| | Tommy Tran | Alchemy Code Lab was probably one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. Prior to this, coding was something I was interested in but never really planned on pursuing. That was until one of my best friends took the program. Before coming to Alchemy, I already had a good impression because my friend had been trying to convince me to take it from when he was in the program up until the point when I finally said yes. I gained confidence in Alchemy’s ability to prepare people for tech careers when my friend got his first job where he was referred to by another Alchemy graduate, and after talking to Megan, my decision was made.
If your only interest is to learn web development, then I would suggest much cheaper alternative resources like Khan Academy, Udemy, Codecademy, YouTube, etc. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of other resources that are much cheaper than Alchemy Code Lab that you can use to learn web development. Alchemy Code Lab isn’t just about teaching you web development, it’s about preparing you for a career in tech starting with web development. You’ll get tech industry-related experience with teamwork and communication, project planning and management, and best practices as well as career-related experience with networking, resume writing, interviewing, and salary negotiation. When you join Alchemy Code Lab, you won’t just be enrolling in a class, you’ll be joining a positive and supportive community that will support you during your time at Alchemy and will continue to do so long after you’re done with the program.
While the cost of doing Alchemy Code Lab is obviously higher compared to other programs in the Portland area and keeping in mind that I can’t really compare the Alchemy program to other programs (because I didn’t have to take other programs), I would say that it’s totally worth it for the experience and the amount and quality of support you get from the staff. I would dare say that you can get your money’s worth just from having access to Shannon in Career Services but that wouldn’t be fair or right to Megan, Marty, Ryan, and the other staff members (I haven’t met the others) because they are all amazing and supportive. Shannon will help you with networking, interviewing, and negotiating salary. She will give you advice on your resume and even set you up with recruiters for positions that she thinks would be a good fit for you. Her goal isn’t just for you to get a job, it’s for you to get a job that you’re happy with and pays well. Marty and Ryan are veterans in the tech industry and are very up to date on the latest and most popular technologies. They always make sure that the curriculum they teach you is reflective of the demand in the job market. Megan is basically Alchemy’s mom. She’ll support you emotionally if you ever feel down, and she’ll also work with you to get financial aid. Before the pandemic when the classes were in-person, she made sure that the class environment was comfortable and gave out snacks everyday.
I want to be clear, just doing the program isn’t going to guarantee you a job nor will it guarantee that you will be an amazing developer. You’ll have to put in the work to get results. However the work you put in at Alchemy will have amplified results with their support. |
