Joshua Igwe: Pushing outside my comfort zone helped me land a role at J.P. Morgan Chase

Welcome to Formation’s Fellow Spotlight, a blog series introducing you to former Formation Fellows who landed their dream jobs. Today, we’ll meet Joshua Igwe, now a full-stack engineer at J.P. Morgan Chase. After honing his skills in the nonprofit sector, Joshua transitioned into software development. From there, he leveled up his skills to land a position with a bigger company. Here’s how he did it.

What were you doing before joining Formation?

I graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Engineering but never pursued a career in that field. After graduation, I worked in the nonprofit sector, but I always had software engineering in the back of my mind. 

My interest in software engineering was piqued during college through a roommate who was a CS major and taking a course in SQL. I initially self-taught some software skills, attended a bootcamp, and then later broke into tech. I worked as a software engineer for about a year and a half before joining Formation.

What made you join the Formation Fellowship?

I was looking for more of a challenge than my current role provided, and I wanted the opportunity to grow as an engineer and level up my career. After breaking into tech, my goal was always to work at a larger company. Before Formation, I was looking for opportunities to learn from engineers who worked at those companies and rub virtual shoulders with people. 

How did you find Formation? What other kinds of training did you consider, and why did you choose Formation?

I considered a Master's Degree in Computer Science and explored other courses, but Formation resonated with me because of its structured approach toward real-world software engineering skills.

As a Formation Fellow, what were your specific goals?

I had certain companies I wanted to work for, but no strict timeline. I joined the fellowship in July while working full time, and after an unfortunate layoff the following February, I was actively job hunting. Once I started looking for positions, I was able to land one pretty quickly, thanks to the skills and support I’d gained through the Formation Fellowship. 

How was your interaction with the mentors at Formation?

The mentors were phenomenal. They offered incredible technical guidance, of course, but were also able to give me insight and exposure to the industry. That was great for someone like me who didn’t go to college for software engineering and had little industry experience. They provided interview and system design prep, and I connected with them on LinkedIn, which broadened my horizons for what was possible. They were all really helpful and provided great feedback all the time. 

Can you share your thoughts on Formation's tech platform?

It was really unique. I appreciated that I knew which tasks I had to finish each week. I knew exactly what I needed to do and when to do it. All of my tasks, sessions, and work were integrated into the platform, which was nice, and I could track my progress as I went.

How did Formation's training impact your interview and negotiation skills?

I gained a lot of confidence! I didn’t feel nearly as intimidated as when I got my first job—even just practicing so many algos with feedback made me more comfortable. Having a better process/engineering method gave me more confidence, and the consistent feedback on technical, behavioral, and negotiation skills during prep really helped. 

What was your actual job interview process like?

There were fewer rounds than typical. I had to do the technical and behavioral parts at once. My communication and ability to talk about my experience were much better because of the Formation Fellowship. The algo portion wasn’t as heavy as I expected, but I was well-prepared, and the same with system design. The negotiation skills I gained gave me the confidence to ask for certain things and helped me not be thrown off when a recruiter turns into a salesperson. 

What projects are you currently working on in your new role at J.P. Morgan Chase?

As an Associate Software Engineer, I work on front-end applications, particularly in account originations.

How did Formation help you prepare for your new role?

I would've been much less confident if I hadn’t done the Formation Fellowship and only relied on previous experience. Getting a lot of hands-on practice week after week made me more confident in this role. That exposure and experience helped me step into this team with the confidence to speak to things on a larger scale. 

Quick-Fire Round:

First code you shipped? 

UI automation scripts.

Proudest moment? 

Joining Formation. Because I was pushing myself outside of my comfort zone and taking ownership of my path in a way that I had never had before. I felt like I was stuck, and I did something about it.

Favorite group session? 

System design sessions.

What is the biggest surprise about Formation? 

The warmth and helpful nature of everyone involved—breaking the typical engineer stereotype.

Additional thoughts?

Formation was so much more than what I thought. It’s so much more than just landing a job. I was exposed to what's happening in the industry, met awesome fellows and mentors, and had an experience that really did change my life.