How to prepare for the Beginner Coding Bootcamp Admissions Interview

This post covers the admissions interview for our Beginner Coding Bootcamps. Our Intermediate Coding Bootcamp has a separate admissions process and does not require an interview because it has other built-in interaction points. 

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There are more than 600 million blogs on the internet. The fact that you found your way here, reading this post at this moment, means you’re serious about making a big career change. You’re ready to start deeply considering your options for becoming a software engineer.

Our Beginner Coding Bootcamp admissions process was carefully designed with the coding beginner in mind. Each step helps us determine if your interests, skills, and passions align with what we offer, and if we’re a good fit for your investment of time, money, and energy.

After you pass the non-technical admissions assessments and submit your application, the next step in the process is a 10-20-minute admissions interview. There are a couple of reasons we have an admissions interview for our beginner programs:

• 1) We’re curious about you and your career goals. This is a great way to get to know you a bit better.
• 2) We’re ultimately here to train students for new careers in software engineering, and interviewing is a significant part of the post-bootcamp job search process. Consider this valuable interview practice, whether or not you end up in a Hack Reactor cohort.

5 ways to prepare for the Admissions Interview 

• If you have specific questions about the program, attend an info session!
  Realizing you might have questions about the coding bootcamp experience, the admissions process, career services, and a lot more, we’ve scheduled regular full-time and part-time program Info Sessions for you to check out. During these, our team will walk you through everything you need to know, and they’ll leave time for live Q&A at the end. We’ve found that group Q&A sessions are beneficial for prospective students, who often end up hearing answers to questions they hadn’t considered asking themselves. We recommend attending a session before your interview.
• Set aside time for your video interview
  You’ll complete the Admissions Interview asynchronously using Criteria’s video interview software. Since this interview is done asynchronously, you can make sure to complete it at a time that works best for you. Plan for 20 minutes of uninterrupted time as there is no pausing your interview. Please ensure you have enough time dedicated to complete the interview in full before beginning. Also prior to beginning the interview, we’ll walk you through instructions and give you an opportunity to try out a test question to ensure you’re comfortable before diving in. Please review our admissions interview FAQ here to get in-depth information about what to expect from your interview.
• Prepare your interview space and test your tech
  Take some time to think about where you’ll set up your computer for the interview. As best you can, find somewhere with limited or no outside noise so you can focus on thinking clearly and providing your best answers. If you’re using headphones, make sure they’re charged and/or working properly. While you can complete your video interview on a phone or tablet, we recommend you use a laptop or desktop computer for the best experience.
• Relax as much as you can
  We want this interview to be a worthwhile learning experience no matter the outcome. Keep in mind that all interviewing, including on video, is good practice, and as you embark on your new career path, this is most certainly a step in the right direction. Before you begin, grab some water or tea or whatever you might need, take a few deep breaths, and rest assured that you’re on the right track. You’ll have 30 seconds of prep time before you record each question, and 1 minute response time. You can record your response to each question 2 times and select the recording that you think is best for each question.
• Start thinking about these topics
  This interview is designed to help us find students who are passionate about a new career in software engineering and who are ready to commit to pursuing it. To get there, we’ll ask a range of questions covering topics including:
  • Reason(s) for your interest in software engineering and why now is a good time to start pursuing a new career
  • Working styles (independent vs. collaborative)
  • Track record of interest in learning new things
  • Forethought related to financial support during the bootcamp
  • Commitment to the rigor of this intensive training experience

This is a non-technical interview, so don’t worry about answering coding or other technical questions! 

What happens after the interview?

After you’ve completed your admissions interview, we’ll be in touch within 72 hours to let you know if you’ve been accepted into the Beginner Coding Bootcamp. Those who do not pass the interview will need to wait 6 months before completing another attempt.

If accepted, your Enrollment Advisor will be in touch to discuss the next steps so you can get enrolled in an upcoming available cohort.

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Ready to get the admissions process started? Take the next step.