Meet Ashley Borniger, Fellow Manager at Formation

Hi Ashley, could you share a bit about your background before joining Formation?

I have a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Kansas and a master's degree in higher education administration from the University of Texas at Austin. I have spent my entire professional career, over 20 years, in higher education, working with college students in various capacities to ensure that they graduate on time. 

Can you explain your current role as a Fellow Manager at Formation?

My role as a Fellow Manager is very similar to an academic advisor in a university setting. We're here to keep Fellows accountable and make sure that they are going through the program effectively, trying to make sure that they stay as close to their timeline as possible so that they can find their dream jobs. We’re accountability buddies, and we are cheerleaders. We're the go-to team to answer any questions that participants have about the Fellowship or about their job hunt. 

We take feedback from their experience in the Fellowship and move it to the appropriate channels, whether that's to the engineering team for new features or instruction for new things that we can teach within the Fellowship or to provide clarity on their experience. We do a little bit of everything with the Fellows, and we talk with them, if not on a daily basis, definitely on a weekly basis.

What made you transition from a university setting to a tech company?

There are a lot of similarities, but there are definitely some differences as well. At a tech company, we move a lot faster than at the university level, which I absolutely love. My interest in transitioning started after the pandemic. We were working from home like a lot of different companies did, and I realized I absolutely loved working remotely. That was something that I was interested in pursuing. 

So, I looked into student success jobs that could be done remotely, and Formation jumped to the top of the list. I have a passion for helping underrepresented communities land that new job. That can completely change the trajectory, not only of their own lives but of their families as well. So when I saw the mission and vision of Formation, it linked so closely to what I was already passionate about while also allowing me to work remotely. I can help not only local students but also students across the country. It’s perfect.

I have been at Formation for a little over three years now. I am one of the OG Fellow Managers, and when I started, there were only 17 Fellows in the program and five staff members. Now, we've grown to over 400 Fellows and 25 staff members. So it's been really cool to see the company completely take off and grow over time. And I will never get sick of seeing people get placed in their dream jobs and cheering them on. 

What are some typical challenges Fellows face in the program?

Our Fellows enter the program with foundational knowledge. They know how to code. We see them tripping up during those technical interviews. We can see that they have all the knowledge and are able to code through their material quickly. They’re passing speed drills and benchmarks. So, our job is to help them translate and communicate what they know verbally to an interviewer as they're going through their tech interviews. 

Another roadblock we're seeing Fellows run into is the behavioral interviews. It's really uncomfortable, I think, for anyone to talk about themselves and to be able to sell themselves well. I think we take it for granted. We all think we’ll automatically pass that first round behavioral interview. But then Fellows are finding that they're not. And so we make sure that they know how to sell themselves. 

We teach them not to undersell their skills and why they're a great fit for a position. Being able to work with our career coaches on their “tell me about yourself” pitch and make sure their resume is actually going to pass through the hands of a recruiter onto that first round is something that Fellows value and need when they're here.

Any advice for those considering the program?

Make sure you have the time to commit. Part-time Fellows need to have at least 10, preferably closer to 15 to 20 hours per week, to move through the program effectively and realistically hit your target job hunt dates. So make sure that you are setting time aside in your schedule, whether that's in the evenings or on the weekends, to be able to independently study and then also take on those group sessions. 

For full-time, plan to spend about 30 to 40 hours per week on material. So, it really is similar to a full-time job. Those Fellows progress more quickly. 

Make sure that you have that foundational knowledge of data structures and algorithms. While we do start at the basics, we expect you to know something. Come prepared. Whether that means studying on your own or doing our study guide on the website, make sure that you have that working knowledge before coming in. That way, you can really hit the ground running.

How do they get the most out of the program? What advice do you have?

Ask questions. Sometimes, we see Fellows try to navigate the space on their own, or they're spinning their wheels for hours on a question that they don't understand. Make sure that you're asking questions, reaching out to the community, and reaching out to Fellow Managers. There are so many people here who want to help unblock you and make sure that you're not just spinning your wheels or getting frustrated.

Also, you have the opportunity to add yourself to additional sessions beyond your normal schedule. If you have the time, and especially if you're struggling with a subject or if there's a Mentor that you're particularly close to, take advantage of adding yourself to extra sessions because that's only going to make the content clearer in the future and build up those relationships.

I also say it's okay to say, “I don't know.” It's okay to go into a session without knowing all the answers. We would rather you learn here than struggle through a real interview. So, take advantage of that opportunity, and don't remove yourself from sessions or shy away from opportunities when you aren't 100 % sure.

Because that's why you're here—to learn and grow your skills and connect with others in the community. We have all our resource groups. We have “Ask Me Anything” sessions with our mentors. We have coffee chats with Sophie, the CEO. Any time you can connect with others within the community, you're not only growing your skills but also putting yourself out there, and you never know when that could turn into a networking opportunity.

Any market trends you’re seeing this year?

Yeah, I think one thing that Fellows are surprised about is during the Algo Marathon, which is our mid-level algo challenge, we throw in a section on practical problems, and Fellows get tripped up on those. We're asking about a day-to-day problem that might transpire within a company or within a real-world problem. And Fellows struggle with that because it's so different.

We're seeing companies ask those types of questions instead of just giving a random code question. They want to know if you can solve a problem in their company. 

With FAANG companies, we really do want Fellows to make it all the way through Algo Olympics, which is really our top, highest, most difficult algorithm problems. Because those are going to come up in top-tier company interviews, we want to make sure that Fellows are prepared and not taking those interviews too early.

Help us get to know you! What are your hobbies?

​​I have two kids. I have an 11-year-old daughter and a seven-year-old son, so they keep me really busy. So, I feel like my main hobby right now is being a chauffeur to their different events and activities. Beyond that, I love to read. So, in the evenings, I'm always going to have a book in my hands when I can. I live in Kansas City and love to do things within the community, whether that's going to museums or shows or anything with my family.

What are you watching right now?

My favorite show of all time is Gilmore Girls. I will always watch it. I love it. So that's my go-to show. I just finally finished up Marvelous Miss Maisel, which I loved. I am currently working my way through Only Murders in the Building and Ted Lasso.