The Job Hackers

At the end of December 2021, barely four months ago, I was knee-deep in the middle of one of the darkest times of my life– facing a deeply uncertain future with a major health condition (brain cancer) that will be with me for life, and the prospect of... Read More never working again. (I know a lot of people don’t share medical information in “professional” settings, but this is such an intrinsic part of my human experience that I have chosen to embrace it. I’m an advocate and open book about it.) Then, I discovered the Job Hackers, made a commitment to learn something new, and really applied myself. I acknowledged the fear, allowed myself to feel it, and then released it. I showed up to every class, attended every Friday discussion, and spoke up to actively participate, even when I felt scared of those old familiar twinges of imposter syndrome. I mean, there are some SERIOUSLY smart and talented people walking these halls, and it can be a little intimidating sometimes. I took notes religiously. I listened to audio versions of the Scrum guide while working out, while driving, in the shower, and I read everything I could about what Scrum is and is not. I reviewed Larry and Jim’s presentations, I went to Edward’s resume office hours (where he gives it to you REAL), and when I felt I was missing something, I went back and watched the recordings and reviewed the presentations again. I learned so much from listening to everyone courageously ask questions during class, and sharing perspectives and ideas. I was ALL IN. I cannot thank the Job Hackers team, all the facilitators, moderators, and all my fellow participants who studied and discussed with me enough. This class, and this experience, has given me far more than a new lens. It has given me a sense of community, achievement, and camaraderie that I wasn’t expecting. Above all, it has given me HOPE. Hope that this uncertain world we are living in, has some incredibly smart people, working on incredibly tough problems, and that with this type of knowledge being provided for free to thousands of people each year, we can work together to create a better future together. I’ve already been able to apply the concepts and practices I’ve learned in this class to consulting with companies and institutions in the cancer community to help develop better practices and improve patient experiences. And this is just the beginning. Larry wasn’t kidding when he said this stuff can be applied to almost any industry. I know this is first and foremost about jobs, but as I mentioned on the last day of class, I truly feel this is potentially life-changing information and experience for a lot of people. It certainly has been for me. Giving this education away, globally, to anyone who wants to attend with their full attention, is a faith-restoring moment for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Larry Apke, Jim Schibler, Edward Gordon, and the entire Job Hackers team that keep things running behind the scenes. Liz Garcia for the happy hours, Sue Bose and Julie McD for running the Riipen program, Mary Stovall for connecting with the community. You (and the volunteers I have yet to meet) are all incredible. I have already invited multiple people to join the next cohort, and only hope that I am able to give as much back to the community as I have gained. With endless gratitude, The newest CSM and PSM I

I completed the Job Hackers Agile MBA course. Larry Apke, you made learning fun, not didactic, and made me see the Agile world through another set of eye lenses, for that I am forever grateful! Many instructors can learn from your teaching style. I truly... Read More enjoyed every Tuesday and Thursday classes. Thank you! Jim Schibler, the Friday discussion groups by far are in integral part of the six weeks course. The case studies presented, were an excellent way to make us think how businesses operate in the real world as scrum masters and how’d we handle delicate scenarios to ensure we are following the agile scrum practices. Kudos! Forever appreciative you procured speakers for the monthly Meet-ups. This added arsenal provides more insight to the agile scrum master world. Thank you and grateful you volunteer your time! Edward Michael Gordan, PSM, II your willingness/volunteerism to assist members of the job hackers community with our resumes is priceless! You created a psychological safe space to critique our resumes and provide feedback. The AJS program you and others created to assist us through our scrum master journey is valuable and I am proud to be associated with this program. Thank you and grateful! For the other countless volunteers that I may not know each and every name, your contributions have not gone unnoticed to ensure this course and its benefits are successful. THANK YOU too! The Job Hackers community is a community of intelligent thought processing individuals, who come from all over the world, and I’m proud to be a part of. This entire course and all the perks mentioned above (and more) are FREE! Everyone volunteers their time. By far this is worth thousands of dollars and all of them do it to help those who may want to pivot in their careers, returning back to the workforce, obtain additional knowledge, etc. This by far, was the best six weeks investment in myself that I have EVER taken. I highly recommend this course to anyone, you will not be disappointed! Here is the link https://www.thejobhackers.org/participant/ to become a part of this prestigious community. #thankyou #grateful #AgileMBA #ScrumMasters

