Codesmith

Going through this program was an exceptional experience – Codesmith is really in a class of its own. One of my family members had attended Codesmith in-person while I completed the remote immersive. I know this doesn’t apply to everyone (apparently some... Read More people enjoy leaving their houses?), but cutting out the commute really ended up being the cherry on top for me. Despite the program being remote, the team did an incredible job fostering an open and supportive community. In turn, I felt that this established a vibrant learning environment based on collaboration instead of competition. The program is rigorous, fast-paced, and demanding. Going into it thinking that it will be all fun and easy-breezy would be doing yourself an enormous disservice. That said, the active engagement on the part of the team, fellow residents, and even alumni, to provide invaluable guidance and resources both during the program and entering into the job search is an asset that every Codesmith graduate walks out with. I had a wonderful time at Codesmith and had the good fortune of meeting some really incredible people. Because of this program, I now have a full-time job that I genuinely enjoy that affords me the type of flexibility that I once could only have ever dreamed of. I’ve chosen not to go into fine detail about the contents of the program because tl;dr, but there are plenty of free, public-facing workshops (https://app.codesmith.io/coding-events) that always provide time for questions.

Codesmith is the best from the curriculum, instructors, all the way to job support. I was a full-time musician before this and had no technical background. I started by doing CSX challenges and attending workshops, taking JSB and CSPrep, all the way to... Read More the immersive. I took on the fellowship after graduation and got a job upon finishing the fellowship, WFH at a tech company in Silicon Vally. Every step of the way, I was supported by the most loving, passionate people, from Codesmith staff to graduates. It’s more of a family than just a community. I received so much love and support here that I want to give back. Many graduates felt the same way as me and went back to giving mock interviews for the current students, sharing their job-searching experiences... If you are on the fence about picking a coding school, I highly highly recommend Codesmith. It’s so beginner friendly. You can start from all the free resources it offers and take the free workshops from its website.

I chose Codesmith for a number of reasons. I was coding as a hobby for a year prior and decided I wanted to "up my game" and attend the best coding boot camp-style program I could find. Codesmith seemed to have the highest ratings (but highest tuition),... Read More but I believe that one generally gets what they pay for. And I was very, very right. The tuition is $20k, but I just landed a job that pays $130k. If you look at Codesmith's independent ratings on CIRR.org, you'll see that I'm not really an outlier. Codesmith's program is broken down into three semesters (or, as they call them, "portions"), which are just thirds. The first semester is all lecture. Each week or so, you learn popular frameworks and tools in the following manner: Lecture, pair-programming with a new partner each time, and usually some kind of review lecture (or recitation, to use college terms). There are tons of smaller events and lectures sprinkled in, including coding challenges, approach lectures, code reviews and more. You are given many different types of multifaceted opportunities to continue building and bolstering your coding skills, including hackathons and "hack hours," which are just basically LeetCode challenges; mentorship/menteeship opportunities; tech talks (10+ minute presentations in which you select and present upon a technology/framework/language of your choice), and more. There are social opportunities to make friends and get to better know one another, which builds support and rapport. The second semester is project-based work. You build a few different types of applications on preference-selected teammates. This includes a Solo project (a project you design and build from the ground up, yet you are the only developer); a Scratch project (a project you literally build from the ground up with a team), and an Iteration project (a project you inherit and iterate on, again with a team). Collectively, these projects steadily build skills you'll need in the field. This was my favorite semester because some of the projects I got involved with really gave me memorable experiences I could proudly speak to in interviews following graduation. The third and final semester is a mixed bag. You work on a project called an Open Source Product, or OSP, which is supposed to be your flagship project that you will eventually publicly release and show off on your resume (above your other projects, presumably). This project is supposed to instill skills that mimic the real world as much as possible. Here, you're forced to build a "developer tool" (rather than some random cool idea you might have), so you look extra smart and altruistic building a tool that directly helps the developer community. You're also encouraged to build it using tools and frameworks that haven't been taught in the program thus far, so it's a great opportunity to explore and, essentially, run wild and have fun. Towards the end (and, luckily, after the release of your OSP), you'll build a Reinforcement Project, which is your (and your team's) opportunity to explore more technologies that you either love or wish to explore further. You'll also have a bunch of super fascinating lectures on other tools and such that I found very fun to learn (build tools, TypeScript, CI/CD pipelines, etc). You may or may not have heard of those things, but I will tell you this: If you want a job in this field, you'll have to know what those things are, and Codesmith does a greatjob of preparing you. While this program was incredible and very worth my money/time, I only have two criticisms of it: (1) There is somewhat of a lack of real-world preparation. Sure, Codesmith gives you valuable experiences that help you in the real world, but there are many aspects of being a software engineer that Codesmith simply doesn't teach you about. This includes Agile methodology, scrum meetings, tickets, backlogs, sprints, etc. While you may or may not have heard of these terms, they are absolute backbones to this field, and Codesmith never really spoke about any of them. (2) The other criticism I had is that several of the people delivering "career advice" on software engineer job interviewing and salary negotiation, or who offered career support, weren't even in the field of software engineering. Like, really? While the staff who offered advice on this stuff were helpful -- how can I take advice on software engineering interview best practices and salary negotiation from some 24-year-old who's never had a software engineering role in their lives, and is far less knowledgeable than myself? Not to sound ageist or snobby, but I'd much rather take that kind of advice from someone who not only works in the field, but has for a long time. This is surely not unreasonable, especially considering I'm shelling out $20k, the price of a college degree. And I've noticed that, at least in my cohort, this lack of experienced staff was a bit of a pattern I started to notice towards the end (the guy offering weekly salary negotiation lectures in software engineering never worked a software engineering role in his life and was simply giving "general advice" ... no thanks!). Criticisms aside, this program is the way to go. I've met plenty of people who've come from different programs, and based on what they've all said, this is the best one. You're well-prepared, immersed deeply, and will have a ton of fun becoming an analytical, efficient and empathetic engineer. I wouldn't have done it any other way. Having landed a job after 2 months post-graduation, I can say that the skills I used to interview almost entirely came from my experience at Codesmith.

