Sabio

I came from a design background, hit a wall in that profession and needed to rebuild my skill set. Sabio was very reputable and highly recommended by my colleagues so it was a no brainer. My instructor Danny was very accommodating and helped me stay focus... Read More on my goals throughout the program. The quality of the program exceeded my expectations. Not only did I receive technical training, Sabio brought better insight into the development profession and opportunity for mentorship from alumni. I am better prepared for the job market (and my first dev job) since completing the training and am provided with endless resources and continuous support from the community post graduating. Thank you Danny, Liliana and Gregorio!

I think the major difference between Sabio and other bootcamps is the fact that Sabio doesn't treat it's training like coursework. You get to work for a real company in an environment that is essentially the same as a professional work environment. You... Read More do some "excercises" in the first 2 weeks to get some basics down, then go straight into practical coding after that. You work all day (9-7pm), do stand-up meetings in the morning, and tackle practical coding challlenges that are demanded by the product you are designing. It's pure gold.

Now, as some others have noted, it is a bit rough around the edges. The prework is chaotic and sometimes the classes are structured in ways that don't seem to be very well thought out.

There is a vast difference in quality between the prework and the actual cohort. VAST. The cohort is amazing. It challenges you, it can give you experience working for a real startup company and it forces you to put in the raw hours neccessary to learn coding for real.

I feel like the prework would probably serve as a deterrent for most people. It was for me. Don't be deterred! Do the prework to see if you have a personal aptitude for coding, not as a demo of what the Sabio experience is like. The prework is not like the cohort. Do the cohort, you won't regret it!

It's now been three years since graduating from Sabio, and through the frequent professional development courses, they have been a tremendous help in advancing my career. From fireside chats with the top in the industry (Github, Facebook, and Snapchat... Read More just to name a few) to introducing new languages and methods to improve my skills has been a tremendous help. I'm already enthused for what they do with just becoming a developer, but with introducing use cases for implementing Docker and useful ES2015 tips they continue to show that they value my success long after graduating.

This review is not intended to get you to sign up for Sabio, I'm merely going to state my experience and I’ll leave the decision making up to you. Skip to the bottom if you want the abridged version.

Unlike many people probably reading this, I actually... Read More knew someone who went through Sabio and I had the opportunity to grill him on his experience, what he thought it was worth, if it was a scam, etc. And after an hour and a half of interrogating him I don’t think he said a single negative thing about his time at Sabio, but even then I was still skeptical because this seemed way too good to be true.

But I gave it a shot and checked out the info session with Aaron. It still sounded good, Aaron seemed like a great guy, and Sabio was extremely transparent about everything including their placement rates, salary expectations and work load which really appealed to me cause it showed they have nothing to hide and are proud of what they’ve accomplished.

After the info session, I looked at the websites for two other nearby coding schools who I won’t list here and ruled them out for the following reasons: 1. One of them had a curriculum that is a waste of time. That bootcamp would waste two weeks of your precious money on HTML/CSS when you can just learn that on your own in a day to be honest (and in Sabio you learn it during prework). 2. The other bootcamp was not really established, didn’t seem to have a good track record, and the students’ final projects were not something I would want to show to a potential employer (compared to in Sabio you work on a real business-ready level application).

So, I started prework with Varr (who is going to now start his first cohort in 3 months) and he was fantastic—he explained everything clearly and concisely, and the man gives the best metaphors and analogies I’ve ever heard besides being a really cool guy. Fast forward several weeks and we start the 3 month intensive.

First, the Newport location is incredible. There is unlimited free coffee, tea, and beer. The common space with the tv, couch, and kitchenette are fantastic for lunch and unwinding. The weather is great and the nearby food is delicious (although expensive, smarter people than I packed their lunches regularly).

Secondly, I was extremely fortunate that I absolutely loved my cohort of 8 people. We all got along together very well, and they made the 3 months go by so quickly. The whole time we were joking and having fun while coding so it never even felt like we were working.

