Codesmith

Pre Codesmith Profession Prior to attending Codesmith, I pursued a career as a healthcare professional, investing seven years of my life to earn an advanced degree. However, upon venturing into the real world, I was taken aback by the rapid pace at which... Read More healthcare companies exhaust their professionals for the sake of financial gains. Overbooking, subpar care quality, inadequate compensation, and stymied long-term growth opportunities left me disheartened with healthcare as a whole. The whirlwind of COVID-19 served as the final catalyst, prompting me to seek an alternative path. It was during this time that one of my closest friends, a Senior Software Engineer, recommended a switch in careers. He recommended that I pursue a boot camp, and after conducting thorough research and considering various factors, I found that Codesmith consistently delivered the most exceptional outcomes, making it the clear frontrunner in my rankings. Pre Codesmith Prep During my search for programs, I simultaneously pursued Harvard's CS50 course. As I delved deeper into the requirements for admission to Codesmith, I shifted my focus from C to Javascript, immersing myself in the fundamentals through CSX and Eloquent Javascript. Additionally, I dedicated myself to self-teaching data structures and algorithms by solving Leetcode problems, laying the groundwork for a successful job search after graduation. Months of consistent effort in preparation for the technical interview paid off, as I was fortunate enough to secure acceptance on my initial attempt—a noteworthy achievement given the high selectivity of Codesmith. Recognizing the program's rigorous standards, I made the decision to invest in a new Macbook Pro, a decision that proved invaluable, as I encountered no compatibility issues throughout the duration of the program. During Codesmith Life during Codesmith offers a profoundly distinct experience. It demands unwavering dedication and investment in personal growth, as well as a collective commitment to the success of one's peers. It is a journey that requires pushing oneself beyond perceived limitations and persistently striving to overcome obstacles. Days consisting of 10-12 hours of intense learning and perseverance become the norm, with some individuals choosing to extend their efforts beyond the structured schedule. The program unfolds in two distinct phases: the initial half, characterized by structured classes and learning modules, and the latter half, where the true essence of learning emerges through project work. My overall experience with Codesmith was truly exceptional. From day one, the atmosphere fostered empathy and kindness among the cohort, and this sentiment resonated with my personal encounters. Whether offering assistance or receiving help, each interaction was infused with a sense of fulfillment and compassion. The main instructors, mentors, and teaching fellows showcased exemplary skills and dedication. I attribute the extraordinary quality of my experience to Codesmith's meticulous vetting process and the nurturing environment they cultivated. Our class made it a collective goal to ensure that every individual felt comfortable with each topic, readily providing tutoring and support to one another. The unwavering commitment to high standards and positive vibes permeated throughout, leading to a transformative and life-changing experience. Post Codesmith Upon graduating from Codesmith, one swiftly realizes that the journey has only just begun, and it is an exhilarating prospect. The growth potential that lies ahead over the next 3-6 months is nothing short of inspiring. Personally, I was picky with the roles I applied to, and only did 200 applications, which ultimately led me to secure my first role. In contrast, some of my peers took a more extensive approach, submitting 2-4 times that number. Unlike traditional universities, Codesmith does not simply hand you a diploma and bid you farewell. It is more akin to an anti-university, placing little emphasis on pedigree, titles, or mere pieces of paper. Instead, Codesmith's core values revolve around tangible outcomes. Remarkably & deservingly, many individuals in my cohort have successfully secured senior positions or are earning annual salaries exceeding $150,000. The support provided by Codesmith extends far beyond your initial job search. They offer comprehensive career assistance, regardless of whether you are seeking your first job or embarking on your third. While there were moments of discouragement during my own job search, they were fleeting thanks to the unwavering encouragement and motivation provided by the support team and my fellow peers. Eric was of immense help during the process, providing positive encouragement and real-life stories to aid in the hunt. Summary Overall, if you are looking to change careers to be a Software Engineer, I give Codesmith my highest review. Keep in mind it will take a long time of grit and grind, but it will pay dividends. If you are interested in pursuing software engineering, I would teach yourself a first language and dig deep into if this is something you want to pursue. Allot at least a year for the full transition, and expect to give it your all each and every day.

