Parsity

I was one of the oldest members of my cohort. I am a father of two, a husband, and I have bills to pay! I spent the last ten years at a job that I was growing increasingly burnt out on, and I decided it was time for a change. I didn't make a lot of money,... Read More so I was perpetually paycheck to paycheck. As gratifying as public service was, the cons were outweighing the pros, and it was just no longer sustainable. I decided to try and teach myself code. I spent the better part of a year learning web development. Things would come up, and I'd take a little break...maybe not so little, and I'd have to relearn a lot of what I was working on. Then I decided to get "serious" and started coding everyday, even if only a little. I got better, but I felt I still had a long way to go to make the career transition that I was planning.

It was then that I started researching code schools in my area. I looked at several, one "affiliated" with a local university, a couple of online bootcamps, some part time, some full-time. And then I found Project Shift. It stood out.

They focused on teaching programming fundamentals. They included some Computer Science topics in the curriculum. They purposefully kept their groups small. And they taught full stack JavaScript, which I liked. Basically, they ticked all of my boxes. They gave me the warm and fuzzies, where all of the rest seemed to fall short.

So how was I going to pay for all of this? It's not just the tuition, but also living expenses as I would have to quit my full time job. It was a tough decision. It would be (in my mind) a big gamble.

So how did it turn out?

I'm two weeks out from graduation, and I have a wonderful job offer with a large tech company! Your mileage may vary, but for me, I nearly doubled my income. Not to mention the other great benefits. And I get to work on cool, cutting edge, technologies. It's literally everything I could have hoped for.

The curriculum is thorough, but not exhaustive. After all, part of learning to code is learning to learn new tech, and Project Shift encourages that.

There is a ton of mentorship. You will have an individual mentor, access to a team of mentors on a Slack group, as well as the staff; all of whom are incredibly helpful.

There were several opportunities built in for networking with local devs like an invitation luncheon, a few panels/discussions, field trips, etc.

The work environment and the local scene are very conducive to being productive. You have 24 hr access to the coworking space where they are located. I spent many nights and weekends coding away at the office.

There is plenty of help if you get stuck on a problem. The onus is really on you to seek help when you need it.

There will be boat load of career services training in addition to all the programming. This is invaluable and has played no small part in the traction I've been able to gain in the short time since I've completed the course. And it continues far beyond graduation.

There are wonderful moments of ephiphany where you accomplish more than you thought you could.

So...the cons?

It is a lot of work. A LOT! I spent a good 70-80 hours a week most weeks.

It moves fast. Sometimes it felt like we were moving on to an entirely new topic before I could grasp what were were just talking about.

Some of the material starts out pretty esoteric, but becomes clearer as you progress. So it takes a bit of faith in the process, but can be a bit frustrating at times.

And of course, it isn't cheap. But what kind of value is it. Well, like I said, two weeks from graduating and I essentially doubled my salary.

Is it for you?

You'll need to be driven and proactive. Seriously, not just buzzwords. This isn't high school, the responsibility will be solely on you.

You'll need to be humble and willing to ask for help. Throw whatever shred of ego you have out the window. It will only impede your progress.

You'll need to be able to play well with others. Much of the learning is done in a pair programming environment, and it is a small, intimate group.

So, do I recommend it? Unabashedly YES! If you are considering investing in a code school to help you change careers, I could not recomment Project Shift any more highly.

I would do voluntarily do this program again just to hangout with Aaron and Sean in the fun learning atmosphere they created. The intimate class size and heart that they have for this program is not to be understated - I genuinely felt like I was a part... Read More of a family there, and still do as part of their alumni network. This is not to downplay the fact that this was one of the most taxing things I've ever done in a 3-month span. It is NOT easy, but the reward of how much I was able to learn about web development and my own personal growth in that time span is more than enough to make me look back on it fondly.

Pros:
-Intimate class size allows you to get to know peers as well as instructors

-Convenient location in downtown Durham's WeWork, which is fully stocked with amenities and surrounded by cool local businesses

-Offers a part-time preparatory course that is very cheap and can be applied to your tuition for the full-time class, should you enroll

-Despite his expertise, Aaron has the energy of an upbeat puppy, which makes you feel un-judged and able to learn things even though you may feel a lot of self-doubt

-Curriculum is highly relevant in terms of full-stack JavaScript technologies and frameworks

-Inctructors take care to give you the context and history of the technologies you're learning so that you have a big picture of the web development world

-Algorithms and Big O notation

-Has an impressive local network of recruiters and current software engineers to connect you with

