Codesmith

TL;DR Codesmith is dificult from start to finish. It is not easy, but for every hour you spend it will reward you 10 fold. It will take serious time, determination, and motivation, but it is worth it in the long run.

Codesmith was without a doubt the... Read More best decision I have made in a very long time. It was not an easy process or stress free. This program is not for the feint of heart. It is a fight to get admitted. Then it is an even bigger fight to make it through. But this is what makes Codesmith the amazing place that it is.

First getting in requires lots of time and dedication. I was previously a juniorish or lower front end developer. Just to get in, I was working 30 hours a week studying and teaching myself. Trying to make sure I hit the bar. When it happened I was ecstatic. I was through the roof happy. I got through the precourse work and then it was time to start.

I got there and day 1 the work started. Every person in the room was there because they were highly motivated, wanted to better themselves and equally cared about every other person in the room. I don't think any one person in my cohort could have gotten through if it wasn't for the community that Codesmith fights to cultivate. Every single person is not there just for themselves, we were there for eachother. We were a team. We didn't compete with eachother. We helped eachother. Any time that one of us struggled, before we could ask for help someone that was excelling in the current days sprint would be over to help out. The program runs from 9 am to 8 pm Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 9 am to 4:30 pm. But I think I showed up around 8:15 every day and there were always at least a few other people that were already there. And leaving at 8, it never happened. We weren't required to stay, but we became a family. After 8, we would still code, but it was social. We would play ping pong, relax, code more, hang out, just talk about life. It was a common occurence that no one would leave before 10. And it was just because we all wanted to spend time together. Six months later, I still talk to just about everyone in my cohort weekly. We grew a bond in three months that I didn't know was possible.

After Codesmith, I became an engineer in residence for three months and then did some independent contract development work for them for 6 weeks after that. I'm not going to talk much about the fellowship other than to say it was an amazing experience. And if you do end up choosing Codesmith, I highly recommend applying for the position.

Now onto my job search, it started a little rough but the with help of Eric and Hira things quickly picked up. I ended up getting several offers over 100k. But ended up taking a much lower offer as a senior fullstack rails/swift developer. I had barely worked with Rails before and had never touched swift. The offer was lower, but I knew the financials of the startup and the offer was what they could financially muster. I also loved the team and the product. Now, how I got a senior position writing two languages I was unfamiliar with. I had talked with the VP of Product before my final technical interview, and he knew I was a senior Fullstack Javascript developer. But he threw me right into both languages I didn't know in the interview. When I got the offer, he told me the exact reason they wanted to hire me and would rather have me then someone that was well versed in Rails and Swift. The process that Codesmith had instilled in me. I might not have known how to setup a Single View application in swift or how to build an API in rails, but I had learned at Codesmith how to learn how to do these things on the fly. I was not just a Javascript developer in their eyes. I proved I was a software developer. I had learned to love to test my code. And to write tests even before I started coding. I might not have done things neccesarily the rails way or the swift way, but in a few hours I was able to show my process of learning a new language and getting into a new language. I was able to show that a new language to me is just another tool, not a foreign language that I just didn't know. Codesmith taught me how to do this.

Final thoughts, Codesmith is not easy. It is a lot of long and stressful days. But the education, team, and community are bar none of the highest possible quality.

Are you stuck in a career that you aren't passionate about? Are you thinking about making a career change? Are you skeptical that a 12-week immersive coding bootcamp can transform you into a software engineer that is capable of being hired after graduation?... Read More Well, until I made the best decision of my life by attending Codesmith, so was I.

I had no prior experience in Computer Science aside from a basic computer class in high school. I even failed my first interview at Codesmith after studying my butt off for several months. But my determination went a long way. I cut nearly everything out of my life (would take time to stay physically fit by going to the gym, which I highly recommend after grueling programming sessions) to focus on my career change. I knew these sacrifices needed to happen in order for me to succeed.

