Codesmith

**UPDATE**  My full review, written shortly after finishing the program, is below. I wanted to add that I just got a job that makes me think Codesmith was a worthy investment indeed. That said, it's been two years since I graduated the program, so it took me a while. I'm an outlier in that respect I think, but just to offer another data-point. Personally I found it impossible to learn all the material they threw at me during those 13 weeks. Instead it ended up being a very detailed syllabus of all the stuff I needed to learn after I finished the program.    After graduation I was told I didn't appreciate how much I already knew. That didn't feel right but I went ahead and started applying anyway. Their resume/application tips do work to get interviews. Unfortunately for me at first I got blown out of the water. It was rough because I wasn't ready. This turned into a cycle of me having a bad interview, studying to learn all the stuff I didn't know (it was often material I remembered coming up in CS) until I felt like I could do well if I had a chance at a do-over, applying again... only to be asked completely different stuff in the next interview (rinse, repeat). In the meantime I took advantage of CS's hiring support, refining answers to interview questions, tweaking my resume, etc.    Fortunately I had enough savings to be able to take the time to continue this cycle of interviews and studying and working on a project of my own (where I truly learned the stuff by using it). Finally, after almost two years I had a series of interviews that went well enough to land me a job, and it's a good one. Codesmith helped me negotiate a nice bump in my salary.  In a few years I will have made up the lost earnings from quitting my previous job as well as CS tuition.    CS puts a lot of effort into boosting your confidence as they send you out into the world but I wish there had also been an effort at the end of the program to truly evaluate where you're at and identify what weak spots you may need to work on before putting yourself out there. Yes, the "Interview Driven Development" (IDD  ) approach works, but I'd say there's a baseline one should be at before starting that process.    At the end of the day, you have to learn this stuff yourself. But Codesmith shows you what you need to learn, hooks you up with a great community of people, and offers very practical guidance for getting interviews and doing well in them. In my first week on my new job I sat in on a couple job interviews and heard applicants say things that CS coached us to avoid... then at the post interview meeting colleagues brought those specific comments up as reason not to hire. So CS's guidance was indeed spot on there.   If I were to do it over again I would study more of the material Codesmith teaches on my own before starting the program, so I wouldn't be getting introduced to so much new stuff all at once. But I'd still do the program. If you are committed to getting a software engineering job, no matter what it takes, Codesmith ultimately justifies its price tag. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   ***ORIGINAL REVIEW*** I had a very good experience at Codesmith. There were a few areas where I personally saw some room for improvement, which I will discuss below, but overall it's certainly an excellent program. Here are my thoughts on its strengths as well as just some things to be aware of as you decide if CS is right for you.   First off, the culture at CS is amazing. Everyone is super friendly and supportive of each other as they go through this sometimes stressful/intense learning process. While I feel lucky to have worked with such a great group of people at CS I also know it wasn't luck: CS takes an active role in shaping the culture, carefully choosing who to admit and then setting expectations about being empathetic and putting others before yourself. From there it takes on a life of its own, as the positive energy creates more positive energy. You will work many long, difficult hours at CS, but it won't really feel that way because it's such a supportive, fun environment to be in. The importance of this cannot be overstated.   The other remarkable thing about CS, and this actually encompasses a range of topics, is how great it is at dealing with all the intangibles around coding and finding work. It's about turning you into a software engineer, which means shaping who you are as a person. They help you manage 'imposter syndrome,' while learning to accept and embrace the struggle that comes with working on difficult challenges. Beyond that they offer a lot of great advice on how to present yourself to maximize your odds of finding a good job, and what employers are actually looking for (as distinct from what they might say they are looking for), helping you to present yourself as that perfect 'fit.' There's a lot about managing people's perceptions... part of that is, frankly, helping you create the impression you have more experience/expertise than you actually have, without actually lying. If you wanted to be cynical you could call this deceitful... But let's be honest: this is the real world we live in. It's not fair, and people often make decisions for shallow, unconscious reasons. CS helps you find every possible way to prime employers' expectations to see you in a certain light and tip the odds of success in your favor.   As we learned these psychological tricks I couldn't help but consider how the CS program was also trying to shape our own perceptions as students. They try to make you feel that upon leaving CS you are now ready for top-level coding jobs... somewhat regardless of where you may actually be in terms of your skill/knowledge level. I think the thinking behind this is that employers are hiring people based on subtle cues that they pick up from the applicant, and that if you are confident in your abilities they will pick up on that and will be more likely to hire you.  (And after that, you'll figure it out... It's what you did at CS after all.)  For this reason it's important that you see yourself as an advanced level engineer, and truly believe it. If you believe it, it will become true. Indeed every step of your journey at CS is about convincing you to believe in your own abilities.     Codesmith has a very specific teaching style, which they use in a sort of one-size-fits-all kind of way... Essentially they don't really 'teach' at all, but rather have you figure it out yourself. They feel strongly it's the only way to really learn this stuff. During the first part of the program there are lectures to provide a super high level overview of material (for example, the purpose of a framework) without getting into any actual specifics about the code. You are paired with someone to work on a related challenge and the two of you basically try to figure it out together.  This often involves using online tutorials or Youtube videos or whatever to try to figure out what's going on. In that sense you might think, "well this is what I was already doing before I came to CS!"    There are a few important differences though: You will work way harder than you would on your own, and you will be working alongside a great group of students in the same boat, all helping each other. Certainly no 'meetup' could substitute for the community of learners you'll find yourself working with at CS. So it's more that CS is providing an optimal environment for learning than it is that they're teaching you, per se. The students who figure things out first often end up showing the others what to do, so actually it is your classmates that do most of the 'teaching' in that regard... I think those students probably get the most out of the program, as teaching others is the best way to solidify one's own understanding.    It's worth noting that Codesmith is really not at all like the Hard Parts lectures. Those involve getting into the nitty-gritty of javascript, with the teacher typically asking lots of questions to students, really keeping you on your toes and making sure you're following along. (Will Sentance, the co-founder of CS, is particularly great at this) When I did the Hard Parts I thought "Aha! This is exactly what I need!" In the program itself, however, teachers don't really call on students much or get into many details.  It's more: here's a slide show for a high level overview... now go figure it out. One advantage of this is it's how the real world is: no one will be holding your hand. If you can do it here, you will be able to do it out there as well. But it can also be frustrating, especially if you were expecting to be taught how to code.   Having worked as an educator, the traditional conception of education has three basic steps: the teacher shows students how to do something, the teacher assists as students try it themselves, and finally the teacher has students do it all on their own without help. (aka "gradual release of responsibility")  Udemy classes and other online tutorials typically don't get past step one, which is a major limitation on their effectiveness.  