If you're a veteran and looking at bootcamp options, hands down Code Platoon is the best choice for you!

Curriculum & Overall Experience:

The curriculm is solid, thorough and has a good range of challenging stuff, with lighter stuff mixed in through the varying weeks. You get exposed to a good range of things, with not a whole lot of handholding (Use your instructors and classmates for the challenging stuff!). One of the best and unique things about CP is that they will bring in outside speakers, for workshops throughout - and those not only give you exposure to advanced topics, but context and alternative learning to the topics. In particular the SQL Workshop was amazing and shed light on a whole new range of SQL stuff I didn't know. Pair Progamming is part of the curriculm as well so you get to work on those skills alongside learning the Full Stack. Our program we learned Python w/ Django - and it was a pretty solid overview of those technologies. You also learn how to host your website using Heroku which is something I didn't learn at a previous bootcamp I went to.

In our cohort we learned Full-stack Web Development; Python/Django for the backend and React for the frontend. Whilst we didn't get too into the weeds of React, we went over React really good to the point where we could create fleshed out React Apps. I did wish we went a bit more into the nitty gritty of React.

Throughout the course you have assessments that help gauge where you are in the program, which all felt really solid and a good check-and-balance of where we were at technically with our skillset. Also you get access to TA every night which is kind of invaluable, since they are actual developers who have been working in the industry! On top of that, the Workshops sprinkled through the program are a great bonus, getting to learn advanced topics, from different instructors on different topics. 

Also during the last stretch of the program the individual project week & group project week were some of the best parts of the whole course! You get to spend a week at a host companies office, get to really learn to use Git and how to work on a group project. Something that I didn't really have at the prior bootcamp, that I really enjoyed at CP.

Instructors:

Having went to another top bootcamp, I've had a wide range of instructors and by far Jon and Josh were the best instructors I've ever had. They know how to communicate the technical topics in a way that you can understand, open to going more into depth with topics or providing alternative solutions, walking us through the though process as well as instilling in us the best kind of mindset to tackling problems. They even go over whiteboarding problems! Which is under appreciated as a help for the job assistance!

Job Assistance:

I participated in the internship program and was placed afterwards - the experience was hard, stressful but amazing. CP partners with great companies - also have a whole resume building, coaching, interview practice questions, the whole 9 yards. I came out with a killer new resume, a plethora of resources to work on my skills that I felt very prepared going into interview week. 

Remarks:

Again, if you're a Veteran looking to get into Tech and are checking out bootcamps. CP is the best value, and one of the best bootcamps you can take. If I could go back in time and go to CP instead of the other bootcamp I went to, I would have (saving myself a lot of $$$, and some time). Even coming into CP after doing another bootcamp is a great option because you will still be challenged, still learn some new things, get exposed and connected to a network of developers and other veterans to help you. 

I was a remote student at Code Platoon and want to make it clear that it is a completely viable option. Students participate live in the classroom through Zoom and are able to engage with the instructors while learning the material. Sometimes there would be technical issues with the microphone and camera, but these problems were always solved before class began so remote students never felt like an afterthought and we were always able to participate. The class is also recorded, so if there are any issues where you can’t make class it is possible to watch the recording and catch back up.

The downside to the remote option is that you are ineligible for the internships that Code Platoon offers. However, they are willing to work with you and allow you to attend the class part remote and part in person. This allows you access to the internships and is a great way to stretch funds if you’ve used up the GI Bill or can’s get Voc-Rehab to go through in time.

The instructors genuinely care about your success and are always available to help. They expect you to hit bumps in the road and they are more than willing to go over the material with you until it finally clicks, regardless of whether you’re in person or not.

Code Platoon provides an amazing life-changing opportunity for veterans and military spouses. Over the course of a short amount of time, you will be exposed to tools, techniques, and practices to prepare you to enter the workforce as a software developer. 

