Join Varsity Dev

Varsity Dev is a career accelerator designed to help new software developers break in to the industry with skills and experience!

Career Accelerator Features

Continuous Tech-Skills Growth

Devs come to Varsity to grow! Varsity has a vast library of tech-skill competencies to guide devs through a pathway of learning and practical application. Once devs feel like they've mastered a set of competencies, they get feedback or confirmation from more senior developers.

Continuous Mentorship

All devs are awesome!! But even the best devs need support at times. So, Varsity's more experienced devs are available in chat, code-reviews and pairing sessions to support less-experienced devs. This access to experts and more senior devs is a big deal for devs who have gaps to fill. It also means no one has to stay stuck or in "tutorial hell" for too long.

Continuous Skill-Gap Analysis

We continuously assess the skills of our devs, find their skill gaps and assign training to address those gaps. No one ever has to train on things they've already mastered, and no one is ever left with gaping holes in their skillset. This rigorous approach leads to more complete and capable developers!

Soft Skill Coaching

Soft skills can make or break software developers. In fact, weak soft skills can completely negate the benefits of strong tech skills! Each Varsity student has access to a comprehensive coaching program that is custom designed for technologists trying to make it in the international business world.

Career Coaching

We want our devs to go on to build amazing and fulfilling careers after graduation. We work alongside you to optimize your profiles, build your portfolio, and improve your resume. We even coach you in where, when and how to apply for jobs!

Flexible Timing

Devs can join the career accelerator on a full-time or part-time basis. Devs can also set their hours from week to week. Of course, the more time you can commit, the more experience you get. And, the more value you bring to your team, the wider your network will grow and more backup you'll receive from your teammates.

Agile Processes

We run projects using Scrum and Kanban methodologies and stick to strict Agile processes. If you're new to the profession, working in an Agile team could be a big boost to the resume. It would also teach you how to work with a mature, delivery-focused team.

Real Job Experience

Full-time or part-time, we expect our devs to count their time in this career accelerator as "real job experience". We encourage our devs to proudly claim the title of "Full-Stack Developer", not "intern" or "student". Our devs actually build real products! Why down-play that experience with an "lesser" title?

Real Products

We have a long list of projects from non-profit orgs, startups, open-source community and our own ideas. Currently we just keep them on a waiting list, but we want use that list (which is always growing) to feed various product teams. No fake products or meaningless tasks to waste time.

Join The Waiting List

Convinced Varsity is right for you and your career? Click below to join the waiting list. When a slot is open, we will reach out and continue the enrollment process!

Who gets accepted to this program?

You are excited to learn and/or extend your software development skills and create innovative software solutions.
You want to start a career as a software developer.
You want to focus on building your software development career at an accelerated pace and have the attitude and work ethic to support this goal.
You view the work you perform as part of your education and professional development which leads to experience that attracts future employers.

You welcome feedback and make changes accordingly for the good of your team, your professional growth and your long-term goals.
You are hungry to learn, improve and grow your communication skills, soft skills and technical skills.
You are available to participate in the program for a minimum of 20 intense hours per week for up to 18 continuous months.
You have a way to cover your living expenses during your enrollment period.
You have a reliable computer, internet connection and workspace.

Questions and Answers

Is this a paid position?

No, this is NOT a paid position. Unlike a normal job or internship, participants in our career accelerator receive constant training and coaching in order to help them prepare for their career ahead. Varsity is more like a school than a job, but we use real projects (that affect real people) to provide real experience. On the other hand, Varsity expects excellence and commitment and holds its participants accountable VERY MUCH like a real job.

How much does this cost?

As with any serious career accelerator, participation in the Varsity program comes at a cost. The exact cost depends on your enrollment period and if you are a part-time or full-time student. For example, if you complete the entire 18-month program with full-time status, your total enrollment cost will be $27,000. Most students are able to qualify for a scholarship which can reduce this cost or completely eliminate it.

Aside from monetary cost, this program will also cost you a great deal of time. During your enrollment in the career accelerator, you should expect to put most of your extra curricular activities on hold, and devote most or all of your free time to growth.

Can I keep my day-job?

If you need to work to support yourself, by all means, keep going with that! If this is the case, you might need to make a part-time commitment and just give extra time when you can. On the other hand, if you can afford to participate without working an outside job, then you can give more time to your team and you'll get more experience.

The only time this might be restricted differently is with scholarships. Some scholarships prohibit any outside work or side-jobs in order to focus 100% on the program.

What is the time commitment?

We accept devs on a part-time or full-time basis as slots are available. The amount of time you will invest is something each student negotiates with Varsity staff at the beginning of enrollment. This is a commitment that you make to the accelerator and your dev team. And we will be sure to hold you to your commitment. You can always give more time to your team, of course! The more time you put in, the more experience you get back!

On the other hand, if you accept a scholarship, there may be certain minimum time requirements attached.

Will this be hard?

Yes. In fact, by the time you get a job and exit the accelerator, you'll be so exhausted that your new job will feel like a nice nap in a hammock. Does that make you nervous? Well, maybe this isn't going to be the right program for you.

What you're doing requires an extraordinary effort to succeed! You're trying to break into a very competitive industry that, at times, is over-saturated by people with similar profiles and skills. You've got to get serious about standing out, and it will start by your own intense effort. We'll help you along the way, but the work will be yours!

Am I guaranteed to find a job?

There is no way to guarantee job placement since it depends on so many factors that are out of our control. Some of those factors might include job market conditions, market saturation, your job criteria and your own level of skill upon graduation.

Although we cannot give a guarantee, we do offer every student assistance in preparing resumes, online profiles, portfolios and even job hunting. We’ve got a lot of experience in our team and we are happy to share it!

Is this free labor?

Yes, it definitely is. We will labor on you and you will labor right along with us... and you'll take away skills and experience that you can cash in once you land a job. While you're with Varsity.Dev, you will work on real projects because thats the experience your resume is missing! Those projects might be with non-profits, helping save the world. Or you might get assigned to an open-source project. You might even get assigned to a commercial project where someone else gets to make money from your labor. In any of these scenarios, you take away agile team experience.

Can I choose the projects I work on?

In Varsity.Dev, projects are assigned to devs with the appropriate skillset. Devs always have the option to decline an assignment for any reason (ex: "I only want open-source projects."). However, be careful. The more projects you reject, the less likely you'll get assignments in the future.

What if I need to cancel my enrollment?

Varsity.Dev is not here to lock anyone into a program that’s not working for them or is no longer needed. If you need to cancel at any time, you can simply provide a 30-day written notice to your supervisor. We will prorate your tuition to the number of months you would have completed during those 30 days.

Note: Some scholarships have different rules for cancellation. Consult the scholarship agreement for more information.

What if I get a job offer mid-way through the program?

Once developers start gaining experience, updating profiles and show that they work with Varsity.Dev, they naturally start receiving attention from recruiters. This feels great! But we want to caution you: you can probably do better!

The goal for each Varsity.Dev student is to land the BEST possible job, not just any job. We believe that the best way to do this is to complete the 18 month program and take advantage of every opportunity to grow skill and experience in the process. We know that the job offers you receive after graduation will be better than before graduation!

But, if a student finds an irresistible job before graduation, we are happy to give our blessing as long as they follow the cancellation procedure outlined below.