Codesmith

My time at Codesmith gave me a great skill set with relevant and exciting technology, but most importantly helped me develop a process to continue learning while on the job, which in my opinion is one of the most important skills to have as a software engineer. Because of the rigor and method of learning at Codesmith, I have been able to accelerate my career development and become a valued member of my team. 

The hiring support is an absolutely amazing part  of the program. They were able to help me negotiate great terms for my first position after the program, as well as give great advice during negotiations for a raise over a year after my graduation. 

Special shout out to Uncle Eric! 

If you are looking for a coding program this is by far the best choice you can make -- I landed the job I wanted within a month after graduation. Obviously Codesmith is a great technical program, but I was especially impressed by how well Codesmith focused on non-obvious things that actually make a huge difference:

• The program deliberately schedules catch-ups & sessions to help you overcome mental blocks in job search (for me this is 90% of the fight). I've done job searches before, and this by far was the most efficient/least-stressful job search period I went through and I believe it's because of the hiring program.
• Codesmith actually has a successful serial entrepreneur as an advisor who's hired engineers himself & advises you on how to talk to potential employers. For anyone looking for a career transition you can't get a more qualified advisor than this. He held various workshops on narratives & job negotiations (even one on how to start a startup, which he didn't have to but did for residents/alums anyway). Honestly everything I learned from him was probably worth the entire tuition.
• The entire curriculum is focused on technical communication & pair programming, sometimes even more so than learning the technology.  I was honestly skeptical but in the real engineering world this is what sets apart engineers people want to work with & able to be productive in team settings from those that are not. After 3 months of continually "talking-while-coding", I felt very comfortable doing live coding interviews and I wouldn't have gotten there w/o Codesmith.
• The curriculum does not hand hold at all - they teach you fundamentals but you are left to figure out the rest with your partners. This can be frustrating at times but after a while I realized that I now somehow know how to teach myself new technologies with little to no guidance. Honestly this is the core competency of an adaptable/versatile engineer and they teach you this even without you knowing.
• The amount of decent/kind people in the cohort, alumni & staff is off the charts here and this is one of the best communities I've been in. Alums are not only extremely knowledgeable but also very generous with their time and always willing to give back. My cohort was awesome and I made some lifelong friends here. 

I can't speak to other programs, but based on my experience I don't think an engineering program can get much better than this. Before this I considered getting a Master's in CS but I am so happy I didn't because Codesmith was exactly what I needed.

Going to Codesmith has definitely paid off - it's second to none when it comes to the success rate (nearly 80% of my cohort are employed as SWEs after 5 months, NOT counting those who went on to become fellows). I'm not going to talk too much about the actually education quality as everyone seems to have already touched on it - all I will say is, you are not going to learn any less than you would in any other program. However, the difference imo really all comes down to the hiring formula that their staff has curated - this alone has definitely helped me and my cohortmates seen way more success during the job hunt.

To whoever is reading this, I was in your shoes exactly a year ago - do your research thoroughly and good luck!

I came upon Codesmith during my months-long search for the most suitable bootcamp in NYC. What impressed me about CS, right off the bat at their open house, was the detail and clarity of their curriculum. While they also have the numbers to show for it, their presentation alone really painted a solidly structured picture of how students will learn during their 12-week intensive. I decided to take the JS for Beginners online course partially because I wanted a solid foundation to JavaScript, and learn better by interaction, but also because I wanted to get a sense of how Codesmith teaches: its language, its approach, etc. 

I had a tremendously rewarding learning experience with JS for Beginners. Our instructor, Michelle, was patient, communicative, and receptive to our questions. The best part, in my opinion, was the amount of technical communication the short prep course taught me. It gave me a morsel of confidence to speak my code, literally, and feel comfortable with the syntax. This is a fantastic opportunity for those wanting to begin their coding journey. I cannot recommend JS For Beginners enough. 

Switching careers (or starting one) is scary. Switching into tech? Even scarier. The reality is that anyone can do it with enough determination and grit; however, most people lack the resources, fundamentals and community support to build the confidence needed to take the right step to changing their life. Codesmith is able to provide all of these things, but it does come at a cost. You will be challenged a lot and pushed to your limits, both mentally and emotionally. For three months, you'll find yourself sprinting head first into massive walls, but somehow still find yourself coming out on the other side (with bumps and bruises). This might seem a little crazy, but there's a method to this madness, and the method works. I know because I experienced it first hand and had the privilege of watching so many people struggle, grow and eventually turn their distant dreams into tangible realities, including myself. 

Go to Codesmith. Endure the suck and trust the process. You won't regret it. 

