Introducing 99designs’ Junior Engineering Program

They say that teaching something is the best way to really, deeply understand it. From my experience designing and facilitating 99design’s Junior Engineering Program (the JEP) I would say this is more true than I ever imagined. The existence of this program is a testament to 99designs’ commitment to supporting and uplifting each other, and in the course of it I was reminded of how my colleagues all live one of 99’s core values: we believe in helping people create their own success.

What is a Junior Engineering Program?
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Across the tech industry, many organizations are supporting employees with structured internships and bootcamps to help early-career engineers hone their skills in the fast-paced tech industry.

Unlike these programs aimed at entry-level juniors, the JEP at 99designs is not software 101. Instead, this program is designed to help junior engineers take the next step. In collaboration with other engineers and experts, we encourage them to apply their knowledge to real-world problems in a way that supports their continued development and well-being.

Why did we do it?
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At 99designs at Vista, we recognize the value of hiring junior engineers; they bring a variety of skills and experiences to the team and a fresh perspective on our product. As we a period of rapid growth in 2020the engineering team wanted to make sure that we could continue to hire juniors while still guaranteeing that they would be adequately supported and nurtured.

To maintain our...