An Insider Look at the CodeHS Account Management Team

An Insider Look at the CodeHS Account Management Team

A day in the life of an Account manager at CodeHS and why it might be a good fit for you.

At CodeHS, we believe that coding is a foundational skill that provides limitless creative opportunities. The Account Management team works closely with educators and schools to facilitate teaching coding to students all over the world to help promote these opportunities. We asked Jason, an Account Manager, a few questions to share an inside look at their team.

Account Manager Spotlight: Jason Graf

What is your background?

I am originally from Minnesota but currently live in Harrisburg, PA with my wife Zeva and dog Ozi. I have lived in three different states and spent extended time abroad.

Outside of work, I am really passionate about making my community the best possible place to live. I serve on multiple community boards and like to advocate to change zoning in my neighborhood to allow for a boutique coffee shop. I am a huge coffee snob!

For fun, I love to hike, travel and explore the craft brewery scene in Harrisburg. I also love to put my feet up with Ozi and Zeva and watch the Packers play great football. Go Pack go!

I started working at CodeHS last year as an account manager, which is a fancy way of saying I work on retention and expansion of our current accounts. Prior to coming to CodeHS I had experience in education and professional sales roles. CodeHS allows me to blend my passions and bring the mission of Read.Write.Code to many districts, schools, and students.

What does a typical day or week look like in your role?

My days are always different but I spend a lot of time on the phone with administrators and teachers. When I am not talking with admins, I am generally keeping up to date with new computer science standards across my states, researching districts and schools to reach out to, and ensuring that my current customers are happy.

Outside of my primary role, one of my favorite things about CodeHS is the encouragement to take CodeHS courses. Right now, I am working through Web Design and JavaScript. Together, these will be powerful new skills for me as I will be able to build lightweight websites.

What’s it like working on a hybrid/remote team?

I love working on a hybrid team. CodeHS is super intentional about making sure everyone feels like they are a part of the team — whether you work in one of their offices or from home, though I have to admit I am very much a home worker. In my opinion, dogs are the best coworkers!

One of the ways CodeHS makes every employee feel like a part of the team is through our team 1on1s. Team members are encouraged to book virtual coffee dates with other team members. We keep track of all 1on1s in an internal tool that reminds us to reach out to team members who we have not spoken to in a while. It’s a fantastic way to stay in touch with team members who are located in different parts of the country.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your role?

Hands down the most rewarding part of my job is getting to expose as many students as possible to computer science. While not everyone will become a programmer, programming is so entrenched in our world, that no matter what you do, it’s important to understand the foundations of computer science. Unfortunately, not enough schools know where to start in order to teach it. That’s where we come in! It’s incredibly rewarding to offer something to schools that will help all their students reach new heights.

What advice would you give to someone looking to start a career in EdTech/at CodeHS?

Be persistent. Demonstrate how your experience in teaching will lend itself well to selling administrators and teachers on the value of CodeHS.

You have been selling education to students for years, now it’s time to turn that around and sell upstream.

It may be a little scary at first, but it’s important to remember that everyone is human, just like you and I.