The selection day normally happens within one to two weeks after interviews and is when we collate all of the data that we have on our applicants and decide - as a group - who will be brought forward onto the full course.
The selection process should take between 1-3 hours depending on the amount of applicants you are evaluating.
Aims
To select the best possible applicants to be on our course
To find applicants who may be too advanced for the course and for who we should find alternative arrangements
To ensure the class balance meets CodeYourFuture’s inclusivity aims
Selection Categories
When you’re evaluating the applicant you should be keeping in mind that they may fall into one of three categories.
1.
Rejected
This applicant is not currently ready to start our course. See reasons below.
2.
Accepted
This applicant is ready to start the course and should be accepted
3.
Accepted but Advanced
This applicant is ready to start the course but has a very significant amount of knowledge beyond a beginner.
Why might an Applicant be rejected?
An applicant might be rejected because of a variety of reasons. For example:
Personal Interviews
The applicant’s English (reading, spoken or written) were graded poorly
The applicant did not seem to understand what it meant to be a programmer
The applicant could not sufficiently explain when they would find time to work
and many more…
Technical Interviews
The applicant could not sufficiently explain the code that they had written in the application process
The applicant obviously did not work on the technical challenge by themselves
and many more...
Motivation Letter
The English used in the letter is poor
The applicant does not sufficiently explain why they want to join the course
and many more…
Often an applicant will be rejected for a selection of reasons spanning across their interview, technical work and motivation letter.
What is “Accepted but Advanced”?
A small but significant portion (historically 15-20%) of the people who apply and reach the selection stage have had a significant amount of experience with programming already.
It is important that while we should not reject these people - they still come from disadvantaged backgrounds and should not be penalised for knowing too much - however advanced applicants can be very disruptive in class for applicants without experience and it may not be the best use of their time.
An “Accepted but Advanced” applicant could look like
An asylum seeker who completed a Computer Science education in their country of origin but has no professional experience
An amateur enthusiast who has spent years learning how to code in their own time because they have been unable to afford a bootcamp.
A professional software engineer, refugee who has recently been given Right To Remain and is now looking for a job.
For applicants who fit into this category alternative avenues to employment might be
Applying for work through CodeYourFuture’s network
If they have worked professionally before or are very advanced
Working on Tech Projects to gain experience
These are internal tools that we use at CodeYourFuture that look good on a CV
Applicants will also receive employment coaching during this time
Whilst they’re working towards employment they should also be invited to
Support as Teaching Assistants
In this capacity they are given the ability to help applicants whilst also consolidating their knowledge
It is essential that all “Accepted but Advanced” applicants are considered on a case by case basis. By their very nature, they are edge cases and must be treated as such.
It’s important that the Applicant is involved in any discussions around their involvement in the course.
Selection Process
Before the Meeting
Make a copy of this template to organise all of the information we have on the applicants
The aim of this event is to decide which category each of the applicants should fit into.
Everyone should split into small teams and begin to work through sets of applicants methodically. Initially, you will be looking for the obvious outliers in the applicant pool - the people who are obviously not ready for the course and the people who obviously are. It is important that you take notes on the spreadsheet to justify your decisions.
After this, you will have a selection of people who will be more towards the line, you may also have difficult decisions to make if you have a limited size of class.
Resolving Conflicts
For every applicant where decisions are split
One person should stand in defence of the applicant
One person should stand in opposition to the applicant
Each representative will then have one minute to debate on behalf of the applicant using knowledge that they have from the information available.
After they have debated, all attended must cast a vote either for or against the applicant. If a consensus cannot be reached leave the applicant for the time being and return at the end of session.
After the Meeting
Be sure to communicate the results of the Selection Day to applicants as soon as possible
Ranking Applicants
Applicants should be ranked on a scale of 1-10 where
drawing
You can only rank applicants in whole numbers (i.e. 5.5 is not allowed)
Below you can find a grading rubric for each of the ranks.
You will find that applicants will often fall between rankings - try to find the most appropriate place for the applicant and record your thoughts in the notes.
Previous Technical Experience
The aim of the technical assessment is to work out if the trainee should go into the “Accepted But Advanced” group.
This is a non-exhaustive list of qualities that each group might have.
Advanced
The applicant already knows another programming language
The applicant has used Node/React/MongoDB in a personal project
The applicant has professional programming experience
The applicant studied and graduated from a Computer Science/Software Engineering Degree at University level
Beginner
The applicant has some self-taught programming experience from online learning
The applicant studied some level of programming education at secondary school or college
None
The applicant has no or very limited prior programming experience before starting the application process
Assessment Areas
1.