Hello! Here is my experience with Codesmith. Hopefully this helps you in making a decision on whether this is the right program for you and whether to take the leap. I worked in technology in a tech-adjacent role before the program (Technical Operations).... Read More I had worked with software engineers but was not an engineer myself. When the pandemic hit, like a lot of us, I took the time to step back and re-examine my life. Was I on the right path? I decided I loved tech but wanted to “level up” my career. And to start exploring software engineering bootcamps as a vehicle for doing so. I only “toured” one or two bootcamps in addition to Codesmith. I think I just connected with the people at Codesmith right away (the Codesmith alums leading the weekday evening free sessions). They just seemed really real and approachable and friendly, but hardworking and bright at the same time. I took advantage of all the prep tools beforehand: CSX (independent self-service learning platform), JavaScript for Beginners (paid group course) and CS Prep (paid group course). The prep courses provided multiple benefits: (1) I learned a lot about software engineering/coding (2) I could dip my toe in and see if I liked coding (in general) and (3) see how I liked the Codesmith style (in particular). I really enjoyed the prep and felt confident that Codesmith was indeed “the real deal.” (The instructor at CS Prep, for example, was a Codesmith grad, working in the industry and told us about his experience, so it was all becoming more and more real.) I was ready to apply to the immersive! I did not get through on my first interview attempt, but the feedback and support was incredibly helpful. I was not really discouraged at all because it is very normal to need a couple attempts to refine your approach before you get that exciting call that: YOU’RE IN. I did some light prep (maybe another week or two) then applied again. I was accepted and started right away (next available cohort). The program was 100% remote. What to say about the program? It was really, really great. As you have probably read, it really was “eat, sleep, code, repeat.” Learning on all fronts: algorithms, deep computer science concepts, learning particularities of JavaScript, etc. It was fast-paced but doable. It might seem counter-intuitive, but the hiring program comes quite late in the program. You are really pushing, learning and building right up until the end. The hiring program is excellent and what you might be imagining: drafting a resume, revising it, interview prep, job search strategy and practice. Before I knew it, the program was over and it was time to hit the street and APPLY. There was some variability in how quickly people from my cohort were hired: some were hired in 2 weeks, some it took a couple months. It took me just under a year after graduating. That said, I took on my job search in fits and starts. I had additional projects I was working on outside of coding at that time. I would say if you finish the program, and you go ALL IN on your job search from day one - following all recommendations from the hiring team, getting a job within 90 days of program completion is a very, very reasonable expectation. But ultimately, I wanted to do some additional learning and prep before applying, and I don’t regret it. I had a lot of great interviews and ended up at a company I really love as a mid-level software engineer. There were definitely ups and downs, but any experience that really pushes you to GROW, go outside your existing boundaries, push your comfort zone.. it will be hard at times! It will be emotional at times! But totally worth it. Here are some FAQs. These are the questions I had when I was sitting in your exact same position, reading reviews on this exact same site… FAQs Are the outcomes real? Yes. They are 100% real, and include people from all prior-to-codesmith life backgrounds. Do not worry if you didn’t go to college or have a non-traditional background. They will take care of you. What do you recommend before making a decision on a bootcamp? Get to know the school before making a decision. Take the CSX courses, enroll in CS Prep, go to a virtual open houses, all of it. How do you feel? Do you like the teaching style? Do you vibe with the culture? At the end of the day, it’s not just about the program that has the highest outcomes overall - it’s about a place where YOU can thrive and be successful. What advice do you have before starting the program? Get your life (reasonably) in order before starting. You don’t need to tie up every loose end in your life, but mentally be ready to go 100% all-in for 12 weeks. The less distractions outside of Codesmith during the program, the better. Anything else I should know? Because the outcomes are so good, I assumed they would somehow be “automatic” or “just happen” - they are not! It’s important to stay active and engaged every step of the process. The results will absolutely come, and you will find your place, but remember involvement on your part is a huge part of this process. Keep your foot on the gas every single day. Push hard! Closing words TLDR: (1) get to know the school, (2) make a decision, then (3) JUST GO FOR IT. It is a leap, but that’s part of the fun. You’ll do great!

