How to become a software engineer after the military

1. Decide on the role

A software engineer builds and maintains the software people use: the web app, the API behind it, the data it runs on. That is the role Vets Who Code trains for, and it is the role our graduates hold at Microsoft, Amazon, Google, GitHub, Booz Allen and Deloitte.

If you are not sure how your service translates, start with the career guides. They map military occupations to civilian technical roles.

2. Train in a structured program, not a video library

Nobody becomes a software engineer by watching videos. The accelerator puts the material that does not change, syntax and fundamentals, on a learning platform you can repeat at your own pace, and spends the human hours on pairing, code review and building real software.

You do not need prior technical experience. Admission is selective, but we evaluate aptitude, drive and follow-through, not what you already know. Read the full curriculum before you apply.

3. Build a body of work

There is no capstone and no certificate. What you carry out is the evidence that accumulated while you trained:

• Blogs that explain your decisions in writing.
• Pull requests that were opened, reviewed, revised and merged.
• Features shipped to real users in real codebases.
• Verified work, where every skill names the artifact that proves it.

That is what a hiring manager can read before they ever speak to you.

4. Get a mentor who runs engineering teams

Within your first month you are paired with a working software engineer, many of them Vets Who Code alumni. Your mentor operates in an engineering manager capacity: 1-on-1s focused on your growth, code review, hard questions and help with career decisions. It is the professional relationship you will have with your lead on the job.

5. Interview and land the role

Career support does not stop at graduation. Resume reviews, interview prep and job referrals continue, and the alumni network refers each other for roles. Graduates work at Microsoft, Accenture Federal Services, Amazon, Google, GitHub, Booz Allen, Deloitte and other companies across the industry.

How long it takes

Seventeen weeks at 20–30 hours a week, followed by the job search. The program is built around the life you already have: you can hold a job, a family or a recovery alongside it.

What it costs

$0. No tuition, no income share agreement, no loan. Apply when you are ready.