Meet the Team is a recurring series on the PowerReviews blog, allowing you to get to know the people behind our success.
We caught up with Javier Revuelta, graduate of Code Platoon’s* first cohort and PowerReviews Associate Software Engineer, to hear about his time in the military, with Code Platoon, and as a PowerReviews intern.
*Code Platoon is a 16-week coding bootcamp, based in Chicago, that aims to turn military veterans into software developers.
Can you describe your military experience?
I joined the Air Force a few months after 9/11, but did not ship out until the summer of 2002. The original plan was to be an airborne communications guy flying around in an AWACS plane (the one with the big dish overhead), but a few good test scores put me on track for becoming a Korean Cryptologic Linguist instead. I spent a little over a year in Monterey, CA learning Korean before doing a two-year tour in Korea. After that it was back stateside to finish my enlistment at Fort Meade, MD. All together, it was six years in the military before I decided to return to Chicago to finish a degree in Finance.
Did you know anything about software development before Code Platoon?
I did not, but I had spent the bulk of my military career working in foreign languages (primarily Korean), so I figured that the learning aptitude would translate. You do not have to know about software development before you start there, but it certainly helps mitigate the exposure shock that comes with trying to think in a completely different way.
Do you feel Code Platoon sufficiently prepared you for an internship with PowerReviews?
I think it did. By and large, there weren’t any moments where I felt that the learning curve was too steep. I get to spend my time working with guys that really understand Ruby and Rails, so there are always new things to learn.
What kind of software development are you responsible for at PowerReviews?
The bulk of my work during the internship had been back end, with my largest projects being writing the Dashboard Jr API and helping the other Ruby developers with the Self-Service Portal.
What has your experience been so far with PowerReviews?
PowerReviews has been fantastic! The warmth and accessibility of everyone I’ve met here is unparalleled, and it has made all the difference in making me feel at home. It was my first choice of all the internships available to our cohort, and I feel fortunate to be here every day. A special shoutout to the Ruby team — those guys rock.
What’s a fun fact or hidden talent people might not know about you?
I really got into Salsa dancing last year, and will be joining a team this year. So you might see me performing around the city at some point!
Want to learn more about joining or sponsoring Code Platoon? Visit their website.