Pros: 

Mentors, TAs, Staff - You get a sense that everyone really cares and is there to support your learning and development.  Code Platoon encourages and values your feedback. Every week ends with a retrospective where students can discuss how the week went and what could be done differently to improve things. If possible, changes are implemented immediately. Additionally, students can communicate how they are feeling about their progress via a check-in form. I was very impressed with this process. Workshops/lectures on topics beyond technology such as personal finance, preparing for interviews, diversity/inclusion, and job search tips

Cons:

Very time intensive. If you want to succeed, you will need to dedicate the time the program requires. I knew this going in and tried to do my best to manage... but its worth mentioning again... many many 12+ hour days with coursework, challenges, and then eventually full-stack projects. Some workshops were more difficult to follow as a remote attendee but I don't think that is the fault of the organization.

 

Code Platoon is an amazing program.  I have learnt an incredible amount in such a short time. The instructors are dedicated and their support to helping us suceed is awesome - each student is given at least one mentor, and TAs are available in the evenings. The internship program is what sets Code Platoon apart from other bootcamps. 

What an amazing experience! I came in with very little knowledge about software engineering, and now at the end of the course, I have a great understanding of multiple languages, frameworks, and core competencies to not only build projects, but gain meaningful employment!  The instructors, TA's, mentors, and coaches all came together to create a supportive learning environment that pushed my capacity to learn new things to a level i didnt think was possible. I am so grateful for this course and the opportunities that this course has provided me.

Code Platoon was a very rewarding and very challenging experience for me. Before this program, I didn't really have a grasp or understanding on any coding. After, I feel confident enough to start building apps and comfortable using Javascript and Python. The class cohesion was a critical aspect I feel that sets this bootcamp apart from others. Everyone in the class was there to learn and help each other grow. The instructors were always there to provide assistance and answer questions. We had mentors and TA's volunteer their time to contribute to our overall learning in class. I highly recommend this course to any vet looking to start a career in software development!

Code platoon has literally changed my life. The quality of the information and teaching is superb. They not only helped me land an internship but they gave me other skills and exposure that I would not have gotten otherwise. I gained 3 lifelong mentors (I still meet with them till this day), a wealth of information that propelled me to new heights, and great experiences. If you truly want a boot camp that prepares you for the tech industry, specifically full stack web development, then CP (Code Platoon) is where you want to come. You will NOT be disappointed. 

The most effective bootcamp of IT people! Rod Levy has a well respected and efficient program. Jon the lead instructor is fantastic. I wish all veterans thinking of an IT career would look toward this great outfit!

I just graduated from Code Platoon and have interviews with companies that would never consider looking at me 14 weeks before. The Code Platoon team is dedicated to providing the best educational experience possibe to its members. If you are a Veteran and are looking at Developr Bootcamps, Code Platoon is the best choice by far.

Code Platoon devotion to the veteran community is unprecedented. The lead instructor is uniquely qualified to get veterans into the tech community. He cares about the students and is a real fan of the technologies he teaches. He brings a no student left behind approach by always making adjustments to maximize learning. 

Rod's unique ability to allocate resources is something never seen in the veteran community. He's connected to many companies and involves them to give the students what they need. He created an environment that allowed us to be face to face with the people in the community that we are trying to enter.

They will hit the ground running, so it is important that you know the fundamentals because you are the only limit to how much they will teach you.  

http://www.bootstobits.com/2017/03/an-open-letter-to-future-code-platoon.html

The only reason I'm giving Code Platoon a 4 star rating is to make you more likely to choose this school! https://www.reviewtrackers.com/5-star-rating/ Seriously though, I have recommended this camp to so many of my friends from the military, anyone who has gotten out recently or separating soon. We all learned so much, had a ridiculous amount of volunteer support, and paid such a low price for a high quality school. This program is a gift to us veterans. Take it, but prepare for it and work hard!

I am a Marine Veteran. I've spent 5 years in Supply and Logistics and as I began my transition out of the marines I was trying to figure out a way to move into a career in software engineering. Code Platoon was my solution. I had thought about taking the first job I could find then studying on my own to get to a level that I could be hired at. I am so glad I did not do that. In the 14 weeks of study, I acquired a greater depth of knowledge in Software Development than I could have attained in over a year of studying on my own.

