What is a Developer in Residence?

What is a Developer in Residence?

The DigitalCrafts program is tough, period. Our goal here at DC is to ensure all of our incoming students have not only the adequate amount of support throughout the program but also the right mindset. This is where the Developer in Residence (DIR) really comes into play. For each cohort, we hire at least one DIR. The DIR is typically one of the top students from the most recent graduating cohort who has been identified to help the next group of builders enrolling at DigitalCrafts. You can think of the DIR as a Teaching Assistant, but it is much much more.

How do we identify Developers in Residence?

Towards the end of every cohort at DigitalCrafts, we will send out an application for folks to apply to become the next DIR, and this is not a responsibility to take lightly. DIRs are an instrumental part of the cohort’s and school’s overall success. DIRs must embrace the DigitalCrafts' culture of collaborative learning and education, be up for a challenge, and push the students to solve complex problems without handing the answer directly.

Why are Developers in Residence crucial to our program?

As a new student at DigitalCrafts, you will feel uncomfortable and overwhelmed. That’s just the way it is, and quite honestly that's completely normal. You’re in a new atmosphere and about to learn a whole lot of new concepts (at a very quick pace). As an educational institution, we need to push you to get over this hump as soon as possible. As a prior student, the DIR is there to support you not only mentally but emotionally. They’ve been in your shoes and know just how you are feeling. They are also living proof that you’ll come out the other end even more excited about your new career path.

Why do people give code schools a bad rep for hiring students?

Well, we’re not really sure. Of course, we wouldn’t hire a recent graduate to be the lead instructor, but we definitely know that the DIR can provide real value to our incoming students in the classroom. We aren’t trying to fudge our placement metrics by hiring our students, we are simply trying to provide the best educational experience for our future #builders who are about to embark on one heck of a journey. It is a win-win for the school, the DIR and especially the new students.

As a Developer in Residence, your job is to:

1. Instill the DigitalCrafts culture in the new group of builders
2. Support the lead instructor
3. Support each and every student
4. Continue building on the foundation you gained in your cohort at DigitalCrafts.

The DIR is a tough role to fill, and it is something we take very seriously here at DigitalCrafts. Over the past few years we’ve had some incredible DIRs (too many to name!). We want to thank all of you for all the hard work, and we look forward to bringing on more DIRs in the future.

That’s it for now!