| | Rachel | I come from a completely non-technical background, and started my coding journey with Codesmith from the very beginning--attending workshops, JSB, CS Prep, then the immersive program. The tuition for these programs all roll over to the immersive, and they also offer scholarship opportunities to those who are minorities in the tech industry. It's a great place to learn and grow as a self-driven, empathetic engineer, but it's also a lot of work, probably more than you would expect. Codesmith will offer you the structure, community, content, and guidance you need, but ultimately it'll be up to how much you invest and believe in yourself! Ultimately I'm glad I took this journey and thankful for everyone I met along the way. |
| | Angie Changpagne | Codesmith is the cutting edge of what education ought to be. Prior to this, I had a Computer Engineering and Economics background, though in reality at University I had very little idea of what I really wanted to do, with both an entrepreneurial spirit and also liking the technical side and hands-on work. I needed a way to master and apply these goals. I soon realized that Codesmith was my proof of concept; it gave me drive and focus and you will learn how to embark specialization in the engineering field to acquire the strongest competitive advantage in a constantly tidal industry.
The first time I attended one of Codesmith’s free workshops was in NYC, prior to permanently moving to LA and entering the Venice chapter. It was one of Will’s lectures on the hard parts and examining industry trends. Aside from having the ability to clearly explain complex concepts to many non-traditional crowds with backgrounds ranging from Ex-Finance, Ex-Law to Ex-Biology and applying them to modern applications, Will is also extremely energetic and inspiring; in a way he is much like a motivational tech speaker as well as an entertaining and informative lecturer who advocates for dynamic learning. After attending the free events and preparing for a month and a half, I applied and got into the Venice cohort for Autumn.
The entire Codesmith team and existing students were extremely warm and welcoming and ensured we had access to the best resources and mentorship. The daily programming had a fluid and well thought out schedule and the team is extremely approachable when any trepidations arise. Unlike my past encounters in engineering classes or even engineering sororities/frats, I did not feel excluded or minute anymore. I felt that I had a voice and a true impact. I felt level on the playing field if not leveraged, and I felt empowered.
The culture at Codesmith is what every tech firm’s culture aspires to be like; it is hosted by a community of intelligent, enlightened, tolerant people which allows you to diversify your network outlook. The culture there will become your greatest advocate as you make the advance through pair programming and project based learning. You realize that there are many different methods to the same goal, the same problem, but raining on new ideas, constant brainstorming, feedback and examination is what will make you quick to adapt and highly performant to the environment. You also acquire an ability to skillfully embed creativity into the applications and systems you build, to ideate as well as decide on the key trade-offs behind design choice. Pursuing this is what will cultivate the depth of knowledge and leadership skills to thrive with any company.
Codesmith is not just a Software Engineering training program and its experience extends beyond the bounds of the 3 month immersive. It teaches you micro and macro career planning, careful decision making, and how to design and implement scalable, efficient systems in computers and in life. We learn to constantly pivot and to feed into our curiosity to grow in the direction of personal and professional development.
The hiring support is exceptional. The team consists of former alumni from Ivy Leagues, successful Entrepreneurs, Angel Investors and a range of well versed backgrounds both in and out of the field who were committed to my success every step of the way. Amid the rise of the global pandemic, Annie from the alumni support team remained just as resourceful, available, and was extremely adept at checking up on us in our job exploration and interview process. The team gave us the roadmap to success using industry knowledge and best practices to achieve our highest potential and held us at very high standards.
After I received offers from different companies, Eric gave me advice and key insights on negotiation strategies for salary, benefits, equity and pushed me to have the courage and confidence to do so. As a woman and minority in STEM, I have always felt the very present stigma of imposter syndrome and the victim mentality. I’ve felt discouraged from negotiating a contract at times, that I should just willfully accept the best offer presented to me as many women who have been conditioned to feel this way can relate. However, this time was different. After having the guidance from Eric and the entire hiring support team as well as many CS(CodeSmith) Alumni who have been at the exact same position, I was able to finally realize the value of having a different background than the majority and to see that as an asset. I ended up successfully negotiating an extra $10K on an offer and accepting a Software Engineer position at my dream company!
I have to say, I am equally as proud to be an Alumni of Codesmith as I am of my Alma Mater, and in many ways I have grown more professionally and industrially from Codesmith’s impact than I have from any other traditional schooling, organization or institution. This program outlines an extraordinary blueprint for modernizing education and the way it impacts career viability, professional progression, and is an archetype of education for the future. With that being said, I think it’s time to change your future now and let no time go to waste. |