If you are considering to do it, be fully ready to live and breathe Codesmith for the duration of the program. If you do not fully commit, you will not succeed. I am living proof that, as long as you give it everything you got and don't look back, anyone with no expereince in the field can come out of Codesmith with hirable professional programming skills. After accepting an offer, I doubted in my abilities to keep up with the demands of the job. To my surprise, that was not the case. Codesmith does a great job of training students to be able to go into any environment and find solutions.

My time at Codesmith was very enjoyable. They do a good job of screening prospective students during interviews, which is why the Codesmith community is so awesome. Everyone is enthusiastic and excited to be there. Engineering fellows are extremely helpful for students. The instructors are top notch.

Codesmith provides all the tools necessary for your success. Even after your graduation, you are able to seek guidance on things such as salary negotiations and referrals for new opportunities.

Overall, this is an outstanding program and I am very happy and satisfied that I went through with it!

Codesmith's focus on creating talented engineers cause it to truly stand out among the rest. Before joining, I was coding as a side hobby while working. After some months I decided that I wanted to make a serious career change. I chose to look into some... Read More programs in the Los Angeles area, and noticed that there were weekly meetups held at Codesmith HQ, so I thought I would check it out. I was extremely impressed. Not only was the community full of energy and passion for what they do, but the focus on advanced topics like closures and execution context proved to me that Codesmith was the real .

I joined the July cohort in 2017. Joining the program was one of the best decisions I've made in my life. The intensive program was extremely challenging, but with hard work, you will become a highly capable engineer. I am now working as a software engineer in LA, and I am enjoying every minute of it. Not only did the program land me a job, but it facilitated my rapid growth in knowledge and confidence which allows me to stand out as a talented and respected engineer. Could I have got a software job without Codesmith? Probably. Would I have the ability and confidence I have today? Absolutely not. This is why Codesmith was worth every penny, because for myself, average is not good enough; I want to be exceptional.

Let's talk about transforming yourself. You very well may be at the initial steps I was only a few short months ago. What's in consideration is an arena of challenge, unfamiliarity, and creativity.

I wince from the urge to say the word 'given' when referring... Read More to Codesmith. It isn't a word that is necessarily bad. Yet it draws unnecessary focus and doesn't reflect what you ultimately gain from such an experience. Nonetheless I will start with what Codesmith does in fact "provide".

1) An intensive multidimensional curriculum

2) Exceptional professional advice

3) Career support and networking

The underlying brilliance of Codesmith however is missed in this simple list. Codesmith more so than any other verb cultivates marvelous things in the individuals who attend the program. This is of course because the Codesmith environment and community is ingrained with an altruistic spirit to propel others.

If you were in search of a big reveal in to why Codesmith is a superb choice - this is it. In the field of accelerated learning Codesmith reaches the greatest of heights by living the words "We are all excellent, and we will grow to be more excellent." It is a beautiful thing.

Codesmith brings its residents in as family. This is an enormous backbone of support you may never see outside of your very own family. As it must, the program unleashes the gamut of web and software development obstacles. This is never an exciting part when I am talking about Codesmith. I am of the believe that the spoken material can be learned quite isolated with only the right handful of books. Torturous yet possible. What develops as you grind unit by unit is ability of course. As you take in your surroundings you realize the community is at your finger tips. When you stumble then stumble and your ready to not take another thrust up you are brought up by your cohort mates. Finally, when you have seen so much of the process that looking back you see the pattern of challenge, resilience, and accomplishment you realize a tremendous confidence.

Codesmith is a great whirlwind. I have probably not given justice to what I truly believe it is. Though what I know it is not is a magic door to success. Be prepared to join something that deserves your all if you attend Codesmith. It is a place that you should make the most of and that will be so many levels past the industry curriculum.

If you're motivated and want to break into tech as an engineer, Codesmith is an excellent option. My cohort finished in January, and two weeks later I had competing job offers with salaries and job responsibilities in line with those that Codesmith advertises... Read More (by "in line", I do not mean "close to but not quite", but rather "exactly as described based on their messaging.")

