The Software Guild - CLOSED

Once upon a time, I was in a miserable, horrible situation with my career and knew that something needed to change.

That change was The Software Guild, which — by way of a piece on NPR — made big ‘promises’ that in 12 weeks I could change everything. I... Read More could learn a trade [software/web development] and find a new career [via their career development efforts and hiring network].

It sounds too good to be true? For some in my cohort it was, and things didn’t pan out as expected. For me? I found a new life, and I am absolutely grateful to The Software Guild for that.

NOTE: I attended the January 2016 Java cohort. I was employed directly out of the Guild, though working with technology that I hadn’t studied [COBOL and C#].

The Good

Far and away, the best aspect of this program is the instruction. My caveat to that is that I only had one instructor [and a TA] of the available instructors. Pat Toner. If you are considering doing TSG, I’d highly recommend that you do whatever you can to be in Pat’s class — even if that means that you have to wait for the following cohort.

Pat’s style is unconventional. He teaches in a conversational tone and manner, which helps to lower the stakes a little in an incredibly stressful environment [more on that later]. Pat is also absolutely brilliant, and getting to watch him in his element of designing and coding was nothing short of inspirational. If it sounds like I’m being overly indulgent on the qualities of Pat, let me assure you that I am not. He made this entire experience worth it for me.

I’m also going to put the aforementioned stress level as part of ‘The Good.’ Why? Because it was motivating. In my class, which consisted of 15 men aged 22–65, at least 12 of us had put everything on the line in order to attend. Several of us were married with children who needed to be successful in this venture or else face pretty dire consequences. At no point did I feel that my situation [I came into the Guild with a 1 year old and a 4-months pregnant wife…] was undercut or belittled. The stress level also somewhat mimicked what life can be like [though isn’t always] in a development setting.

The Not-So-Good

Administration is, frankly, very bad. During my 3 months in the Guild, 3 staff members were turned over [the hiring network leader, the administrator, and one of the teachers]. The hiring network one stung the most, as we found out in week 11 that our fears of not feeling prepared for the hiring events were well founded and that he had shirked 90% of what his job responsibilities were. Unfortunately, we did not even get an acknowledgement from the staff [including the founder] of how we had been really given the short end of the stick. I cannot speak to the new hiring network leader’s work, as I only spent 1 week with him.

On top of that, our cohort was one of the first after TSG was bought by The Learning House. As such, there was a lot of bad communication, and we often felt left in the dark as to what was going on. At times, it felt like we were the guinea pigs. Not a great feeling when you’ve put your life on the line [and a large chunk of money].

And so?

If you go in with eyes wide open, you can be successful. This is not a fix-all for your life, and there are no guarantees that you will make it through and find gainful employment at the end. Like everything worthwhile in life, it’s a huge risk. Would I do it again? I don’t know. Am I glad that I did it? Absolutely.

When someone tried to sell me on this idea that I could change my whole world in 12 weeks, I was quite skeptical. Long story short, this was the best career decision I ever made in my life. If I could go back, I would do it again in a heartbeat.

As for... Read More a little background, I had a lot of education before I showed up at the guild. The problem was that none of my previous degrees helped me land a job doing much more than performing menial tasks for more than $18,000 a year. Just for the record, these weren't degrees in underwater basket-weaving from Mom-and-Pop's Community College, either. Still, after spending so much money in student debt, I was skeptical about throwing even more money at a vocational program. After a lot of consideration, I decided to bite the bullet and take a chance with the guild. By the 11th week, so many companies were making me offers that I couldn't keep up with all of them. In point of fact, my dream job back home as a front end developer couldn't afford me because I had so many better prospects doing full stack in another state. By week 11, I already secured a job paying more money then I ever thought I'd be making with full benefits, relocation, and education reimbursement. As I write this, I have been working this job for about two months and I absolutely love it.

What I would add is that I took the program very seriously, never missed a day, showed up around 6:30 every morning, I didn't really ever go out while I was there, and I'm not a stupid individual. That being said, I wasn't even the best developer in the class, but I worked very hard and managed to get a ton of job offers. If the goal is to get a tech job and you're willing to buckle down in one of the most difficult programs ever for 12 weeks, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. From my limited experience, the ones that didn't make it simply didn't put in the work or had some kind of attitude problem. At least when I was there, the standards to get into the program are so high that everybody who made it in is intelligent enough to succeed, so it really comes down to hard work.

