Techmongers

Let me start by saying that the course was very, very challenging . Ten weeks is a long time to be ultra focused and learn something new *every single day*. I'm only slightly exaggerating when I say there were blood, sweat and tears. Only a little over... Read More half of my classmates graduated in one go (though most of the others took a break to regroup and try again another day, passing the second time around).

Having said all that, I couldn't be happier with my choice.

I had never coded anything, nor built a single website. My background is in linguistics, and I worked in a cafe for ten years prior to making this switch. But when I started at Codaisseur, I immediately felt I was in the right place. The curriculum, while fast-paced, follows logical steps. From simple HTML and CSS to vanilla JavaScript, and then quickly on to React and Node, the lessons made sure we grasped every aspect of building a web application. The mix of lectures, exercises and project-based learning helped cement the knowledge and skills in different kinds of learners. Asking questions was always encouraged, and teachers (and often teaching assistants) were always available.

The final part of the academy focuses on getting you a job. If you aren't employed after three months, Codaisseur will pay for your education, so it's not surprising that they really want you to succeed. There is a full week of workshops on everything from CV and cover letters to interview and tech assignment practice. I found my dream job after just a few weeks :)

So, to recap:
- Very stressful and difficult
+ Great curriculum
+ Awesome teachers
+ Great job support

So you wanna become a developer? Good. Codaisseur can help you with that. I took the course a while ago, got my foot in the door and am now employed as a developer in the tech industry. Here are some Pros and Cons to make your decision whether to do the... Read More course or not a little easier (or harder).

Pros:
- They have a curriculum. That means, they decide what is important to know and feed you that. Last time I checked, they were spot on. React, Redux, Node, Typescript, yep, you see that in the job ads quite often. Also, deciding what to learn is almost the hardest part if you teach yourself. So they'll help you here.
- They teach you the mindset. If you don't like continuous learning, a fair bit of pressure and the feeling of being lost and helpless you might not want to become a developer. It is part of the job. 10 weeks of that feeling will prepare you for what comes after, well most of the times it is Codaisseur all over again. But alas, you get some money for it then.
- Your team. It's good not to be alone on this. They allow the right people in usually. So you find people just like you, eager and overwhelmed like you and they'll help you out.
- Beer. Plenty of it.

Cons:
- Well, they are a business and want to make money. So the two years after you got a job, you'll feel it. Either because you meager salary is even slimmer because your company pays them or even worse, you have to pay for yourself. Two years are a long time. And paying back all that money...oh you'll feel it. Hard. Don't be fooled by their slogan that your future employer pays. You pay - either way. Just not upfront.
- The quality. That may depend on the time you do the course. If you are unlucky and they move again or change their curriculum again, or have not enough teacher...well, you'll think back about the daily price for a mediocre day at bootcamp once you have to pay them back later. Their reader is good though, but the teachers are a mixed back.
- Career support. Don't get me wrong - Rembert is a cool dude. But still, finding a job is mostly on you. You do the hustling all by yourself. Start building a portfolio early. Make sure you did something before the bootcamp that relates to development or tech in some way. Even if Codaisseur sells it like everyone can do it, for some it will be easier, for some harder. Your CV will count.
- Costs. The big one. Not talking about the course cost here. That is a worry for later. You have to maintain yourself for 2.5 month course + 1-4 month afterwards when you go job hunting. Hope you have some savings. You thing of working alongside the bootcamp? Hahaha...nope. Won't happen. And if you live in Amsterdam and have to maintain yourself..I feel sorry for you. Make sure to save enough money. It will be expensive!

I don't want to discourage you. I want to be honest and tell you the things not on their website. For me it worked. I got through it (and it was tough), got a job, payed the back out of my own pocket, got through that and finally can enjoy myself. I couldn't have done it without them. Just be aware of the downside. To be honest, luckiest people were the ones they kicked out last. Like in the final assignment. Those got the full course and didn't have to pay. All of them got a job in the industry still w/o obligations. And the industry is changing. What might have been true in 18/19 might have changed in the time since. I wish you best of luck!

Great teachers, great material, I still have access to all study material so I can look back when I've forgotten something. But most importantly, it made it possible for me to make the career switch I always wanted. Now I'm working as a software dev.... Read More And my managers are happy that I can still use my sales experience that I gathered beforehand.

I started doing Codaisseur without any prior coding experience. I had great classmates, there was a great atmosphere, and the teachers were patient and helpful. Codaisseur hasn't just taught me how to code, it's taught me the 'strong independent developer... Read More mindset'. This means I now know how to quickly learn a new programming language, how to be persistent, and how to push through when having a hard time. To me, these are extra life skills I have gained. It sounds cheesy, but it has really changed me as a person (ask my mom, she'll confirm). ;-)

The bootcamp truly prepares you for a job as a developer: you learn both the skills and the mentality of a programmer, which is very valuable. In 10 weeks bootcamp you speed up through the curriculum and not only learn the most modern technologies, but... Read More also how to learn fast. After the bootcamp no other programming language is difficult for you :) I have got a job almost straight after!