Third, and most importantly, Aaron is a goddamn god of an instructor. Aaron is highly knowledgeable, and is able to phrase everything is such a way that anyone can pick it up. He is beyond patient. I would go up and ask for help on the same problem several times in a row, and he would guide me through the process while leaving the learning up to me while not getting even slightly irked that I basically asked the same question five times. And I think one of the most underrated and best qualities of Aaron as an instructor is his ability to tailor the curriculum and what you’re doing to your skill level. If you’re blazing through everything, he’ll give you a harder feature to implement; if you’re weak at something, he’ll give you a task that will shore up where you’re lacking to get you up to speed. Besides being an awesome, funny, cheerful guy; he really cares about seeing you succeed and that feeling is palpable in your learning environment.

Okay, that’s all nice and great and all, but what about the jobs and your preparedness afterwards? Sabio helps you to a ridiculous extent in your job search. They review your resume several times over, hire a photographer for your LinkedIn headshot, and provide you with unlimited support. I went into interviews and absolutely amazed employers with how much I knew with 3+ months experience. You will be so well prepared if you just follow what they ask you to do. The job market for .net developers is crazy and all of my cohort has had interviews nonstop.

Exactly a week after the last day of class I not only received one offer, but two offers. One for 70k and other for 80k.

Gregorio, Liliana, Aaron, and ALL of the Sabio alumni are so unreal helpful. They are constantly helping everyone, posting jobs, and providing continued support—hell, Gregorio just helped someone debug some code at 1am on slack. And throughout the job search they have been nothing but helpful and responsive. If you have any questions at all they WANT to help you and will answer all your questions.

Honestly, I didn't know what to expect, but I am absolutely so glad I did Sabio.

SUMMARY

-EXTREMELY worthwhile experience
-Aaron is incredible, Newport location is great, cohort was awesome
-Came out with two job offers for 70k and 80k within a week of finishing
-Continued support is VERY REAL past graduation – they want to see you succeed and keep succeeding
-Just going to class every day isn't going to get you that job; you have to come hungry to learn, bust your ass, and hustle-- but if you follow their guidelines you will come out with a job (or several) and a great community
-If you read all of this, then you should do yourself the the favor and at least check out an info session

MAJOR DISCLAIMER: If you are just looking for a post that validates if you'll learn what you need to learn to be able to get a job then read no further. You will get the skills to be a hireable full stack web developer. You will get a job. You will make... Read More more money than you've made before. This post is not intended for you.

This post is intended for the dreamers, the people who are lost looking for a greater purpose in this marathon called life, the people who have no sense of direction in life's course. This post is for you.

6 months ago to this date, I was exactly in the position you're in at this very moment. Feeling inadequate, searching for something that gave your life meaning, working a dead-end job that is tremendously insignificant to you. I was going to school studying Computer Science and I hated it, absolutely despised it. I wasn't learning anything applicable to getting me closer to building the apps that I wanted to create, just learned an abundance of theory, which is fine if that's what you desire, but I needed to gain practical skills. So I began looking for bootcamps after hearing a ton of great things about what they help people achieve.

Then BOOM, a find a bootcamp called SABIO, coincidentally on this very website course report. I began reading reviews, as you are doing right now, and researching further into what exactly this bootcamp provides. After further research, I said screw it and went to an info session and got to meet the man behind it all, one of the Co-Founders of Sabio Gregorio Rojas. The man was very upfront and honest with us about what to expect if you decided to go through with joining the program. As a man who appreciates blunt honesty, I knew this was the place that I needed to be.

After finishing my semester I jumped right into prework and grinded it out so I could pass the assessment and start the intensive program the following month. Once you're in the program be prepared to be challanged physically, mentally, emotionally. There is no half-assing this program you're going to have to give it your all, 70 hours a week for 12 weeks is not an easy task. However, don't feel like you're alone. Your instructor, who has at least 10+ years experience in the industry, knows their shit and will be there to help guide you. Your cohort, who you'll be going through war with. These people are going to be your family for the next 3 months. Help each other and build each other up because you will all need each other at some point. I was very fortunate because I had a great group who just meshed very well each other and have made lifelong friends because of it.

So 3 months after I started the intensive program, what has happened? Learned things about myself, about my character that I didn't even know was inside of me, learned the skills to be a full stack web developer and feel I can go to any company and contribute right away, created an awesome web application, learned the skills to create my own web application, had a Q&A with representatives of Snapchat, won a hackathon in my 9th week of training, got a job offer in my 11th week of training, and started my first day of work at my new job 4 days after graduation.

