CodeCore Bootcamp

I graduated the CodeCore bootcamp in August and I feel confident saying it was the best educational experience I’ve ever had. I have previously received a Bachelor’s degree in business and began learning on my own over a year ago. I joined CodeCore because I found the complete full stack difficult to learn on my own. I wanted more hands on training and to be able to code with a group (as you would on a job) and to get more feedback and code review. 

It was hard work, and I really loved how much there was to learn and how quickly I could take it in thanks to the bootcamp format. Instruction took place in the morning then we did labs to practice during the afternoon. Homework and exams helped further cement knowledge and build confidence. The quality of the teaching was excellent - Steve and Tam are great instructors with valuable industry knowledge. And the TAs are excellent - friendly, highly skilled and helpful. 

I’m getting ready to start my first position as a full stack dev and I’m beyond excited. Advice I would give if you’re thinking of joining CodeCore is work hard, take it seriously, ask for help when you need it., and maximize your potential learning by practicing the basics as much as possible before starting. They really want you to succeed and will do everything to help you learn and prepare for jobs afterward. There’s a good reason past grads regularly keep in touch with CodeCore: CodeCore builds community and values its alumni and students. 

Having almost no previous background in coding, I completed CodeCore's 3-month course 2 years ago. A few months after my graduation I started working as a professional web developer. I feel well equiped by the education at CodeCore and emotionally supported by the welcoming community. The school truly offers quality education in this fast-paced tech world.  The tuition is really fair too, compared to similar programs in town, considering the instruction time and reputation etc. For what I've been able to get out of the bootcamp (coding knowledge, confidence for technologies in general, career prospect, financial income, developer community connection etc.), attending CodeCore has been one of the best decisions I've ever made.

I first took codecore's fundamentals class and pondered for a few months deciding whether or not to take the full bootcamp course either in Codecore or Lighthouse Labs. In the end, I decided to go to Codecore because they offered a 12 week program as opposed to 8 weeks and I truly do believe 4 extra weeks makes a lot of difference.

Throughout my time in the bootcamp, the instructors and TA's were really helpful and always available to answer questions. Another aspect that Codecore focus's on is the importance of Networking. Althought it wasn't something I really enjoyed, it is without a doubt an important aspect and Codecore does a good job pushing their students in the right direction to get started. It was a lot of hard work, spending around 10+ hours everyday coding is quite tiring. But you really do get what you put into it.

After graduation, Codecore was able to provide me continued support during job search. I was able to get a few interviews thanks to the staff there and ultimately landed a job after a month.

A little bit of background on myself, I have always been interested in technology and computers.  From the time I was a little boy I was fascinated with the multitude of things you could do with a PC so naturally once I had tried programming I was hooked. Gaining some experience in high school and later my first year at University I had never taken a deep dive into programming and computer science. I had taken some time off from University to work and that’s when my father had found out about these developer boot camps. Knowing that I liked programming and wished to pursue it further he told me about CodeCore, from that moment on I knew I wasn’t going to be going back to University.

CodeCore itself is supported by an amazing group of staff and teaching assistants. Both of the lead instructors Tam and Steve have great teaching styles which are easy to follow along and grasp these new concepts that introduced to you day in and day out. If you so choose to attend the boot camp your day will consist of 3 hours of instruction in the morning followed by 4 hours of lab time after lunch so you get a chance to practice and put into action what you had learned in the morning. After that you are technically free to go but, there is always teaching assistants on campus from 4 pm - 8 pm and I highly recommend you take advantage of these people. All of them are brilliant people working in the technology sector many of whom started in the exact same position you will find yourself. The course itself is 3 months long, 1 month longer than the other leading boot camp. The course will take you through the fundamentals of JavaScript of Ruby and other basic computer science topics. There is about a week spent on Node.js and the Express framework, which if you’re wishing to only focus on JavaScript I’d spend my time here. The main part of the course is Ruby on Rails, you will spend somewhere around 6 weeks getting familiar with the framework as well as web development patterns using Ruby on Rails. You may hear that it is not worth learning Ruby on Rails for whatever reason I would advise you to not listen to the nay-sayers. Ruby on Rails, especially for someone who is very new the world of web development is an excellent tool to grasp the many concepts that come with the topic which you can take and translate to whatever you wish to pursue in your journey towards becoming a developer. Finally, they do introduce you to the leading JavaScript framework, React. There is a lot of opportunity within that framework but it is not the focus of the course, I’d suggest pursuing it as soon as you grasp the fundamental concepts with vanilla JavaScript if you wish to pursue that within your career.

I’d like to touch my experience after the boot camp. Like many people who put themselves through a boot camp I was quite worried about how finding a job would go with my education being this 3 months long course especially since, unlike most of my classmates, I did not have a complimentary bachelor’s degree as I was 20 years old at the time of completing the boot camp. CodeCore has some great connections within Vancouver’s tech sector and through them, I was introduced to the company I still work for today. In my current role, I have moved away from Web Development in some ways, I still write a lot of JavaScript but a lot of my work involves our legacy Java code base and our new project in which we use Golang as our primary development language. Also, I have been introduced to many DevOps technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes. I have moved into more of programmer role over a developer role which has required to keep pushing in my pursuit of a computer science.

Finally, who are these boot camps for? If you except to go to one of these for 8 hours a day and just do the bare minimum and somehow at the end walk away with a job this is not the place for you. You have to be driven, you need to know before you that this will require a great deal of sacrifice on your part. Some days I spent up to 16 hours a day working on a project or trying to fit as much study in a day as I possibly could stand. If you can handle that sort of workload, and be prepared to put in a great deal of work in the position you acquire after the boot camp, then this is the place for you.  If you present yourself as a driven, eager learner I am willing to bet someone will take a chance on you.

I want to start by saying that I believe codecore is the best option for those looking to enter into a career in web development. As a graduate, my opinion may be considered as biased, but I would strongly recommend those who doubt it to attend demo days at codecore and competing bootcamps. In my opinion, the final projects of codecore students are typically superior to projects completed at other bootcamps.

Throughout the 12 weeks in the bootcamp, I was exposed to a number of front end and back end frameworks in both JavaScript and Ruby, as well as learning relevant theory related to software development. The biggest benefit, however, was that codecore's approach to teaching helped me to understand why I was doing what I was doing, as opposed to only learning how to do it. Staff were on-site for 12 hours a day to help with anything I needed, regardless of it was included in the curriculum. This approach and support has enabled me to go learn new langagues and frameworks on my own.