   

 

   

I wrote my first line of code in March 2019. I was offered a role as a Senior Software Engineer at a leading FinTech company in October 2019.
Some may say BS but it's hard to explain this to someone that hasn't gone through Codesmith's Immersive Software Engineering Program. To sum up the how the program works in a real life example, quoted by Phillip Troutman (executive instructor at NYC), "Here's a car, go build a carburetor."
How is that possible? That's where you become a mature engineer.
The amazing community and culture is just the cherry on top. If you want to change your life, try to get into Codesmith...if you can!

   

I attended Codesmith's software engineering immersive from July to October. I began to teach myself how to code over a year ago, and decided I needed to be surrounded by like-minded individuals who are eager to plan and build applications and tools.

I had been accepted to Flatiron, Fullstack Academy and Codesmith - it was an easy decision to go with Codesmith, as I got to meet so many prospective students and staff before the program even started, and felt like I could grow as an engineer. And there was a sense of community, whereas the other two lacked such structure.

This isn't for those looking to make a quick way into software engineering - the units are intense, you'll be learning a new technology every other day. Coming from a non-technical background, I had to work harder to make sure I wasn't falling behind on units. I would spend 9am till 9pm on campus and when I'd get home at around 10pm, I'd either review the units, read documentation, build test apps until 1am. This cycle continued on for three months, and yes it's definitely challenging!

More importantly, I got to meet so many wonderful people from diverse backgrounds, which contributed to forever-learning environment at Codesmith. The staff members are also super supportive, and when I was going through difficult periods while job searching, they were always there for me, pushing me to do better.

Codesmith's program definitely works, that it has shaped my mind in a way that I can read any docs, tackle problems on my own, and collaborate to provide optimal results.

The grind doesn't stop after graduating from the three-month program. With its excellent hiring support, I was constantly receiving feedback as well as mock interview rounds to prep me for real interviews. I came from no computer science degree, nor worked in tech (I did marketing prior) and still ended up with a six-figure salary offer within a month of graduating.

Each outcome varies, but it shows that if you put all your effort into the process and make the most of it, anything is possible.

 

Joining Codesmith was without a doubt the best decision I've ever made. The amount of growth I had and encountered in such a welcoming environment was absolutely unheard of. The course is by far harder than most things I've ever done but equally more rewarding than anything I've ever done as well.

The greatest pros of Codesmith are:
1. Culture - the Codesmith culture is the most welcoming, supportive culture I've ever been a part of and I continue to keep up with current students, staff, and alum! Thursday nights alum gather to mingle and catch up at the facility and one night there was a representative from 10 of the 12 established cohorts - the community is incredibly close-knit.
2. No Hand-Holding  => You will learn how to learn - you will without a doubt struggle at Codesmith, but in the best way possible. The difference between my previous self and me now is insane and I credit the encouragement of learning on your own/with your partner/with your team. Learning how to learn will be the most valuable asset moving forward because the tech world is constantly evolving and the learning never stops. Deciphering how to pick up new tech is paramount to being a software engineer and Codesmith trains you for your future.
3. Job Support - Between all the instructors and staff and Eric Kirsten there is no possible way not to succeed in finding a job. The process is incredibly thorough and the support lives on well beyond what anyone would expect. There is comprehensive support (resume, online profiles, mock interviews, morale boosts) was so much more than I ever could have hoped for and I'm happy to report receiving 4 different offers by trusting in the process and working hard.
*I've only listed 3 pros but I could go on for days

Cons:
The space could be a few square feet larger.
(There aren't any cons) 

I came to Codesmith with many years in the tech industry in order to re-sharpen my coding skills and gain knowledge of a modern JavaScript based tech stack. From day one the experience exceeded my already high expectations. The lecture schedule/materials and delivery are a high quality product - but the people that surround you are the real differentiator - you are surrounded by amazing individuals with both a genuine ability and desire to help you succeed. Hiring support is exemplary and I feel I have been given valuable tools to help me get the kind of job I want. On the technical front - Codesmith understands that you need to take on a challenge and just build something rather than relying on a hand holding approach. Being at Codesmith mirrors what real work in the field feels like and as a result it develops real engineers as graduates. Amongst other things - I personally I built multiple React/Redux frontends, had the freedom to explore more exotic technologies such as graph databases, and built a tool to help examine the resiliency of GraphQL end points in distributed systems, while at the same time being able to be inspired by the creativity and work of other classmate's ideas and around me. Codesmith has huge personality and creates a collaborative environment for all. 100% recommend

CodeSmith changed my life! I want to give a big shout out to Will, Schno, Shanda & Eric. I appreciate everything they have done to create such an amazing program. I wrote a review on SwitchUp, but wanted to add one here. 

CodeSmith gives you everything you need -- starting with JS fundamentals & Algos, to a modern framework & tooling, and finally devOps and system design. 

