CodeClan

The CodeClan professional software development course is an amazing course set up to help fast track you into a software development role. Through an intensive course that covers 3 languages in just 16 weeks. It was incredibly intense experience but with... Read More all the support form the teachers and also the surrounding support and wellbeing staff, it felt very attainable throughout the course. The curriculum is set up in a way to instill good methods and mindsets for future learning and development, which I can attest to. Thoroughly recommend this course to anyone who wants to access this sector or change career. It can be incredibly scary and daunting, but with CodeClan it is definitely attainable.

I completed a 16 week course and graduated in July 2022. it was such a great time in which I learnt a lot. From my point of view, the course was not only for learning program languages; but also teaches you to self-learn computer languages and tools,... Read More and how to work within a team in the tech industry. I started to learn without any experience in the tech industry. The course was really intense. It was stressful most days but I enjoyed it so much at the same time. When it came to the start of my new career from last September I felt as same as I did in CodeClan but with a new team. I think CodeClan's curriculum helped me a lot to be in this industry. Every instructor and staff member I met was very kind and always happy to help/teach what you needed and you couldn't understand. It is not cheap to do the course. So if you don't commit 100% this can be a gamble and not a big investment. Their job support was amazing but I wish I had more opportunities to meet various companies.

I'll start by saying that I picked this course because there was the option to learn in person - something which was rare and important to me following the pandemic. From that point of view, CodeClan was already far above what any other bootcamp could... Read More achieve, and I was happy to make of it what I could. Reading many of the reviews on this page, I agreed with one thing - I was surprised that on average instructors had a very low amount of industry experience. In the weeks that I realised this, I was wary to learn from them, as I had traditionally been taught by "experts" within their field when training for previous job roles. Following this, however, I was increasingly impressed by their down-to-earth nature and varied vocational skills. What this meant was that I could't expect a particular instructor to know everything, but as a personable team, instructors provided enough knowledge, varied experience, and conversation to help anybody of any level feel confident in their own learning. I value this far above the poised snooty knowledge offered to me at university by tutors with many years of experience. The over-all experience of the course was one of a very welcoming and healthy learning environment. Receptive to feedback on the daily, instructors adapted to fit the particular learning needs of the class as best they could, and wouldn't hesitate to spend extra time making sure we were able to pursue our interests. What this also meant, is that we weren't pushed to work "hard" in the same way a school or university might do - the focus was on maintaining a low-stress and enjoyable learning environment. For me this was very beneficial, as I naturally aspire to work hard, however, for somebody who needs a little more help along the way to get work done I would not recommend the course unless the student were willing to change their attitude. Because of the course's varied nature, It's often difficult to appreciate the incredible amount of knowledge you're absorbing, and I was worried weekly that we were skipping over topics too quickly. That being said, as I moved into my job in the industry I realised that I knew far more about the possibilities of machine learning than some well qualified data engineers, and much more about databases than many statisticians. This was a real boost, and allowed me to work my way around gaps in my industry knowledge during interviews. Now, comfortably in my job for a couple of months, It's fair to say that I'm still learning every day alongside my colleagues. The data industry is still evolving and so you'll never be expected to know everything, just to have the capacity to learn. On the job front I have to say I don't know if I'm qualified to judge. My plan was to take this course and aim to move to London as soon as possible for work. CodeClan's strategy is to partner with many Scottish businesses and ~ help them help you ~ get settled into the industry. During my time there, there were many speed-hiring events and job-postings for local businesses through the CodeClan intranet, and I had no end of support in applying to these from a very willing careers team. We had a full week of career mentoring, which, if you have the time, can turn your CV into a masterpiece tailored for the businesses on the partner programme. For me, I wasn't applying to any businesses on the programme (which is why I don't feel entirely qualified to comment on it), but I was able to get support to build a great CV for the industry in London, and I had landed a job through my own networking and job-search work within two weeks of graduating. I know it took others on my course much longer to land a job, and I think it really depends on your previous working experience and the privilege of time you have to spend on the search. I was fed up of being in awful work for about six months prior to the course, so started looking as soon as I began the course, so I'd call that 4 months to get a job. Summary: At the end of the day this course is what you're able to make of it. Go in willing to learn, work hard and make friends and you'll do exactly that. I can't recommend the instructors any more for their flexible and transparent teaching styles, and their mission to uphold a healthy pastoral environment. The curriculum is lengthy and gives you the opportunity to focus on what you want whilst juggling everything else - don't fall behind or you'll struggle to catch up, but you'll be fine if you have the time and headspace. Job support - no complaints here. I can finally buy a beer without taking out a loan, and I am now in a job that I enjoy every single day.