Upon graduation, the team at codecore was incredibly helpful at helping me find employment. I was referred to postings by staff members, had interviews scheduled for me, and could always rely on the team to quickly help with any issue I encountered on my search. I am writing this, less than 5 weeks after graduating, with multiple offers to choose from and an abundance of confidence in my ability to succeed with the foundational skillset I acquired at codecore.

Tam, Steve, Luc, and all the TAs at codecore are well equipped to help kickstart your career in development, and I can't recommend them highly enough.

I had conducted hours of research into 4 of Vancouver's most prominent bootcamps. In the end I had chosen CodeCore because it offered a fundamentals course, along with the 12 week bootcamp itself. They were also very welcoming of their alumni in returning to the campus. This was in contrast to the interview I had with Red Academy's developer program. I asked the recruiter if I would be able to return to the campus upon graduating, and was told that the time should be limited as time progressed.

The experience itself was perhaps the most difficult 3 months (in terms of school or work) that I had ever gone through. Each day consisted of 9-10 hours of coding at a minimum. The TA's and instructors made the whole process easier, however. We were encouraged to stay every class and put in our greatest effort. The bootcamp felt like a community, with fellow students, alumni, and instructors guiding us through code, events and jobs.

After completion, I spent 2 months working on freelance projects and my portfolio before finding full time work. The campus administrator Luke, puts his best efforts to find meaningful positions for the graduates. With a reference from an alumni, and guidance from the administrators, I was able to secure the contract. My contract starts in 3 weeks and I am very excited.

I would highly recommend this bootcamp for anyone who is interested in coding.

Whether you  are a junior or intermediate developer or recently graduate from school, CodeCore is one of the places you can start a new career. 12 weeks intense coourse help you to boost your career path. Needless to say it reuires hardworking. It is recommended people without CS background just take part-time courses and if they found they can go further then try fulltime course. CodeCore is a freindly and positive environment whcich has proved it's name in Vancouver for years by educating great developers. 

Tam's knowledge, teaching style, and caring nature make this bootcamp hands down the best.  Not only is the course material dynamic to adapt to the changing landscape, but there are tons of knowledgeable resources to further drive home your education.

I course is about 4 hours/day with about 4 hours/day labs to get practical experience working on the days concepts.  Outside of these hours, there is about 4 more where one has access to Tam or his knowledgeable staff to answer questions on extra work, projects, or anything in general.

Overall, well organized with tons of support onsite.  All that's needed is your desire to succeed!

I can't say enought positive things about Tam and the people at CodeCore.

After spending 10 years doing physical labor, I purchased my first computer in Spring of 2015 and attended the BootCamp in fall of 2015.

Since then I have had 5 jobs and moved to San Francisco to be on a cutting edge team at one of the hottest startups in the history of startups.

My pre-BootCamp income was a very reasonable, comfortable, and livable wage.  I now make 2.7 times my previous income.

The BootCamp is difficult, it will not give you anything.  You have to earn everything.  I was not the smartest, or most talented person in my cohort...but I was the hardest working and now I am a successful developer.

CodeCore will teach you how to think and learn like a developer.  If you put in effort, you can come away with enough knowledge to get an entry level position.  After that, it's all about how hard you work and there is no ceiling on the possibilities. 

I may have finished the BootCamp 2 years ago, but the effort I put forth in learning and writing good code has not diminished and it has paid off.

 

Investing several thousand dollars into a 3 month course is not an easy decision. No doubt you have already spent several hours researching different education options. I hope this review will shed some light on whether it’s right for you.

Are Bootcamps for Me?

If you are fresh out of highschool, seriously consider going to university or BCIT for a compsci degree.

A lot of material is covered in a very short time. A science/engineering degree, or previous programming experience is highly recommended. IMO it’s generally understood that a bootcamp can only teach so much. Employers will also be looking at your background and personal projects.

What Do They Offer?

There are a few advantages with Bootcamps. They focus on teaching you very specific practices and technologies within the shortest possible timeframe. They tend to be well-connected with employers and may even act as ‘feeder’ schools, funnelling talent directly to certain large employers.

In short, they are great for augmenting existing skills or experience and for networking. You will probably still want a degree at some point.

How Does CodeCore Compare?

There are a lot of options within the city. I chose CodeCore due to:

1. Professional atmosphere. Other locations had video  games, foosball, and similar loud distractions. Good for marketing but not conducive to work.
2. Better value. Due to a longer course curriculum and more lecture hours, the course can be intense without being overwhelming. I feel they are underpriced in the current market.
3. Unlimited retakes. This doesn’t sound great until you realize how quickly the curriculum evolves. Over the past year they have pivoted with market trends, much to the delight of employers. This is a great way to remain relevant and connected with up-and-coming talent.
4. Honesty. Having worked at educational institutions I know how the “95% placement rate” statistics are spliced together. CC did not give a placement rate but spoke about their commitment on quality placements, rather than low-paid internships.
5. Alumni Support. It’s not uncommon to walk onto campus and see grads working there instead of the office. Job opportunities, networking events, and hackathon teams are commonly shared on the alumni chat channels.
6. Free Fundamentals Course - if you also take the Bootcamp. This is a good way to test the waters and see if the course is for you. Worst case, you learn a little programming and for much less cost than similar intro courses.

Having kept in touch with several cohorts of students, I can confirm the hiring rate is very good.

Will CodeCore Get Me A Job?

No, but they will try really, really hard. One thing not advertised is their professional development classes that begin at the end of the curriculum. I’ve been around a long time - these classes are quality and are geared towards today’s CEO of Me, Inc mentality.

They harmonize your LinkedIn, resume, portfolio, github/bitbucket online footprint and also find job leads for you. Then there’s mock interviews, technical practice, and free editing for cover letters.

Ultimately it’s up to you to actually LAND the position but the school teaches you how to job hunt effectively.

What’s Your Story?

I’m a former programmer/technical designer in the game industry and a college instructor. I also have some finance designations. I decided to get into Web Dev as I wanted to help create a more intuitive and connected world.

I attended CodeCore, met some great people, and ended up at an amazing company, and am very grateful for the experience.

Feel free to get in touch if you ever have any questions.

