DevelopMe_

Absolutely superb course! Definitely recommend to people who are thinking about a career change or just kickstart their IT career. You will learn all the fundamentals and best practices that you need to land a developer job after graduating and all this... Read More just in 3 months (plus pre-course). Teachers and teaching assistants were best in the industry with years of experience. Support was amazing throughout the course. Really liked the 1on1 meetings every Friday where you review the actual week and get lots of feedback. If you're still not convinced, attend one of the taster evenings and have a chat with postgrads and instructors.

I was on the first Coding Fellowship (May 2016) and have been working as a developer ever since. I enjoyed every week of the course but for me the final week where we learned Laravel was the defining moment. While my first role was working for a larger... Read More company using Drupal ( which also featured on the course), I soon moved on to work as the sole developer in a startup. As preparation for the interview I proposed the tech stack I wished to build their systems in and chose to go with Laravel for the backend and Vue for the front. Vue was the first framework I tackled which wasn't part of the Coding Fellowship but due to the skills I'd learned I had no doubts I'd pick it up. From that point on I haven't looked back. Each year I feel more and more confident in my skills and remain excited to keep improving. While I remain the only developer at my company I also know I have a community of developers I can ask for assistance if I ever need to and continue to participate on the Fellowship slack channel years after my graduation.

The team at DevelopMe are super! I completed the Summer 2019 cohort and not only thoroughly enjoyed it but also learned so much about coding and web development - I got offered a job 10 days after graduating! It's a fun and intense 3 months of hard work... Read More and bootcamp style learning. But if you want it, it's worth it! Couldn't recommend these guys more highly. They lined me up with job interviews and and helped me prep. And there's a ping pong table!

I wholeheartedly recommend the DevelopMe coding bootcamp. I did quite a bit of research on various coding bootcamps before committing to DevelopMe and am so glad that I made the right choice.

I went into the bootcamp with minimal knowledge of coding -... Read More changing my career in my 30s after many years in academia (arts). Whilst the work could be intensive at times (there is a lot to learn!), the tutors and support staff are exceptional and the learning environment is relaxed and welcoming. You are encouraged to ask questions throughout the course and, in a weekly progress review, to discuss how you are feeling about the course, your general wellbeing and what could be improved.

The mentoring programme is a fantastic idea, pairing you with an industry expert with whom you can chat informally about what it is like to work in web development. And DevelopMe continues to support its alumni after graduation - actively helping students through the interview process and updating the resources from the course at regular interviews.

I am now in my first development job and loving every minute! :)

I would absolutely recommend DevelopMe to anyone looking to become a developer and work in the tech sector. Not only will you learn the most relevant technologies and frameworks, but the support is amazing, and the teachers are experts with years of experience... Read More in the industry and can give insight and advice beyond just the course material.

It is also an amazing opportunity to meet industry professionals who already work in the tech sector, network and build lasting relationships, find meetups and volunteering options that will boost your new career, all the while with the safety and guidance of the DevelopMe team and teachers.

The support continues when you graduate, and the DevelopMe team will continue to help you and help find work opportunities, which really is one of the most valuable aspects of their courses - it makes the whole process a lot less daunting and significantly increases the chances of landing your first job straight out of the course.

Overall, studying at DevelopMe was absolutely worth it, and I can't recommend them enough!

I moved to Bristol to attend this course. I did a lot of research before I decided to do as moving is not an easy choice and now I think it was the best choice I've ever made.


One of the great things about DevelopMe is that each different language/topic... Read More is taught by the best-specialised tutors. - this was one of the reasons I chose DevelopMe. All teachers and Teaching Assistants are not only good teachers but great mentors. When I struggled with some concept they were happy to went through it again with me and give extra support. 


I learned a lot and built a good foundation for my career. The course focused on very practical skills. And the course exercises are specifically designed to train you on how developers think and approach the problems which is very important value. When I had interviews, the employers were quite impressed by the way I've trained on the course. 

More importantly, I felt that they really care about their student not only academic wise but emotion wise as well. We had one-to-one every week to check out how we got on and get advice and feedback and get whatever support we needed. 

I recently completed the bootcamp at DevelopMe, and I would recommend it to someone who's insterested in programming/web development. At first, I was apprehensive, and I wasn't sure if it was going to be the right thing for me. I had some self study under... Read More my belt in Python, which isn't covered on the course, so I had some worries that I wouldn't get on well with the languages in the syllabus. Well, I attended an open evening and decided to take the plunge. I was given a pre-course preparation syllabus to work through, and I dedicated a lot of time to completing it before the course began, which I feel really paid off. I found that my worries were unfounded, really, as it wasn't necessarily Python I was interested in, but the process programming. I also wasn't sure if web development was going to be right for me, but in reality, working with programming languages was the thing that interested me, rather than the difference between 'software developer' and 'web developer'.

