Codesmith

I'm going to break this review of Codesmith down into 3 parts: Before Attending, During Attendance and After Attending.

Before Attending:
Codesmith is hard to get it into. If you get accepted, be proud of that accomplishment in itself. While it is challenging,... Read More they give ample workshops to prepare future students. "JavaScript the Hard Parts", "CS Prep", "How to Pass the Codesmith Interview" are some of the fantastic resources that they offer. Also, simply attending a workshop and speaking to the fellows after Hard Parts to pick their brain is useful to (EVERYONE IS THERE TO HELP YOU). The reason why I chose Codesmith was their approach to teaching. My first exposure was at "JavaScrip the Easier Parts" and I had no idea what execution context was. But Phil (the executive instructor) dives deep into these under the hood concepts of Javascript. You will absolutely learn so much simply by going to these FREE workshops every week.

During Attendance:
I started July 22, 2019. Everyday after that for the next 13 weeks was a challenge. Imposter Syndrome doesn't go away (they actually have a lecture on it. It's totally normal to have). Each day begins with a hack hour where you solve a algorithm. Then it's lectures, then a unit where you take what you just learned (and Google the rest, theres no hand-holding here) and work on the assigned unit. EVERYTHING IS HARD. Get that through your head now: you will struggle..AND IT'S OKAY! What makes Codesmith special is the people and the community. It's so inclusive and humble, there's no pretentiousness here. We are all there to learn and they really go out of their way to help you. Even if you don't do well on an assement, you will have additional 1 on 1 time with a fellow and you'll understand the concepts much better. That 1 on 1 time is priceless.

After Attending:
I graduated in October 2019. The hiring support is fantastic. The last 2 weeks or so of the program is dedicated to resume building, fine-tuning your narrative, practicing whiteboarding, system design interviews, and your online profiles like linkedin. We have check ins 2weeks after graduating to see how the job hunt is going. And you can schedule an hour to come in and get extra help for an upcoming interview etc. There is a saying: "codesmith doesn't end until you get a job" (and to be honest, even after you land your job it doesn't).

Overall, i HIGHLY recommend Codesmith. I will remember and cherish my time there forever.

When you are signing up for this immersive course, you must realize a few things. - This is not for the weak. - This is for people who are ready for change, and that can be daunting. - Must be ready to temporarily put aside your social life. CodeSmith's... Read More pedagogy is precise when it comes to evolving a Student into a well-spoken Software Engineer professional. Tip: Do not think that "just getting into CodeSmith" will qualify you to be worth 100k+ right away, because thats what I thought and then I saw how the journey ONLY STARTED and there was a LONG way to go. You become worth that much after you put in the necessary work in CodeSmith. What I loved about CodeSmith: As you can imagine, trying to prove yourself to someone else (to get hired) can be very intimidating. CodeSmith has professional software engineer veterans who help students with the imposter monster (imposter syndrome) they may be facing by giving them the right honest advice. It all may sound unbelievable and what not (trust me, I am hard-headed myself to start believing things). But you can trust CodeSmith to give you the right kind of support you need to be successful. There is so much more I can say about CodeSmith. If you are interested in joining a Bootcamp, visit CodeSmith first. Life After CodeSmith? I became a Software Engineer and work in one of the big buildings in NYC now with an amazing view. It's a little funny how long the process may seem, but life will change very fast after - for the better. If you truly enjoy creating and coding, CodeSmith is where you need to start. You do not know how thankful I am for CodeSmith and their employees for helping me + other students achieve their goals and dreams. To CodeSmith, Thank you. To Future Student, Believe in yourself, and you can trust CodeSmith.

Between the beginning of 2018 to the beginning of 2019, I studied hard after work on the weekends to brush up on my algorithm solving skills and technical communication. I got accept in February, took me three interviews to get in Codesmith.

From there,... Read More it’s nothing but a firehose of information for the first month and a half. Don’t get frustrated and you will survive as you take these valuable skills to work on your production project towards the end of the course. Honestly, I couldn’t have survived if I didn’t have an awesome cohort. Everyone was easy going, I made many friendships and who are great to learn from.