Also a shout out to the staff that kept everything running smooth and the coffee flowing.

I had a blast going through the CodeCore course, and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who wants to enter the tech industry. The instructors are very knowledgable, personable, and are always very helpful. The founder himself teaches some of the classes and is very approachable, always there for a chat or to answer questions. I had great classmates that challenged and taught me a lot. If you can use this environment to push yourself, you will find yourself making things that you didn't think you have the ability for. There are projects and problems that I would've never thought of attempting, but I'm glad I did, because it gave me the foundation in both skill and confidence. The classroom is very spacey and well-lit, which I liked very much. The community feels tightly knit and supportive, with a lot of the alumni remaining as active members, sharing their knowledge and experience. After graduation I received large amounts of help in finding a job. The referral and recommendation from CodeCore is what helped me land my first tech job. If you are willing to put in the effort, the journey will be really rewarding.

Codecore was absolutely instrumental in starting my career in the industry. After completing codecore I was hired as a junior back end developer and three years later I am still in the industry. Not only did Codecore help me gain the foundation I needed to find my first job,  the same foundation has made it possible for me to build on my initial skills and continue to learn the methodologies and technologies that are relevant. Codecore was absolutely one of the best decisions I have made in my life  

 

 

After you graduate you'll have a buddy (usually a codecore staff) to help you find a job. At first I was told there will be contracts and connections that will help me enter the tech field. However as I continued coming in every morning and applying for jobs online, I realized that both Tam and Bronwyn never truly cared about my progress. Some other grads were treated better and were offered either a contract or TA position. Sometimes even both. I had to get a job myself and never received any help. Staff are nice but at that time there weren't enough for the buddy system. 

Not worth your money if I could go back, I'd choose Lighthouse labs. 

Why I took it

I had always been curious about Programming and Web development. So when a friend of mine decided to take the CodeCore Fundamentals program, I decided to tag along. I was almost instantly inspired and impressed. I had taken programming courses in the past before but it was never an enjoyable experience. However, CodeCore was different. The people were super patient and passionate, the program was very approachable and well paced, and the campus was near a NoodleBox. So for those reasons, I decided to commit to the full 12 week bootcamp.

The Program and the People

The program itself was one of the most difficult things that I’ve ever endured. When I took the program, the focus was primarily on Ruby, Ruby on Rails, and Javascript. Everyday was a new day to abuse the brain with new concepts and teachings. You won’t have much time to review yesterday’s materials. Nor will you have the time to do anything else besides coding. And you have to be okay with not being able to understand everything. Now I know it sounds overwhelming and it was, but it really wasn’t that bad. I had made a huge investment on myself, so I decided to commit to it fully. Stay late, do the work, ask questions ,and trust in the process became my main philosophies for whole duration of the bootcamp. The teachers at CodeCore are Awesome. Great teachers are hard to come by. In my list of top 5 best teachers of all time who’s came into my life, Tam would definitely be one of them. He’s super knowledgable, patient, and most importantly- able to pass on knowledge in a non-intimidating way. He managed to keep me motivated and inspired me throughout the whole bootcamp. But it wasn’t just Tam, the rest of the CodeCore community were just as awesome. The TAs and staff were always super friendly and available for help. I also feel very fortunate because the people in the cohort were so amazing. Everyone supported everyone and we motivated each other.

The Payoff

After the bootcamp you’ll have everything you need to land a job. CodeCore will provide you with the skills, projects, and connections. Now what you do with those assets is completely up to you. CodeCore will even help you with proof-reading your resume, improving your LinkedIn profile, and conducting mock interviews. Those job finding services (along with the leads/connections to opportunities) plus the ability to retake the bootcamp will always be available to you. Fortunately, I was able to land a job not long after the bootcamp. I’m currently working with two of my former cohort classmates at a Startup. They are both weirdos, but the job is fun. I’m super glad that I went through with the CodeCore bootcamp because it has seriously changed my life. So is CodeCore for you? Before you decide, the most important question that you must ask for yourself is: are you able to fully dedicate to 3 months of hardcore coding. If you want do well and ultimately, land a job. You’ll have to show up everyday, ask questions, and stay late. This is a requirement. Also, keep in mind that job hunting is a completely different beast. CodeCore will certainly help you but you have to continue to work hard if you want to that job. So the verdict is: if you can commit to working really hard for a while then do it. Good luck!

As many others in my age bracket and possibly reading this, I was stuck in a job that I didn't like, feeling I was going nowhere and even worse, getting paid horribly for it. I wanted to change my situation, but it wasn't easy because studying is expensive and "slow". I couldn't afford to take some years off to go study full time and the pace of part time studying didn't seem to be worth it for me.

I have always had a passion for computers, and internet overall. I always had a deep interest on development and web design as well, but I only went as far as making a few basic static websites here and there. Development was scary and unreachable for me... why? Well because of "Computer Science", the hairy monster.

I grew up understanding that CS was a hostile world, ridiculously hard with a huge emphasis on MATH, and PHYSICS and ALGORITHMS and incredibly complicated abstractness that just seemed unreachable unless you resolve sudokus on hardmode for breakfast. In other words, I always perceived it as a career simply not for me.

Even though this was in my mind, for some reason, I took a “risk” and went check out the CodeCore academy. I thought I would talk with someone there, and see if there was hope for me in the web development world… what's the worse that could happen right? They might say yes!

I was greeted by Tam, who listened my sob story, and organized a meeting with Bronwyn and himself, to assess if I would be a good candidate for the course, but first and most importantly, for the career. And this last part, is exactly why I chose CodeCore over any other option. They care to identify if this is a relationship that can work in the long run.  

I learnt that CS is not the only path into this profession, and had a better understanding of which skills are the most relevant for modern web development.

I signed up for the bootcamp starting the following week, and after incredibly intense 12 weeks, with outstanding mentorship, support and care to explain even the most ridiculous questions, I finished up with an extraordinary foundation to firmly commence my new path into web development.

Now I am happy to say I am working at a great company, loving my job, feeling challenged and engaged every day!

One thing that I believe is important for everyone to understand though is that CodeCore is just the beginning. You get a massive boost and level up, enough to fulfill the requirements of the market and get your foot on the door, but it’s in your hands to go to the next level after that. The good news is that with the core elements you get taught, and continuous support from the CodeCore community, that journey is much much easier.

