If you’re reading this, you’re either trying to get into Andela or you’re trying to get someone – a sibling or a friend – to join Andela as a software developer. This post will lay out the entire process, and answer some of your burning questions about what we do as a company, so stick around till the end.

For starters, there are two ways to join Andela as a software developer. You could join:

1. As a Fellow
2. As a Senior Developer

1. What is The Andela Fellowship?

The Andela Fellowship is a four-year program that opens you up to a new kind of work experience where you work as an integral part of global engineering teams while getting mentorship from senior developers as you grow in your career.

What the Andela Fellowship is not:

• A school
• An NGO
• A training center.

The Andela Fellowship is a full-time job. Our software developers – referred to as Fellows – are employees who are part of a globally distributed team. We are currently in Lagos, Nairobi, Kampala, Kigali, New York City, San Francisco, and Austin. Our Fellows leverage technology to work from their city while collaborating with team members across multiple time zones.

How To Apply To The Andela Fellowship

Applying to join the Andela Fellowship is a 5-step process:

1. Home Study
2. Assessment Tests
3. Code Review & Face-to-face Interview
4. Boot Camp
5. Acceptance

The Home Study Program:

This is an Introduction to Software Development curriculum designed by Andela for applicants new to programming. The curriculum contains material required to grasp the fundamentals of Computer Science and build a solid foundation in programming.

Applicants without a formal background in Computer Science frequently apply to join Andela – we encourage it. However, unless you have prior programming experience, your chances of scaling through Phase 2 (Assessments) will be very slim. Applicants are advised to take out time to study the curriculum and practice before applying to the Fellowship, to improve their odds of getting selected.

The curriculum is available for free online, and applicants can take as long as they need to learn and master the concepts taught in it before moving onto the Assessment Test.

Link to the Andela Home Study Curriculum

Assessment Test

All applicants who apply to the Fellowship at any given intake cycle go through an assessment test to determine if they are a right fit. The test is two-pronged:

• Personality test: This is a test done to see if applicants embody the EPIC values (Excellence, Passion, Integrity, Collaboration) required in all Andela employees.
• Technology Assessment: Python or Javascript tests based on the Home Study curriculum

NB: You are advised to take the Home Study program before applying so as to improve your chances on the assessment test.

Code Review & Face-to-face Interview

Applicants who pass the assessment tests are invited to an in-person interview where they are assessed further on alignment with Andela’s EPIC values and an understanding of relevant technology.

Boot Camp

Applicants who pass the in-person interview stage are invited to participate in a 2-week boot camp. The boot camp is split into two stages:

1. One week of home-based learning, and
2. One week of product development on-site.

Onboarding

Applicants who scale through the boot camp are accepted into the Fellowship and go through an immersive onboarding process. That’s when their awesome journeys as Andela Fellows begin.

2. The Senior Software Developer Program

The second pathway to join Andela as a software developer is as a Senior Developer. Andela hires senior developers to work as engineering team leads with partner companies across the globe.

Senior Developers lead teams of Andela developers and serve as the point person for our partner companies. Also, SDs serve as mentors and coaches to junior developers, who, in turn, are the next generation of world-class developers. SDs are important to our mission to advance human potential by powering today’s team and investing in tomorrow’s leaders.

How To Apply

If you have at least four years experience as a developer and feel like you have the requisite skill set and the desire to do work that matters on a global scale, you should apply to Andela as a Senior Developer.

After four years of interviewing thousands of software developers, we have honed in on an optimal hiring process for software developers. Here’s how we think about the power of EQ x IQ in redefining what a 10x developer means.

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