1. Up to date curriculum 2. Deep dives in to the MERN stack 3. Codesmith teaches students how to create new tools and frameworks instead of learning how to use them 4. Hiring support is the best part of the whole experience 5. In the senior phase students... Read More work on real production level products through open source

I chose Codesmith because I perceived it to be the most rigorous program out there with regards to curriculum, portfolio, and job support, and it absolutely delivered on these promises. Here's a breakdown of how each manifested: – Curriculum: the first... Read More part of the program is built around hard learning, challenges, and pair programming. Most units are taught over the course of a few days, which start with lectures and then continue with challenges meant to push you to learn and develop as an engineer. You do these challenges with a pair programming partner and also engage in other common practices like code reviews and collaborative coding. Not only are you developing your coding skills, but you are also learning how to interact with other engineers and problem solve through tough technical challenges. You're killing two birds with one stone. – Portfolio: I believe Codesmith stands out the most from other bootcamps in this area. During my program, I worked on a variety of projects across the full stack (frontend, backend, DevOps, etc.), and this is where you get to put your skills to the test. You learn what it takes to break down complex applications to their component pieces, plan out how to approach the implementation, and then work through bugs and issues. The cornerstone of the program, the Open Source Product, pushes you to solve complicated engineering challenges by finding and solving pain points in the developer community. During this phase, you explore new tech, face challenges you can't just Google away, and gain a deeper understanding of the ambiguous problems professional engineers face. – Job support: you receive career support from the Codesmith team for life which is a fantastic perk. If you feel like you need more resume help, they'll do as many iterations as you need. If you want more mock interviews, they have that covered too. If you just want to talk about the emotional struggle of job searching, you can talk to the staff or you can lean on your cohortmates or post-grad hiring group. They have all the bases covered and will continue to support you as long as you need or want it. For anyone wanting to take the leap into the world of software engineering, this is a rigorous program that delivers on its results and is there to support you in your journey.

I had an amazing experience at Codesmith. It allowed me to connect to so many engineers from all facets of the world. It is an intense program but the applicants they accept as well as the instructors and fellow are all so supportive. I would not be able... Read More to make it through the program on my own without the Codesmith community. Even though we graduated from the program, we have built a life long connection to so many people that can help us and that we can help in the future. I would have never thought I could learn all the things I learned. No regrets. Pros: The job search process is great, they really take the time to help you focus on how to promote yourself as an engineer. The projects that we work on and create makes us more marketable and relevant. They really expose you to all different areas of the tech stack and give you full exposure so you can decide if you want to be frontend, backend or full stack. Cons: I would of liked it to have more options in terms of hours, perhaps instead of a 9-8 timeframe for full time program to one that is longer than 12 weeks but 9-5pm.

I got into Codesmith with 2 months of studying attending every Hard Parts workshop they had. At one point I stood outside a packed workshop room with my ear against the glass just to catch bits and pieces of what was being taught. I got in. It wasn't... Read More an easy full-time immersive experience - a lot of personal mistakes & challenges. Learning to code is different for everyone, Codesmith is a good and sometimes traumatic way of jumping with your eyes close into a very rewarding career. Pros - Truly immersive make or break code warrior trajectory experience - Unique community focused on excellence in an "in it together" culture - Rigorous full-stack JS course focusing on the capacities that make you an engineer - Paid post-graduate opportunities - Post-graduate support is lifelong, consistent & growing Cons - Can be cult-like, but the best companies & cultures usually are - Post-graduate support isn't industry-leading yet, open source involvement has room for improvement and maybe even a change in focus is required and by this I mean more involvement in the community with bigger more established open source project might be a better learning experience for students looking to get their feet wet on the industry - Mental health can take a toll trying to cram a 2 year master's into a 3 month boot camp, specially when enforcing at the same time a particular style of political correctness