The time that I spent at CodeCore was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I came to CodeCore in the hopes of pursuing a career in the tech industry, and the bootcamp program provided me with all the necessary tools and directions. 

I went into the program knowing very little html and css. During the rigorous and engaging 3 months of boot camp, I spent on average 12 hours a day to learn and absorb all the materials. The program’s hands-on approach helped me to really understand the material and acquire the practical skills I needed. The instructors were knowledgeable and helpful, and the staff cares about their students.  After graduating, the staff has followed up with me regularly, offering job placement assistance.  

To be honest, it was not easy but after 3 months I was able to find a job as a junior developer at a great company. Thanks to  CodeCore, I can now look forward to a career in an industry that I find interesting, challenging, and rewarding. 

CodeCore's developer bootcamp is a fantastic starting point for those wishing to get into the tech industry. However, unless you have prior programming experience, I would highly recommend going through the fundamentals course first. It gives an early taste of what web development/programming is like and allows you to make a more knowledgeable decision about whether this is truly something you enjoy and are willing to invest a TON of time, effort and money into. 

The instructors and TAs for both the fundamentals and full-time bootcamps were amazing. Highly knowledgeable, many of them were willing to spend time outside of class/lab hours to answer any questions or concerns I had regarding the material. As a few others have mentioned, it's impossible for a 3 month program to teach you everything there is to know about web development, but CodeCore will leave you walking away with a strong understanding of the core principles. You will have the confidence and ability to pursue further learning on your own and to succeed as a Junior Web Developer. 

I took the fundamentals course in June 2016 and the full-time bootcamp in July 2016. One of the instructors helped set me up with an interview on demo day and I was hired the week after. If you're willing to put in the effort and are up for the challenge, I would recommend giving the fundamentals class a shot.

Like any valuable learning, what you get from the course does not just depend on how well the material is taught. You yourself need to immerse into the work and study hard. Keep up to date with the material and be active in labwork by asking questions or taking good notes. If you think you're able to do this, you'll succeed at CodeCore. 

I took the bootcamp in May 2015 after meeting with the founders/instructors and seeing how friendly and well-spoken they were. I was interested in learning how to build something tangible that could ultimately solve some small problem for people. When the course began, there were days I felt lost but I kept at it because persistence is key. You will learn a lot of valuable skills and problem solving techniques aside from just the languages/libraries introduced to you. No bootcamp will ever teach you everything you need to know but this is well-thought out to the point where you should be able to confidently walk away knowing enough to explore anything else in the world of developing and coding on your own. 

After the demo day where I showed my final project, I was approached by 3 companies for interviews, in which one lead to a job offer within the next week. 10 days after the course completion, I was at my new job.

So it's up to you. It isn't easy but I can guarantee you it'll be rewarding. Engage with the community and go to the networking events. Build your portfolio with new ideas and projects. Collaborate and build something cool! 

When I started looking for a school, I read so many online reviews for developer bootcamps my head was spinning! I spent months self-learning but not getting very far. 

I immediately got a great vibe when I met Tam, Bronwyn and all the team. I'm not going to lie. The bootcamp was hard going. But the best career decision I've ever made and I don't regret it for a second.

This is an intense course and you definitely get out what you put in, as the cliche goes. But its so true! Personally I put in 12 hour days, 6 days a week, sometimes 7. For the duration of the bootcamp I ate, drank and slept code. 

The quality and the delivery of learning material is excellent. Fantastic teachers, who have a way of delivering complex material in a very understandable way.

TAs were always available to help out whenever I got stuck or wanted a deeper understanding of concepts. Working on actual projects I could put on my github as a portfolio helped me better understand the tech I was working with and also I had something to show for it at the end. Every day I was excited to come to class!

When I finished the course CodeCore lined up some interviews for me and I landed a job on the second one as a web and mobile developer! I'm still working with the same company since I graduated and loving the learning journey!

I had an amazing experience at CodeCore. So happy I made the jump and took the full time bootcamp!

I highly recommend the Codecore Bootcamp course for many reasons. You will be able to find very knowledgeable and experient instructors there for sure.
Besides community and network events that they created there is just amazing.

After a long period researching what boot camp course I should invest my money here in Vancouver, I'm very pleased to my had chose them.

They definitely care a great reputation putting good developers out there that help me to stand out at my job interview.

After longing to go to a codeing bootcamp for years I was finaly able to line up both the time and money to attend CodeCore. It was quite honestly the time of my life, I loved every moment of it. If they offered another with a different focus I would try to find the time and money for it as well.

This is an intense experience with 12 hour days 5 days a week. During the weekend team project I was awake for over 30 hours trying to get it done in time. When I say its not for the feint of heart I am not kidding. You REALLY need to stay the full day. Finish the homework on campus and USE the TA's whenever you get truly stuck. 

This is a course where you get what you put in to it.

The excellent instructors and TA's are there when you need them and are willing to answer questions outside the current plan if you have them. Shout out to Steve for giving me each_with_object.

We had a great deal of job prep; From interview question practice to polishing our resumes. They honestly want us to succeed. Codecore lined up a good number of interviews for me and I landed a job!

Coming to Codecore was the best career decision I have made in my life and I can't thank them enough. I couldn't be happier.

One last shoutout... To the DotP community: without you guys I could never have attended CodeCore thank you so much.

From my personal CodeCore experience, I can strongly say that CodeCore has changed my life. Would I recommend CodeCore to other people? OF COURSE!, BUT to those who are willing to put in extra hours and grind like there is no tomorrow.   From the get-go it was super challenging. I still remember spending extra 2 hours at waves coffee with my classmate just trying to understand the daily taught material. And 12 weeks later? Nothing's changed. I still worked really hard, and spent most of my hours at CodeCore.   I feel like there is a misconception with getting a job after the bootcamp and and here is my thought. Nothing is handed to you in life, you have work for it. Even after all your hard work, there is a chance that you might not get what you expected. With that in mind, If you think that you deserve to get a job after 12 weeks of programming you are mistaken. Only thing that will help you to get a job is your perseverance, hard work and luck (your coding skills are given). Upon graduation, CodeCore will help you as much as they can to provide with leads and help to prepare for the job interviews but after that, it’s all on your own!   All things said and done, the most important value this 12 weeks program gave me was the opportunity to start my career as a developer. It provided me the first stepping stone towards a career that I am really passionate about. I still have so much to learn but I am very glad that I took the course. Taking the CodeCore Bootcamp was a huge investment but it turned out to be one of the best investments I’ve ever made. 