CodeSmith job support is amazing! They will work with you to detect where things are working well and where you need more support. They give you explicit guidelines on how to approach the process and Eric even helped me negotiate a 5k increase in my salary and a nice relocation bonus. I would have had no idea how to even begin approaching that kind of thing without him.

My suggestions: 1. Prepare to live and breath code so clear out your schedule. 2. Try to learn as much as you can before entering the program (its a multiplier). 3. The job search process can be a grind if you do not have a technical background like me, so follow the guidelines outlined by CodeSmith and work with the support team to practice interviewing or resume formatting.

I hope if a prospective student reads this review, they know that this program truly is a game changer, but also keep in mind that there are no guarantees, and you must do the hard work to succeed. They can help you as much as possible, but ultimately you must do the learning & and the hard part of applying.

I would highly recommend Codesmith to all aspiring SWEs. I started off teaching myself js, css, and html earlier this year and I decided to attend Codesmith soon after. The first 6 weeks consists of multiple day sprints using the newest technologies and lectures, and then the last 6 weeks consists of projects that will help you shine once you're on the job search. 

Reasons why I would choose Codesmith:

1.Teaching style. I really enjoyed the teaching style of Codesmith, please attend their free workshops on Thursday if you're serious about it. The material you learn will definitely help during your job search in the future (I ended up rewatching some workshops via youtube before interviews to nail down js fundamentals) Hard parts with Schno was the tipping point for me to attend Codesmith over any other programs. At first it was very challenging for me to learn so much material at such a rapid pace. During the program they will not hold your hand and walk you through everything. They will teach you what you need to know and then from there it is on you to reinforce the learning through pair programming sprints and projects. This allows you to be an autonomous problem solving engineer, which is key to being a great engineer on the job. 

2. The community/network. I had an amazing cohort and we were all driven to becoming impactful engineers. If you want to be surrounded by likeminded people striving to break into this amazing industry then I would highly recommend looking into Codesmith. The results speak for themselves (check their outcomes). One thing I learned throughout my time post CS is who you know in this industry will get you a long way. I believe being part of the Codesmith family will be an amazing asset moving forward whether it is receiving referrals or advice on engineering best practices. 

If you are serious about making moves in this industry and you are just getting started I would highly recommend CS. It is definitely not for everyone. I had my doubts throughout the program, but through the help of my cohort members and CS fellows, instructors, and admin I was able to defeat that imposter syndrome and find a great job. You definitely need to be committed to spending 3 full months grinding away. 

Hey All,

 

I wanted to give a review of Codesmith, because I've had such an amazing experience there - completing my immersive this Friday.

I'll go into details later, but I think there are two things about Codesmith that are inarguably better than other boot camps, instructors and job assistance.

 

Instructors

 Your lead instructor in New York is Phil Troutman with ample lessons also provided by the founder, Will Sentance.   They are two of the most charismatic speakers I've ever listened to, and they know what they're talking about.  They're also the same two people giving hard parts talks, what I sampled for free and convinced me to join the camp is exactly what I got when I was in the immersive.  I highly recommend attending hardparts to get a feel yourself.   

Curriculum

Codesmith focused on Front-end(React, Redux), Back-end (Node, Express), Testing (Jest), Devops (Amazon).  Their technologies are chosen based on the job market, which is exactly what I wanted.  Their style of teaching is very much "hard learning", meaning they give you the 50,000ft overview of a technology and then ask you to start working in it.  The goal is push students into those corners where you need to figure things out yourself and that is... hard.  However, everytime you hit one of those blocks and push through your ability (to understand documents and programming concepts) as well as your technical skillset grows immensely.  They will finally close out a particular technology with an in-depth lesson that clarifies any of the things you weren't able to solve on your own or had an incomplete understanding of.

 

Job Assistance

One of the two things, I think Codesmith does incredibly well is help you get a job.  The assistance with structuring your resume, understanding how to properly interview and present yourself, those things aren't happening in the same way at other boot camps.  It's integral that you actually learn how to code, but equally important that you're able to convince others of the same once your program is complete.  The job assistance is the secret sauce that puts Codesmith over the edge, it's an entirely different skillset from coding an absolute must to be successful.  Whether you're fresh out of high-school or have 15 years of experience, they take the time to provide actionable steps to getting phone interviews and ultimately, offers (9 years of non-technical experience myself).  

 

Overall

I can't say enough how great the experience at Codesmith has been. I've exculsively focused on the actual work thus far, but the community is just as great.  They preach "empathetic coding" and it shows.  I've had many nights when people have stayed until midnight to help me understand concepts I've been stuck on (Redux!) and vice versa.  The instructors, curriculum, the community all top notch, my strong recommendation is to check it out yourself and see if feels right.