Skill Distillery

Skill Distillery is easily one of the best decisions I ever made.
If your goal is to become a software engineer, this is the place for you.

I attended SD two years ago and got a job offer on the Monday before graduation. The course is rigorous and the... Read More content is relevant and that's what separates this bootcamp from the rest of the pack.

The Java/Javascript full stack course opens doors to server and/or client development while most others leave you with only a subset of web development skills (e.g. Ruby on Rails). Employers want the skills that SD offers and that makes it the clear choice.

The program can be challenging as it covers a lot of topics at a quick pace, but with a combination of staff support, independent study, and personal drive, the course provides an exceptional foundation that enables its students to succeed in the software... Read More programming workforce. Their approach to education is multi-faceted, giving us the technical skills required, but also experiences in pair programming and general collaboration which provide practice with improving soft skills. The amount of support we've received from staff is unmatched in my experience and they truly care about each student as an individual - before, during, and after the program.

Pros: Great interaction with instructors and Tas. Small class size. Pair programming from week one. Always somebody available to ask questions. Cons: Expensive tuition (does not include a Mac book Pro). Four months (full semester) without a paycheck.... Read More Fast pace. Requires full attention 6 days a week, no personal time.

There are a lot of bootcamps out there but Skill Distillery is special. The small class size, and the rigourous selection of instructors from a cultural stand point make this place shine. You can really tell the instructors care and consider the individual... Read More strengths and weaknesses of every student. Behind the scenes, they are constantly strategizing your individual development.

The hard skills they teach, you will learn, will prepare you to enter the workforce as a Junior Level / Entry Level / Associate programmer. During the program you are introduced to the concept of pair programming, which will grow your soft skills. Your success, personal growth rate, etc. will be closely linked to how well you can work with others, and how you respond to feedback. But the good news is, if you get accepted, you already have those skills!

If you are concerned about not having a CS degree, rest assured that you will be qualified for the jobs. The challenge will be that you need to demonstrate knowledge and skills during the interview process substantially more than a CS grad.

Overall, highly recommend A+ program. Attending Skill Distillery has been one of the best decisions I have made for my personal growth and development. I am stronger problem solver, with a lot more tools, and a lot more jobs available. I am graduating today and I am already experiencing a rush of interest from recruiters on LinkedIn and other jobs boards.

This was a very worthwhile experience. I'm coming from a very different field, and I needed a school that has strong connections to local businesses. I also wanted in-person instruction from instructors with experience in the field. This school far exceeded... Read More my expectations, and I feel well prepared to start a new career in a different field. The instructors are prepared to personalize instruction where needed, and they do a great job of breaking down complex topics for people unfamiliar with the content. The graduates also find work pretty quickly after completion, and the school is a big help with job search assistance.The entire staff is very open to student feedback, and I felt that they were very responsive. I'm very glad I came to this school. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to train or retrain for a new career.

Skill Distillery was one of the most challenging and over the top schools I have ever been to. Coming from a non coding background I believe what I have learned at this school has given me enough that I can succeed in this field of work. The Instructors... Read More here are very informative and down to earth they will help you whenever you need it but at the same time push you to the extreme to get you reading and breathing code. I will say this if you are not serious, can't handle pressure, and don't like failing this is probably not for you. Through this course you will come to understand that in coding you will have a lot of pressure, you will be failing a lot of code, and you will be playing catchup most of the program. But when everything finally connects you will be grateful for what this program has prepared you. You will be surprised at how much you know, and you will not regret it.

Skill Distillery was by far the best decision I have ever made in regards to my career. Before applying to Skill Distillery I was working in a call center for tech support. I felt like my life was going no where and so I decided to look for alternatives.... Read More I had done a small amount of HTML and CSS in college, and remembered enjoying it so I looked into courses about web design. After looking around I discovered Skill Distillery, emailed them, and had a response within the hour. After a lot of consideration and many hours spent researching, I decided to go for it.

Changing careers at the age of 29 can be a very scary decision, however, I quickly fell in love with coding and completed all of the pre-work, plus more before classes began. The actual class was amazing, all of the teachers were the best, most helpful, and caring teachers I have ever had, the course work was challenging, but very rewarding, and many of the people I met in the class are still my friends. They recently revamped their curriculum to include more job support, and introduce the students to many potential employers. I even had a job offer a week before the class ended.

Skill Distillery is not easy, in fact, it is probably the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, but the end result is immensely gratifying. If you put in the time, and really want this, then Skill Distillery can be one of the best decisions you ever make. I highly suggest this boot camp if you are looking to change careers to something that pays better, and is more rewarding than your current job.