I also kind of lucked out and got who I feel was the best instructor (Pat Toner), but I did keep in touch with all of the instructors to ask for help and stuff. Needless to say, I took advantage of pretty much every resource they gave me and it worked out fine for me.

Now that I think about it, as much as I'd like to complain about something so I don't sound like a group-think robot, there honestly isn't really much negative I can say about the program. They even screen everybody pretty well so there's seldom anyone on site with poor social skills (and that's saying quite a bit for a computer programming bootcamp). In fact, they even did personality assessments on your roommates to make the transition easier.

Just know if you're considering going that it's very hard and it takes a lot of discipline to succeed here. If you can pull it off, it really is what it's cracked up to be.

Great so far. I'm enjoying the coursework in Intro to Web Dev. So far all assignments have been reasonable. I just discovered a Intro to Web Dev Slack Channel though which I couldn't see when logging in initially. There are little quirks like that where... Read More communication could be better about.

I was part of the Java cohort at the Software Guild from April to July 2016 in Akron, Ohio.

Short Review:

1) The Instructors were great! Pat Toner is a Java ninja with more than 15 years of professional experience.

2) The local employer network is strong:... Read More about 12 or so local companies came for speed dating interviews on site.

3) I had 4+ job offers a week after I was finished

4) I am now 6 months into working as a software developer at a Consulting company. I have been learning Javascript, Angular2, C#.Net .Net Core, and SQL server as new projects at my job necessitate. It is hard to believe looking back how I got to where I am today in only 9 months. The Software Guild had a huge part to play in helping me:

a) gain the technical skills
b) learning how to learn
c) approaching software design first and foremost from the problem to be solved and only then getting into the design and implementation of the technical solution which helps to solve the core problem and determines the value of any specific technical aspect no matter how cool.
d) gain the psychological confidence to get out there and interview for my first job in tech.

I recommend the Software Guild as a good stepping stone into the world of Software Development. I am happy to talk with anyone about my experience there and hope it may help you in your own journey.

Longer Review:

My background: After starting college as an Electrical Engineering major I got board and although at the top of my class, decided to pursue a career as a professor in the humanities. I finished with a BA in Philosophy and Religious Studies, did my MA, and was working on a PhD. I loved teaching, learning, and imparting knowledge in a way that helped others have the “ah-ha” moment. Higher education is a mess with one real job for every 5 - 7 highly credentialed and qualified people. So I decided to make a change. While I was working on my PhD I worked at a Church doing leadership formation, communications strategies, programing, and strategic planning. While there I was asked to redo their web site. I had no idea how to make one. I picked up Wordpress as I worked with someone who was a seasoned wordpress developer. I also started to dabble in Javascript, CSS, and HTML and loved it. I knew I wanted to make a profession change but the question was how. I saw 3 routes.

1) keep my current job, self study, make a project, then interview for entry level developer jobs

2) quit my current job, totally dedicate myself to self study, make a project, then interview for entry level developer jobs

3) quit my current job, go through a bootcamp, then interview for entry level developer jobs

While I think all three of these are valid ways to getting into the software industry ( I know people who have done each), I was leaning towards the 3rd option since it seemed like the quickest way to get into the field, 12 weeks, all in, job change, then get paid to learn more on the job while getting professional developer experience. Option 1 could take up to a year depending on how much time each night I was able or motivated to dedicate to it.

So why the software guild? I researched and read up on many different bootcamps. Some seemed like a scam and probably were. Others seemed more reputable with alumni who are working as developers and becoming senior level people. I was impressed reading some of the reviews of Software Guild Alumni. I was also attracted to the Guild since it introduced you to a more traditional (C#.NET / Java/Spring ) object oriented programing language and framework used by many many enterprise level companies. I wanted some formalized education but not another college degree, so this seemed like a good fit. It also worked for me being from Ohio, close to home, I was able to stay with family nearby, and the tuition was reasonable (10,000) compared to other bootcamps.

I enjoyed the staff, the teachers, and the other students in my cohort. The teachers knew their stuff and were invested in helping you succeed. Not a place to be spoon-fed success, so come with an active spirit (but that is all of life!!), if you are active and passionate in learning AND in your job search, you will find a job. Finding people who are qualified, passionate, and personable is HARD for companies, if you want this and enjoy it and want to work hard at a career of using software and tech as a tool to solve human and business problems, you will be hired!!

