Codesmith

My experience in Codesmith was fantastic. The technical learning (with a focus on full-stack applications with React & Javascript on the frontend and Node/Express on the backend) was excellent. The structure the program provides really helped me to maximize... Read More my learning during my time there. The empathetic support Codesmith uses was instrumental in helping me to succeed in the program and beyond. Codesmith's career-support was amazing by providing practical strategies that helped me to land a job as a software engineer.

I first learned about Codesmith while exploring the possibility of a career pivot into tech pre-pandemic. I was self-learning the basics of frontend development and attending local meetups, many of which were hosted by various bootcamps. As an educator,... Read More I immediately noticed a distinct difference in Codesmith's approach, particularly in their emphasis on technical communication. Even while attending a free workshop, they encourage active participation and guide new folks through learning how to talk through code in an inviting, empathetic way. Every workshop includes pair-programming time to further practice both technical communication and empathetic collaboration. I knew Codesmith would be my first choice. What I didn't know until I was in the program, was how incredible their career support is. They invest heavily in career support resources that you have access to for the rest of your life. Any alumni can schedule coaching sessions with a career support counselor to revamp their resume, practice interviewing, or get support in any area they are struggling in. In addition, alumni at all stages of their career create informal groups to support each other. The job market can be tough, but at no point have I felt alone in my pursuit, and that is priceless.

Attending Codesmith a few years back was one of the best decisions I ever made. The supportive community made learning possible since the web development world can be vast and confusing. The curriculum was well-structured for the most part, with hands-on... Read More projects that solidify your understanding and prepare you for real-world challenges.
One of the best parts was and is the amazing hiring support. The career team offered personalized guidance, from resume building to mock interviews. Even now, a few years later, their support has been invaluable. I recently landed my second job and I was able to negotiate better with their help (thanks again Eric and Annie!).
The alumni network is also a fantastic resource, full of people eager to help each other succeed. I’ve stayed actively engaged in this community and have met many amazing people.
Of course, it wasn't without its challenges. The program was intense and demanding, which can be stressful at times. However, the effort is worth it, and the payoff is huge.
Overall, Codesmith continuously exceeds expectations. The combination of a great community, thorough education in this space, and exceptional hiring support makes it a top-notch program for aspiring software engineers. However, it is important to note YOU need to put in the work and trust in the process, as well as stay resilient during tough times. Though this review is overdue, I'm incredibly grateful for my time there and the lifelong and new friends I've made.

Whenever people ask me what I recommend to get started with coding, I tell them about CodeSmith. CodeSmith has a ton of free resources to get started. You can get started with CSX a free course which teaches you the basics of JavaScript and culminates... Read More in you creating a Chrome Browser Extension. CodeSmith also has free events and workshops where you can dive deep into the harder parts of JavaScript.

I mention all of the free resources because I think it's indicative of the philosophy of CodeSmith - it feels like an incredibly inclusive and supportive group that encourages you to put the work in and approach things with a growth mindset. From the very beginning when they interviewed me, they tested my basic JavaScript abilities, but more importantly, they wanted to see that I could communicate what was happening with the code.

In the curriculum, we learned the basics of data structures and did a series of projects with partners, groups, and sometimes by ourselves. This was to help us learn how to code, but it was also a moment for us to learn what we're good at and what areas we have room to grow. If several people tell you that you are hard to work with for whatever reason - it's a moment for you to grow and become better.

Arguably the best part was that the last 2-4 weeks of the program was spent going over hiring, interviewing, and negotiating. You get a ton of support after you graduate as well as life-long friends.

Codesmith is an exceptional coding bootcamp that truly prepares you for a career in software engineering. The curriculum is intensive, focusing on JavaScript and full-stack development with technologies like React and Node.js.

The instructors are top-notch,... Read More bringing real-world experience and clear explanations to complex topics. The community-driven approach, with plenty of pair programming and collaborative projects, mirrors a real tech environment.

Job support at Codesmith is outstanding, with many graduates landing roles at companies like Google and Amazon. They provide extensive resources like resume workshops and mock interviews, and hiring and negotiation support, even after you graduate.

The sense of community is strong, fostering both technical skills and emotional intelligence. The admissions process is tough, ensuring that everyone in the program is ready for the challenge.

Overall, if you're serious about becoming a software engineer, Codesmith is a fantastic choice. The program is demanding, but the skills and career opportunities you gain make it worth it.