I've worked in hospitality for about 15 years, all positions up to the very top in three different continents and after having 3 kids and not much time spent with them I felt that this the right time of changing my career path. With some research online... Read More CodeClan was the one that seemed promising and now 2 months after I've graduated I couldn't be happier that I made that choice. As you will read from other students the course is not easy, you really need to know what you want and be invested, but let me tell you about me that besides having interest of software (I wouldn't even call it a hobby) and in general tech I had no previous experience in coding whatsoever. My motivation and mainly the excellent team working in CodeClan Edinburgh starting from the person at reception who will welcome you every morning with a smile, through all the instructors, careers team, learning support, management and all the way the CEO herself were extremely helpful and heavily involved to make our experience better on day to day bases, I'd like to say big thank you to them all! Before even the course starts you need to be mentally prepared to work hard, 7 days a week and probably up to two months after the course is over till you nail the right job offer for you! But if I managed to get 3 amazing job offers about 6 weeks after the end of the course, with really good starting salary (definitely exceeding my expectations, that would be the same as mid to high level management role within hospitality in Scotland), having no previous IT, engineering or similar job experience, that means anyone can do it! Get yourself ready for as many interviews as possible, sometimes I'd have several interviews on the same day, be ready that some would just not work out, there are million reasons why and most of those reasons being out of your hands, important to say here you need to use the advices of the careers team, because they are brilliant, I can't thank them enough! All the students in my cohort were very friendly and that helped a lot. Never stop asking questions if are in doubt or if you don't get something, the instructors I had would pamper every need, would be professional and easygoing at the same time and would always go the extra mile for you. Well recommended course!

Overall I had a wonderful experience at CodeClan. It was hard work, but once you get confirmable being uncomfortable, you can do anything. The instructors are very kind, patient and really supportive. The most important thing for me was to be better than... Read More myself than the day before. I hadn't written a single line of code before joining and within 3 weeks of graduating I have secured a software job in a great company. You get a lot out of the course if you put a lot in! Pros - Really great environment to learn in - Really good to learn in person - They teach you a variety of technologies and languages and they amend the course based on industry feedback so it's very up to date Cons - It's expensive and a lot of people struggle to afford it as you can't work a job while doing the course - You need a particular laptop, which you can rent from them, but that's also not too affordable - There's not too many different funding options for those that can't afford the course

CodeClan culture is ugly beneath the veneer as the “instructors” (previous students with no industry experience or teaching qualifications/experience) are very clicky. You’ll hear your fair share of inappropriate staff comments mark my words. The course... Read More is ridiculously overpriced. Big promises......very little delivered. You may find yourself with a job offer at the end of the tunnel & if so congratulate yourself as you've achieved it on your own. Once you see the bady designed & delivered material you'll know you got there on your own. You may even come to the realisation you're being taught by someone who barely (if at all) grasps the concepts being delivered. Do yourself a favor & prepare. Lord knows you'll have to learn somewhere. Hopefully, you receive your certificate of participation.