There are a lot of options for learning web development in Vancouver, first I’ll list the reasons why I chose CodeCore over other options in the beginning, then I’ll give a summary of my experience.

Why I picked CodeCore initially:

In the summer of 2015 I went through the admissions process and was accepted into two Vancouver dev bootcamps and had also looked into some university programs and classes.

• My decision as to which program to choose was very much up in the air until I met the founder and lead instructor Tam in person. Tam is one of the most warm, kind individuals you will ever meet. When I talked to him it became immediately obvious how much he cares about CodeCore and that extends to each and every student that applies, let alone attends the program. He talked through all my concerns and questions with me and our interview alone was enough to sell me on the program. He’s also an incredibly impressive web developer and can give fantastic advice on almost any facet of that.
• Extending from that, I had read on a Reddit thread that CodeCore was a developer program run by developers, whereas the other program I was accepted into was a developer program run by marketers. I did very much get that feel from the interview process where I was able to get much clearer answers to my technical questions from Tam as well as a more detailed understanding of what I specifically would be learning and why.
• I also read on a Quora thread that CodeCore had in the past seemed to produce technically stronger students. I think it is somewhat dependent on a given cohort but I can’t say I disagree having attended demo days from both schools.
• CodeCore was the only fully accredited program
• I could start earlier for CodeCore and there was only one full cohort going through the program at one time. The latter made it feel less like I was jumping onto an assembly line.
• I talked to a former student who told me that the TA quality was apparently better at CodeCore as they only hired developers who had been working in the field for several years where as the alternative program was hiring past graduates immediately. I have no idea what the TA quality is like now at the other program, but the TAs are incredible at CodeCore as I’ll mention below

My Experience:

I think the first thing anyone who goes through a bootcamp program needs to understand is that what you get out of it will be proportional to the time and effort you put in. If you’re willing to throw yourself into this full-time, 10-14+ hours a day for 2/3 months you’re going to gain real tangible skills no matter what bootcamp you go through. If you aren’t fully committed, you’ll still learn some cool stuff but you’ll be wasting an amazing opportunity to blitz learn some really valuable skills.

• First of all the entire bootcamp was a whirlwind. It didn’t feel like it while it was happening but by the time the 9 weeks were over it felt like it had barely started, only I could suddenly build web applications and use a ton of really cool tools that I previously hadn't even heard of. It went by fast but I’ve never learned so much so quickly and part of that is how effective the teaching was.
• Tam is an incredible instructor. For as fast as he can rip through a complicated lecture he is also extremely patient and will answer all your questions, often explaining things in several different ways to make sure everyone understands. He has a great sense of humor and is good at reading a group to see when people need breaks.
• The TA support is also excellent and you will become very friendly with the TAs by the end of the program. They are an amazing resource and even now, 5 months after I completed the program some of those TAs are my best resources for solving tricky problems with the startup I’m now working on. As a side note to that, past CodeCore students are also a great resource both in person at CodeCore and on the Slack group. And if you’re still stuck and you need to talk to an expert in some particular tool/framework/programming language Tam will always introduce you to someone who can help.
• The support for finding a job is also very strong. Almost everyone who wanted a job out of our cohort has found one, and at the very least have gotten contract work. I wanted to work on my own startup out of the program but Tam still helped me and another cohort member get some contract work on the side to help pay the bills and keep learning new stuff that also related to my own project.
• While you do plenty of group work at CodeCore they also let you build your final projects solo as opposed to in groups, which I think forces you to become a more complete developer as well as letting you dive pretty deeply into whatever unique tools you use to build your final project.
• Speaking of group work, the hackathon style group project weekend just over half way into the program was one of the coolest experiences of the bootcamp for me. It was the point where I suddenly realized I could actually build real websites that people would want. It is also a great introduction to the previously confusing idea of how developers collaborate on projects and really brought our cohort closer together.
• Post graduation you’ll still have so much to gain from CodeCore. It has been an extremely valuable resource for me since I graduated. Once you go through the program you have access to the work space indefinitely into the future. I work there often, as having access to the TAs, and especially Tam is just ridiculously valuable for a relative beginner finding his way in the world of web development. It’s also nice to be able to go back and sit in on a lecture when it aligns with something I’m having problems with.

Other Stuff:

• Since I graduated the bootcamp has been extended from a 9 week to a 12 week program, I believe so as to allow student loan coverage and to cover some of the foundational and/or trickier topics in more detail. The core of the program seems relatively similar but if you meet with Tam it might be worth talking to him about the changes. 
• Tam was also the only instructor I had during my cohort so I can't comment on any of the others who now appear to run some lectures. 

Overall I couldn’t be happier with my decision to attend CodeCore. Just make sure you’re ready to fully commit yourself when you decide to do it. If you’re open to it they will make you into a quality developer no matter what your background is. 

I was part of the September 2018 cohort and graduated in December! Found a job immediately after graduating.

Personally, CodeCore gave me the tools and skills needed to find a junior position out in the wild. I was self-learning on my own but I believe that if I didn't enroll in the bootcamp, I would've never found a job on my own.

The bootcamp gives you some direction as to what to learn, what you should look at, and HOW you're supposed to learn. Practicing on projects and digesting various new frameworks was exactly what I needed. I would highly recommend this bootcamp to anyone who's interested in making the transition into web development. The key thing to remember is that you have to put in the work. There were 3 months worth of long nights during the course, but it was completely worth it!

I was hesitant going into the program because I really didn't enjoy the experiences I had with programming prior. CodeCore was able to quickly change my mind and I soon realized that it was a career I wanted to pursue. The staff made the daily (Monday - Friday) 9 hour grind so much more enjoyable than it sounded at first. 

The instructors and TAs were all extremely competent and very helpful in making sure you become proficient in the course material. Like most things in life however, you get what you put in. If you put in the extra work and effort outside of class hours, you'll get the most out of this program. 

After graduating, the staff kept in touch constantly and seemed very keen in my employment status. Many of my interviews were set up by the staff and without them, my network definitely wouldn't have grown as fast as it did.

All in all, if you're curious about web development or just want more exposure, this course is excellent and you can really get a lot of out if. 

10/10 would recommend.

Thank you Tam, Steve, Luc and all the TAs.