Codesmith does a great job of providing students with resources before they begin the immersive program. Even though I had been studying JavaScript for a few years before applying, the CSX program really helped me better understand important topics like... Read More closure, asynchronicity, higher-order functions, and recursion. On top of the CSX program, applicants also have to do live coding interviews with Codesmith faculty which encourages applicants to practice coding and get real-time feedback during their interviews. To me, the lead-up to the immersive program is one of the things that makes Codesmith stand apart from some of the other bootcamps / immersive programs. I think it would be very difficult to find a SWE job if you start any three-month immersive program without any prior coding knowledge.
To me, it seems likely that Codesmith's curriculum isn't vastly different from other programs. And as a former educator, I wasn't impressed by the actual teaching methods. It's mostly just an instructor narrating over powerpoint presentations (whose material seems to come mostly from the documentation for that particular technology), asking a couple questions to check for understanding, and then dismissing class for pair programming on the topic. During the pair programming, you might get an instructor or TA's guidance for five minutes, but because of the ratio of TAs to students, their time is quite limited. They will call this "hard learning" where you need to lean into being stuck, looking up documentation, and considering different approaches. These are worthy habits, but it's also "hard learning" because the lectures are hastily done and simply a pretty ineffective pedagogical approach. By the end of the program you have a decent understanding of a lot of the common tech stacks, but, for most students, further study is definitely needed to be fully job-ready.
The crown jewel of the program is their job search portion. They pour a lot of resources into helping students with their resumes, interviewing skills, and networking. That on top of the time and effort they put into building a community (I'm still a part of the Codesmith slack today) really helps students find a SWE role right for them.
Overall, if someone has really tried to get a SWE role through pure self-study (Udemy, YouTube, FreeCodeCamp, books, etc.) and is feeling like they're spinning their wheels, I'd recommend Codesmith as an immersive program that can help direct your learning, connect you to a community of other aspiring developers, and prepare you for the job search process.

Pros it was encouraging and supportive from day 1. I’m a non traditional software engineer and came to Codesmith for a new beginning. They opened their doors and made me believe I can do it, and they equipped us with technical experience but also equipped... Read More us with the soft skills to be the future of engineering. Cons is that the program went so fast, good times!

I had done the full time program in March of 2020 at the start of the pandemic and am now several years into my career as a software engineer. Without Codesmith, I would not have been able to make my pivot into the technical side of coding after being... Read More in tech for several years already. Through the program, I was able to learn full stack skills which I am still building upon today as well as a network and several friends I still have kept in contact with after this many years. I've also recommended a few people into the program who are also software engineers now.

As many other have noted, Codesmith’s 12-week course is both an extremely challenging and extremely rewarding journey. The aspect that made it possible was the unbelievable assistance from the community. The unflagging support from both the staff and... Read More fellow students make the long hours (10-12 hours day, if not more) manageable — enjoyable even — and it never feels like you’re alone during any part of the marathon.

The structured pace is fast, but at no point did I feel left behind because there is always someone willing to review curriculum material. The onus of mastery falls on the initiative of the student (additional long hours or weekend work), but Codesmith mentors and teachers do an amazing job of making themselves available.

The production project portion of the program forces students to think outside the box and interact with their team in a similar way that they might in the real world. The graphQL migration tool my team built was a crucial learning experience and huge talking point during my job search and interviews.

With so many bootcamp options available, it can be difficult to gauge the flavor of each and whether a course might be right for you. Codesmith’s CS Prep and free CSX course is a great way to get a sense of the culture and curriculum. I would heartily recommend Codesmith to someone looking to level-up in fullstack development and it was one of the best educational/career decisions I’ve ever made.

*Caveat that the above review reflects my experience in 2019

After the burnout of working in hospital administration/fundraising during COVID, I knew I wanted to pivot to something different after my 10+ year career. I had briefly floated the idea of attending a coding bootcamp before, but the timing just was never... Read More right. In 2021, I made the decision to quit my job and pursue software engineering, but had the task of deciding which school to attend. My research led me to Codesmith - while it had a much more selective acceptance criteria, I knew that it would give me the best possible shot at landing a job after graduation. From the moment I sat in a free online coding workshop, I knew this process was going to be special. I attended the early 2022 remote online immersive program, and my life changed forever. The curriculum was absolutely intense and difficult, but the results speak for themselves. Within just two months of graduation, I had secured a position as a full-time software engineer. Attending Codesmith was truly the best decision I ever made.