This course was tough and very demanding of my time, however, I have no regrets. The quality of instruction and depth of understanding gained in each area covered is unparalleled. I hope this review has been helpful to you in your decision-making process. Please reach out to me on LinkedIn if you have any questions. linkedin.com/in/conlin-mcmanus-78a39128

CodePlatoon covers everything to help you build your first web application.  You learn a lot of tools, JavaScript. Python, React, Django, SQL and are given a lot of guidance and support.  They also put the extra effort to form your resume, give you career coaching, help you make new connections in the community, and make sure you are set up for a new career.  It is intense, but in that amazing way where you never run out of things to work on, so you are growing at an exponential rate. The instructors are so involved and really care about what they are doing for their students.  The director and human resources person are the same, this program exists because of their real passion for helping veterans start new careers.  I love everything  they have done for me. I learned more than I imagined was possible in 3 months and feel like I am at the beginning of an awesome new journey in technology with unbelievable resources in the community because of this bootcamp.

I am so grateful that I as a military spouse was able to attend code platoon. My husband who is a veteran attended code platoon last year, and he had an amazing experience. He completed the 14-week program and was able to get an apprentice position through this bootcamp. Now he is working full time as a software engineer. After his experience, I too decided to attend code platoon because I was looking for a career change, and they accept military spouses! I had a great experience throughout this course. At the end of the course, I was able to build fully functional full-stack web application. I definitely recommend this bootcamp for veterans and spouses who are looking to get into web development and software engineering.

I decided to to attend Code Platoon after completing my Bachelors in Interdisplinary Studies and my Masters in Business Administration. I learned more throughout this Boot-Camp than my entire 6 year education prior to it. They teach allot more than programming. They bring in brilliant people to teach you about the learning process and it helps motivate and encourage you to struggle through the material. They also bring in tech-business experts to teach you about the industry and provide informal emotional intillegence training to help you get better at working with others.  They provide you with certifications, like SAFE and Amazon Web Services that will help you stand out during your job hunt. At the end of every week students have the ability to provide feedback on the Course Material to make each cohort better than the next. The teachers are outstanding and the TA's are awesome, patient and take time ourt of their own day to ensure you learn the material. The only hard part is swallowing your pride and asking for the additional help. Its their if you want it. 

My only quam about the program is not being able to apply for work if you decide to enter their apprenticeship program. Apprenticeships are not guranteed but they do their best to make sure they have enough apprenticeships for the entire class. My cohort had 7 Apprenticeship positions for 9 in person students so the odds of landing a job are much higher than applying on your own.  With that being said it is optional to participate in the apprenticeship program and your competition is less steep if you decide to  enter in it. It is just not guranteed you land an apprenticeship. 

So my advice to you is take your time with the pre-work make sure you learn everything, ask questions before you get in the program, the instructors are more than willing to help. It will only set you up for further success. 

All In all this is the only learning environment where I fealt loved and supported throughout the entire process. Even when I wanted to quit others around me encouraged me to struggle and grow. Forever grateful for the experience and happy I struggled through it.

I decided to go to Code Platoon after graduating with a Biomedical Engineering degree.  The director, Rod Levy, was welcoming from the beginning.  He was understanding and adaptable to my needs as a wheelchair-user, specifically taking in account my travel difficulties and health concerns.  Sometimes I would need to take the class as a remote student.  Additionally, both instructors, Jon and Josh, explained concepts clearly, encouraged questions, and would support frustrated students during individual coding exercises when the students were stuck.  Every Monday through Thursday, a couple of helpful TAs would assist us with coding after hours.  The general atmosphere was great because all the of the gladly students jump in to help each other.  Just like the military, we don't leave our battle-buddies behind.

