Featured Alumni
Nick Quaranto
Before his thoughtbot apprenticeship, Nick was working on his Software Engineering degree at RIT and programming in classic ASP and ASP.NET.
After his thoughtbot apprenticeship, Nick joined thoughtbot as a full-time developer. He became a fixture of the Ruby community, creating rubygems.org and receiving a Ruby Hero award.
He now works for 37signals.
Jessie Young
Before her thoughtbot apprenticeship Jessie graduated from Dev Bootcamp and RailsBridge. Before taking the plunge into web development, Jessie was doing marketing for start-ups. She double majored in Philosophy and Government at Colby College.
Upon completing her apprenticeship, Jessie joined thoughtbot in San Francisco as a full-time developer, where she remains today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens during the apprenticeship?
Apprentices will work alongside designers and developers at thoughtbot on real projects, and will be assigned a Mentor who is their primary instructor. Apprentices can take any of the thoughtbot workshops at no charge. They will also work on special projects designed to give them additional time and training in the areas they most need.
What's the relationship between thoughtbot and the apprentices? Are they paid employees?
The apprentices will be paid, W2, employees of thoughtbot during their apprenticeship. The current pay is $500/week.
How long does the apprenticeship last?
The apprenticeship lasts for three months. In the final month, you may receive an offer for a position as a full designer or developer at thoughtbot, or we'll connect you with other great potential employers.
What is the time commitment?
Apprentices will work 40 hours per week, at the thoughtbot office. Part-time apprenticeships are not available at this time. If you will be relocating to Boston, we can provide assistance with travel and lodging arrangements.
What technologies will the apprentices work with?
Apprentices will learn and work with Ruby on Rails, jQuery, Backbone.js, HTML5, SCSS, git, Unix, and agile software development.
What do you look for in applicants?
A qualified design apprentice will have experience with graphical design for the web or iOS as well as HTML and CSS. The well-qualified developer candidate will be at an intermediate level with Ruby on Rails.
We look for candidates who have a proven passion for design and development and who have demonstrated the ability to learn quickly. Candidates should have excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
This paid apprenticeship is ideal for recent graduates, or more experienced candidates making a technology or career change, and is a great opportunity to work with a forward-thinking company, and one of the best Ruby on Rails firms out there, to grow your skills.