Evolving Demo Day | 500 In 5
Sep 21, 2017
Tomorrow is Demo Day for Cohort 19 at NSS. Demo Day is a big deal here - it marks the graduation of another cohort of students and it marks the formal kick-off of most grads’ job searches. It also gives us a chance to showcase to the community our newest grads, what they’ve learned, and what they can do with those skills. However, today’s Demo Day was not the way we originally released our grads into the wild. It’s something that evolved out of experience and trying other things. In that sense it’s like so much of what we do - it’s driven by experience, by feedback, and by trial and error. In other words, it’s driven by learning. Which seems somehow appropriate, right? Read More

Topics: Hiring?, Community, 10 Years | 2000 Journeys

The Emerging Role Of The Front-End Designer/Developer
Sep 19, 2017
One well known practitioner that has been talking and writing about the emergence of a “hybrid” UI/UX designer/front-end developer for several years is Brad Frost. Frost uses the term “Frontend Design” to refer to these hybrids who both handle UI/UX design as well as implement the design in front-end code. In a recent blog post, Frost speaks to the trend and the reasons for the trend. Read More

Topics: Learning, News, UI/UX

What We Mean When We Say Community | 500 In 5
Sep 14, 2017
When NSS started back in 2012, I identified Community as one of our five core beliefs/values. Of those five beliefs, Community is the one where my understanding, appreciation, and belief have most evolved and deepened. Based on what I’ve experienced at NSS over the past five years, I now believe that my initial understanding of community was valid but incomplete and, to a degree, superficial. So what does Community mean? Read More

Topics: Community, 10 Years | 2000 Journeys

Investing In Your Analytics & Data Science Capability
Sep 12, 2017
So, employers, how is your company planning to build its data engineering and data science capability? Planning on finding a data science unicorn to do it all? Good luck with that. What about the possibility of taking people already in your organization, people that know your business, people that you know fit into your culture, and invest in their future. Read More

Topics: Hiring?, Analytics + Data Science

Developers Never Stop Learning | Carter Nelms - Cohort 5
Sep 7, 2017
In 2013, Carter Nelms was working as a project manager at his family’s heating and air business when he decided to change careers and go into software development. He distinctly remembers thinking, “Going back to school sounds miserable and wasteful. I wish there were a software school that would teach these things full time for a few months instead of spreading it out over a few years. I’d do that in a heartbeat.” Then he discovered NSS. Read More

Topics: Alumni, Student Stories

Amy Henderson Joins Nashville Software School’s Board Of Directors
Sep 6, 2017
We are pleased to announce the addition of Amy Henderson to the NSS Board of Directors. Henderson is the Vice President of Customer Success at LeanKit. Henderson’s ties to NSS began when her daughter attended one of NSS’s full-stack web development bootcamps. Read More

Topics: News

From Postdoc To Data Scientist
Aug 30, 2017
We recently spoke with Shruti Sharma, a NSS Cohort 6 Web Development Bootcamp grad, who will be returning to NSS this fall to attend our Data Science Bootcamp. We asked her all the tough questions, like why does a postdoc leave academia to become a software engineer? And why would they choose to attend a vocational school? Read More

Topics: Alumni, Student Stories, Analytics + Data Science

Total Eclipse | Understanding JavaScript Functions
Aug 29, 2017
It was the weekend before the total solar eclipse and over 70 NSS alumni and students gathered at the school for the alumni’s first hackathon. One of the 12 apps built that weekend is called Total Eclipse and teaches JavaScript functions. Alumnus Chris Jarvis was a part of the team that built it and blogged about his experience and what he learned. Read More

Topics: Alumni, Student Stories, Technology Insights, Get Involved

Nashville Girl Geek Dinner | IN THE COMMUNITY
Aug 28, 2017
Nashville Girl Geek Dinner was started in 2013 by Kristin McKinney and NSS alumna Rachel Werner. Kristin and Rachel found that there was a lack of networking organizations in Nashville for young women who were interested in software development or already working in the industry. They brought together a community of women to provide mentorship, networking, and education. Learn more about their networking events and workshops and hear why attendees love it! Read More

Topics: Alumni, Student Stories, Community

NSS Alumni Hackathon - The Results Are In
Aug 23, 2017
This past weekend the NSS Alumni association hosted their very first Alumni/Student Hackathon. Over 70 participants were divided into 12 teams and given one parameter: create an application that pertains to the theme Skill++ (loosely translated to: 'build something to help developers learn'). Each of the teams was comprised of NSS alumni and students with varying skill levels and given just 25.5 hours to complete their entire app. The results were 'mind-blowing' (as put by one of the judges). Read More

Topics: Alumni, Student Stories