Even with all the support, the course is very challenging.  Students are expected to do research, experiment with code,  and figure out how to solve our problems.  This is an absolute necessity in the world of programming.  Google is our best friend.  And there are many tricky concepts where Stack Overflow has suggestions to help us.  The school has plenty of outsiders come in and give us workshops on key concepts such as Git, Data Science, SQL, React, and job searches. Code Platoon also gives lots of help to finding a job by developing Linked-In profiles, resumes, white-boarding challenges, and giving interview practice.  Most of the students here will get a paid internship.  And for the several who do miss out, Code Platoon has lots of connections to other software companies in the Chicago area, many who seem to be scouting for talent.  I have full confidence that I will get an internship or a job very soon.  I feel like I've learned more in a few months here than in a few years attending college.

Anyway, I love the program and recommend it to anybody who is will to put forth 100% effort.  I suggest that newcomers not only do the pre-work, but also take online courses (YouTube, Udemy, etc.) on Git, Django, and REACT.  REACT was especially difficult with the asynchronous programming, and I think it will benefit students to try to understand it in advance.  Good luck everyone, and I hope to stop in and see my fellow Code Platoon cohorts in the future!

First and foremost, I want to give hats off to the instructors; Both Jon and Josh are extremely diligent and willing to take the time to answer questions you might have, and are receptive to feedback. There was never a single point during my time at Code Platoon that I felt like I couldn't go to them with concerns, or even technical questions. Pros -  In terms of the workload, it IS a lot of work, if that puts you off, then this probably isn't the program for you, but if you're willing to put in that work in terms of studying the material, trying to apply it outside of just the homework, and actually take it seriously, you will do well. On that note, it's not entirely one sided: The TA's are a mixture of industry devs, as well as prior students, and that's not something that's forced, it's because they ACTUALLY do care and want to be there, which is pretty awesome compared so some other bootcamps I've read stories about. As for non technical aspects, there are multiple occasions throughout the course where we got to visit other companies and sort of gain insight into how being a dev is on the other side, so that was a pretty huge advantage for me personally.  In terms of soft skills development, they do an excellent job of giving you insight on how technical interviews work, and some practices to get into before you actually start applying for real. Probably one of the biggest plusses in my opinion. Cons - Again, it IS a lot of work. You will probably be spending not only the 9-10 hours a day you're in class, but an additional 3-4 hours a night outside of class every day to practice, learn new material, etc. And there were instances later in the course where I was going off of just a few hours of sleep. I chose to make that decision, but I put it as a negative simply because it is something to consider before applying. Towards the end of the course the schedule gets kind of hectic; you'll be preparing for projects, still studying material, and visiting places / growing your network, so for me that was somewhat difficult to manage all in such a short time. If you have any questions or just want some personal insight from a graduate, you can email me at  skyelahbay@gmail.com, and I'll reply when I can. All in all I was impressed, I would recommend this course to any prior veteran who is thinking about it (and their spouses now! :) )  

It was exactly what I as an aspiring developer needed to get me over the hump in my understanding of web development. It lasted 4 months. Was intense but with preparation and grit most can benefit immensely especially for veterans. It got me in the door as an front end developer intern at a large company in Chicago. I would do it all over again if I had to. The program focuses on Ruby and JavaScript with plans to transition to python next year. 

I am currently a student at Code Platoon in my 13th week of the program.  The program is fully immersive, and takes someone with no coding experience to employable within 4 months.  I personally had no prior coding experience besides the prework for the course.  Throughout the course, I have learned a tremendous amount, and now feel comfortable interviewing for Junior Web Developer Jobs (which usually start at $60,000).  Jon, the lead instructor, does a great job explaining the material. Addittionally, there are multiple TAs in the classroom at all times, helping students with the material.  

If you are willing to put in the hard work, with very long days, they will do everything they can to help you learn the material and become employable.  Rod, the owner of Code Platoon has a personal relationship with every student, and commits to help all current and former students.  Overall, this is the absolute best program for any veteran looking to be a computer programmer. 

I'm an Army Reserve on active duty and I just graduated the course a week ago.

