The guide, once you are signed in

Once you are signed in, the guide knows where you are in the programme and shows the one step to take next, with why it is worth taking.

Where you see it

• The "Next:" pill beside the menu at the top, on every page of the course. It names your next step and opens it.
• The panel on the course home, under the progress card.
• The "Your next step" button at the top right of every page. A dot on it means you have a step to take. It opens the same panel as a drawer.

The steps, in order

1. "Finish module 1", on a free Starter account only
2. "Apply for a place"
3. "Apply again", only after a "no", once you may apply again. Until then it says "You can apply again from" the date and time.
4. "Pay and unlock the course"
5. "Set up your machine" (the first lesson)
6. "Finish a module"
7. "Submit your capstone"
8. "Switch on your public page"
9. "Post a build-log entry"
10. "Post this week's check-in", which comes first while your internship is in progress
11. "Finish the internship and get your reference letter"
12. "Review your referrals", once there is one
13. "Accept the retainer offer", when a business keeps you on after your internship
14. "Log this month's hours", while a retainer is active
15. "Want more depth? Add another business", after a completed placement, while you can add one. If your next placement is already paid for, it waits on us to match you.

Each step has a button that takes you to the right page. "Done so far" lists the steps you have finished.

When there is nothing to do

Some steps wait on someone else, such as the decision on your application or the business recording your outcome. The panel then says "Nothing for you to do right now" and what it is waiting on.

"Not now"

Press "Not now" to hide a step for 7 days. It also pauses the reminder emails about it. The panel says when the step comes back.

Reminder emails

If a step stalls, the guide emails you about it after 3 days, again after 10 and a last time after 21. Never more than three for one step. The subject is the step's reason, such as "An approved capstone is what earns you a placement with a US business." There are no reminders while a step is hidden with "Not now" or waiting on someone else. Applying, applying again and adding another business never send reminders; on Starter, the only email is the one after module 1.

Ask the guide

Open "Ask the guide" in the panel:

1. Type into "Your question", or press "What should I do next, and why?".
2. Press "Ask".

It knows where you are and what each step is for, and can point you to the right help guide. It is not your mentor: questions about the work itself go to the AI mentor, under each lesson during the course and on your internship page during the internship. See The AI mentor chat.

You can ask 3 questions a day. The count resets at midnight UTC.

Browse the help guides

At the foot of the drawer, "Browse the help guides" opens these help pages. "Help" at the top right of every page does the same.