if it is not remote.

Additionally, we are currently planning to have an in-person Welcome Week in late Spring, dates to be finalized and announced early Fall (Code2040 will cover Fellows’ transportation and lodging). However, depending on CDC guidelines and advisories in the coming year, this may be subject to change.

As a Code2040 Fellow, you'll spend your summer in an intensive career accelerator for 9 weeks beginning in June through August 2023, with an in-person Welcome Week late Spring/early Summer in the San Francisco Bay Area, all travel and lodging expenses paid (in person event subject to change, depending on CDC advisories).

You’ll intern at a top-tech company and participate in a series of learning experiences designed to equip you with the tools and resources you need to advocate for yourself and others. You’ll engage in racial equity advocacy work in a much more intimate cohort. You’ll be equipped with knowledge on what’s happening in the industry, what systems need to change, and what your role is as a racial equity advocate. You’ll build community with other Black and/or Latinx technologists, receive support from mentors and managers, while redefining the future and face of tech and ensuring other technologists like you have the opportunity to succeed in the innovation economy.

You can find a list of some of our recent Partner Companies here. All participating companies are not yet finalized and are being added to the Portal as they join. Please check back throughout the hiring/screening process September - March frequently to see the updated list of companies.
We’ll begin reviewing applications after all interviews are complete. Finalists will be notified by email September 2022.

The Code2040 Application

  • June 13th: The application opens.
  • July 18th: The application closes + students will begin scheduling interviews.
  • Late July - August: Applicants will schedule and then participate in a 30-minute interview with a member of the Code2040 community.
  • Early September: Applicants will be notified if they were selected to be a Finalist.
  • Early September: We'll onboard finalists to the programs portal in preparation for hiring.
  • September: Company partners have access to all Code2040 finalists and can begin their own hiring process for summer internship employment.
  • Early Summer 2023: Welcome Week, an in-person convergence in the Bay Area followed by a remote / virtual program for the remainder of the summer.
Qualified is an online testing platform that helps organizations assess engineers. Code2040 has partnered with Qualified to provide students with a valuable assessment process in multiple coding languages.
So, here’s the thing. This assessment was created to help YOU be successful in YOUR internship. This means that: if you are able to complete and pass the code sample, you will feel more prepared and confident for your internship. It is open-book, but not open-person, and we trust that you’ll answer the questions yourself.

In order to really understand the answer to this question, it is important to know the distinction between challenges and assessments in Qualified. One assessment is made up of many challenges.

An assessment can only be submitted once. This is done by hitting the green button that says “SUBMIT MY ASSESSMENT”. Once you submit your assessment you will be unable to edit, make corrections or retake the assessment.

Challenges, on the other hand, are short coding problems and each assessment has a few challenges for you to solve. You can submit solutions to challenges as many times as you like. This is done by hitting the green button that says “SUBMIT SOLUTION”. Each time you do so, test cases will be run to let you know if you have successfully completed the challenge. Your last submission is what will show up on your PDF report that is shared with partner companies.

There is one required assessment with two coding challenges and one Q&A challenge that you will need to complete in order to move on to the next step. There are also three optional assessments that you can complete if you’d like to show off some additional skills.
On average, it should take you 20 minutes to 2 hours to complete the required assessment. Please keep in mind, these are simply guidelines -- there is no time limit to the code sample.
You can take the assessment in many languages including JavaScript, Ruby, Java, Python, Swift, Objective-C, C-Sharp, C++, C, and more.

A practice assessment is an optional challenge you can complete before taking the required assessment to help familiarize yourself with the Qualified platform and set-up all of your preferences before you actually begin. It’s a great way to practice and get a sense of what will be asked of you. We recommend taking the practice assessment to help you prepare. We have included a link to the practice assessment on the code sample tab of the Fellows application.

Yes, Qualified is built with a timer in place and you’ll notice time is also included in the final PDF report. These are elements that come with the Qualified platform, and we wish we could eliminate them! For this application, there is no time limit to the challenges. When Code2040 and companies are reviewing your assessment, time will not be a determining factor in your application. We encourage you to take as long as you need to complete the assessment(s).
Companies will see a PDF report of your assessment results. You can view a sample report on the code sample tab of the Fellows application so you can see exactly what companies will have access to.
No, companies will only see the PDF report of your assessment(s).

Finalists: Logistics & Timelines

Companies can hire interns through April 14th, 2023. After finalists have been confirmed, companies will be hiring throughout the months of September 2022 through April 2023. That means you can expect emails from companies at any given time between September - April, including winter breaks.
You can specify which optional assessments companies see by changing the true/false designation for each optional assessment on your resume.
You can access it through the portal the same way you did when you created it.