TLDR; It’s good idea if you have 10k spare and some background. If you have no background, no Uni, no friends, no money, maybe start somewhere else. Codeclan is nice experience, the building in Edinburgh is very pretty, have nice vibe and friendly staff.... Read More With just a 5 minutes walk from the castle you feel like you are in the centre of Edinburgh IT. The program is build nicely with good basics. Teachers, majority is alright, some of them are previous students that did not get a “real” job, and no “real” experience, so they somehow lack knowledge, but usually you can find answers in the building, even if you gonna have to ask teachers from other cohort. Coffee and fruits is a nice touch, in general the vibe is awesome. Everyone focused in their laptops, coding, and being happy because we are going for better future. There is one problem. And maybe it’s actually more individual, but I would like to warn people like myself. Statistics that they have are not saying that you will get a job. It’s just saying that majority does. But what I forgot, and some other people that I know, that your past is really important. Let’s say that you, getting a job as a Software Developer, is 6 point system. + 1 for finishing CodeClan + 1 for having any University finished (bachelor or master in any field is better than none, as it shows your employer that you can learn) + 1 for having any experience in anything even closely related to IT + 1 for having friends (someone knows someone that is looking for a developer, boom, junior position is yours) + 1 for talent and skill (I’ve seen amazing stuff people do with Front End if they have talent and skills for Graphic Design) + 1 for portfolio (more projects that are online in www, the better, if it’s something you done for local business, even better) If you have only 1/6 then your chances are small, and I think that’s what was not clear for many of us at the time. Many of us heard that you can get a job without going for Computer Science degree, not many understood what it means. They sell a dream, but sometimes you have to work for it years before, or you might as well start working for it now. My only regret would be that after finishing they told us to just keep looking, improve CV and LinkedIn, instead of telling us about importance of showing our portfolio, learning further and maybe considering paths that are not obvious. But we were given advice in difficult times, that none of them ever before experienced (Covid-19, Brexit, Job Market stopped for like 4 months). They create army of web developers (from Full stack course obviously) that are identical with Software Development skills, but the difference lays in the filling (what those people done before Codeclan, is it something interesting for the future employer?). Overall I’m grateful for the experience and friends that I’ve made, but timing was bad.

I had been thinking about doing the professional software development course with codeclan for a couple of years and then late in 2019 I decided to go for it and I am so happy that I did. The reason I went with codeclan was because I had friends and friends... Read More or friends that had done it and they had nothing but good things to say.

Before I applied I had tried to do the whole online thing but without structure and accountability I continued to stall. Codeclan provides great resources, a couminuty and a team of instructors that are always willing to help. The course is super fast paced and you will have highs and lows as far as understanding the concepts but as everyone, on my cohort anyway, will tell you, it will all makes sense by Thursday!

Like I said it is fast and you will be given all the help and resource you need to succeed but you will only get out of codeclan what you put in, don't go into this thinking you are buying a ticket to a job in tech you really need to want it. If you are willing, however, to drop the £6250 on a course like this you are unlikely to just sit around and waste your money, so don't.

PDA is good but slightly more work than it is sold but if you keep on top of it it is fine. I found myslef doing batches of a few evidence peices at a time and that kept me kind of on top but if you just do them as they are made available to you then you will have no problem at all.

Final thing, I can not commend the team at codeclan enough for how they helped us transition from on campus to remote. Durning our time on the course we had to move to a totally new remote learning model that codeclan had to pull out of the bag in a matter of days due to COVID-19. The content, support or teaching did not drop at all. Our instructors couldn't do enough to keep us on the programming path.
The only thing we really missed out on was the speed networking but that was no-one's fault, companies were just unable or unwilling to meet face to face wich at the time was annoying but understandable!

Anyway, great course, great route to tech and great friends made along the way!

I recently graduated CodeClan and also wanted to offer my views on the course after reading some of the reviews from the cohorts before me. I find it staggering how different their experiences seemed to have been to mine.

I made the decision to come to... Read More CodeClan in November last year. I’d recently graduated university in graphic design and had been freelancing since then, it had gotten to the point where I wasn’t enjoying the reality of that line of work, so decided to make the switch to a different industry where my current skills would also be relevant.

I’m not going to lie to anyone thinking of undertaking this course, it’s hard. There were some difficult days but I never felt alone or lost, the support network was always there, from members of my cohort to the fantastic instructor team, by the end of the week things made sense and even felt trivial the week after. You just start doing the things you found insanely complicated without even thinking about it.

I read the complaints about the speed networking and lack of getting jobs immediately after graduating and couldn’t help but laugh. If you think that you are guaranteed a job just from attending CodeClan or employer partners will just hand out jobs after talking to you for 10 minutes, then this course will not be for you. CodeClan never gave the impression that a job would be handed to me upon graduation but I did feel that I had gained the confidence and skills to actively seek them out, with the support from the careers team to build my CV and LinkedIn to best reflect the skills I've gained and what I have to offer to potential employers.

