Codesmith

A quick overview of my experience: I attended Codesmith from Febuary-May 2020, worked as a fellow until August, and started my first engineering role at the end of August, after applying to jobs for 1-2 months. (If you don't feel like reading the whole... Read More thing, scroll down to the Conclusion section at the very bottom) I was drawn to Codesmith because I already had a little under a year of self-taught experience with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and I wanted to attend a bootcamp that had a higher level of entry for its students. After narrowing my choices down to Fullstack Academy and Codesmith, I ultimately chose Codesmith due to the appeal and quality of its in-person workshops. In particular, the Hard Parts series elevated my understanding of JavaScript to a new level — even after I thought I already had a decent understanding of the basics! I had high expectations coming into Codesmith, and generally speaking those expectations were met. However, I should point out that our cohort switched from on-site to remote instruction halfway through the program due to the pandemic, which affected the cohort's experience for the second half of the program. Codesmith's curriculum was divided into two halves when I attended (and I assume it's still fairly similar): Full-stack instruction: an intensive series of lectures, pair programming exercises, and projects teaching essential full-stack technologies like React, Redux, Node, and SQL/NoSQL databases. Production Project & Hiring: students build a developer tool over six weeks, and they also attend a series of lectures and workshops preparing them for the job search. They'll also put together a resume with the guidance of a fellow. Some supplemental lectures and exercises are also included here, touching on topics like AWS basics and CI/CD fundamentals. In addition, we also had an assessment or algorithm exercise each morning. Curriculum & Lectures Overall, the first half of the program was by far the most engaging and fulfilling for me. I came into the program with some frontend experience, and after the first half I felt confident building basic applications with servers and databases. Our lead instructors knew what they were talking about and gave their lectures in an engaging manner. At some points I did feel that the curriculum could be updated a bit (particularly in the second half - there was an AWS update that wasn't covered in the instructions, and we lost several hours as the instructors worked to find a solution), but I understand that the curriculum was updated during the latter half of 2020 and possibly later. It would also have been helpful to cover modern practices such as React hooks, linting, best practices for codebase architecture, etc. before going into the production project — these would make good quick additions to the curriculum if they aren't already included. Projects Possibly the biggest part of Codesmith's appeal is the "production project" - a development tool that a group of residents work on (4 or 5, for my cohort) over a span of 6 weeks. Before tackling the production project, we also completed a handful of other projects, ranging from a Chrome extension to several fullstack apps, which did a lot to prepare us for this project. While the production project our group built from scratch wasn't exactly what we'd call "production-ready," we did have the opportunity to iterate on several past projects and refine the codebase while adding extra features, which in retrospect might have been the better option, since it's closer to what most engineers do at their jobs! One aspect of the production project that was a little less than ideal was the group dynamics. In my group as well as others, there were conflicts where some members "led" the project and created a less equal learning environment for others, or in other instances some members were unwilling to make meaningful contributions and instead preferred to chat. I expect that this is always a risk when forming groups (not to mention in the actual workplace), but this did detract at times from the experience. To future students, I highly recommend getting in touch with your group's assigned fellow if any conflicts or issues occur - I don't believe it's worthwhile trying to solve them on your own when the experience is something you're paying a significant amount of money for. Hiring Portion Without a doubt, the best part of the hiring portion for me was the resume. I came out of the program with a dense, polished resume that I didn't feel embarrassed sending to employers - in contrast, the resume I wrote before CS might as well have been written by a child. I had high expectations for the hiring program because I had heard past grads praise it, with some even say that it was worth the cost of tuition on its own. I was 30 when I attended the program and had worked a number of non-technical jobs previously, and I didn't feel that the instruction regarding the job application or interview process broke any new ground for me. I've spoken to some other grads who are around my age and felt the same — I suspect that the people who get the most out of the hiring program are in their late teens to mid-20s. For me, one thing I would have changed about the hiring program would have been to include some engineers in the workshops and lectures who had experience interviewing and working outside of Codesmith. While our instructors did make a solid effort to cover the standard materials for these lectures, sections like the system design portion would have been more engaging if they were led by an experienced engineer who had gone through or given SD interviews, rather than a fellow who had only completed this same unit weeks earlier. Likewise, I would have gone into the interview process a bit better prepared if I had been given more concrete details about the typical interview process, common exercises, etc. This is something that I had to do on my own time, through speaking to other grads and going through interviews. Disclaimer: since we had just switched to a remote format at that point, there were issues with timing that caused several hiring lectures to be rescheduled, and unfortunately Will wasn't available to give his usual lectures. I'm assuming this isn't the current experience. While it's true that you only get better at interviewing by interviewing, some more concrete guidance would have helped immensely, as some lectures felt a little vague. When I attended the program, we were able to interact with full-time engineers at three different points: during an alum Q&A session, during an hour-long mock interview with an alum, and during a 15-minute (I believe) phone call where we went over our narrative with an alum. When I began applying to jobs, I was uncomfortable about reaching out to the hiring support fellow for advice — while they were doing their job to the best of their ability, I felt more comfortable reaching out to someone who had gone through the hiring process themselves. I'm aware that Codesmith now gives graduates the opportunity to book time to speak to past graduates who are now employed as engineers, which is great. I think bringing engineers with this type of lived experience into the hiring program would also be a huge win for everyone involved in it. Conclusion Based on my experience, I'd definitely recommend Codesmith to anyone who has decided that a bootcamp is the right choice for them. Codesmith helped fill in the gaps in my engineering knowledge, and it also gave me the chance to work on an in-depth project with a group of other developers. My production project was likely a big reason why I was considered for the first role that I got hired for — I built a GraphQL tool, and GraphQL was a big feature of the stack I ended up working on. Overall, I'd say the hiring portion was the only part of the program that didn't meet the expectations I had coming in, for the reasons I mentioned above. Still, a hiring program alone won't help you get a job. After the initial lectures, Codesmith provided me with an environment to push myself to improve, and a community of graduates that supported me as I moved on to the job search and beyond. Without Codesmith, I definitely wouldn't be at the engineering level I am today.