Pat Toner, who was my Java teacher, was great! All the other teachers were available and happy to help with questions or give you more side projects.

The curriculum moved a bit slower than I expected but Pat always had a list of more projects and things to work on if we completed assignments, so no time was wasted.

The outcome was proficiency and familiarity with:
web development using MVC design, Object Oriented approaches to programing, the Agile approach to developing a software product as a team, git (a source control tool), JIRA tools for working with teams on large software projects

The title of this review is in no way an embellishment of my experience at the Guild. Prior to attending the Guild I was stuck in dead end job with no upward mobility. Two weeks after graduating I had recieved two offers from companies I was excited to... Read More join. If you are passionate about programming and motivated to change your career then attending the Software Guild is a no brainer.

I owe a lot of my success to my instructor Pat Toner. Pat was not only an expert in building enterprise business applications but also an expert instructor in this field. I always felt comfortable approaching him no matter what the problem. He is a master at providing non technical metaphors to assist in understanding some of the more abstract concepts in software development.

Pat wasn't the only staff member that impressed me during my time in the program. All the teaching assistants are wonderful people who are always available to help. Not to mention the excellent assistance I recieved from John Manila and Matt LoPiccolo who were in charge of helping students attain employment. They were helpful during and after my completion of the program. These two organized an event that enabled all the students to interview with companies seeking developers. I ended up accepting an offer from a company that attended this event.

I couldn't of been happier after attending the Guild but I must warn prospective students to make sure they are financially stable before enrolling. The Guild does offer options to help students with tuition and living expenses but you must consider the time after the program. You shouldn't expect to have a job lined up upon completion of the program. It takes a lot of hustle to land your first software development job and that might take some time. But overall I am enthralled with the experience and am proud to be a Guildee for life!

I am still in the beginning stages of this program but so far, all of the staff have been helpful and clear. They quickly respond to my questions and give accurate answers. The pace of the program is no joke but with some dedication and will-power, it... Read More can be managed.

So far, the pre-work I've done has given me confidence that I'm on the right track for a brighter future.

I have no degree. I've been at work as a Software Developer two weeks now and I feel like the guild prepared me far better than a CS degree at many colleges would have.

All of the instructors are willing to put in extra time and effort for you if you are... Read More trying to figure something out, even outside of classroom hours. I feel like if I need something all I need to do is ask. Even after graduating from the guild, I have this support network on top of the one I developed with fellow alumni.

I'm a believer that someone can learn just about anything they want to on their own with the available resources on the internet. That said, after going through the guild I can see that a lot of the things I've picked up I might not have known about for years, and some of them I might never have learned simply due to not being aware of them. The instructors have years of mistakes THEY have dealt with, and can help you understand why going down certain paths lead to...bad things, and why other options tend to work better for something you are trying to accomplish. It helped me build a good foundation to starting a career as a developer.

What you get out of the guild is going to be what you put in. Learning involves participation. This isn't a "pay to get a job" thing, it's an investment in yourself. The more you put into it the more you will get out. You will get more of a SOLID understanding, and be able to express that to others when spoken to. Go to game night every week. Meet alumni. Ask them about where they work and what it's like there. Make friends, and have a good time.

Just to reiterate: if you go, participate, and put in the work, you will get what you want out of this program. I had three companies making offers before the end of the cohort, and I didn't even follow up all of the ones from the employer connect event. The demand is there, and the people at the guild are willing to help. It's up to you to take advantage of that.

One other thing-don't worry too much about which curriculum you select. They are close enough that good employers won't be terribly concerned. I went through the C# course and accepted a role working with Java. I know a lot of other alumni have gone the other way as well.

What can I say other than the guild has delivered on every aspect. To succeed I had to work harder than I have ever had to work in my life for three month. The amount of information that was thrown at me was terrifying at first. The whole “drinking through... Read More a fire hose” is an understatement. After the first couple weeks when you have a foundation of programming knowledge it gets easier to absorb more information, and there is always more information.

Before I joined the guild I was a musician with 10 weeks of college experience when I was 18, and have never felt like I was wanted by an employer. After 11 weeks at the guild I have had three job offers and am excited to say I have accepted an offer. When I went to interview I was surprised at how ready I was for the interviews. I felt like I was ahead of the curve for what an employer normally looks for in a junior.