Start here if you are looking for a course that will help improve your leadership skills and learn about SCRUM and Agile methodologies from top leaders. This is by far the best class I've taken including college and a continuous learning path of bootcamps... Read More and online courses. The commitment of the all volunteer leadership team to the community they've fostered and grown is impressive. I've looked for a well run and engaging community for years - this one is amazing! If you are looking to improve your job search, this program is free and will help you with resume reviews, job tips, posted jobs and a job seekers group. Even if you don't think you need SCRUM or Agile, you will benefit from taking this class. Highly recommend. Join us!

I highly recommend this course to everyone interested in Scrum. I started my current job while taking the Agile MBA, and was able to apply the knowledge I gained from the course on the job by implementing Scrum, BDD, etc. Larry is a great instructor and... Read More uses a lot of his real world experience in the lessons and covers a wide range of content, including development best practices, cognitive bias, systems thinking, all of which have proved invaluable to me in the workplace. The course is informative, engaging, and the community as a whole is very supportive. I did not take any other Agile courses apart from this, and was able to pass the PSM 2 certification on the first try. Thank you Larry & team!

Overall, it was a great program and I 100% recommend it to anyone interested in tech with no technical background looking to enter the word of Technology. In my personal opinion, this class, the scrum guide, and the agile principles is all you really... Read More need to sit for the CSM exam. Thanks again for a great program.

Informative and teachings brings the Agile in you out.Would advise anyone who want a career change into the Tech world with no technical background needed to join the next class and you won’t regret this decision. In few weeks thanks to Larry Akpe, I... Read More have different lenses on how I see the world.Especially when he taught us TDD and BDD and I quote”When you see it is hard to unseen it”

The only thing negative I can say about this class is that I wish I had known about it sooner. First off, I have zero technical experience and was honestly a little intimidated at the thought of the class up until the 1st class but day one I felt very... Read More much at ease. With the pandemic, everyone hates to have their camera on but in this class, it doesn’t seem like a hassle because it’s so engaging. Larry is brilliant and presents the information in a very real world way that someone of average intelligence can understand easily. I looked forward to the twice a week commitment, it was very much a bright spot in my week. Jim adds value as well with his knowledge during the Friday discussion groups, it’s not something you want to miss, because it explains everything in a real life, practical way and any questions are answered fully. No matter the field you are in, there is something to take away. My favorite was the talk by guest speaker Rich Sheridan. Ed is the coolest as well, you’ll absolutely want to be a part of his office hours for resume revamp. He’s going to give it to you real, but you’ll find value in it and hopefully a job. I rate this class 10/10 and will suggest it over and over. I learned more in 6 weeks than I did 4 yrs of college, I’ll never forget it and will always set my Amazon to Amazon Smiles to give back just a small portion of what was given to me. Im sitting for the PSM exam soon and I KNOW because of this class I’ll pass. TYSM Guys!!!!

Great course, it really made a difference in my interviews and helped land my first full-time position. Definitely going through it one more time since there always is something new to absorb. Excellent community, everybody is super suportive and helpfuul.... Read More

I've taken this class twice and it never disappoints! The information is based on experiences and facts. The discussion groups are a great way to network and get help. The reading material can be a little dry, but it's related to each class. Larry, Jim... Read More and Edward work extremely hard and go above and beyond to help by offering discussion groups, resume assistance, guest speakers and much more!

The Agile MBA curriculum gave us useful, detail and valuable information throughout the six weeks the course runs for. Larry is very engaging and was able to keep my attention throughout class. I highly recommend this class to anyone interested or looking... Read More to start.