I got into Codesmith with 2 months of studying while working full-time, pulling 80 hour weeks. I thought it'd take longer, but they saw something in me. It wasn't an easy full-time experience - a lot of personal mistakes & challenges, but I came out on... Read More top. I graduated with an offer thanks to Codesmith's hiring day, started working a different job the week after graduating, then finally landed on a consulting gig for the Google Cloud Platform. I doubled my salary in 6 months. Fast forward 4 years and I'm now a tech lead at a start-up. So far in my career, I've worked alongside Google engineers, built cutting edge AI multi-platform apps for Point72, co-founded a software development agency where I hired engineers, and have mentored other aspiring engineers into their first roles. It hasn't been without its ups and downs but looking back I know that life happens for me, not to me, and that change is an opportunity to reach higher to become more. Pros - The best 0-to-bootcamp trajectory on the market - Unique community focused on excellence in an "in it together" culture you won't find at other bootcamps - Rigorous full-stack JS course focusing on the capacities that make you an engineer, not just a developer - Multi-disciplinary curriculum spanning design, AI, dev-ops, security, etc. - Paid post-graduate opportunities - Post-graduate support is lifelong, consistent & growing - They see potential in you - sometimes before you see it in yourself. They take a chance on you. Cons - Can be cult-like, but the best companies & cultures usually are - Post-graduate support isn't industry-leading yet (emphasis on "yet" - they're the type of people to make it happen) - Their taking a chance on you can sometimes lead to prematurely entering into a full-time immersive program which can lead to a rough during-Codesmith & post-Codesmith experience. Mental health can take a toll, but last I heard Codesmith offers support throughout. This applies to SOME non-technical aspiring engineers, not all, and is rarely the case with residents with some past technical experience or those who've spent more time studying

I'm a pandemic career-changer in my early 40s and I left a good, stable job to pursue software engineering. This may have been the most significant decision and the most challenging project of my life. Before I was fully committed to this monumental life... Read More change I launched a deep research project to determine which boot camp was going to set me up for the greatest success. My research led me to Codesmith. Every reputable coding boot camp offers some kind of free live workshops and online resources to get you started, get you involved in the community, and help measure and improve your skills. Most offer some kind of "boot camp prep" course. Tuition tends to be pretty similar across the board. So how can you really know which one is "best" or which one is right for you? My approach was to try them all. In addition to reading reviews and articles and checking out their YouTube channels, I used the free online resources from ten different schools, and I attended the prep courses for three different schools. I figured this would give me the greatest insight into how each school operates and whether I should trust the outcomes I saw published on their own websites as well as in the reports from the Council on Integrity in Results Reporting (CIRR). My experiences led me to Codesmith. Codesmith's free workshops curriculum is incredibly robust. It includes sessions targeting everyone from Day 1 beginners to employed engineers seeking a deeper understanding of advanced concepts, and many sessions occur more than once per week. When I attended my first "JavaScript: The Hard Parts" session I immediately felt like I was witnessing something of real value. The instructor was a total pro. The approach and the method were thoughtfully constructed. The attendees were engaged and participating. The quality of this experience was in stark contrast to what I had seen from all of the other schools. I was mostly sold on Codesmith. The thing that sealed the deal for me was the challenge of getting admitted to Codesmith. At one point I had failed two attempts at the Codesmith technical admissions interview, and I had already been accepted to two other top coding boot camps. It would have been easy to throw in the towel and get started with one of the alternatives but my thinking was if I'm going to quit my job and take out a big loan at the same time, run through my meager savings, and risk everything for a chance at a great new career then I want to make sure it's the greatest new career possible. I couldn't be satisfied with a junior-level position that paid about the same as I was making before; I wanted to go into job interviews with the confidence derived from knowing that I had been through, by far, the most challenging software engineering boot camp available. Codesmith sets the highest barrier to entry and teaches the most advanced curriculum. They're able to do that because they have the best approach and retain the best staff. The formula is working. In a few days, I'll be starting my first job as a software engineer. I'm going to work at a large financial institution in a mid-level position with a team working on an exciting product. I've acquired all the skills I need to succeed in this industry, I've made a bunch of new friends-for-life, and I've built up a formidable professional network. I would recommend Codesmith to friends and family (and I do, frequently) and to anyone who is serious about getting started in the software industry.