Once I was on the course itself, I have to say that it felt great to be in the learning environment. The teachers were all great: concepts were explained very clearly and were always followed up with a hefty amount of practical challenges that consolidated everything very well. If anyone ever had any difficulties, the teachers were great about going over things again, helping people understand, and making sure everyone was up to speed in order to move on to the next part. Learning programming languages can be confusing at times, but the moments of satisfaction when you solve a problem are far more rewarding than the frustration of not getting things can be. If you feel like you have the kind of mind that likes to get stuck into a problem and feel motivated to work through something until you figure out how to solve it, then you will probably get on well with the course.

The syllabus was pretty wide, giving us experience of a wide range of technologies which we could choose from to implement a final project at the end. Once we had completed the projects, we were set up with interviews by the course organisers, and our projects were sent to the employers so that they could see what we had created. The support during the interview process seemed great. Each person was set up with ~4 interviews, with continued support after that, meaning that if those interviews didn't lead to anything, they continue to set you up with more. That said, companies seem pretty keen to hire developers, and several companies already have a few past graduates, and continue to come back to hire fresh graduates from the course.

Now, I've been working at a web development agency for 3 months, and things are going great! I'm continuing to learn a lot, and the job is much more fulfilling than anything I've done in the past. If you've been dabbling in code, and find it's the kind of thing that really draws you in, and you can lose yourself for hours solving problems and fixing bugs and implementing things, then you might be coming from a similar place as I did, and will really benefit from taking a fast-track approach to get you into the industry like this.

Short review

Course is great, got a job after the course.

The long detailed review
My journey started in November 2018. I was working as a web administrator in a cold car body shop. Administering their website, doing thankless tasks and listening to the... Read More boss constantly shouting and swearing at the workers. I came across Develop Me through a google search and attended their open evening. They had beer, pizza and we were shown how to make a basic contact form in PHP with some HTML and bootstrap.

I have a Computer Science degree and have attempted the self taught route. I can honestly say that I learned more in 12 weeks at Develop Me than I did in my 5 years of my further and higher education. There are some things on the degree program that aren’t taught on the boot camp such as Photoshop (in detail) and Computer and Law theory but I’m sure you’ll learn this as and when. What my degree didn’t teach me was how to be a proficient developer. My typical Web Programming lecture at Uni would consist of an oversized class with one lecturer speaking to you, as if you should know better. If you didn’t know something, you would get a sarcastic answer and get told to go away and look it up.
With Develop Me, there were 9 students, 1 instructor and 1 (sometimes 2) teaching assistants to assist you. There were always some detailed slides to refer too, lots of correct documentation recommended by the instructor and at least 2 knowledgeable people at hand should you need things explained in detail.

During the course, you will feel lots of different emotions, frustration, anxiety, uncertainty and some will experience stress. To experience these emotions alone on a self taught route would certainly make you want to give up being a developer. Which was why I failed on the self taught route. Most of my fellow students were very supportive and we would have a one to one with the founders every Friday to check in and give any constructive feedback. There was a very positive energy on the course with everybody wanting to learn and grow while everybody kept emotionally aware of each other’s frustrations.
Develop Me provides a table tennis table which for me really helped as it allowed me to bond with my fellow cohorts.
There’s also unlimited coffee and a run biscuits every week. I had many great moments talking to fellow cohorts over coffee about my problem and then finding the solution for myself. A term referred to as rubber ducking.

The technology taught on the course was very relevant. I won’t list them all as they can change in a flash, so it’s best to visit their website. I came onto the course believing that I knew HTML, CSS and PHP which was one of my biggest mistakes. Going onto a course believing you already know it all. The first week, the instructor, Ruth Johns blew my tiny little mind of how much there was to HTML and CSS. Lots of things they just don’t teach you on a degree program.
I will openly admit that I struggled half way through the course and didn’t go on to complete the React Native path. But instead, revisited Javascript, Wordpress + PHP again which was suggested by the course leaders. At the time, it was harsh news to hear but the end result really paid off. I’m no working as a Wordpress Developer at a highly established agency working with technologies I really enjoy. Please not that Wordpress is not just editing an existing theme but writing your own theme that requires an understanding of the loop written in PHP.

As for the venue, there’s a very creative energy about Paintworks, lots of great companies that pay a premium to be there and lots of potential hiring partners. I was eventually hired by an agency situated just 4 doors away. As for the Friday night beer? There’s a bar just a up some steps that serve great beer and pizza. Parking was free on the road and a bike rack directly outside. Also to add that you’re just a 10 minute walk away from Temple Meads. These things are all essential to know if you’re going to be there for 12 weeks.