I found Skill Distillery as I was digging myself out of a low point in my life. I had spent nearly 10 years jumping from college to college just trying to get a degree, because I had a habit of failing out. When I finally received my degree in German... Read More Language in 2015, there wasn't much I could do with it. I didn't want to teach, nor did I think I would be any good at it anyway. I decided to try to go back to school and check out computer science and engineering degrees. I LOVED my coding courses, but I started failing again. I had to withdraw, and I felt embarrassed and hopeless. I was almost 30, still living at home with my parents, unable to support myself, and I couldn't get myself out of it. I felt like a failure. Around that time was when I learned I have ADHD, and that the slow pace of the college coursework may have been why I struggled.

I began looking into technical schools and coding boot camps, where the training is more hands-on and at an accelerated pace. But I had also head that boot camp graduates often come out with major gaps in knowledge, and can struggle to find work because they still lack the skills demanded by the work force. I started asking around, and found a friend who worked for Raytheon and had a coworker who was a boot camp graduate. He told me he was impressed by how much this coworker knew, and encouraged me to look into the same boot camp. That's how I heard about Skill Distillery.

I decided to look into it. With the research I had done I knew that the coding boot camps with successful graduates usually taught an object-oriented programming language, especially Java, and that full-stack development was also valuable. Skill Distillery teaches an object-oriented coding language (Java) as well as Javascript and frameworks for full-stack web development. I hadn't found any other boot camps that taught Java, which is the language the majority of my Software Engineer friends work with. I decided to apply, but I was scared. It wasn't going to be cheap, and I have a habit of failing. After talking with Erin, I felt a little better about it. They also interview their potential students before accepting them into the program to make sure it's something they want to do and also believe they can do. I spent a couple weeks deciding whether or not I wanted to try it. I decided to go for it. I took out a loan and prepared myself for what might be the hardest course of my life. I was absolutely terrified. I've failed out of college 3 times and I tend to give up easily. I was taking a huge risk for myself.

It was the best decision I ever made. I enjoyed doing the pre-work prior the class starting, and it got me excited for the course. Then the first week started, and I enjoyed it. I was intense, I had never spent so much time in one day learning one subject. As the weeks went on, it got progressively harder, until about halfway through the course. I would get home completely exhausted. The course was from 8:30am to 5pm Monday through Friday. My cohort often stayed until about 6:30 to finish up our labs for the day. We had weekend assignments, and I would often go in on Saturdays to utilize the extra help from the TAs. I didn't always need it, but it was nice to have it available. The teachers are some of the most patient and intelligent people I've ever met in my life. Despite the intensity of it, it was also the most fun course I've ever taken. It was daily instant-gratification. We could see the results of work immediately. It was a definite confidence boost!

The best part about it was the help with employment. They helped us with our resumes, and would bring in employers and recruiters on occasion to talk. They also often bring in graduates who have gone through the program to talk about their experiences. They invite recruiters and employers to the midterm project and final project presentations. Some employers will do mock interviews. It helped me tremendously. My employer was at our final presentations, and they also did mock interviews with us. They offered me a job about 2 weeks after my graduation, and I have been working for them for 2 months now and am very happy with where I'm at! I never would have thought that one year after hitting one of the lowest points in my life that I'd be starting my career. It had such an impact that I recommend this school whenever someone mentions that they are not happy in their career. I have one friend who is currently enrolled in the program and tells me he loves it. If you are considering coding boot camp I'd highly recommend this one.

PROS:
- Teaches full-stack development using an object-oriented coding language for the back end and a scripting language for the front end (Java and Javascript, respectively)
- Fast-paced
- Lots of help is available after class and on the weekends
- Teachers are basically wizards

CONS:
- It is a 16-week program, so it might be a little bit long
- It runs from 8:30am to 5pm Monday through Friday, and there are afternoon labs and weekend projects that will take up time around those hours. You can't go to this boot camp and also have a job, it IS your job. It can push 60 hours of work each week. It is a major commitment.
- While still cheaper than some of their main competitors, it is by no means cheap. It costs about the same as 4 semesters of tuition at a university.

I definitely recommend this school. It changed my life for the better.

SUMMARY

The learning process was intense consisting of 60+ hours of work a week. Each of the instructors was among the best I've ever had the privilege of learning from. I accepted a job offer I am incredibly excited about, for a position I really wanted,... Read More only a day after graduation. Overall, it was the best decision I have ever made.

In the following chapters, you can read about my background, other students' backgrounds, Skill Distillery's strengths, the school's weaknesses, financing, and the outcome.