Long story short - I did my research and looked at all options to get into tech industry in Vancouver (university, college, bootcamps and etc). UBC and all 4 year programs were out of the question quickly - I already had a degree and I did not want to do 4 more years of school. Plus unless you secured a coop - you wouldn't have a good time trying to get a job after anyway.

I ended up narrowing it down to BCIT and CodeCore. They both attracted me for a bunch of reasons:

• Good job placement after
• Both gave marketable skillset
• Length of programs (3 month vs 1 year)

I got accepted into both after my test / application. What really turned the tide for me is that Instructors in CodeCore allowed me to customize my program. They worked together with me to get exactly the skills that I wanted - providing support with relevant TA's and adjusting my exams criteria to fit my needs.

I signed my work contract 4 weeks into the program (not sure if it is still the record). I got it because of the help of the CodeCore people. I'm still working at that company 1.5 years after.

So yeah, I think CodeCore is the best option we have in Vancouver currently.

If you're reading this, you are probably considering attending a bootcamp and in all likelihood you have a few questions/reservations. That's very good! So did I. Below are some of the questions I had, along with what I've learned from attending CodeCore's Developer Bootcamp as well as working my first months as a developer. I hope they can help you reach an informed decision.

Can you really learn to code in 12 weeks?

Short answer: not really; but you can learn enough to be useful as a Junior Developer. Life as a developer is going to require you to keep learning. Not just 12 weeks and not just the first year(s). You'll probably be learning until you retire. There already is so much to learn, that no human being is ever going to learn it all and new coding languages / frameworks / libraries / updates are almost a daily thing. If you want to be successful, it will help if you find the tech sector and most importantly coding itself interesting and fun. From someone who used to make plenty of money in the oil industry I can tell you that money alone will not keep you motivated. You are going to have to enjoy the actual day to day activities of a developer. If you (think you) do, then YES, you can learn to become a useful developer in approximately 12 weeks, although it will help if you spend some time preparing for it. The more time you spend learning, the better your chances will be.

Will they teach me marketable skills?

Sure! Will you learn coding languages that you will require in your first job? Maybe. There are too many languages and stack combinations out there for any bootcamp to be able to teach you. You will learn the foundations of coding in 2 or so programming languages though, and you will be able to say that you learned these in a short amount of time. Most / all programming languages have similar features. They all have (variations of) variables, arrays, objects, conditional statement, loops, etc. Once you know a couple of languages, picking up a new language/syntax becomes easier.

Besides the actual coding, you've demonstrated that you will invest in yourself and that you are willing to learn. You will learn how to develop software as a team and you will learn about development strategies. All very useful things to know. You won't be leaving empty handed.

Can't I learn all this online for free?

Yes. Yes, you can. That is, if you don't account for the cost of living. Everything you need to know is online. The problem is finding the right things to learn, in the right order, without spending too much time on subjects that don't really matter. The other major thing is getting the support you need, when you need it. Of course there are free programs online that try to provide structure and even support. So yes, it can be done. It takes determination though. It is much harder to get out of bed every morning and then code all day if you are doing it all by yourself. At least for me it would have been. The other big thing for me was recognition. CodeCore does not just provide a certificate, they also provide you a network and references. If you go it alone, you're going to have to work harder to demonstrate your new skills and build up your network.

So, is it worth it?

That really depends on you. CodeCore will provide you structure. They'll provide you a reason to get out of bed and a place to go to every day. They'll provide you a room full of people working towards the same goal. They'll provide knowledgeable teaching assistents and instructors who will look at your code with you and answer your questions. Something which can significantly speed up your learning curve. They'll provide plenty of guidance on how to go about finding your first job and they will help you where they can. In my specific case, CodeCore pretty much handed me my first job on a silver platter, something for which I'm very grateful. You'll find as well that CodeCore has a lively community with alumni, TA's and instructors all sharing information and helping each other out where they can. The community / network aspect of attending a bootcamp is something which in my opinion generally isn't highlighted or valued enough. If you're looking to break into the Vancouver tech scene, then having that local network is almost worth the price of admission anyway.

Overall though, for any bootcamp, CodeCore included, you get out what you put in. You are going to have to put in the hours learning to code. You are going to have to put in days, weeks, maybe months building on your portfolio and applying for jobs daily. If you have the opportunity and the determination to go down this path, I highly recommend attending CodeCore as they will do their best to help you get where you want to be. 

CodeCore teach basic things from many topics, but not what employer wants to see. You learn lots of the ruby on rails but not many jobs for that. Other bootcamp already switch to javascript which is more popular now and also future. Teacher are so so, class notes not good, but if you have questions you can find answer online or from teacher usually. My advice, find local developer and ask to be intern right away. You will learn better and faster what you actually need to know to get job after. 

CodeCore helped me transform my career. I was working a dead end job in a small town before moving to Vancouver specifically for the bootcamp they offer. Now I am working at a job I love that I was able to get after graduating.

I found the course to be challenging and engaging. For those willing to put in the work and can afford it CodeCore is a great experience that can greatly acclerate the initial part of developing web development skills.

As long as you understand that web development is a difficult skill to develop, and that it will take a lot of determination and effort on your part before you are job ready I would reccomend CodeCore.

As much as you will learn over the bootcamp, its is only 3 months long. You will need to continue pushing yourself and honing your skills for many years to come if you want to pursue a career in tech.

CodeCore is a great way to acclerate your learning giving you strong foundational skills that you can build on to keep up with the every changing demands of technology.

Besides the technical aspects of CodeCore you will also become part of a vibrant community of people involved in the Vancouver tech scene. You will get exposed to people working in the industry and will leave with a respectable network if you take part in the community events that happen regularly at the campus.

If you are serious about becoming a developer CodeCore is well worth the time and money. They give you the nessesary skills in the least amount of time to get started in the field.

If you are interested in reading more about the bootcamp I wrote weekly blog posts while I was attending that can be found here

My education from Codecore was not relevant to the job market. The school passes many students who are not qualified for the positions available. They set the bar very low. Although some instructors are very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, the vast majority of the education is insufficient to prepare a student for the real world. They market themselves very well but they under deliver. They also offer nearly no post-graduation support to find employment. If I could go back, I would learn it on my own for thousands of dollars less.