Words can't even begin to describe how appreciative of Gregorio and Liliana for giving me the opportunity to change my life for the better. I was in a dark place and Sabio helped me find light again, they saved me. I'm not going to try and sell you on why Sabio is better than every other bootcamp out in the SoCal Region and as Gregorio would put it "do whatever that makes you happy", which he doesn't say in a sarcastic manner, he actually means it. However, I will say if you're looking for a bootcamp where the Founders care, the instructors care, even the alumni who graduated prior care, like genuinely care, about your well being and learning and growing to become a fantastic programmer in the industry.

I want to thank Gregorio and Liliana for creating this program and giving us a chance to change our lives. Your vision has changed the world without you all even realizing it yet. I want to thank John, my instructor, for having the patience and for guiding me through this process. I also want to thank the other instructors Jimmy and Aaron for the help you gave us when we needed it. I want to thank my Cohort for being the best group of people I've worked with, you guys have now become family to me. I say this with an unwavering certainty that there is no one I would have rather gone through this process than you all.

Thank you Sabio for everything.

I graduated from sabio in 2014 in cohort 2 and I have had nothing but the greatest professional development since leaving a person could possibly have. So much so, that I am now the founder and CEO of a funded revenue making startup which came out of... Read More my participation in a hackathon, something that is highly encouraged by Sabio. Gregorio and Liliana have acted as my greatest mentors while I was a software engineer in the field and now as a startup founder they have taken on a new kind of mentorship, one they probably weren’t expecting, but one they put so much time and dedication into, they have gone above and beyond what I have ever expected from a bootcamp instructor. I can’t speak more highly of any two people that I know and it would be a mistake on your part to consider any other bootcamp. The professional development opportunities they offer are life-changing and they absolutely provide the opportunity to participate in many hours of professional development with frequent meet-ups, hackathons, recruiter events, etc. If you put in the time, you will come out of Sabio one confident bad-ass developer that will school any other bootcamp grad.

Sabio prepared me to be a professional software developer and continues to provide me with support, education and advice I need to be successful in tech. I learned how to learn at Sabio, I learned how to work in teams, I learned how to step through code... Read More so well that I'm currently doing React and some mobile development from my job just two years into my professional software career -- neither of which I learned at Sabio. The instruction is excellent, the soft skills you learn are essential and the continued professional support after you graduate is what really takes the cake. It's just incredible that I can tap into a network of professionals who are willing to help me and guide me and give me advice. I highly recommend Sabio to anyone who is serious about their transition into tech.

I recently hit my 6 month work anniversary as a software developer for a hospital in Orange County and recently got a raise. I am getting paid more than I have ever been in my life, working in an environment that I never thought possible, but most importantly... Read More seriously contributing to the development efforts of a world class organization. This was all possible because of the dedication that Gregorio,Liliana, and all the staff at Sabio have for their fellows. They are on a mission to change your life and my experience is a testament to this goal.

About to wrap up month three at my new job as a software developer!! I still can't believe this is actually possible - especially considering my work history for most the past decade. I've worked at warehouses, sold low-end cell phones, taught English... Read More in Korea and pretty much bounced around from one dead-end job to another becoming ever more demoralized and pessimistic about my career prospects and my future in general. For the many out there that have fallen victim to the Great Recession and been in similar situations, you know: it's soul-crushing to know that you can do better and just not be given the opportunities to do so. So yes, I know it sounds dramatic, but Sabio really did change my life.

One of the many things that really make Sabio stand out is the quality of instruction. The Sabio curriculum is a product of years of experience and research that is constantly evolving and getting better. It's rigorous, practical and hands-on and maintains a heavy emphasis on best practices. Gregorio, the co-owner and head-instructor, is all about maintaining the integrity of his program and spends months at a time sifting through scores of applicants to fill one instructor position. He doesn't take shortcuts by hiring under-qualified candidates or former fellows. He only hires the best. This keeps Sabio from growing as quickly and becoming as recognizable as some other bootcamps have, but this is such a blessing for the fellows that go through the program and I am forever grateful for it.