Codesmith, on the other hand, pretty much just skips straight to step three. It's basically a "sink or swim" approach.   They emphasize that if you are struggling that is itself a success: You are training yourself to keep trying and not give up even when you feel stuck. ("Building that muscle") And I think there's something to that: Surely a big part of what employers are looking for is people with the patience, persistence and determination to work through difficult challenges. It can be frustrating though when you feel lost, because no one's going to really make sure you're getting it. Personally I found myself struggling a lot.    During the first part of the program Mondays start with an assessment that tests your understanding of the previous week's material, which you will then hear back about on Saturday. If you did not do well someone will go over the assessment with you before you leave for your (one day) weekend. Those one-on-one sessions can be very helpful... I would actually say those were some of the most productive times for me at CS in terms of furthering my learning. I do wish they had occurred in a more timely manner though.   The latter portion of the program is basically all group work on projects. If you know enough to be able to contribute you can learn a lot because it's real coding, and the things you learn along the way, as you hit blocks and work through them, will likely stick. Personally I think I would have benefited more from more structured lessons, along the lines of Hard Parts, that drilled in all the basic skills until they're second nature, with such lessons gradually giving way to more independent work... rather than just being set loose on these big projects. "Rote learning" is not sexy by any means, but I actually felt CS could have used some of it.  There's just a lot of vocabulary and syntax you need to know. It seems like a 'boot camp' environment would be the ideal environment to really drill that stuff in.   The CS curriculum provides a brief introduction to a number of coding areas, but they keep things moving along quickly. They want to get you working on the deep stuff that's going to look really impressive on your resume as soon as possible.  This points to an important distinction: the goal of CS is to not exactly to teach you how to code, but to help you land a great job. The two goals are of course related, but where they diverge CS is focused on the latter.  They want to help you come off as that 'rare unicorn' who has somehow taken to coding so naturally you could instantly move into working in super challenging areas. Employers will be so impressed at the challenges you've been pursuing that they will just assume you must also be solid on all the basics.     And, frankly, if you had to choose between being great at coding and having a great coding job, which would you choose? Probably the latter... the reason you want to be great at coding is probably so that you can get that great job. Well that's exactly what CS is going to help you do.  Along the way you will pick up some coding skills, but the idea is that once you get that great job you will essentially be able to figure out what you need to know on the job. This will be possible in part because you have confidence in your own ability to figure out whatever challenge is thrown at you. And in truth the coding skills required for success will constantly be changing as technology evolves anyway, so knowing particular skills is less important than having the confidence, patience and persistence to figure things out. So, the focus on just landing the job does make some sense.   The mantra from CS instructors is 'trust the process,' basically implying 'we've got this figured out.' Along with that is the implication that the process only works if you 'trust' it... that is, you believe it will work. Apparently there was one cohort where one student felt strongly that Codesmith's approach to teaching was wrong and who managed to convince the rest of his cohort of this.  This cohort didn't get as much out of their time there and was then significantly less successful in finding work after graduation than other cohorts. I can believe it. So much of life is about attitude, beliefs, expectations, etc. So it makes sense that CS is very vigilant about keeping everyone onboard the program and clamping down on any sort of negativity or 'dissent.'  I think this is done with the best interest of students in mind.    Where it becomes a little tricky is if it doesn't allow for the curriculum or teaching methods to be questioned, thereby preventing improvements. I feel like more could be done to make sure everyone is progressing and to find ways to meet the needs of different types of learners. At no point, for example, do they ask students for feedback about how the program could be improved, which surprised me (also true for CS Prep, btw). I think they just don't want to encourage any negative thinking about the program, so that everyone will feel like they got the best possible education and therefore go into the job hunt with confidence. It's understandable, but I think they'd be able to make the program even better if they were soliciting constructive criticism to guide future iterations on the curriculum.   Despite these concerns my experience at CS was overall very positive. Hopefully this provides a realistic sense of what Codesmith is all about to help you decide if it's right for you. While I heard other students privately raise some of the same issues I never once heard anyone say they regretted their decision to enroll. A number of people went so far as to describe it as a life-changing experience even.    Personally if I had to go back and decide whether to do it over again I think I would, BUT I would wait and spend more time studying before enrolling. I enrolled as someone without any computer science background, really only having done some Udemy classes, the Hard Parts lectures and CS Prep.  I knew the CSX material backwards and forwards and could write a 'reduce' function in my sleep, but I didn't know much beyond javascript. In retrospect I wish I had been more comfortable writing CRUD apps (if you don't know, look it up) before I got to CS, so I could spend less time learning the basics and more on the advanced features we were supposed to be working on.    As it was I spent a lot time during the day struggling with things far over my head, often feeling like I was spinning my wheels, while spending nights trying to catch up on the basics. I certainly learned WAY more than I would have just studying on my own for those 13 weeks. Coming out of it, though, I'm currently working on solidifying the skills I was introduced to at CS, that are listed on my resume, so that hopefully I will feel comfortable using/discussiong them in an interview situation. That's not exactly where I was hoping to be at this point, although I'm optimistic I will get where I need to be.   I would especially recommend Codesmith to people who already have some computer science experience, whether from school or work. It is possible to come in relatively 'cold' and succeed (I saw people do it), but it's much harder. I would at least find out the frameworks/technologies/etc covered in the curriculum and try to do a Udemy class or something on each one before starting the program. You're going to be figuring most of it out yourself anyway, so might as well get a head start on that.    I am a very recent graduate and have yet to really begin my job search in earnest... So far the job search support does seem very good though. They definitely don't just forget about you after you're "done." If things go as they say to expect and I eventually land the kind of job they are saying we should be able to get, then by all means this program will have been worth every penny and more. Certainly many alums have done very well.    Overall, if you are looking to do a 'boot camp' style program (a term they don't actually use, btw) you should definitely consider Codesmith. It's not a boot camp in the sense that they're going to drill coding skills into you, but it is in the sense that it aims to shape you as a person, instilling you with confidence and a problem-solving mindset. They encourage you to think like a software engineer, and think of yourself as a software engineer... confident you can figure out whatever's thrown at you, because you've done it before. The idea is that if you can make that paradigm shift in your head, the rest (i.e. learning specific skills) will follow in due course.   And in the process you will become part of a great community. It's a sometimes stressful, even grueling experience... but one that's also full of a lot of joy, camaraderie and discovery.  I know it's a time in my life that I will always remember fondly.

