Lots of people want to move to Colorado. Not many want to leave. That makes for a competitive job market, with a highly-talented pool of candidates for employers to choose from. Having moved from California to Colorado and done the job search here myself, I have first-hand experience in the hurdles that people encounter trying to break into the Colorado job market. Hiring managers want to hire people who live locally and have demonstrated a commitment to the area. Not to mention the fact that hiring local candidates decreases the potential for a company to have to pay relocation or other costs associated with bringing new blood into the state.
One of the things that draws people to Colorado is its distinct culture. We are known nationally as being the fittest, most adventuresome, most outdoorsy, most-so-many-different-things. Hiring firms here want to ensure that the people they hire not only can perform their jobs at a high level, but also fit into the company culture. You can always teach a smart person a new skill, but it’s virtually impossible to change someone’s attitude and personality. So when an employer sees that an applicant is local, it automatically suggests that they are here in this region for a reason; they have ties that will keep them here for the long term, and they aren’t just throwing resumes at a wall to see where they stick.
So how do you break into the Colorado job market? How do you demonstrate to employers that, despite having lived all your life in Seattle, Chicago or Boston, you just know that Colorado is the place you were meant to be? Obviously, this is a question that is answered differently for different industries. For my wife, who is a lawyer, the answer was to take the Colorado bar exam. If you’re willing to sit through another bar exam, then you’d damn well better be prepared to move to that state. For workers in other industries, or those looking to make a career change, the answer may not be so straightforward.
I have started a business in Boulder that helps web developers or aspiring web developers break into our choosy Colorado market. RefactorU is a selective, intensive 10-week programming boot camp designed to teach people the skills they need to become entry-level developers. Moreover, we facilitate important connections with local employers who are seeking people with these skills. Not only does the boot camp import new, high-aptitude people into Colorado (approximately ¾ of the current cohort is from out of state), but it also provides prospective employers with a pool of talented people that they can be confident a) have been pre-screened, b) have already experienced Colorado, and c) want to stay here. That’s exciting to me. After all, if an employer receives two applications, one from a new developer in New York and another who is here for RefactorU, if all other things are equal, who do you think the employer will choose?
RefactorU is hosting a Student Project Demo Day on Thursday, November 14, 2013, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm (MST). Tickets are free, and can be obtained online at http://demoday.refactoru.com.
Read more about RefactorU in the Boulder County Business Report at http://bcbr.com/article/20131108/EDITION/131109917.
About RefactorU:
Founded in 2013 and based in Boulder, Colorado, RefactorU is the premier immersive learning experience for 21st century technology skills. RefactorU empowers individuals to reinvent themselves to meet the needs of today's technology-driven economy while building lifelong professional networks for the future. RefactorU enables hiring managers to significantly improve bench strength while increasing employee retention and reducing risk.
For more information, please visit http://refactoru.com, send email to info(at)refactoru(dot)com, or call 720-441-CODE (2633).
