Despite concerns of a looming recession, opportunities for technologists remain abundant. That means that for career starters and shifters attempting to reskill into the tech industry, career services are more critical than ever.
Think about it: starting strong in an entirely new and complex industry such as tech takes more than just finding an education company with an impressive curriculum. One of the most significant factors that prospective learners, including you, should consider is the quality of the career services your education partner offers. Before you enroll in a program, it’s important that you ask questions like:
- What career development support can you avail?
- Will you have access to career coaches and mentors?
- What job search strategies and tools will you learn?
- Will career services be available to you as an alum?
High-quality career services can substantially impact how you enter the tech industry. It can be a unique differentiator in determining your career readiness and which tech jobs and companies you secure.
For years, there has been a gap in how educational institutions prepare students for the workplace. Often, students were left to sink or swim after graduating. But not anymore, as tech education company Lighthouse Labs offers professionals the tech skills training and the career support they deserve.
At Lighthouse Labs, career services are more than just an option for students. They’re baked into any of the company’s immersive bootcamp programs to ensure that you’re learning new technical skills and how to use them to add value to companies. The best part is that you can access Lighthouse Labs’ career support anytime in your bootcamp journey and beyond—at no additional cost.
We sat down with the brilliant pillars of Lighthouse Labs’ Career Services team, who took us behind the scenes to show how they empower students and alumni as they build their careers.
Career Services During Your Bootcamp Training and Onto Your First Tech Job
In other schools, most students start thinking about the job search after graduation. Not in Lighthouse Labs. Have you ever heard of the phrase, “the early bird catches the worm”? Lighthouse Labs operates on this notion, understanding that the sooner students start thinking of and preparing for the job hunt, the better equipped they will be for the job market.
Cat Seier, Career and Alumni Services Manager at Lighthouse Labs, outlines that their goal is to help you clarify and determine your career goals, identify areas of improvement, and learn how to expertly bring the skills you learn in the classroom to the workplace.
She shares, “We help you get your first opportunity so that you can start discovering what it is you want from this new career path.”
From the day you start your training, you’ll get acquainted with Lighthouse Labs’ Career Services team and the support you’ll receive as you move along your learning journey. For instance, you’ll have the chance to attend workshops throughout the program to prepare you for the job search gradually.
Thanks to Lighthouse Labs’ lifetime career support, thousands of alumni continue to thrive in the tech industry. You could be one of them, too!
Enjoy a lifetime of career support here.Career Services Advisors, led by Adriana Sanches, will then jump in a few weeks before your program ends to start priming you for the impending job hunt. Both teams’ hands-on approach to career development includes, but is not limited to, the following:
1. 1-on-1 career coaching
Your career coach can serve as your solid soundboard and mentor as you prepare for or start your job search. Using the information gathered from Seier’s team, Sanches and her team ensure that you come into the job search with a developed career strategy.
These sessions also seek to help you overcome the mental struggles and personal challenges you may experience while job hunting. “Our bi-weekly, 1:1 sessions with the grads allow us to track their progress and help them overcome roadblocks as they arise,” says Sanches. “We also make ourselves available online where they can reach out to us by email or Discord at any time.”
2. Resume-writing and job interview workshops
A well-written and organized resume, plus excellent interviewing skills, can do wonders for your job search. But not everyone has the written or verbal communication skills to achieve both. That’s why Lighthouse Labs takes the time to improve these skills. They ensure that your resume properly highlights your assets—including your skills and previous experiences—and that you’re well prepared for job interviews. Sanches’ team also continues to develop group workshops, so you stay abreast of the latest industry trends and hiring requirements.
3. Employer outreach and matching services
Finding the right company for you can be daunting, especially if you’re a newcomer in the industry. Lighthouse Labs helps ease this process by promoting you and your skills to their vast web of employer partners.
This is where Lighthouse Labs’ Employer Partnerships team steps in. The team, spearheaded by Senior Manager Meri Ghazaryan, focuses on expanding Lighthouse Labs’ employer network by collaborating with companies aligned with the company’s mission.
“At the moment, Lighthouse Labs engages with over 4,000 companies. As enterprises become increasingly dependent on technology, investments in the tech sector will continue to accelerate, ensuring lots of opportunities,” Ghazaryan says.
The Employer Partnerships team vets each potential employer. They determine what level of expertise the employer needs and if Lighthouse Labs graduates are the right match. Because there are numerous startups on the horizon, they weed out employers who are out to scam or take advantage of entry-level candidates. These might be lowballing salaries or asking grads to volunteer for work to build their portfolios. The team also ensures they are up to date with the latest industry trends.
Ghazaryan states that many employers are keen on diversifying their talent pool, which means they are more open to the value of transferable skills when vetting candidates who do not have traditional tech backgrounds. Additionally, they are eager to hire professionals with a growth mindset, are determined, keen to learn more, and consistently work on their career aspirations. These are qualities that Lighthouse Labs ingrains in their students.
Given the competency of Lighthouse Labs’ graduates, many companies continue to trust the school, like TELUS Digital, IRCC, and Connex Communications, to name a few.
Career Services You Can Access for Your Next Job and Beyond
Career services at Lighthouse Labs are for life. That means that even after you secure your first job, your access to Lighthouse Labs’ career services remains. If you need advice or support in between jobs, you can count on Lighthouse Labs to help you further your career—something you would rarely experience in other tech bootcamps and education providers. Some of the services you can enjoy include lifetime access to the company’s alumni job resource site, post-bootcamp workshops, and mentor hours.
Your Lifetime Partner to Career Success
Lighthouse Labs has always been passionate about delivering life-changing programs to better the lives of its community members. However, you must be equally committed to making things work.
To thrive in any job, you must:
- continue building their connections in the tech ecosystem
- stay active in and contribute to the community
- be genuinely curious, and
- constantly learn and develop new skills.
As Seier says, “[In tech,] you will constantly encounter new things—new technology, new tools, and new challenges. You should be open to new opportunities. Embrace the uncomfortable, keep learning, and keep growing.”
If Lighthouse Labs’ 96 percent and 91 percent job placement rate for graduates of its Web Development and Data Bootcamps is anything to go by, then you can be sure of its quality training for a future tech career.
Here’s a recap of the lifetime career services that you can enjoy at Lighthouse Labs:
- Exclusive access to job opportunities on the Lighthouse Labs Alumni Job Resource site
- 1:1 support as you navigate your job search
- Workshops to help further your skills and knowledge
- Membership to an expansive network of alumni, employers, and other community members
Enroll at Lighthouse Labs now and benefit from rigorous skills training and never-ending career support.
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.