As for funding the £8k fee, having rich parents in this situation always helps, but if you’re someone like me who had little savings in the bank, I managed to get a career development loan which, at the time of writing, the program has stopped now but there are other loan companies out there. You’ll need to check for the best interest rates and ensure you have enough funds to survive for 4 months and not 3.

After the course finished, the work didn’t stop there. We were given a technical challenge to complete that we would present to potential employers. At first it was a blind panic but breaking down the task, it was challengingly enjoyable. Everything we had learned on the course, we were able to put into practice.

So after 12 weeks of intensive learning and 12 grey hairs later, I’m here at my desk in a web development agency developing themes and plugins, working with amazing people and patting the office dog during times of coding frustration.

I can confirm that everybody on the course got employed and most of my fellow cohort got offered a junior salary between £21,000 - £23,000. I have been added to the Develop Me Alumini where I’m notified of future upcoming hack nights and events relating to relevant topics.

So there you go, a long detailed review that I hope will confirm the credibility of this course.

A giant thank you to Pete, Oli (co founders) Mark Wales (amazing instructor) Ruth, Jack, George, Chris.
The experience was amazing.

I've recently finished the Coding Fellowship (12-week coding bootcamp) at DevelopMe. This comprehensive course is taught by professionals with years of experience in the industry. Its curriculum is regularly revised and updated to be in step with the... Read More latest trends and technologies.

The class is formed of a small group of selected students. Along with the instructors and the assistants, this creates a strong sense of community in which you feel comfortable and gives you an excellent opportunity to learn from your classmates as well. Everybody starts with a relatively different level of knowledge but the course presents a challenge to all at their respective level.

I've personally decided to go for a career change seeking a more flexible lifestyle which also stimulates my creativity. Coming from a completely unrelated background (retail, customer service), and being English my second language, this course represented a huge challenge for me. I was not sure if I was ready to do it but they help you get ready with a list of lectures and online lessons to go through before starting. This way you'll get familiar with some fundamental technologies which are essential for the course.

There were tough times but I've always counted on the support from the team. And I mean real support:
-they have always been there to talk about my performance, to reassure me and give me ideas about what to do to work on the areas I was concerned.
-1 to 1 feedback sessions that take place every Friday in which they highlight your improvements and point at the areas that need more attention so you know what to focus on. Also, at these feedback sessions, they do want to hear about your own needs so they could better help you. If they can do something, they will not hesitate to carry it out.

Right after finishing the course, they got me four interviews in different companies and sent me the details of a 5th company, in which I've got an interview by showing them the projects I'd built during the course. So 5 interviews in total, which resulted in 2 job offers. I couldn't believe it! A year ago I was wondering what to do with my life, and then after the course, I even had the privilege of choosing where my first dev job was going to be. And that's only my own story, but my other 8 classmates also land a job right after this course. That's why I cannot recommend DevelopMe strongly enough.

You'll surely face a challenging time at some points (and if by any chance you don't, you should be trying harder!) but keep going and trust them. Trust their experience. Trust their knowledge. They really want you to succeed and they will put all their effort into it. And so, you will.

I have recently completed the 12 week full stack web development bootcamp as a part of the winter 2019 cohort.

After 12 years working in an entirely unrelated sector and being in my mid thirties I was unsure whether I’d be able to transition into web... Read More development in 12 weeks. The combination of the teachers, teaching assistants and well thought through curriculum enabled me to learn so much more than I thought possible. I worked through as much of the pre-course study as I could (I would advise any other prospective students to do the same) but I would never have imagined that I’d be able to work with so many frameworks and libraries and produce such complex work so quickly.

The curriculum is constantly updated to keep up with the most current libraries and working practices and the teachers vary so that you were always being taught by someone with real life industry experience. The teaching was a blend of lectures, challenges and both solo and group projects that meant you had plenty of time working alone and with others. Within our cohort there was a lot of peer support as well as being helped by the staff. I found analysing and bug fixing other peoples code really helpful for improving my own.

I would advise making the most of the opportunities outside of the classroom. Mentoring was worthwhile. I found making contacts in the industry really helpful and encouraging. There is also support available for preparing for job interviews. Every Friday there is a one-to-one feedback session where you receive feedback on your progress and any areas you should focus on or spend some time studying. This is also an opportunity to feed back on the course, something that they take very seriously and noticeably acted upon which was great to see.

The course was a rollercoaster of challenges, frustration, eureka moments, occasionally feeling at an utter loss and deep satisfaction when I finally got whatever concept had stumped me/found the bug/got the damn thing to work. It has given me a real desire to keep learning and improving my knowledge and expanding my skills.

I’m currently waiting to start a role as a developer and am very happy that I decided to take the leap.