What's brilliant about Codesmith is they don't just teach you languages and frameworks. About a third of the program is dedicated to actually building an open source developer tool that other engineers can actually use that will impress potential employers.... Read More This is a step beyond where most programs leave you and is critical to their graduates' success -- it gives you a huge leg up and something fascinating and deep to talk about in an interview. I came in from a completely different background and only learned what JavaScript was half a year prior. I was no doubt intimidated by the rigorous curriculum, watching engineers only weeks ahead in the program write applications I never believed I could in that period of time. Soon enough, I was at the same level. I faced challenges when it came to applying for jobs. That part of the process can be rough and is a psychological battle as much as it is a test of strategy and skill. Codesmith walks you through in very practical terms how to apply, and their strategy is great. But ultimately, graduates will come up with their own strategies and use Codesmith's as a springboard. In the end, what got me through was that Codesmith instilled a belief in me that I could do it, and that conviction, while sometimes quite small, carried me through. I eventually received an offer to the same generous tune of their average graduate outcomes, which I did not believe could happen. You absolutely have to put in the work; applying to jobs will come easier to some than others. Know that you're embarking on a challenge. But as far as there being a better program out there for launching you into a Software Engineering career, I'll believe it when I see it.

Codesmith is the best bootcamp for 1 major reason and then a bunch of others - the biggst thing is the focus on building engineers > technicians. You are actively encouraged NOT to look up code blocks on stack overflow but instead use documentation, pair... Read More programming, and the extensive support network to get the hard learning needed. I participated in CSPrep, the two week part-time pre-bootcamp prep program, and am eagerly preparing for the bootcamp itself. Codesmith is incredible for a few reasons. First their approach which involves building a complete, rock-solid foundation including understanding what is going on under the hood with the javascript engine using diagramming of the callstack, thread of execution, execution context, and memory, and precise technical language is great. Second, instruction is interactive and socratic and I can attest, as a current teacher, that the instructors know all of the good teacher moves. Finally the culture of everyone struggling through hard learning and not looking up code, pair programming and answering each other's questions and being kind and generous and supportive made me feel at home and overcome imposter syndrome. Codesmith is a community it is hard NOT to want to be a part of. This is a mission driven organization that has genuine educational motives at the forefront. I <3 Codesmith!

