From Orchestra Conductor to Principal Software Engineer: A Codesmith Graduate's Journey

From Orchestra Conductor to Senior Software Engineer at Capital One | Codesmith Alumni Success

Codesmith’s rigorous software engineering program empowers residents with the skills to solve complex problems and independently master any programming stack. These capabilities often enable graduates to secure mid- to senior-level engineering roles immediately after completing the program.

Carlos Botero-Vargas is a Principal Associate at Capital One, a role positioned above Senior Software Engineer and just below Engineering Manager. He joined Capital One’s machine learning team as a Senior Software Engineer shortly after graduating from Codesmith’s immersive coding bootcamp.

From Conductor to Coder

Before launching his tech career, Carlos worked as an orchestral conductor, traveling globally to lead and train orchestras.

“I was an orchestral conductor, which meant visiting orchestras around the world. My job was to work out how I can make each one better, how can I improve the lives of the musicians?”

A conductor needs a deep understanding of all instruments and musicians, acting as a leader and architect of a performance. These transferable leadership skills proved crucial in his transition to software development.

“You come in with open ears, your training, all the practice you've had, and then you make them sound better.”

Carlos draws a strong parallel between orchestra leadership and software engineering—analyzing, refining, and optimizing systems, teams, and processes.

“That's the whole goal of an orchestra conductor. The individual development of each musician, and how that actually returns and gives back to the ensemble as a whole.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, institutions without endowments struggled, pushing Carlos to pivot careers.

Carlos found Codesmith, where his potential was quickly recognized. He immersed himself in prep: studying solo, joining community hangouts, and tackling coding challenges. Within months, he passed the technical interview and earned a spot in the program. Just seven months after beginning to learn to code, Carlos graduated and landed a role at Capital One.

Cracking the Coding Interview & Getting Upleveled

“I actually applied to three different roles in different areas of Capital One. One was a junior role and two were senior. I got a job in the area where I had applied for the junior role, but they decided they wanted me in a senior role there.”

Getting upleveled during interviews is common among Codesmith alumni, thanks to the program's focus on both technical depth and communication skills.

“The hiring team at Capital One wanted someone who could take decisions on how processes are made, not just repeat processes and produce a high-quality project. They valued my background in that regard.”

The interview process tested how he approached unfamiliar programming languages, rather than assessing rote knowledge.

“I was well-versed in JavaScript, but I didn't know anything about T+, Go, Rust, or anything like that.”

Carlos emphasized the importance of demonstrating problem-solving abilities, rather than memorizing syntax.

Now, as a Principal Associate, Carlos often interviews candidates himself and shares valuable insights.

“In interviews we lead the person in. We ask what do you think of this? What are these areas going to do? How can you improve what is written here?

When shown the foreign code in interviews, you make a quick assessment. What could it be saying? In my interview, they obviously liked what they saw and decided, okay, he doesn't know this particular language, but he’s making informed decisions that are going to be useful.”

Carlos was hired directly onto the machine learning team as a Senior Software Engineer.

“My first year in Capital One was like Codesmith—but amped up. Not only the process of learning, but also the output had to be produced. I had to run from the get-go. There's no waiting in the professional world; either you can do it or you can't.”

Engineering at Capital One: Machine Learning & Finance Tech

Carlos’s role involved automating and improving processes for internal finance teams at Capital One.

“That is the tech support for all the folks in the bank making the financial investment decisions, not so much the customers of the bank, but for those that are part of the bank and they're making investment decisions.

My team dealt with all the models of how the financial markets are going to behave in specific trenches. So the machine learning portion was, how can we put those models together for the last 5 to 10 years? How can we automate certain processes and try to understand them from a point of view of large computing systems?

It was taking over all the data sets with those models to give better information to those folks making the larger decisions.”

It was a massive leap—just seven months after Carlos started learning to code.

“I continuously feed our recruiters with recommendations for Codesmith grads, and so many alums work across Capital One. They’re able to respond to the level of expectation and the desired requirements.

The Reality of Transitioning from Codesmith to the Software Engineering Industry

The transition from Codesmith to working as a professional software engineer was a significant challenge, but the rigor of the immersive program had already prepared Carlos for the reality of the tech industry.

“My first year in Capital One was like Codesmith—but amped up. Not only the process of learning, but also the output had to be produced. I had to run from the get go. There's no waiting in the professional world, either you can do it or you can't.”

Within just two years, Carlos earned his first promotion. He’s now been a part of three different engineering teams at Capital One, and credits his ability to learn new programming languages and software frameworks on the job for his continued growth.

“The start of each team is a steep learning curve because it's already a working environment performing at 100% every day. You have to hit the ground running. Our stack is already in the cloud, so your AWS certification is a requirement. If you don't have it you immediately need to work on that. The entire Capital One workforce is AWS Certified.”

This learning curve isn’t just technical—it’s also about understanding the business logic behind each product. At a senior level, engineers must be aligned with the broader goals of the organization.

“When you switch teams, yes it's a completely different system you have to learn, but you also need to learn the business of the new area. My approach is, ‘How can I make my colleagues’ lives easier?’ Through those efforts we’ve improved efficiency by 300%—reducing payment authorizations from several days to just 10-15 minutes.”

Carlos also highlights the credibility of the Codesmith curriculum in the current job market.

“Another Codesmith grad just joined as a Senior Software Engineer this week....The engineering market right now is steep, and has been for the last three years, the fact that he was hired as a senior speaks volumes about Codesmith’s program.”

Leadership and Growth at Capital One

Now leading the Treasury engineering team, Carlos has taken on broader responsibilities. While the machine learning team focuses on financial model development, Carlos’ role spans multiple domains—giving him more space for creativity and technical leadership.

“[It’s about] how I think things should look and behave, which is much closer to my experience in music.”

His path from orchestra conductor to engineering leader may be unconventional, but Carlos isn’t alone. Many Codesmith alumni now work at Capital One, and he frequently refers new grads to roles throughout the organization.

“I continuously feed our recruiters with recommendations for Codesmith grads and so many alums work across Capital One. They’re able to respond to the level of expectation and the desired requirements.”

Carlos proudly notes the success of his cohort.

“Two are Senior Software Engineers, one is a Principal Associate like me, and another Codesmith grad just joined as a Senior Software Engineer this week.”

“The engineering market right now is steep, and has been for the last three years, the fact that he was hired as a senior speaks volumes about Codesmith’s program.”

Start Your Career in Software Engineering

Carlos’ journey from a music career to becoming a Principal Associate in tech at a leading financial institution underscores a key message: with the right training and mindset, career transformation is possible.

If you’re ready to launch your career in software engineering, explore Codesmith’s immersive programs and start building the skills you need to succeed in high-impact tech roles.

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