After 3 months of intense job search and interview, I got an offer as a Front-End Engineer from a Fin-tech company. Codesmith does help out with the job search too, like mock interviews. Currently, I’m working along with colleagues from other boot camps and I can confidently say that in certain aspects, Codesmith does stand out from the rest.

Just apply Codesmith. I’m a graduate from cohort 29. I guess many of you reading this review might have concerns. Maybe it’s not about 3 months of curriculum because anyone would’ve invested 3 months if they could become a decent software engineer within;... Read More I believe it must be the 18k tuition fee and some doubts that if it would work that way. However, results are just right at you. Almost every one of my family (cohort 29) and previous graduates are doing great in IT industry as a software engineer (can be easily found on LinkedIn). During 3 months, they taught me not only cutting-edge tech stacks (Javascript, React, and Redux), also how to think, speak, and behave like a software engineer. Everyday challenges made me develop my communicating and cooperating skills with my cohorts people. The system of Codesmith is just well-organized to help you in every single step to initiate your software engineer career such as how to write a professional resume and how to handle interviews with even negotiation skills. Now, I’m working as a full stack software engineer with full of satisfaction. Applying Codesmith was the best choice I’ve ever made in my life, and I would’ve definitely applied to Codesmith again if I go back. Don’t hesitate, be one of us.

Codesmith is not for everyone. They're pretty open about that, and do their best to vet candidates for the best possible outcomes. However, the criteria are different than what you might expect. There's a baseline level of knowledge (which you can acquire... Read More by studying part-time for a month or two), but what they're really screening for is the resilience to tackle difficult problems, and an attitude that helps to elevate rather than discourage your peers. I know this, because I stuck around to work as an Engineering Fellow (think something like a TA), and gave many, many interviews to prospective candidates. I went in as a cynical artist- I dragged my feet through a 6 year long undergrad at SMC and UCLA, worked a series of dead-end museum docent jobs, and spent 6 months in an international arts internship. My conditions for going to Codesmith were that I would expect that none of the salary figures were real, and I had to be willing to spend the money purely for the education and instruction itself. I spent months attending every single free workshop in my area, and JSHP seemed like the most rigorous, most interesting of the lot, with the best instruction, which is why I decided on Codesmith. Throughout the process, I found myself engaged in a way that I'd rarely been in my previous education, pushed to my actual limits, and surprised by how fun the whole process was. I'd frequently look up, find that it was 10PM, and feel disappointed that I had to force myself to go home to sleep. I worked side by side with people who were equally motivated, equally wanting to push themselves forwards, to build new things, and to become both better engineers and better people. I've left talking about outcomes to last, since I don't think that the process will work if you're drawn in solely by the promise of easy money or bigger numbers. This is a place for people who are primarily motivated by learning new skills, by personal and professional growth, or by the joys of engineering. This is a place for people who are willing to push themselves. Still, based off of my cohort's salaries, the numbers are accurate. I'll also say this: In my life as an artist, I've probably never made more than 10-15k in a year (always lived with family, or student housing abroad). With hiring support, interview coaching, and negotiation practice, I've signed an offer with IBM for 10x that amount. It's difficult, it's all-consuming, and you have to commit to it. But it works.

I attended the Bootcamp in 2019 and I cannot speak highly enough of my experience. The training I received was high quality and approachable. If I ever struggled with a subject my mentors or peers were always there to help me out. The projects you work... Read More on successfully enforce the core tech stack taught by Codesmith. Additionally, Codesmith's blend of projects and pair programming seamlessly work together to not only teach you the technology, but also teach you how to solve problems for your self. This bootcamp does not spoon-feed you solutions. It forces you to struggle and meet your breaking point day in and day out. Beyond the technical instruction, the support staff are top-notch professionals. They make the sacrifice you make for enrolling in a bootcamp worth it. They are always there to answer any questions regarding tuition, scheduling, etc. But they also are instrumental in organizing the networking days, which were vital in my job-search process. I cannot speak highly enough of them. Finally, the best thing about Codesmith is the community. They work hard to make sure their students fit the culture of the program, which makes working with the people wonderful. I made life-long friends during this program and always looked forward to coming in every day. At the end of the day, the Codesmith program works. It gets results. Codesmith's unique blend of community, technical training, and hiring support make it far superior to any other boot camp.