I attended the Jan 2016 bootcamp after quitting my first full time job since graduation, it was not the easiest decision but I am so glad that I trusted my gut and went for it. I actually studied computer science in school, however because I lacked personal projects and was probably weak on the fundamentals, I never really felt confident for a web developer's role eventhough it was something I was very interested in doing.

 I met Tam a few years back when i was still in school (~2013 i think) when he and a few other codecore instructors gave a free ruby lecture in downtown over a weekend. I was very impressed by Tam's knowledge on the latest technology and his teaching, he is able to convey all the information effectively making everything very simple to understand. so I subscribed to the codecore email and moved on. Until around 2015 when codecore announced that it became accredited, I was getting no where close to becoming a developer and was not able to find a job that I could learn the skills, so I went in and chatted with Tam, and finally made the decision to quit my job attend the bootcamp. I remember just before the course start, Tam sent me an email that had this line: "2016 is going to be a transformational year for you, and we are so excited to be a part of it". Right now I must say that he was right. I now have landed on my dream job with a higher than average starting salary, I have gained a LOT of skills and I'm confident with what I do, and I have a big portfolio with lots projects that I can show case in interviews.

The bootcamp is 12 weeks, it used to last only 8 weeks, but they cover more curiculum now and I felt quite intense already with the 12 weeks experience. We learned Ruby, Sinatra, ruby on rails, Javascript, JQuery, Ajax, React, NodeJS, html5/css, and so on, we built so many personal and group projects including a major final project that everyone can present on the last day to a floor of people including recruiters, company founders, peer developers, etc. all the instructors and TA were extremely knowledgeable, they are all devs who work in local tech companies, so while learning technical skills from them, you are also building your network in the vancouver tech community right there.

In terms of admission requirement, this bootcamp can help anyone who wants to work or start a business in web development. There is an admission test you have to take, so If you have absolutely no computer science or engineering related background, like if you have never heard of "loop" or "variable" or "string", it is probably easier for you to start with the part time fundamentals course and go from there; however if you have a little bit of knowledge or is willing to challenge yourself, codecore provides prep material including the online course such as codeacademy which you can go over before the bootcamp, which I believe is pretty helpful and is enough to get started. My class had people from a lot of different occupational background, everyone who attended all the classes and stayed until the end all did very well. Codecore also helps you to prepare interviews, connecting you with companies that are hiring, providing information and invitiation for recruiting events, open houses, meetups, etc, so you can have as many resource as you need to find a job. They also offer free retake if you are not getting what you want. I felt pretty nice having this as an insurance in case I failed.

People kept asking me why codecore, why not lighthouse, the answer is easy: I have seen Tam's teaching before and I loved it, I knew that I didn't have to look around. The 3 month's experience definitely proved that I was right. I also went to Lighthouse's demo day, learned about their culture -- it's qutie different, i'm not saying it's bad, but I still prefer codecore if I were to choose again. Lighthouse is still 8 weeks, so if you looking for a quicker timeline, you can choose lighthouse. Codecore felt more homie, and codecore encourage building more independent projects so you are forced to implement everything by yourself instead of relying on group memeber, this ensures that everyone has the chance to practise the technology we learned in class and conduct individual research. Codecore also did group project since working in a group is a crucial skill, but the last project was all done individually, and we were all very amazed what we were all able to do in just 3 months. When I attended the lighthouse demo, I noticed that the projects were done in a group of 2~4. Just some comparison for your info. 

If it is your ambition to become a software developer, imagine this:

12/hr days of structured, high quality learning, and practice, every day, for three months. Imagine all of that, coupled with working with a tight-knit community of likeminded individuals all pursuing similar goals, and then also learning with mentors that come from all over the industry, many of them CodeCore graduates themselves. There is simply no better path to becoming a developer than attending a bootcamp. I tried to self-teach myself for months before I even decided to attend to a bootcamp, thinking that I could 'go it alone'. This turned out not to be the case, and I'm so glad for it. 

And that's because there is so much more to being a software developer than just getting a 'job'. I assume either bootcamp in Vancouver will get you a job, if that's what you're looking for. However, after getting a job from attending the bootcamp, I've found that what is far more important than getting a job, is having a community to share your successes with. And this is what I've found to be the greatest strength of CodeCore. They value community. They want you to be/work on campus. They want to introduce you to likeminded people. They want to connect you with people. They want you to retake the course if it's too difficult/something comes up. They want to foster relationships.

I've enjoyed an amazing experience at CodeCore so far - I've made friends, met mentors, got a job, and began a career- and I know it will continue. 

 

Why I picked CodeCore

I was accepted to two of the prominent bootcamps in Vancouver. Ultimately I choose to go with CodeCore for the following reasons:

1. CodeCore is a 3 months program - I didn’t have a strong programming background, so I thought the extra month would help me better internalize the material.
2. Better environment - larger space, plenty of study area, and leather chairs!
3. I read on reddit that CodeCore produces better technical students. 
4. Scholarship for female students.

My Experience at CodeCore

I’m extremely proud to say that I’m a CodeCore Alumni. The caliber of my fellow classmates, the quality of teaching, and the helpfulness of the TAs. Those are experiences you can’t get from any online programs (and I took many including Code School, Codecademy…etc)

They spend the first month drilling in the fundamental and building up your foundation. In hindsight this is the most important part because I did my final project in a completely different framework that wasn’t taught in class. “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” — That’s the primary difference of CodeCore from all the other bootcamps. They don’t want you to just get a job, they want to make sure you can do the job. 

My Advice

Build depth in your network. This includes your TA, the staff at CodeCore, and your classmates. This is your most valuable takeaway. Go to networking events and invite the people you meet to your demo day. The demo day is the best way to show potential employers your skills and what you can do for them. Help others. Don’t hoard your connections and be generous with your network. In turn, they will also be generous with you. 

I graduated from the bootcamp in October 2015. Two years ago I would have reserved for coding bootcamps the same sort of rabid cynicism reserved for multi-level marketing schemes. Yet--with great relief--here I am, gainfully employed and writing a glowing review.

If you are reading this review you are probably wondering why I chose Codecore over Lighthouse. The main reason I let my guard down for Codecore is their policy of infinite retakes--having talked with Tam and getting a good feeling about his character, having the safety net of retakes convinced me that this wasn't going to be a cash-grab. 