Interacting With Companies

No, You MUST accept an offer from a current 2023 Code2040 Partner to participate as a Fellow in the program this summer. You can find a list of some of our recent Partner Companies here. All participating companies are not yet finalized and are being added to the Portal as they join.
All participating companies are not yet finalized and are being added to the Portal as they join. We recommend that you frequently come back to the Portal to look at the company partner list throughout the hiring process from September through April. You can find a list of some of our recent Partner Companies here.
  1. Take the optional assessments (and make them visible to companies by adjusting the “true/false” designation on your resume).
  2. Update and refresh your resume so that companies see the most current skills and achievements from you (*please note that if a company has already downloaded your resume, they may not receive resume updates. It’s important to highlight them and send companies your most recent resume when they reach out to you).
  3. Stay engaged in the process. Hiring takes place through April 14th. Check your email often and respond to emails that you receive promptly.
  4. Send an INTRO message to companies that you’re really excited about. We’ve told companies to prioritize reaching out to students who are a match who’ve reached out because it means there’s a mutual interest and higher chance of it being a good match. You don’t have a lot of space so make sure that you highlight why you’re excited about the company rather than more about yourself. They already have a copy of your resume!
You’ll need to notify the partner company that you are a Code2040 finalist ASAP. It’s extremely important that you disclose this information to us as well as the company you are in communication with. Please DM Abi on Slack immediately if this occurs to you!
There’s no specific way to apply to companies; it varies company to company. When a company reaches out, they will usually include details of their application process. Please follow that process in order to apply. In the past, we have had students apply directly to the company as well as communicate through the Code2040 process, which is okay but please make sure that you flag that you’re a Code2040 Finalist ASAP so that they know in the hiring process.
It varies depending on the company, but generally it should not be more than one week. If there are extenuating circumstances or you generally need more time, ask for it as soon as possible and don’t hesitate to ask for what you need (2-3 weeks).
You do not need to, but you definitely can if you like! We generally encourage students to advocate for themselves and what they need. Code 2040 staff will be available to offer support if this is your first experience negotiating job offers! Again, utilize the Finalists Slack channel – it will be one of your greatest resources during the hiring/screening process.
All companies have agreed to pay students a minimum of $1,300 a week post tax.
If you are satisfied with the terms of the offer, we recommend accepting it within 2-3 days. If you need more time, you should communicate directly with the company within a reasonable time frame. We recommend doing your best to respond within a week.
There is no rule enforced by Code2040 about this. But it’s something that we push as an expectation of a good hiring process. In addition, we can commit to reminding companies to do this during my hiring check-ins.
Partner companies will still be hiring through the Holiday break and are not impacted by Code2040’s Holiday closure. Do expect for communication to be slower than usual.
No, companies will not be contacting you through the portal. You should be monitoring the email address you applied with regularly for company communication. Please be sure to check your spam & junk folders.
Absolutely, also continue to check and monitor your email. Although Code2040’s office is closing from December 19 - January 6 companies will definitely still be reaching out.
It varies by company, so there’s no clear answer here. Please stay engaged and regularly check the Finalists Slack Channel, as we’ll share tips, tricks, and webinar information to support you through the hiring process! Utilizing the Finalists Slack Channel will be one of the best ways to ensure success, as well as reaching out to Code2040 staff directly for support.

The Fellows Program

Programming will be biweekly, with some programming on Wednesday or Thursday evenings (4:30-6pm PST and some programming on Saturday mornings). The final dates and times are still being finalized. We will share this info as soon as possible. Fellows will be required to attend Welcome Week -- a new take on our annual kick off event. Dates are to be finalized but it will be in person in the SF Bay Area! All expenses paid!
The topics for workshops can vary from year to year but they can range from unpacking the racial wealth gap and economic inequities in the US, reflecting on your relationship to money, storytelling for change, addressing destructive narratives, and tons of community building. Our workshops are rooted in providing a safe space for our black and brown students to grow their critical thinking skills and advance their political education.
The Fellows Program begins in late May and ends by August 13th, 2023. Exact dates will be shared with you when you become a Finalist.
The Fellows Program will begin in late May/early June. We are still finalizing the dates and will be doing our best to accommodate as many school schedules as possible. We will most likely have a Welcome Week in person, all expenses paid (including travel, lodging, meals). Please note that we will confirm all dates & times in late Summer/Early Fall 2022 so you will have plenty of time to plan in advance!
We care about y’all and want you to be able to participate regardless. Therefore, we will be providing both time & space for students to study and work on school assignments. We can also provide letters of excusal/extension with the Code2040 letterhead. Instructions for that will come upon your acceptance into the program. We did our best to accommodate as many academic calendars as possible.
Every Fellow is expected to attend all Code2040 workshops, retreats and events. If you are unable to make that commitment, please let us know as soon as possible once you’ve received the dates and timeline.
Did we miss something? Email us! student@code2040.org