As a qualifier, I did have some prior programming experience and studied a technical subject in school (zero web development or formal computer science, though). Nevertheless, there were others in my cohort with far less technical backgrounds who saw similar or more impressive outcomes. After about 2 and 1/2 months now, the majority of my cohort was hired. Still, I highly recommend learning as much as you can before Codesmith. If you come in with more knowledge, you'll probably find it easier to get a ton out of the experience.

Many of the other reviews have accurately covered aspects such as the staff's support and availability, the curriculum, the community, and the challenging time commitment -- I agree with everything that's been said there. In my opinion, there are two things Codesmith does that set it apart and allow for such good outcomes:

1) The program is rigorous and places a strong emphasis on fundamentals -- especially in javascript. 3 month bootcamps have to teach you practical skills, but Codesmith is able to strike a balance between teaching enough practical stuff for you to be useful, while going deeper into some more theoretical territory so that you can come away with a foundation for understanding why things work they way they do rather than just knowing "how to make a single page app."

2) They select people who genuinely enjoy learning and are drawn to the approach I mentioned in the above point. You can make a lot more progress faster if you're immersed in a group of people who are all motivated to learn, help each other out, and go explore "under the hood" (a phrase youll hear quite often there). Codesmith excels in putting together groups of people who willl push each other to improve.

If you're interested in technology and have thought about transitioning to engineerig, I highly recommend Codesmith.

Coming to Codesmith for the first time can be a bit of a surreal experience. I remember when I walked through the elevator doors to attend "JavaScript: the Hard Parts," not sure what to expect. I was nervous because I hardly felt like I had a grasp on... Read More the easy parts of JavaScript and was certain I was in over my head. What's a higher order function, anyway?

6 months later, I'm writing scalable web apps and front end architectures using bleeding edge technology and I've got data structures and algorithms practically oozing out of my fingernails. I wouldn't be the Software Engineer that I am today without the support of my cohort mates who struggled with me through the program and the staff who guided me throughout the process.

The amount of attention paid to each student to ensure their success throughout the program and beyond is astonishing. I've seen staff stay long after their scheduled hours, just to work through challenges with students or give impromptu lectures, not because they have to but because they genuinely care about all things software and web-related and want to share their knowledge with others. That enthusiasm to dig deep into computer science and JavaScript fundamentals permeate the entire space, an awesome startup like environment where day after day people are coding late into the night.

Codesmith isn't a bootcamp. It's a community of people who are extremely passionate about learning and building new things- a truly special place I'm so thankful I was able to be a part of.

Before Codesmith, my scope of software engineering was narrow. I wasn't familiar with software architecture and design patterns, let alone knowing what frontend and backend frameworks were. I was a UX designer, and I was determined to build out the functionality... Read More of my designs . With Codesmith, my analytical, technical, and management skills were catapulted into a level far beyond my expectations. I was always a firm believer that the journey is the most important component in learning. It's the way you're learning that makes that difference. The Codesmith team and my cohort mates definitely pushed me to aim higher and were the best support system that any programmer could have asked for. Definitely the most friendliest, intense, silliest, and damn great community to be a part of.

Codesmith is truly a transformative experience. Prior to Codesmith I didn't have a technical background or any prior tech experience, and was looking for a career change. I began to assess all my options available to make the switch to a new career in... Read More tech. There were the numerous for-profit trade/career colleges, most of which seem great at first, but then as you dig deeper are very gimmicky, poor quality, and most are extremely expensive. Of course there's the traditional route of going to a community college & a state school or university, but being in my mid twenties, the extended time it takes to complete a degree, plus the limited career help and lack of modern in demand technologies, was not an investment I was willing to start. I decided I would continue working and self-studying in my free time with ambitions of making the switch on my own. The amount of resource online these days is amazing but starting out it can be very daunting. Without any prior programming experience, knowing what to look for, what to learn, and the quality of what you were learning was rough and a very slow process.

