Zapproved’s Engineering Foundation Program Pioneers Success
Shaping junior software developers, and Zapproved, for a smarter future
By Kyle Galbraith, Senior Software Engineer
Zapproved’s Engineering Foundation cohort program was created as a way to rapidly onboard associate software engineers who are just entering the software development world. The interview process consists of a phone screen with one of our recruiters. If that goes well, we then assign candidates a coding exercise to complete within two days. We intentionally let the candidate use whatever resources they have to solve the problems in their unique way. They are assigned a Senior Engineer who helps answer questions — without giving away the answer of course.
Once candidates are finalized, we comprise a cohort of 4 or 6 people. The even number is important as we pair people up each week
We bring in hungry, passionate and eager individuals and mentor them through Zapproved’s best practices, culture
At Zapproved, we firmly believe that teaching and mentoring others early on in their career is the most productive way to move the needle forward
Q&A with Engineering Foundation Program Cohort #1
What better way to highlight a great engineering program than by featuring the cohorts in a Q&A interview session! Get to know three members of Zapproved’s first Engineering Foundation program cohort, who are now full-time employees.
Introducing Rikki Swetzof, Software Engineer DCP

Rikki Swetzof, Software Engineer DCP at Zapproved
Tell us about your background.
I’m originally from
How’d you get into software engineering?
I returned to college as a non-traditional student, having spent a long time working in the public sector (local government, public utilities, etc), as well as a short stint as a realtor. What I found was that in every role I assumed, the path always led me in a certain direction: helping people do their jobs better by refining and automating processes. For example, things relating to designing and implementing databases to replacing legacy or manual systems. With the encouragement of my family, I finally realized I should go back to school and officially pursue this path. What I originally thought would be an associate’s degree morphed into four years in college and a bachelor’s in computer science.
What’s tough about landing a junior developer role without any prior industry experience?
Many of the job postings for
How do you think this program is pioneering the tech community in PDX?
It gives new developers a place to learn and grow in a supportive environment while being able to actually contribute to a product almost immediately/directly. I made a conscious choice to join Zapproved over other employers because I felt that this concept was the most conducive to both my short-term and long-term development.
How has this program helped you grow as a developer?
It has pushed me to be more confident in my abilities and to not be afraid of failure, which despite how cliché it sounds, has helped me tremendously. When I first started at Zapproved, I was worried about what I didn’t know. Now I’m able to look at something I don’t know as an opportunity to grow and learn something new.
Describe the leadership style of your cohort mentors?
Kyle was great at adjusting his leadership style as the weeks progressed. In the first few weeks, he was very
When I transitioned onto the DCP [Data Collect Pro] team, I found the same level of supportiveness and pace with Paul, who was at first very involved in my day-to-day coding and
How can one succeed in this program?
Approach the program with an open mind, a lot of questions and the desire to learn.
What’s your favorite thing to do in PDX?
Since I’ve recently moved to the area, I’m still figuring that out. So far I’m enjoying just exploring what’s going on, like the Saturday Market or finding parks in my neighborhood.
Introducing Leah Nelson, Software Engineer LHP

Leah Nelson, Software Engineer LHP at Zapproved
Tell us about your background.
I’m from Seattle. My background is in violin performance. I’ve played for 20 years, though not so much since I started programming. I went to school at Cleveland Institute of Music and Rice University.
How’d you get into software engineering?
Last January, I spent some time in New York City after a seven-month international musical tour of Beauty and the Beast. I was dispirited returning to “real life,” and the post-travel blues were compounded by the feeling that I’d hit a wall in my music career. I happened to be staying with a houseful of programmers who encouraged me to try some coding tutorials. Starting with Codecademy’s Python course, I worked my way through the basics of several languages and was hooked by the required combination of logic and creativity. I decided this was something I wanted to pursue, so I moved to Portland to attend a code school May to November 2016. I started in the first Zapproved cohort in February, graduated from the program, and have been working on LHP [Legal Hold Pro] full-time since March.
What’s tough about landing a junior developer role without any prior industry experience?
From my experience in Portland, there are very few companies who are willing or able to give an industry newcomer their first chance. Many “junior” positions require one to three years of experience. It can be very discouraging. When I was applying for jobs it felt like I was sending applications into a void. It didn’t help that it was the slow holiday season, and the market was flooded with code school grads vying for the same few openings.
How do you think this program is pioneering the tech community in PDX?
I think it’s a unique, effective and efficient way to grow engineering teams, as 4-6 people are being trained at once. Because of the extra investment Zapproved is making into the early part of our careers, they are instilling best practices and knowledge of product/process from the ground up, and building loyalty on a personal level. The system is mutually beneficial for the company and the new engineers who are eager to learn and succeed.
How has this program helped you grow as a developer?
I’ve been able to develop my skills in areas I already had some experience with, as well as learn completely new technologies. I’m encouraged to work on any story that looks interesting to me, and help is always available if needed. I learn something new every day, mostly through experience, but also opportunities like “whiteboard sessions” — informal technical talks (yep, in front of a whiteboard) about relevant subjects, such as testing, security, design principles, etc.
Describe the leadership style of your cohort mentors?
Since we had a dedicated mentor he was able to be attuned to our progress, but not in a helicopter-managing way. He was readily available to provide help and support, then as the weeks went by we were encouraged to branch out to other engineers to become more integrated with the main product teams. We also had weekly check-ins where we could exchange honest feedback, both positive and constructive. This was immensely helpful to stay on the same page, know what to improve on, build confidence and determine the direction of my career at Zapproved.
How can one succeed in this program?
Take advantage of the experience! Be open to learning anything, own your work and get it done —but also know when to ask for help
Introducing Aaron Bini, Software Engineer LHP

Aaron Bini, Software Engineer LHP at Zapproved
Tell us about your background?
I have a master’s degree in glacial geology, spent six years as a vegetable farmer, and two years working as an electrician. So, it varied
How’d you get into software engineering?
I started learning web development a couple of years ago in my free
What’s tough about landing a junior developer role without any prior industry experience?
A lot of companies, understandably, want to hire experienced, capable senior-level developers. While these people obviously exist, I don’t think there are as many out there in the job market as companies expect. I’ve heard that a lot of companies have a difficult time filling their engineering ranks with highly experienced developers.
Most companies don’t seem willing to commit time and resources to
How do you think this program is pioneering the tech community in PDX?
I don’t know of any company in Portland doing anything like this. This program gave me, someone without a formal educational background in computer science, the opportunity to break into the software field. It also gave me the opportunity to contribute almost from day one, in a structured environment with a dedicated, experienced mentor available to assist at all times. I would say that in the long
How has this program helped you grow as a developer?
I get to work on interesting, challenging problems
Describe the leadership style of your cohort mentors?
Kyle did a great job of understanding how to mentor at different stages of the program. Early on, he took a more hands-on approach and walked us through things step by step. As we progressed, he slowly stepped back and allowed us to work on problems in a more independent fashion, and let us come to him when we were blocked rather than the other way around. It helped as well that Kyle is a seasoned veteran of Zapproved and knows the tech stack and code bases really well.
How can one succeed in this program?
I believe that anyone who really loves developing software, is highly motivated, and is committed to continued learning can be successful in this program.
What’s your favorite thing to do in PDX?
I like to get outside, explore and build things.