Process is long and difficult, but dramatic change requires dramatic work. Codesmith supports you through every step of the way including preparing for your technical interview, providing pre-course work, extensive coursework, and support during the job... Read More search. The staff really care about you and your success, and the contacts you meet throughout the journey will be lifelong friends. The community is incredible. The curriculum teaches you far more than how to use a technology, it really teaches you how to learn and think like an engineer. Pros - incredible community (from interview prep through post grad alumni network) - rigorous and thoughtful curriculum - will learn how to think like an engineer and onboard technologies not covered in the curriculum - career support is strategic and empowering. The question is when will you get a job post grad not if Cons -hard learning is predominant teaching style and it is not for everyone. Try CS Prep to find out if you like it. - it is difficult to map out and make a timeline for getting into the program. Especially since some cohorts have a waitlist over a month ahead of the start date. - major projects do not have code reviews by staff

For three months of work, the course delivers *mostly* on its promise. Long days, long weeks, but the time flew by and the people were genuinely the best part. The coursework prepares you to *prepare yourself* for job interviews. It was a good launching... Read More point, but you still need to put in a lot of work to get a job after the fact. To say that you can easily get a mid to senior level job I would say is an overstatement. Perhaps if you're coming in with 1-2 years of experience that is doable, but as a beginner I would say junior to mid is a more realistic expectation - which is honestly still impressive for three months of coursework. That being said, I got a mid-level job in a little over 3 months after MANY rejections and coming in from a completely non-technical background. They pack a lot into 12 weeks and the feedback is top notch, but I'd be lying if I said I felt 100% prepared going into interviews. And maybe that's just my overachieving self speaking, but job interviews are a very nerve-wracking process that I'm not sure any bootcamp could fully prepare you for. Overall, I think it's worth the money - medicine to tech in just under a year total with Codesmith's help.

If you're like me, you're probably creating a huge Excel sheet right now full of every bootcamp in the world and how good their outcomes are so you can try to feel better about a decision everyone else seems to think is so risky and dumb. I mean $20k... Read More isn't cheap, and neither is the 3 month commitment to a career you're probably not entirely familiar with.  If you want the best shot at curating a new career for yourself in tech, I'd wholeheartedly recommend Codesmith. I was lucky enough to receive a job offer after the program despite having very limited software engineering experience. More than the curriculum (which is great), they also teach you how to *think* like an engineer and embrace hard learning. This mindset alone is invaluable and probably the ultimate reason so many codesmith grads go on to receive amazing job offers. The job search hints are another invaluable resource codesmith provides - especially for anyone reading this who wasn't part of the elite circles in high school or college that received this advice beforehand. In some ways, it's just as valuable as the coding experience itself! I won't say the program is perfect, no program is, but the fact that they can turn you from a beginner with no coding experience to a mid-level software engineer is incredible. My only suggestion for improving the program now that it's over is probably a stronger foundation in algorithms (but this is something you can learn on your own as there are TONS of resources online and it's something that doesn't happen in just a few short weeks). The curriculum is incredible and all three of the current frameworks I use at work now were taught at Codesmith. The opportunity to work in group projects on complex code is great experience to refer back to during the job hunt too. If you don't want to waste your time or money, you want a top-notch bootcamp taught by very engaging & caring instructors, and you want to be working long days and late nights surrounded by other students (all of which have been screened for good energy) with the same goal as yourself - then Codesmith is the place for you. The program was hard, even excruciating at times, but it was honestly pretty freaking fun too. There were highs and lows for sure - what do you expect when you're trying to fast track 2-4 years of software engineering experience and Bachelors Degree in Computer Science into 3 months?  I'm really happy I chose this program. Not everyone I graduated with got an insanely high offer ($130k+), but many did, even some without proper prior coding experience or education like myself. And as someone who really did make that 100+ line Excel sheet a year ago, I can tell you Codesmith really is the place to be.

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.