700 applications, 11 graduates, and 100% employment: how a free educational initiative from WhiteBIT brought people into the team

700 applications for 11 spots. Several months of training. And at the finish — all 11 participants who made it to the end will receive a job offer from WhiteBIT.

Thus ended the first stream of the Global Talent Program (GTP) — a free training program for developers that the company launched this year.  WhiteBIT set itself a more ambitious goal than just creating a training program: the company wanted to give a start to a new generation of Web3 specialists who could potentially join the team, reports UNN. 

How the selection and the process itself were organized

To participate in the Global Talent Program, the company received 700 applications, and as a result of the competition, 11 people were admitted to the training — over 60 applications per spot. Classes for developers took place several times a week and combined online lectures, in-person sessions with mentors, and homework. All lectures were also available in recordings, so participants could return and review topics of interest. In parallel with the main program, participants worked on additional development projects, and the stream concluded with the defense of a final project.

Mentors played a key role: according to several participants, they were maximally involved in the learning process and answered questions regardless of how complex they were, and at any time, not just during classes. The training program also included one-to-one meetings where students could discuss individual issues within their studies, as well as meetings with C-level executives and representatives of various departments of WhiteBIT.

Who studied and what exactly

Developers with varying experience took part in the training program: some participants had never worked with PHP before, others came from Ruby on Rails, Go, or Python and, within the Global Talent Program, could practically compare these approaches. The curriculum covered PHP, the Laravel framework, Docker, Redis, database work, and background job queues.

One of the participants' tasks was to develop a CRM system: initially, participants wrote it in "pure" PHP, and after a few weeks, they migrated the same project to Laravel. "Anatoliy said that Laravel is 'magical.' I didn't believe it until I tried it myself. He was right," says Kyrylo Zakharenko, one of the Global Talent Program participants.

Not everything came equally easily: several participants named the topic of queues and background processes as the most difficult, with understanding coming during work on the task rather than from the lecture.

What made this stream successful

According to Global Talent Program participants, the most impressive aspect was not the technical program itself, but the opportunity to propose their own solutions rather than just completing tasks strictly according to instructions. "Working this way is much more interesting, and it creates more motivation because you understand that you are being heard," says Yevheniia Moiseieva, a training participant.

The company itself also responded to feedback during the stream: when student Artem Ustymenko suggested analyzing code together with a mentor directly in class, rather than only in theory, this proposal was added to the program before the training ended. Participants also positively noted the meeting with the company's CHRO, Inna Grachova, where they learned about WhiteBIT's values and mission. The program also included a meeting with the company's vice president — according to participants, it made a significant impression on them.

It is this reciprocity — when the company adapts to the participants' requests, and not just the other way around — that explains why, at the end, something that rarely happens in such programs became possible: the participants enjoyed learning, and the company liked what the students already knew as a result of the training. As a result, 100% of graduates receive a job offer.

What this gives to all three parties

Participants gained free access to practical skills and a job immediately after training. WhiteBIT gained a team that understands the company's product and culture from day one. And for the Web3 development market, where demand for specialists with applied experience outstrips supply, another channel for training personnel tailored to specific business needs has emerged.

What's next

WhiteBIT is already planning the next streams of the Global Talent Program and does not rule out that it will soon expand the program and add new directions. You can follow updates on the company's career website.