-Assigned a personal mentor that I connected with outside of class for added perspective

-Sean's tough love is exactly what I needed to prepare me for the most challenging job interviews

-They STILL help me with technical questions and career advice over slack even though I'm no longer a student

-I moved to my hometown of Charlotte right after the course ended, and found an amazing local network of developers thanks to a tip that Sean gave me via message (this same network helped me land a dream job as a Software Engineer at Skookum)

-The group project final and your solo demo are challenging and way more relevant to a potential employer than the projects I've seen from other bootcamps

Cons:

-You feel the repercussions more in a small group if some of your classmates have a different definition of working hard compared to you (referring to the final cohort project)

-It's a fast-paced program and you WILL fall behind if you don't constantly push yourself. This is all bootcamps though.

-Our cohort felt the growing pains in a pronounced way because of the location changes leading up to the new WeWork building's grand opening. This is unlikely to be a factor for the cohorts after us since Project Shift is all settled into the new building now.

-Communication pitfalls were frustrating at times when we weren't sure which instructor was arriving/when with how the days were split.

-Typos and grammatical errors in the lessons occasionally annoyed me, though the actual intellectual content and resources of the lessons were all there. Just something that should be improved for professionality and branding's sake.

Pros:
-Accomplished my goal of stepping away from IT support/ops and into a JS engineering role
-Provided a good framework in which I could code every day (including 8-12 hrs per weekend at my own pace) for three months
-It's a small startup with hard-working... Read More staff who care about your success personally
-Cohorts are limited to ten people, so you really get to know everyone including the instructors
-Attempts to teach concepts in a logical order, sometimes taking the harder route of learning an older framework first so that you have more context for the new one. Flipside of this is that we were stuck in outdated land for a long time.
-Took me from being shaky at simple scripts to writing a functional full-stack app.
-Projects provide real artifacts to show off (or to hide forever ;) )
-Price was reasonable for quantity, quality, and availability of training and staff, and for the increase in salary I saw before/after the camp.
-We had an awesome TA who went way above and beyond and truly made the difference in all of our success. Can't praise him enough.
-Public demo night was an awesome opportunity -- I had three people from name-brand companies approach me about jobs after watching me present. That's value.

Cons -
-Growing pains. I was part of the third cohort. They're still figuring things out, such as:
-Unrefined training content was littered with spelling, grammatical, and code errors. Daily struggle. I hope they're working on it but I really didn't see any acknowledgement of the issue or action taken to fix it. Everything is usable but... it can feel unprofessional.
-Logistics. We moved offices three times in three months. Future cohorts shouldn't run into this, but it was a distraction and we were treated like second-class citizens by one of the offices ("go park half a mile away in a sketchy lot where people don't feel safe at night").
-Geared towards people truly switching careers, so they sometimes don't really know how to handle tech professionals with overlapping experience. With an IT background I often did not find any value in the trainings geared towards teaching computer science, and there were sometimes inaccuracies in the material. They should really structure this in a way that allows for opting out and focusing on coding.
-I did not use job support services as I found a job myself part way through the program. The requirements to get the services felt like they would be pretty burdensome, so have a frank conversation about expectations for both parties prior to enrollment. I don't think they explicitly offered this service when I enrolled, as we never talked about it until like halfway through the program.
-There were a couple instances where I felt like staff went too far towards acting like cool kids -- keep finding the right balance of teacher/mentor vs. student.

In the beginning, there were a lot of questions within myself as to whether we I could shift my vocational track in such a short period of time. I am truly amazed at how consistent Project Shift was and is with their approach to helping individuals become... Read More software developers. It wasn't easy and you have to put a lot of effort to get the results of becoming a developer. In my time there, I noticed how much they care about your growth and learning style and for me, that was what I picked up first, how to learn again. The progressions that the cohort takes you through to learn JavaScript and engineering principles are thorough and bring results. I can say with full confidence that if I had the choice before me again that I would choose Project Shift.

I find myself telling anyone who asks about Project Shift the same thing: it was the most enjoyable and engaging learning program that I've ever experienced. If you're serious about switching into a career in software development, I highly recommend Project... Read More Shift. For a time, I was skeptical about code schools, but the more I learned about this program, the more I realized that it checked off boxes that other schools couldn't. After interviewing with Aaron (the founder and one of the instructors), I felt confident that this was a serious opportunity for someone like me who enjoyed coding on and off for years but wanted to dive deeper and start a new career path. I love that the cohort size is capped at 10 students. This maximized my ability to learn and made me feel as if I was more than just a warm body filling a seat. I quickly discovered that both instructors, Aaron and Sean, are enthusiastic and tireless in their efforts to help you learn the nuts and bolts of being a successful software engineer.

