The initial interview was brief but enlightening. It seems that FDM is very much a “temp” or placement agency though, they obscure that somewhat by calling their staff devs and posting positions. They can do this because they “hire” you. The pay is minimum wage, for the duration of the 16 week training. Once that is complete, they will place devs in a pool where some will be given specific training for up-coming roles. Employers seek out the services of FDM to find devs, and they say that they will "pre-train" these devs so that they can arrive on-site with enough knowledge to start working. If you are hired by a company through FDM, FDM will have you sign a 2-year contract. The salary will be a flat-rate of 40K for the 2 years and that as a “bonus” to finish the contract, you get an extra 5K. HOWEVER, here is the kicker! If at any point in those 2 years, you find work elsewhere and leave or, in their terms, “break the contract”, you must reimburse them for their training - for $30,000 Canadian dollars. I doubt that this is enforceable by law in most provinces however, the fact that they use a scare-tactic like this is a major red-flag. Also, while in the pool, if there are more candidates than positions, they cycle out - ie: fire - people to make way for more devs. If fired, you are not responsible for the training fee. I have since looked for reviews and experiences of people that worked at FDM and took these so-called “dev” positions with them, and the stories are ridiculous. Don’t take my word for it though, I highly suggest that you look for yourself on Reddit and LinkedIn reviews. The general consensus is that they are preying on immigrants and new grads to not know any better and then tie them into a contract that they don’t understand. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, they do offer a training and will pay you something so, I suppose if new grads have been looking for months and need some kind of income that is in a Web Dev adjacent field, this is better than nothing. But, I think most people deserve better and should at least with an informed POV about this company in a transparent way. Back to the drawing-board for me!

The interview process at FDM may consist of multiple rounds, such as initial screening, technical assessments, and in-person or virtual interviews. Your impression of the company is valuable, so trust your instincts and gather more information to make an informed decision.