I can safely say i’m not a great programmer, but I have all the tools to become one. You quickly learn at the guild that the learning and practicing will continue for the rest of your career as a programmer. The greatest aspect of the guild is not just that you can learn some programming and get a job. It’s that you feel ready to learn more. My future employer does very little .Net work but with the foundation I built in Eric Wise’s .Net class that does not scare me. I feel ready to learn new languages and ideas.

My advice to anyone coming into the guild is to go far above beyond what the guild requires for the pre work. Read books, take free courses online, practice, practice, practice….PRACTICE. It will pay off when you don’t feel overwhelmed with new knowledge till the second week of class. You don’t have to pay money to learn how to write code and learn some basic programming skills. The reason you pay for the guild is so you can write good, clean code, and be ready to learn advanced skills.

My other suggestion is to clear your plate of everything else in your life. You will not be able to maintain a part time job and do well. You will not be able to hang out with your friends all of the time and do well. You must be dedicated to the guild, this can’t just be something you do to get a job. This should be something you should do because you love to solve problems every day and be challenged.

Overall a definite five star rating, even with the great chip famine of week 5.

This is my review of the Software Craftsmanship Guild's January ’15 .NET cohort, as we enter our final week.

Background
I had spent the last 15 years working as a graphic designer at a Milwaukee area commercial printer, while doing freelance website design... Read More on the side. All of my website work was focussed on the front end, using HTML, CSS and some Javascript. For a long time I had an interest in learning the backend programming and database component, but several attempts to learn on my own were unsuccessful. Between working a full-time job and freelancing on the side, I was unable to consistently find enough time to teach myself to program. For me, the incredible cost of returning to college was not really a viable option. Then one day while reading a tech blog I learned about programming bootcamps and immediately felt like this was the right path for me to learn the programming skills I desired.

Research
I spent the next few weeks researching the different programming bootcamps from all around the country. It seemed that the more research that I did, the more the Guild seemed to be the best choice. Ultimately I decided to attend the Guild for three main reasons:

1. Their curriculum of teaching of Java or .NET has by far the most employment opportunities in most areas if the country. Why not learn the technologies that offer the greatest number of employment opportunities? There seems to be many bootcamps out there that teach Ruby, but where I’m from (the Midwest), Java and .NET jobs outnumber Ruby jobs like 50-to-1.

2. I liked that the Guild talked specifically about teaching the fundamentals of object oriented programming and databases and less about teaching the “latest-greatest” framework. It seemed to me that over the course of my career as a programmer, the languages and frameworks would undoubtably change, but if I had a solid understanding of programming fundamentals I would be able to more quickly adapt and change with them.

3. One of the things that most attracted me to the Guild was their lack of outrageous claims. No promises of six-figure salaries (which is actually very average when you factor in the cost of living, i.e. San Francisco) or guaranteed placements at some hot tech start up. The Guild promised to teach the skills that would enable me to become an ‘employable junior developer’. That was exactly what I was looking for.

Application Process
Satisfied that the Guild was the right place for me, I filled out the online application form and within 24 hours had a interview scheduled via Skype. After a short (~15 minute) Q&A, there was an online logic assessment test I had to take. Thankfully I scored well enough to be accepted into the program, and quickly submitted my deposit to reserve my space. The Guild offers cohorts for both Java and .NET. I chose the .NET, based solely on the fact that there were slightly more .NET jobs listed on the jobs boards in my area.

Course Pre-Work
I had applied to the Guild in July ’14, and although I was thrilled to be accepted, the August cohort had just filled up and I learned I would have to wait until January to start. Initially I was a bit bummed out, but in retrospect it turned out to be a good thing. I decided to enroll in a Java course and a JavaScript course at the local community college, which definitely helped my preparation. About six weeks before the start of the cohort we received a list for the ‘official’ course pre-work, which consisted of online and video courses in C#, JavaScript and HTML/CSS. As others have mentioned, be absolutely sure you spend the time needed to complete all the pre-work assignments. Even if everything does not make perfect sense to you, having some familiarity with the topics will help when you see them again in class. If possible, go beyond what was assigned and do as much programming and learning as you can prior to starting. You will be glad you did.