It was an intense 10 weeks of coding. With a lot of hurdles to overcome. Sometimes I feel that we can use a little bit more of tutoring and guidance. But overall the academy provides you with strong enough knowledge base to land a job as developer. I... Read More found a job after 2 weeks of graduation, and so far I enjoy working at this company. So, thank you everyone at Codaisseur!

I've graduated from the academy recently and found a job afterwards. It's a great place if you know you put in the extra effort to be a good developer. The stack being taught is in demand and the way they teach it makes sure you can tackle real projects.... Read More The teachers are experienced and considerate, the environment is setup for the path to be a developer. Keep in mind that you will have to work hard to get there, it's an intensive program and there's a reason why almost all of the graduates get a job. The expectations are high from the beginning, so make sure you are motivated and ready to take on the challenge. Definitely recommend it for people who want to get a head start in their future IT career.

If you are already a DEVELOPER and you want to learn new technology, this institute can help you. But go prepared, people who thinks they will learn in the institute are the only never graduates from the academy. Before joining the academy prepare for... Read More 6-8 months on all the technologies Codaisseur is teaching. Then it will become very easy for you to follow the course. And later in job it will be very easier to get throw the probation period.
This institute will definitely going to open doors for you in IT industry for sure. But don't expect they are gonna teach you from scratch. Go prepared, My whole class prepared for 6-9 months before joining the institute and i have seen it really helped them alot.

All the best, check the codaisseur website for the subjects they are teaching. PLEASE GO PREPARED or else it will be very demotivating and you might not be able to graduate.

I finished the bootcamp a year ago and here's pros and cons:

Pros:

You will learn a lot and will have hands on experience with coding
You will build a couple of small apps which will give you a good idea what you're gonna do in future.
In comparison to other... Read More bootcamps it's cheaper for the students
There is help available from teachers and staff, not always though
If you really want to be a junior developer and you already coded for a while and built some small apps this course can open doors
If you like to be in IT industry in general, Having done this course increase your chances

Cons:

Misleading advertisement: There is NO job guarantee! You will have to apply for jobs yourself and do everything so NO job garantee. What they later say is if you don't get a job after certain months, then you don't need to pay the fee, but there are a lof of IFs and BUTs about it.
Carriculum had big gaps. The first part (Ruby) was better orginised and teached, Second half with React wasn't orginised properly and students had so many issues trying to learn. We had only 2 days on whole Javascript which wasn't slightly enough for the future projects.
It is a very fast-paced and stressful course. It is nothing similar to a university or college course, We had people with near nervous breakdowns and stress-related drop outs, so if you can not cope with a lot of stress this course is not for you.
No real job support: We were told that we're gonna get job leads but in reality we didn't get any.
Under their contract you can not work with recruiters so it will limit your chances.
If you leave the course for any reasons for instance stress, you still have to pay the whole fee: 9000 euros.
Employment rate is debatable: Although some people got jobs but many people still didn't manage, and out of those who got the job many where not offered a contract after probation month.
Evaluation is very arbitrary, You don't get marks, It's mostly based on how the instructor feels about you rather your real abilities in comparison to rest of the class. You can be kicked out of the course in any day of the course. Two people who i worked with in group projects and were better coders than me, were kicked out by saying you're not good enough.
Graduation rate: In additon to my own experience i had contact with batches after and before me and graduation rate was around 50% so almost half the students were either kicked out or droped out.
You're tied up for 2 years so if your employer doesn't agree to pay the fee which happens often, you have to decline the job offer or pay from your own pocket.

Advice:

Prepare yourself at least for more than 3 months before the course learning about languages you're gonna work in the bootcamp and make sure you build some apps yourself. Try some online coding courses and for sure Codeacademy basic courses are not enough. You have to do more, people who did better were the one who coded a while before the course, People who were kicked out were generally the one who hoped they're gonna learn it there.
Read the contract carefully and make sure you know all about it.
If you want to stay in the course, In your project reviews with your instructors do not criticize anything about your work or the course, As the evaluation is quite random, If you say you liked it and you're trying hard, the like it, if you say you're struggeling or need some help, you'lll be out soon. They don't like any feedback whatsoever.
You won't have any time left during this course even weekends you'll be working, so make sure you're fully available.

If you want to start learning web development and you want to do it fast, Codaisseur is the right choice. Don't expect it to be easy, expect to give 150% of what you got (yeah, you have it) , expect to push your boundaries, to learn a great deal of stuff,... Read More to meet interesting people and friends, to have fun and to appreciate Friday beers. The most rewarding thing will be your graduation.

The programe is being improved and changed according to the industry needs, you get to work on individual and team projects, even a real-life project on the last week of the academy and more important, your portofolio. One month and a week after I graduated, I got my first job as a junior backend developer.