After a few months of learning html, css and the fundamentals of javascript, I wanted to speed up my learning and level up. I didn't want to continue this way on my own and began to look for Meetups to attend and learn with others. Through attending multiple Meetups is how I discovered coding bootcamps! It was awesome, and I felt energized and excited at this new approach to learning. I looked into all the Los Angeles bootcamps and I recommend you do the same to find what would fit you best. I went to many Meetups but the one that stood out the most was Codesmith's free Javascript the Hard Parts meetup offered every Thursday. You get a glimpse into the Codesmith mentality and community and is a perfect opportunity to see for yourself what Codesmith is all about firsthand.

The reason I favored Codesmith over the others was that it was clear it wasn't another coding bootcamp. Codesmith is an immersive residency and has 3 core values that sets it apart. Complete dedication to every student, an autonomous and deep understanding for learning, and a devotation for the community. Community is such a huge aspect of Codesmith and one of the many things I loved most about Codesmith. Codesmith hosts and sponsors many weekly and monthly events, is always looking to give back to the tech community in LA and beyond, and is an extremely diverse and inclusive space. Plus the alumni support is great and very connected, and they even have multiple times throughout the program when alumni comeback and share their stories of life during and after Codesmith.

The team and staff are amazing. Everyone is extremely nice, thoughtful and there to help you succeed. I felt comfortable sharing and expressing any concerns or feelings throughout the program. The curriculum is top-notch and well rounded. It still amazes me the amount of content I learned in a short amount of time. Spending six days a week and more then eleven hours a day onsite, it becomes more then just a program or school, you become a tight knit family with your classmates, the staff and the other cohort. Everyone is there with the mindset to help one another, and so should be your mindset going in.

With all that said, Codesmith is intense. It is challenging, tough, inspiring, motivating, and rewarding. Codesmith is an extremely fast-paced fully immersive program and is very demanding. Best way to succeed is to fully dedicate yourself for 3 months and make the tough sacrifices necessary to give your all during the program. This is truly one of those kind of experience when "the more you put into it, is the more you will get out of it". Take full advantage of everything offered, your classmates, the instructors, the staff, the connections, the networking, the events and will be amazed at how far you've made it.

Your journey doesn't stop either after program. It is key you keep the same intensity going during the job search phase. A wonderful standout experience at Codesmith is the hiring day event. It provides such an awesome space to meet companies to network and jump start your hiring process. It is vital to stay in touch with the staff at Codesmith during your job search for endless amounts of support and guidance they provide to help you improve your interviewing and networking skills.

If your looking for an experience that offers top-tier challenges & curriculum, a thriving community, and a location that is in the heart of it all and only a few miles from the beach, you'll find it and more with Codesmith.

Codesmith is one of the most life changing experiences that I've encountered and I couldn't have been more grateful to them for what they've allowed me to achieve. I was a little hesitant to join the program at first because I was unsure whether or not... Read More an immersive program will help me elevate my skill set, but I am completely blown away by the things that I've learned during the program. It was extremely fast paced and difficult, but at the same time, it was extremely fun and rewarding. I met some amazing people that I still keep in touch with to this day - they are almost like another family to me. It is unreal how closely you can bond with one another when you struggle together to achieve your dreams, and I am so happy because of it. If you are looking to make a change in your career or to elevate your engineering skills, I encourage you to check out their weekly meetups - Javascript The Hard Parts! You will not regret it. With that said, I definitely recommend Codesmith and I can assure you that the program is what it says it is. I am now a software engineer working in a tech company in downtown la making over 110k. I am very happy with where I am at, and I owe a lot of it to the wonderful Codesmith community !

Before joining Codesmith, I was really hesitant as to whether joining a coding program was really worthwhile, or all hype. After going to my first JavaScript The Hard Parts, I was pleasantly welcomed by the Codesmith community. People were super nice... Read More and socialable and shared their wonderful experiences with me. That's when I knew this was the place for me.

At Codesmith, sure you'll learn full-stack JavaScript, but what really makes Codesmith special is the community built around it. They truly care about your success and will help you any way possible. The support doesn't stop when you graduate, they continue to check up on you to make sure you are doing what you need to. If things don't look right or don't seem to be working, they continue to work with you until it does.

It's not easy, and you won't be spoon fed knowledge, but if you are willing to put in the work, you won't regret choosing Codesmith.