Joining Codesmith was without a doubt the best decision I've ever made. The amount of growth I had and encountered in such a welcoming environment was absolutely unheard of. The course is by far harder than most things I've ever done but equally more... Read More rewarding than anything I've ever done as well.

The greatest pros of Codesmith are:
1. Culture - the Codesmith culture is the most welcoming, supportive culture I've ever been a part of and I continue to keep up with current students, staff, and alum! Thursday nights alum gather to mingle and catch up at the facility and one night there was a representative from 10 of the 12 established cohorts - the community is incredibly close-knit.
2. No Hand-Holding => You will learn how to learn - you will without a doubt struggle at Codesmith, but in the best way possible. The difference between my previous self and me now is insane and I credit the encouragement of learning on your own/with your partner/with your team. Learning how to learn will be the most valuable asset moving forward because the tech world is constantly evolving and the learning never stops. Deciphering how to pick up new tech is paramount to being a software engineer and Codesmith trains you for your future.
3. Job Support - Between all the instructors and staff and Eric Kirsten there is no possible way not to succeed in finding a job. The process is incredibly thorough and the support lives on well beyond what anyone would expect. There is comprehensive support (resume, online profiles, mock interviews, morale boosts) was so much more than I ever could have hoped for and I'm happy to report receiving 4 different offers by trusting in the process and working hard.
*I've only listed 3 pros but I could go on for days

Cons:
The space could be a few square feet larger.
(There aren't any cons)

I attended the Codesmith coding school, and I was appreciative that even the initial entrance process required me to grow as an engineer, but gave me the resources to do so. Throughout the program, I not only grew exponentially as an engineer, as a systems... Read More architect, as a problem solver, but also as a person. I'm thankful for the entire codesmith community I have around me, and the network this program has given me to move into my dream job. The hiring portion is so well-informed and so intentional, and I look forward to using these tools well into my career.

Codesmith was a life-changing experience that exceeded my expectations in every way. While there are numerous things I appreciate about Codesmith, I would like to elaborate upon four.

First, the Codesmith staff is incredible. Schno, the Head of Curriculum... Read More at Codesmith, and Augustine, the Lead Technical Mentor, are two of the best teachers I have ever had. They are dedicated, considerate, and extremely knowledgeable. Specifically, I appreciate Schno's ability to break complicated concepts down into their component parts. This greatly aided in the on-boarding process. I also appreciate the dedication of Augustine, who would stay at Codesmith as late as he needed to help his students. Sometimes, this even meant staying at Codesmith until 4:00 AM, just to show up bright and early the next morning.

Second, the Codesmith culture is extraordinary. I have never seen a place (except for the home) where there is so much support and kindness. From the "Family Dinners" on Mondays to the kickball tournaments during lunch, Codesmith's culture is truly remarkable.

Third, the founder and CEO, Will Sentance, is an exceptional person who is active in the daily works. I find it remarkable how Will focuses on each student. He makes a concerted effort to know each student, their background, and their interests.

Fourth, the curriculum is continuously improving. No cohort has the experience because the curriculum continually evolves.

To any who might be reading, I encourage you to attend Codesmith. Gaining admittance is challenging, but worth it in every regard.

I came to Codesmith with many years in the tech industry in order to re-sharpen my coding skills and gain knowledge of a modern JavaScript based tech stack. From day one the experience exceeded my already high expectations. The lecture schedule/materials... Read More and delivery are a high quality product - but the people that surround you are the real differentiator - you are surrounded by amazing individuals with both a genuine ability and desire to help you succeed. Hiring support is exemplary and I feel I have been given valuable tools to help me get the kind of job I want. On the technical front - Codesmith understands that you need to take on a challenge and just build something rather than relying on a hand holding approach. Being at Codesmith mirrors what real work in the field feels like and as a result it develops real engineers as graduates. Amongst other things - I personally I built multiple React/Redux frontends, had the freedom to explore more exotic technologies such as graph databases, and built a tool to help examine the resiliency of GraphQL end points in distributed systems, while at the same time being able to be inspired by the creativity and work of other classmate's ideas and around me. Codesmith has huge personality and creates a collaborative environment for all. 100% recommend