The panel will include representatives from Axosoft, meltmedia, the Arizona State Department of Administration and State Farm. Participating companies come from a wide range of industries including technology, insurance and government, in order to provide the recent graduates with a range of knowledge and opportunities.

The event consists of an hour-long panel discussion followed by one-on-one interviews sessions at the Center for Entrepreneurial Innovation (CEI). The panel discussion is intended to provide students with valuable insight into what employers are looking for in junior web developer candidates as well as how developers fit into their respective companies. Following the discussion, each student will be interviewed by at least two of the panelists.

Many of the panel participants are looking for candidates to fill open web developer positions within their companies, while others will be conducting mock interviews to help the students prepare. Alexander Burgess, a network administrator at Axosoft, is excited to work with the students to prepare them for future opportunities, of which he says there are many.

“Everywhere I look people are hiring developers,” Burgess said. “It is something that everybody needs, but not everybody knows. These students are on the right track.”

Data Specialist Jason Johnson and his employer State Farm, for example, are participating in the panel in hopes of matching qualified candidates to job opportunities within their organization.

“State Farm believes in assisting programs to empower communities by providing them with the resources and education that they need,” Johnson said.

In the one-on-one interviews, Johnson intends to assess each candidate and recommend open positions at State Farm for which the student would be most competitive. Once they apply online, Johnson and his team intend to route qualified students from the event to first- or second-round interviews.

Katie Matysik from the Arizona State Department of Administration will be offering similar opportunities to the recent graduates on behalf of the State of Arizona. Matysik, who recruits IT professionals on behalf of 130 state agencies, boards, and commissions, hopes to direct the boot camp graduates to opportunities within the State.

“With so many job boards and applicant tracking systems, folks often feel like they are just sending resumes into a black hole,” Matysik said. “I am always looking for ways to meet with folks on a personal level and give them a contact person on the inside.”
Cooperative efforts such as this one that bring educational providers and employers together also benefit employers, as it works to address the critical shortage of skilled technology professionals throughout the state. It is this shortage that led Matysik to the MCOR Interview Event.

“I think it is a good way to meet folks that are interested in these roles and want to learn more about the opportunities that are out there,” Matysik said. “At the same time it is a great way for me to show why we would be the employer of choice for them when they are ready to take on this new career change.”

Local technology company, meltmedia, is looking to inform the recent boot camp graduates of open positions within their organization as well.

The company, which boasts an office that features office scooters for employees to get around and office dogs to keep a light-hearted environment, is always looking for ways to enhance its community both within and outside of the company itself. Participating in the MCOR Interview Event is one such way in which meltmedia hopes to enhance the Arizona technology community.

“We are committed to our community, and to helping develop folks in our industry into mature professionals who are skilled enough to work at the top tech companies in the country,” Matthew Rausch, director of human resources at meltmedia, said.