Codesmith is an environment where knowledge is built upon hard work, indeed, but most importantly, kindness. In all my time there I never received but words of encouragement, inspiration, and guidance. Every instructor and volunteer seem fully committed... Read More to you understanding why code works the way it does, not simply gimmicks or fancy tricks. The curriculum is filtered through best practices, truly modern approach, and updated technical background, so you hit the ground running on your way to land that first job. Most importantly, you learn to incorporate new developments on JavaScript into your toolbox, to remain on the cutting edge of both the industry and the top echelon of professionals. My appreciation of the profession and its growth greatly improved upward by the long hours invested in the course, but the results speak for themselves, the accompaniment I've received inspires me to work harder everyday to accomplish my life goals and make my instructors proud. Truly, I can not recommend every course offered by Codesmith enough, there is where your hard work produces generous fruit.

As someone who has only been coding for a little over a month, this course was very challenging. I was overwhelmed at times, but the support I got from the instructor and classmates were extraordinary. My instructor Sophie was incredibly responsive and... Read More supportive. She made sure I understood everything I had questions on. I have learned so much in these short two weeks that i never thought I could achieve. After this course I am 100% positive that Codesmith is the way to go. I've applied for the immersive program and I will continue my education here in Codesmith. I highly recommend this course!

Pros: - Great Curriculum: CS Prep teaches you the Hard Parts of Javascript and prepares you for the technical interview of the Codesmith Immersive. It provides a great starting point for students to understand the field of software engineering, as you... Read More pick up tidbits of wisdom while progressing through the course. Their supporting materials were also organized and helpful. - Community: My cohort had an amazing community. Many of the students would constantly talk and joke through the Slack channel and Zoom chat. There were minimal difficult personalities, and the vibes were generally good. - Accessible Instructors: All the staff at Codesmith are very responsive and supportive. I really appreciate how easy it is to communicate with the employees and find help on whatever problem you have. Cons: - Expensive: CS Prep lasts about two weeks, but there is only class four days a week (three hours on weekdays, six hours on Saturday). In my opinion, $875 is expensive for the amount of time spent learning, but the price does roll over if you get into the immersive. To me, CS Prep is not worth the money unless you are for sure planning on joining the Codesmith Immersive.

Before joining CS Prep I was under the impression that I was decent at JS, but I clearly didn't know what I didn't know. My instructor (Shout out to Matt) was awesome and honest. He didn't make up something on the spot, if there was something he didn't... Read More know he found out and always got back to us. He made himself super accessible. The curriculum is helpful some people preferred if we coded more, but the class is moreso to teach you how to fish not just to give you fish. There were (and still is) times when I diagrammed code to have a deeper understanding of the material. The most important part is that after the 2 weeks of CS Prep, my technical communication has increased a ton, my coding ability and most importantly my confidence in my coding ability increased. It was definitely challenging if you are a beginner, but if you were like me and did some udemy classes with JS, I think you will fit into CS Prep well, if not check out JSB, I heard it's good.

I attended CodeSmith CS Prep 2 weeks program. The program is structured very well. The instructor is knowledgeable and knows how to guide learners to build up their own coding logics step by step. CodeSmith provides a supportive platform so I can get... Read More much help when I need it. I will definitely recommend this program and pursue to join their engineer immersive programs.

I spent about 3 months preparing and studying to get into this program, and it was absolutely worth it. You'll be paired up amongst other prospective and seasoned engineers who're all ready to truly hit the ground running. Once the program is over, you'll... Read More have extensive hiring support available whenever you need to help you through the arduous job hunting process.

Codesmith is a great program for those who are ready to put in the work to become a software engineer. Codesmith's way of instruction can feel rough at times, but because they push their students out of their comfort zone, that's why Codesmith is so successful.... Read More Their approach to the job hunt is amazing and I encourage you to go through the program and see it for yourself. A lot of what you're paying for at codesmith is invaluable. Personally, I loved that they put me in a mindset to succeed and to go after what I deserve and nothing less.