There’s no doubt in my mind that you get out of this course what you put in. If you just listen to the classes, don’t code along and put the bare minimum effort into the homework then you’ll just have wasted £6250. CodeClan doesn’t hold your hand, they just give you the tools and resources to develop the skills needed to become a software developer, with an amazing group of instructors to help you along the way.

My cohort was in week 10 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the UK. We started going remote during week 11 and by week 12 we were fully remote and the building was shut, in line with government guidelines. I can do nothing except praise the instructors and staff for how smooth the transition to remote learning felt and it was so clear how much extra work was being done behind the scenes to ensure our learning was impacted as little as possible. I don’t feel that any of the skills I learned after going remote and any weaker than the ones I gained before, reinforcing how smooth this transition was.

The reality is that there just aren’t many jobs at the moment, but that’s no fault of CodeClan’s. Everyone is struggling, and the tech sector has weathered it a lot better than most. A few of my cohort have already received jobs, that proves that they are out there. It’s an unfortunate time to be seeking employment but that’s the reality of the situation we find ourselves in. I’m certain that I’ll find a job and until then I am strengthening my skills gained at CodeClan to build my portfolio and learn new technologies.

I don’t regret a single thing about my decision to come to CodeClan. I’ve learned more than I could ever have imagined, made some amazing friends and feel confident in calling myself a Software Developer.

I completed my journey with CodeClan about a month ago and I want to share my experience as the course seems to be receiving some rather mixed reviews and I am wondering how my experience could have differed so much to the other previous students.

I decided... Read More to apply to CodeClan, like many others, as I was looking for a career change that offered daily challenges, get one foot in the door to an industry that excites me and to build on previous skills. I had done a lot of research before applying and had spoken to some CodeClan graduates about their time on the course and if it was worth the investment. Almost everyone I spoke to said it was great and before long they were working in development roles. So to sign up was a no brainer.

I knew it was going to be a hard 16 weeks. CodeClan do not shy away from letting you know this and with all their pre-course work and information you really start the course knowing exactly what is going to happen and how you can get the most out of it.

I am a firm believer in that 'nothing comes from nothing' and CodeClan's course is no exception to that. If you think you can cruise through the course, get a certificate and then expect to be given a job then you are going to be hit with a massive reality check. CodeClan never say you are guaranteed a job at the end of it, but they make sure that all the steps are in place to be just as employable as the next person. The support after you have graduated in just as strong as when you are on the course, but you have to be the driver with those conversations as, understandably, they are busy themselves. They do not just dump you like some other reviewers are making it sound like. For example, someone in my class has just received a job offer having been told about it through the careers service. But you have to put in the extra work and use the time wisely. I have a feeling from reading some of these reviews that there is a sense of bitterness that it hasn't gone their way and want to pass the buck.

I graduated during the COVID-19 pandemic and had to make the transition to remote learning (CodeClan did an AMAZING job to adapt the course so quickly without it feeling like any of the material or experience was compromised). The job market has frozen and I am sure it is going to be a while before the job market becomes as open as CodeClan market it as. But this is not anyones fault and there should not be any blame put on anyone for this. But again, I fall back onto the 'nothing comes from nothing' attitude. I am now using my time to consolidate my learnings, learn new languages and build my portfolio. I know to others that this time must be really frustrating as what we were promised like speed networking etc could not happen due to obvious reasons, but having spoken to some of the senior staff members (who have been more than willing to take time out of their day to offer support) they have been clear with their advice: Keep going and keep learning as it shows more character rising to the challenge than getting defeated. Thanks to CodeClan's teaching, curriculum and support network I can do all this feeling confident about what to do and know what I am capable of.

Anyways, I am so glad I took the plunge and did the course and I cannot explain how much I have learnt. So much happens in those 16 weeks that I could write about it all day. I have also made awesome friends who I look forward to seeing succeed!

If you are thinking about doing this course make sure you really do your research and understand what you are signing up for. When you are ready to give it your all then GO FOR IT!

I cannot wait to see where the next chapter of this journey will take me!