Codesmith

I attended CodeSmith CS Prep 2 weeks program. The program is structured very well. The instructor is knowledgeable and knows how to guide learners to build up their own coding logics step by step. CodeSmith provides a supportive platform so I can get... Read More much help when I need it. I will definitely recommend this program and pursue to join their engineer immersive programs.

I spent about 3 months preparing and studying to get into this program, and it was absolutely worth it. You'll be paired up amongst other prospective and seasoned engineers who're all ready to truly hit the ground running. Once the program is over, you'll... Read More have extensive hiring support available whenever you need to help you through the arduous job hunting process.

Codesmith is a great program for those who are ready to put in the work to become a software engineer. Codesmith's way of instruction can feel rough at times, but because they push their students out of their comfort zone, that's why Codesmith is so successful.... Read More Their approach to the job hunt is amazing and I encourage you to go through the program and see it for yourself. A lot of what you're paying for at codesmith is invaluable. Personally, I loved that they put me in a mindset to succeed and to go after what I deserve and nothing less.

Codesmith's immersive program was an unforgettable experience. Not being given the answers to everything is quite uncomfortable, and can be quite overwhelming at times, but couldn't think of a better group of people to go through it with. The level of... Read More commitment and empathy shown by everyone from the instructors, to the residents, and hiring support made it all the more worthwhile. The CIRR data speaks for itself, it's just whether or not you choose to believe it. I'll admit that I was pretty skeptical the first time I saw the reviews. Having gone through it all and meeting these wonderful people, I'm proud to be one of the testimonies that feels lucky to be a part of it.

Codesmith teaches its residents how to take on any new software technologies quickly and efficiently - not through memorizing syntax, but understanding the logic and how the code works under the hood. Its curriculum facilitates deep dives into central... Read More techs, eloquent communication, empathy, and engineering mature products. Its emphasis on collaborative workflows allows residents to work effectively as teammates, ideate exciting, marketable applications, iterate on features, bridge different engineering approaches, and troubleshoot through code reviews. The staff and support community is superb from teaching to hiring. A life-altering growth experience.

Summary: its most likely going to be the hardest thing you've done in your life. None of it is easy. Getting in to Codesmith is hard, graduating Codesmith is hard (the 75+ hour weeks are no joke). Getting HIRED after Codesmith is going to be even HARDER.... Read More Seriously, getting a mid-level engineering role is hard. Don't expect to graduate and easily get hired. That said, I did get hired 10 weeks after graduation with a mid-level engineering role (but that was 10 weeks of 100% effort). If you're serious about moving into engineering, Codesmith should be your top choice. It will be much harder than you're imagining, but it can be done (even in a pandemic..!). Outcome: 10 weeks after graduation, a base salary very close to Codesmith median + equity. My Background: Non-technical major from top 50 public college. 'Prestigious', but non-technical work experience before Codesmith, so I just left it off resume. If youre making a switch to engineering, pretty much nothing you did previously really matters. Don't expect it to help you, it may actually hurt you if its on resume. I had written a little code before prepping to interview at Codesmith, but not much. Took 3 months of prep and 2 interviews to get in. Then had 1 month to prep before immersive. So 4 months pre-Codesmith, 3 months at Codesmith, 2 month job hunt, turns me from zero (pretty much) to mid-level engineer in 9 months. Granted thats prop an average of 45-55hr weeks working towards it.

Best bootcamp out there IMO, but I don’t think there’s anything particularly special about the curriculum. It is mostly taught by (extremely capable) recent grads, and all the stuff that is taught can just as well be self-learned (for a much lower price... Read More tag). However, “hard-learning” and hours and hours (and hours) of pair programming are where a bulk of the growth happens. A lot of people look at the outcome numbers and are skeptical, but they’re 100% legit. This is in part because Codesmith kind of paves its own legacy by making the bar for admission very high compared to other bootcamps. Peeking through the resumes of my peers, there were plenty of UC and Ivy Leaguers in my cohort — the kind of ambitious folks who would probably have been successful without doing a bootcamp. This isn’t to say you have to be a genius to get in, but you need to be dedicated and driven. By getting to the level where you can even get admitted, you should feel encouraged that you can eventually master Javascript land a high paying position in the industry. On the other side of that though, the community that Codesmith cultivates, and their hiring prep program are outstanding. You don’t really graduate until you are hired - that is- you have unfettered access to the staff and can schedule support sessions well after the program ends. These aspects were critical to me landing a high paying job within 3 months of graduation. I would make the decision to enroll every time.

The hiring curriculum after the main coding course was arguably half the value of CodeSmith. Not only does CodeSmith go over the fundamentals like time complexity and data structures - they push you to build countless projects week after week. In an industry... Read More that's constantly changing, you learn how to handle hitting roadblocks and you learn how to overcome them. The capstone project has you building a tool that actually gets used by the general public (my project currently has almost 800 downloads) - these are more than the basic "todo" apps. At the end, you get a 2 week course in how to apply to jobs, write a cover letter, network, and negotiate your salary. They give you all the resources you need - even after the program ends. I've seen rock climbing instructors, video production people, and everyone in between change their careers and earn a six figure salary - to say that this was a life changing experience is an understatement.

I just finished up CS prep with Sophie N. as our teacher for our cohort. I have gained lots of knowledge, developed lots of skills, stretched my limits and surprised to learn that I could do more because the way they have designed the program. ultimately,... Read More it was all worth it. even if its just a 2 week class, I got a lot out of it that i wouldn't get by just studying on my own. Thanks Sophie for being an amazing teacher. I had a wonderful time with your class. I’ve learned a lot and I am so inspired to keep moving on.

I enrolled in CS Prep with the intention of preparing for one of the immersives at Codesmith later this year. I wasn't sure what to expect going in but it was a great experience overall. The whole class (~30 people) was super supportive and encouraging... Read More of everyone. Our instructor, Sophie, was really knowledgable and seemed really invested in helping students and making sure they succeeded in the curriculum. I will add that going in I was surprised by how much pairing there was (every day), but I found it a valuable experience and the final project was a blast. I definitely plan to try to get into one of Codesmith's immersives after this positive experience. I'm only giving zero stars for job support as there isn't any career support with the prep course so it's not applicable to this.