During my cohort, the lessons were generally straightforward yet challenging. Learning was enhanced by pair programming, which was built into most lessons. The curriculum was well thought out and well paced. To me, Project Shift does a great job of teaching practical development skills in current technologies while also incorporating universal programming principles, which are applicable regardless of which language or technology you use. Also, the instructors make themselves readily available when you feel stuck or have questions.

Before and after the cohort ended, both Sean and Aaron went above and beyond for my career search - they responded readily to any questions I had via chat message, video chat, and meeting in person. Both gave helpful advice and guidance throughout the process or applying, interviewing, following up, etc. Less than three months post-Project Shift, I started my career as a full-time software developer, and I owe that to a connection I made through my Project Shift mentor. I can say with confidence that this program prepares you to become a software engineer because from day one on the job I have been applying lessons learned from Project Shift.

When I started looking at bootcamps, Project Shift immediately stood out to me. I was very excited about their selective admission process. I was confident that if I was accepted I would succeed.

I was a bit worried that 3 months would not be enough time... Read More to get job-ready. The precourse work prepared me for what was a very fast paced curriculum. I worked many weekend and evening hours to make sure I got as much as I could out of each lesson. The curriculum builds at a very good pace. I was constantly challenged, but the material was never beyond my understanding. Aaron and Sean were both very easy to talk to and were always willing to answer questions and help me understand anything that I wasn't sure about.

I had a job interview on the last day of the cohort with one of Sean's connections. After a follow up interview and a code challenge, I was hired.

My experience with Project Shift has turned out better than I could have ever expected. If you are passionate about programming, and you are willing to work your butt off, you will not regret this investment in your future.

I was a member of Project Shift's first cohort and, being a former teacher, I knew the first iteration of any course was probably going to be a bumpy ride. But I did it anyway for a couple of reasons. First of all, I just really liked Aaron. Is that a... Read More dumb reason? Maybe, but it worked out. I could tell he was passionate about what he wanted to do, and I loved his enthusiasm. Secondly, I liked that the program was competative to get into and they wouldn't just accept anyone. Another bootcamp I was 'courting' at the time that shall remain nameless made it obvious (to me) that they were just trying to fill seats. That was very offputting to me because I wanted to be in a course with others who had similar abilities and goals since this was such a tight timeline.

The actual course exceeded my expecations. Like I previously said, I was expecting a ton of hiccups, and Aaron and Sean were both extremely candid about how this was the first time and they were probably gonna screw some things up. And for sure there were issues here and there, but overall, the curriculum was really well thought out. You could absolutely tell how much time and energy they put into deveoping the course materials. Also, I found the lessons easy to follow and, more importantly, easy to learn from. I liked working closely with the other members of the small cohort (there were only 7 of us), and I really felt like I got to know everyone and we had a ton of fun.

In terms of post-bootcamp, it's only been a few weeks so I cannot really speak to long-term career prospects, but I will say that Sean and Aaron have been super supportive and have put all of us in touch with people in their large network, many of whom have job openings. I was lucky because I landed a part-time contract position like two weeks out, which works perfectly with my schedule. It was really a best case scenario for me, and I found out about the opportunity via one of Sean's connections.

I chose Project Shift for a number of reasons: I wanted to learn JavaScript, I didn't want to have to choose between front-end and back-end specializations, I liked the approach of learning big-picture concepts alongside practical skills, and I thought... Read More the selective admissions and small class size would mean getting the most out of our 12 weeks. I was definitely not disappointed. I worked hard and learned a TON.

Each week of the course has a different focus. Monday through Thursday, students partner on guided lessons. Fridays are for all-day evaluations (the name sounds scary, but they felt more like a project than a test), which were almost never completed by the end of the day--expect to spend plenty of weekend and evening hours working on these.

I expected to learn a lot and I did. Maybe the thing that surprised me the most was how much fun our cohort had together--over the course, we had a slew of class inside jokes, periodic ping pong breaks, and prodigious use of the Slack party parrot.

I gave four stars to job assistance as our career counselor left mid-cohort and the mentor and guest speaker programs are still being worked on. Less than a month after the end of our program, it's too early to know much about job outcomes. Speaking for myself however, I had the great fortune of finding a job within a few weeks of graduation.