1. Unlimited support and resources. 

People here are ready to dedicate themselves to help you success. Rod(founder) will help you to provide any help you need and Jon(instructor) always welcome students to come to him with whatever. Plus, there are countless mentors and assistant teachers for more help! (both in person and in remote)

2. Scholarships

I was covered roughly 80% of the $13,000 tuition and Code Platoon offered the second scholarship for women in tech. 

3. Curriculum

I loved how it was well-mixed with the programming knowledge and soft skills such as resume building and interview practice.

4. People and Community

A class is consist of 7-12 students. Each individuals get to know everyone via pair-programing and group projects. Whenever I was in a panic zone, my classmates were the ones who told me that I can do it. I can’t explain how meaningful they were to me (still are lol) to break through each struggles just like battle buddies.

And if by any chance I get stuck while chasing my passion and success as I knew it, I already have a community to go for advise!

I’m very proud of myself as an ALUMNI and I’ve learned so much in less than a half of a year. 

Good luck to everyone! 

 

As I write this, I am trying to answer two questions: What do I wish I knew 14 weeks ago? What do I need to tell another veteran to set them up for success?

First I can not say this more clearly. THIS PROGRAM IS NOT A SCAM. I know you already googled it, we all did. It is the real deal. Rod Levy and CP are the only veteran organization I have ever worked with that delivered 100% on their promise. "If you come everyday and work hard, we will make you into a dev[eloper].”

Rod's lead instructor Jon Young, is a great guy with a ton of character. He isn't just knowledgeable, he genuinely cares that you learn the material, and ultimately about your success; his commitment to this is as clear at week 1 as is it in your final projects.

My own thoughts to set you up for success:

Buy into the program. There will be changes. Uncertainty. A ton of sleep deprivation. More than healthy doses of stress. Internship opportunities may disappear and others will pop up to replace them weeks later. You may not know what’s going on behind the scenes, your job is to focus on learning. Stay the course. Trust in Rod. Keep your head down. And put in work.   Learn as much as you can before coming to the course. The pre-work is great, and for some people its enough. Personally, I had no prior coding experience what-so-ever. There are limitless resources on-line. Simply put, you cannot spend enough time sitting at your computer, doing and re-doing algorithms in both Javascript and Ruby. If you have the time, putting in the work early will pay dividends later. There are no short cuts here.   You’ll hear this phrase again, but “expose your ignorance.” Despite what others may project with the words like “It’s logical, easy, makes sense” this is not an easy subject matter. Developers do not get paid so well because of how easy this is to understand. When you are lost - which will happen frequently - let it be known immediately. Falling behind and making it up after class is not an option due to simple time constraints and the need for sleep.   Financial planning is essential during the course. Finances are one of the main stressors for most people. You simply don’t need that in your life while trying to take on this task. Plan thoroughly.   This course is a marathon, not a sprint. Treat it as such. Eat healthy. get in some exercise, and sleep. It will make you a better student and sustain you till the end.   If you have any questions - engage Rod. He’s a highly intelligent, and resourceful businessman, turned NFP leader. He will help you, and he’s exactly the kind of person you want on your team.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me on linkedin.

I just completed Code Platoon with the Bravo cohort.  It was a great opportunity and I could not have asked for more.  Jon is a great teacher and all of the TAs were very helpful/knowledgeable.  It is a great way to get your foot in the door of the tech world.

I currently serving Army National Guard. I can't thank enough to the program. I didn't know any coding before I join the program. It is intense but I got more than I paid for and expected it. I got a job offer before I graduate it because of Code Platoon. If you are a vet, currently serving or a spouse and interested in coding please consider this program! 

I'm an Air Force vet who had no coding experience when I satrted Code Platoon. I dedicated myself 100% to the process and worked very hard. Now, I am able to code and create software. 

The curriculm is very well thought out and you will learn languages and frameworks that employers are seeking.

As somebody who is studying computer science and attended the first cohort of CodePlatoon, I found the bootcamp to be a great way to break into the industry.  The 8 of us that graduated the 16 week program gained a deeper understanding of many of the in demand skills employers want and we were all placed in internships that gave us some crucial developer experience.  Highly recommend to any veteran seriously interested in a career as a developer.