Instruction
Guild founder and .NET lead instructor Eric Wise is the real deal. He has an unbelievable amount of knowledge about programming from having spent 15 years as a senior software engineer. But his real gift is being able to present complex topics in a way that is easy to understand. It is clear that Eric started the guild for all the right reasons, he is very passionate about teaching. Assisting throughout the cohort was Sarah Dutkiewicz, who herself is a very accomplished programmer and Microsoft MVP. Sometimes when you are stuck on a topic, hearing a slightly different explanation from a different voice was exactly what was needed. I would be be remiss I didn’t mention Elysha Spector, the administrator extraordinaire who is a real angel. She tirelessly handles all the “dirty work” like printing resumes, billing, housing, etc. so us students can focus all our efforts on programming. And she does it all with a smile. The success of the Guild can be most attributed to the quality of the instructors. What better way to learn programming than from senior level developers who are able to share their knowledge in ways that even a beginner can understand.

Daily Life
Life as a student at the guild follows a rather consistent routine. On most mornings are lectures and some live coding on the topic of the day. After a lunch break, afternoons are spent with coding exercises and projects that reinforce the topics presented in that mornings lecture. All under the watchful eye and guidance from senior level developers. About once a week after class there were panel discussions that featured professionals from a variety of local businesses talking about different programming and job related topics. Periodically a local professional would present a technology topic over lunch break or sometimes pair-program with the students.

Housing
The cohort was about a 50-50 mix between students from the NE Ohio area and students coming from other areas outside the region. For those coming from out-of-town, the Guild has a housing arrangement with the 401Lofts apartments. This is a huge asset that alleviates the hassles of having to arrange for your own housing. The Lofts were modern, clean, affordable and only about a five minute walk to class. They also have a ton on amenities, most of which you won’t have any time to enjoy.

Employment Network
The Guild doesn’t only help you prepare for a career as a software developer, they also help you find a job. To help prepare for the job search were sessions on resume writing, resume reviews and mock interviews. The real bonus is taking advantage of their hiring network, which consists of something like 70+ local companies. During week 9 of the cohort were three afternoon ’Employer Connect’ events, which consisted of short 20-minute face to face meetings with businesses from the employer network that were looking to hire developers. Two-dozen companies were represented, and each student was allowed to meet with up to 12 different employers. From these initial meetings, students were able to schedule more formal interviews with the companies with whom there was a mutual interest. As a result, with less than a week remaining in the cohort almost every student who participated has accepted a job offer with a local company. Some students received multiple job offers. If you are from outside the NE Ohio area, if possible you should consider staying. Turns out the Cleveland area is actually pretty cool, and the cost of living here is super affordable. When I arrived at the Guild my plan was to return to Milwaukee and look for work there, but I have since changed my mind and accepted a position with a really great company in Cleveland.

Summary
I came to the Guild to learn the skills necessary to become an employable junior developer. The Guild has delivered on that promise. I am giddy at the prospect that in a couple of weeks I will begin my new job as a junior software developer, and I will be actually getting paid to do something I really enjoy. Coming to the Guild was one of the best decisions I have made in my life. It is an investment that I made in myself that I’m certain will pay for itself many times over during the course of my career. If you are serious about becoming a software developer, you owe it to yourself to check out the Software Craftsmanship Guild.

I guess I will start off by saying that deciding to join the Software Craftsmanship Guild was one of the best decisions of my life and I have come to that conclusion with out even being completely finished yet but will be very soon. If you are looking... Read More for a change of career because you either just aren't happy doing what your doing or you just want to do something or want challenge yourself with something new The Guild is the right choice.

I enrolled in the .Net course and everything has been superb, Eric Wise is a great teacher who is very animated and very involved in the teaching of his students, he simply just cares. Every student is not just a number but a person and everybody there treats you like one. Its not about the money for them its about the education, they all just genuinely want to see their students succeed and actually enjoy what they are doing.

My background is in the Video Games industry which is very very competitive and very hard to get a job with out years of experience which is hard to get right out of school. So after my brief internship at a game studio in Florida I was still unable to get a job in the game industry so I had to go back home to Ohio. After working at a car dealership for nearly two years I realized I need a career change and I found out about the guild shortly after and gave it some thought and decided to enroll.

I graduated from Full Sail University with a bachelors degree in Game Art. Like The Guild, Full Sail was a very intense program not like a normal college experience, and thats what attracted me to the guild so much was because it seemed like it would feel familiar to how I am used to working. This kind of learning requires ALOT of dedication and passion if you don't have either of those for this work, Industry or its tools and technology then this program will not be for you. Even with the experience I had from Full Sail, The guild was every bit as tough and intense. But so so worth it. I owe a lot to The Guild they not only helped change my career but helped changed my life for the better.