General advice:

1. Read/research/code/review for 12 hours a day. I did not have any prior coding experience outside of making a Blink-182 fan page on geocities when I was 11 and it worked out for me. If you're falling behind, you probably have to work harder--this is not a program you should do while working or having any other commitments to get the best result. Put in the work to get work.
2. Remember that the school is also a professional network. Treat your TAs and fellow students with respect. 
3. Use the TAs. They won't do your project for you but they will improve you if can leverage their brainpower. Narrow your questions down to specifics about the frameworks you are using and general design patterns/principles w/r/t your code. I was reading the other reviews and there was a complaint about TA time--I still stop by Codecore occasionally and they've increased TA coverage. Also, let me iterate, the TAs aren't going to write the code for you so think twice when you ask questions whether the question is worth asking.(shoutout 2 gabe n mike)
4. The curriculum of the bootcamp is reflective of the industry but I recommend challenging yourself and learning beyond the constraints of the course to increase your chances of employment. I don't see it as a fault of the curriculum though--if your skill set is spoonfed then anybody can do it. 
5. From what I hear the one place where Lighthouse wins out on Codecore for me are job placements. The lead instructor Tam served my first contract on a plate for me and everything's been smooth sailing for me so the job search has been great. For what it's worth, everybody in my grad class is gainfully employed and if they aren't, they're doing a start up or something. 
6. Use a mac--it's easier. 
7. Have fun!

Before enrolling in CodeCore's bootcamp, I had bits and pieces of programming experience from having self-taught myself over the years. As I began to get more and more interested in web development, I felt like I had a couple of the pieces I needed, but was missing the whole picture. CodeCore's bootcamp was exactly what I needed - an intense, focused immersion into the fundamental concepts, tools and technologies used in modern web development.

I had a really great experience at CodeCore. The curriculum is really well paced, well designed and they're constantly updating it to keep it relevant. The teachers and TAs are also top notch - Tam, the founder and lead instructor, is an incredibly knowledgable, patient and overall excellent teacher. I learned a ton during the course, and even though I had taught myself a few of the concepts and tools over the years it really helped to fill in the gaps. I would say it's definitely more effective than teaching yourself, especially for the fundamentals at the beginning. There's no shortage of free courses and tutorials on the internet, of course, but having a profesionally-curated curriculum and professionally-taught course means you don't waste your time learning things in the wrong order and going in circles (I definitely did that a bunch before the bootcamp). 

When I was researching bootcamps, I looked at Lighthouse Labs as well. I ended up choosing CodeCore because of their strong ties to the local dev community. I definitely don't regret my decision. CodeCore's always opening up their space to local dev meetups and talks, which was really good to be a part of when I was a student. You get to meet lots of people outside your class. Now that I've graduated, I've been back frequently to attend some of their events and I always feel welcome.

In summary, I would highly recommend CodeCore to anybody considering getting into web development. They have a thorough and constantly-evolving curriculum, excellent teachers, and excellent support.

So, you want to learn to code, but you don't know where to start? Try CodeCore!
This is my story: I had lost my job and I wanted to do something different and earn more, obviously. Aside from having installed several flavours of Linux, I had no coding experience whatsoever and since I needed some kind of structure to learn, learning only through online tutorials was not my favourite option, although I tried that too. So, I started to look for a course where I could learn the basics of coding and see if I really liked it. I went to Lighthouse Labs and to CodeCore. The first school looked nice, but I was totally disappointed when I was told that in order to be accepted, I would have to pass an interview where people would decide if I had "the right attitude" for the industry. That made me feel very uncomfortable: it was like if wanting to learn was not good enough! I had already planned to go to CodeCore the same day and so I did. My experience there was completely different. I had absolutely no obstacles to enrol and everything flowed easily since the beginning. One of the things that really makes CodeCore different is that if Tam (the leading instructor), another team member or TA know a resource or have a contact who can help you in something, they will never hesitate to offer you some help. From the best possible technical advice to actual job search support and contacts, the variety of resources that CodeCore offers has no match. In other words: they really want to see their students succeed and you can feel it. For me, that is simply wonderful! To finish, I just want to say that after attending the Fundamentals and the Bootcamp, CodeCore helped me get a job in a company that is at the forefront of the online payments world. I am not officially a developer yet, but I will become one in a few months. This is perfect for me, because I still have time to learn more before getting the full responsibility of a developer. And if that wasn't good enough, I am earning several thousand dollars more than in my previous job, so at the end of the day, this has been one of the best investments in my life, not only from a financial point of view, but also from a personal and professional perspective: I became part of the CodeCore community and it also got me into the Vancouver Tech world.

In today's day and age there is almost no technology that can not be self taught if given enough time. The value of CodeCore is not merely that you are taught how the develop web applications, but your energy is carefully guided and focused to learn how to develop web applications without waisting time on learning the wrong technologies and methodologies. 

CodeCore's excellent instructors, TA's and well designed course materials prepared me for employment in the industry and allowed me to be a productive member of our development team from the get go.

I was looking to get into web development, and I was applying for University to do computer science. After seeing the local bootcamps, I decided it would be worth taking the course and trying to go directly into the workforce instead. I had no prior experience, and started with the fundamentals course to learn the basics of Ruby, HTML, and CSS. I went through the fundamentals and felt confident, so I quit my dead end job, and took the full bootcamp. It was hard, there's a lot to learn and it's hard to absorb everything in 8 weeks, but I also found it incredibly rewarding to create an entire web application from scratch. A month after I'd finished the bootcamp I had two job offers to choose from. 

It's hard work, especially if you don't have previous computer science experience. I'd suggest that if you're thinking about it making a career switch to start messing around on your own first, do the suggested codecademy courses (Ruby, and HTML/CSS). Come into Codecore and talk to Tam or Bronwin, they're really approachable and helped validate the ideas behind what I wanted to build, and that Codecore would help get me where I wanted to go.

Once you finish the bootcamp, it's still hard work. But I feel like it's given me more control over my career, more options, oppourtunity, and room to grow. Codecore has also been an amazing support after I finished the bootcamp. I come back to the school just to work on projects and hang out with other developers. They do a good job of kicking your butt and getting you out to networking events, and whenever I mention that I'm interested in a local company Tam offers to give me an introduction. Codecore's been a huge networking asset, and it's always interesting to talk to graduates and hear about what they're working on, or who they're working with.

To be a great web developer you have to constantly learn, push, and grow. Does that sound good to you?