MY BACKGROUND

Firstly, have no fears about your background. The first person who to have a job in my cohort had never completed their Bachelor's degree. That same person was consistently one of the top performers in the course and had multiple job-offers weeks before completing the course.

When I joined Skill Distillery, my experience with coding was next to none. A couple of months prior to attending the boot camp, I picked up some Ruby as a hobby, doing it for a few hours a week. That was enough for me to know that I want to turn that hobby into a profession. I had a bachelor's degree in business from Germany and experience in business development/sales. However, I do not think that either of these was needed for me to get a job. All you need is a combination of passion for technology and problem solving, discipline, and an always learning and collaborative mindset.

OTHER STUDENTS

Other students in my cohort came from all walks of life. From people who spent 23 years in the Military, to those who haven't been born that long ago. From people with no degrees to those with advanced ones. From business owners, through chefs, to insurance sales representatives. One thing they all had in common was that they were ready for a change and willing to learn.

WHY SKILL DISTILLERY (Strengths)

I did a lot of research before deciding which boot camp to enroll. Skill Distillery was a clear winner, and here are some of the reasons:

1) BEST CURRICULUM ON THE MARKET

Java is the most popular language in the world (source: tiobe.com). It is used in many disciplines - from Web Development, through IOT, to machine learning. It is an object-oriented language, just like any other of the six languages with the highest TIOBE index. If you only learn Javascript, like at most other boot camps, you will limit your possibilities immensely. Also, switching from a statically typed language to a dynamically-typed one (e.g., Python) is easier than vice versa. At Skill Distillery, you get to learn Java, as well as the most widely used technologies and frameworks used with Java for web development (Spring framework, Maven, Gradle, etc.). Finally, you will come out a very well rounded web developer, as you will learn front-end technologies such as Javascript and Angular, as well as MySQL, a language very similar to SQL, which used to talk with your relational database.

2) BEST INSTRUCTORS ON THE MARKET

At most boot camps, you will get to learn from recent boot camp graduates. At Skill Distillery, the instructors are world-class experts and have an average of at least 20 years in the industry. They are also great pedagogues, and their teaching style is very involving. Each student also gets the individual help they need whenever working on a project/homework. Finally, a big shout out to the teaching assistants who have done a great job, often sitting with us until very late hours on Saturdays, rather than enjoying one of Denver's breweries. Good job lads.

CONS OF SKILL DISTILLERY

1 ) EXTREMELY FAST PACE

The biggest con is that you have to learn all of the technologies I mentioned above, and so much more, in just 16 weeks. What that means is that almost every day you will be learning a whole lot of new things, and there is very little time to catch up on something you struggle with. I stayed many nights until after 11 pm to cope with such a pace, especially in the first 5 weeks.

On the positive side, we did get to work on two 10-day group projects, (a mid-term and a final project), which give you an excellent opportunity to work on your weaknesses and to exchange knowledge with your peers. Besides, you will get a week to prepare for Oracle's OCA exam, at which time you will get to solidify and improve your core Java skills.

FINANCING

Skill Distillery has a deal with Climb for loans, or, if you are a veteran, you can use GI Bill. I used Climb's loan to pay for the school. I am a recent immigrant, so my credit history is short, and therefore I got a very high interest rate. None the less, the return on investment is great. Consequently, even if your credit is not too good, it is probably still worth it getting a loan and attending this program.

Comparing to some other boot camps, financing options are lacking support for the cost of living. You will have to figure out how you will afford your living expenses during the boot camp, as you will not have any time to work. I strongly urge Skill Distillery to find a partner who will offer a loan for the cost of living in addition to the tuition amount, as that may open the doors of attending to a lot of people.

OUTCOME

My cohort graduated last week, yet 2/11 of us already have jobs. Another person created a cool application for which some real estate companies have already offered to pay a subscription fee.

Almost everyone from the two cohorts before mine found a job within 90 days of completing the course. The lowest salary accepted by an alumnus I have met was still above 60k, and the highest is over 90k. Everyone I talked to said that their income significantly increased compared to what they were making before attending the course, with some people doubling theirs.

This boot camp is very different from others i researched and heard about as it teaches Java! While this makes the course much more difficult, it also give you a huge advantage over other bootcamp grads who only know javascript or ruby. Java is a tough... Read More language to learn, let alone that you learn it in two months.The first two months focuses on Java and then you move onto finishing the stack while always using java for your back end. This course is well worth you money and time but know it is a lot of material to cover in a short amount of time. Skill Distillery did an awesome job with amazing instructors. I would and do recommend this corse to anyone. I was one of the luckier ones in my class and was able to secure a job before graduation. I do feel strongly that my class mates will have a developer job shortly.