English Level
Using the Interview Notes, Interview English Test Results and Motivation Letter decide which category the applicant would fit into
Very Poor
It was often hard to understand the applicant when speaking
It was often hard to judge what an applicant meant when speaking
The applicant struggled to create full spoken sentences
The applicant could not properly answer questions because they didn’t understand what was asked
The applicant could not construct full written sentences
The applicant could not successfully complete the English Test in the interview
Poor
It was sometimes hard to understand the applicant when speaking
It was sometimes hard to judge what a applicant meant when speaking
The applicant struggled to create full spoken sentences
The applicant could not sometimes properly answer questions because they didn’t understand what was asked
The applicant could not successfully completed the English Test in the interview
Average
It was fairly easy to understand the applicant when speaking
It was fairly easy to judge what a applicant meant when speaking
The applicant could successfully complete the English Test in the interview with some errors
The applicant could write in full simple sentences
Good
It was easy to understand the applicant when speaking
It was easy to judge what the applicant meant when speaking
The applicant could properly answer questions because they understood what was asked
The applicant could successfully complete the English Test in the interview
The applicant could write full and complex sentences
Very Good
The applicant could communicate clearly and succinctly when speaking
The applicant could always write in complex, complete sentences
The applicant could successfully complete the English Test in the interview
Motivation & Careers
Using the applicants Interview Notes and Motivation Letter decide which category the applicant would fit into
Very Poor
The applicant did not say why they wanted to be a developer (e.g. creating software, solving problems etc)
Poor
The applicant only listed generic reasons for wanting a job (e.g support family, have money)
Average
The applicant showed some understanding of what a developer does
The applicant showed excitement at the idea of becoming a programmer
Good
The applicant showed some evidence of wanting to be a developer in particular
The applicant gave specific reasons for wanting to be a developer
The applicant had researched coding previously
Very Good
The applicant showed concrete evidence of wanting to be a developer in particular
The applicant showed concrete understanding of what a developer does
The applicant had started practicing coding already
Technical Skill & Self Teaching
Using the Technical Interview Notes and Technical Work from the Application Process decide which category the applicant would fit into
Very Poor
The applicant performed poorly in the technical part of the interview (Score 1+)
The applicant did not mention self-teaching or how they would achieve it
Poor
The applicant performed poorly in the technical part of the interview (Score 3+)
The applicant did not give examples of self-teaching but referenced it
Average
The applicant performed averagely in the technical part of the interview (Score 5+)
The applicant only gave examples of self-teaching from the application process (i.e. FreeCodeCamp)
Good
The applicant performed well in the technical part of the interview (Score 7+)
The applicant showed they understood the scale of the challenge
The applicant has given specific examples of having self-taught a non-programming subject
Very Good
The applicant performed very well in the technical part of the interview (Score 9+)
The applicants went beyond the requirements in their submitted website
The applicant has given specific examples of having self-taught programming
The applicant gave specific examples of overcoming and solving a programming issue
Personality & Community
Using the Interview Notes _and _Motivation Letter decide which category the applicant would fit into
Very Poor
The applicant actively disliked the idea in working with others or being part of a community
The applicant was impatient or rude during the interview
The interviewer gave the applicant a score of 1+ for the question “The applicant will be a good fit for CodeYourFuture”
Poor
The interviewer gave the applicant a score of 3+ for the question “The applicant will be a good fit for CodeYourFuture”
Average
The interviewer gave the applicant a score of 5+ for the question “The applicant will be a good fit for CodeYourFuture”
The applicant was interested in the idea of giving back after learning
Good
The applicant understood and explained why working in a group is good for learning
The interviewer gave the applicant a score of 7+ for the question “The applicant will be a good fit for CodeYourFuture”
Very Good
The applicant was actively interested in joining a community of learners
The applicant gave concrete examples of having given back in the past (e.g. volunteering, community work)
The interviewer gave the applicant a score of 9+ for the question “The applicant will be a good fit for CodeYourFuture”
Rank Levels
1 - Very Strong Rejection
You should give an applicant this ranking if:
The applicant scored a Very Poor in more than one of the categories
2 - Strong Rejection
You should give an applicant this ranking if:
The applicant scored Very Poor in one of the categories
The applicant scored Poor in one or more of the categories
3 - Rejection
You should give an applicant this ranking if:
The applicant scored Poor in most of the categories
4 - Weak Rejection
You should give an applicant this ranking if:
The applicant scored Poor in one or more of the categories
The applicant scored Average in the rest of the categories
5 - Borderline Rejection
You should give an applicant this ranking if:
The applicant scored Poor in one or more of the categories
The applicant scored Average in the rest of the categories
6 - Borderline Acceptance
You should give an applicant this ranking if:
The applicant scored Good in one or more of the categories
The applicant scored Average in the rest of the categories
7 - Weak Acceptance
You should give an applicant this ranking if:
The applicant scored Average in one or more of the categories
The applicant scored Good in the rest of the categories
8 - Acceptance
You should give an applicant this ranking if:
The applicant scored Very Good or Good for one or more of the categories
The applicant score Good or Average for the rest of the categories
9 - Strong Acceptance
You should give an applicant this ranking if:
The applicant scored Very Good for one or more of the categories
The applicant scored Good for the rest of the categories
10 - Very Strong Acceptance
You should give an applicant this ranking if:
The applicant scored Very Good in most of the categories
The applicant scored Good in some of the categories