Codesmith was an amazing experience from beginning to end. You learn so much more than just coding from this experience. You learn how to become a software engineer and take deep dives into the reasoning behind engineering decisions. From learning javascript, to react, to express, to creating products for developers, it's almost crazy how much you can learn in a few months of time. Even better were the people I was cohort mates with. I got to meet engineers from various backgrounds that made the experience even more amazing. I definitely recommend this experience as it was life changing for me.

Codesmith provided me with exactly what I needed. The curriculum was set up to cover some of the most prevalent concepts and technologies in the industry, and what I left with was a strong foundation to stand on, a solid understanding of how to grow moving forward, and the dedication and confidence to do so. Since graduating, I've stayed in contact with my cohort mates and other people I met through the program (all excellent good-hearted people) and continued to learn and expand my skill set and capabilities. Recently I realized my goal, and with the help of the Alumni and Job Support Team (shoutout to Eric Kirsten), I landed a job as a Software Developer! 

Attending Codesmith a few years back was one of the best decisions I ever made. The supportive community made learning possible since the web development world can be vast and confusing. The curriculum was well-structured for the most part, with hands-on projects that solidify your understanding and prepare you for real-world challenges.One of the best parts was and is the amazing hiring support. The career team offered personalized guidance, from resume building to mock interviews. Even now, a few years later, their support has been invaluable. I recently landed my second job and I was able to negotiate better with their help (thanks again Eric and Annie!).The alumni network is also a fantastic resource, full of people eager to help each other succeed. I’ve stayed actively engaged in this community and have met many amazing people.Of course, it wasn't without its challenges. The program was intense and demanding, which can be stressful at times. However, the effort is worth it, and the payoff is huge.Overall, Codesmith continuously exceeds expectations. The combination of a great community, thorough education in this space, and exceptional hiring support makes it a top-notch program for aspiring software engineers. However, it is important to note YOU need to put in the work and trust in the process, as well as stay resilient during tough times. Though this review is overdue, I'm incredibly grateful for my time there and the lifelong and new friends I've made.

I attended Codesmith in 2022 fully online after growing disillusioned with the Biotech industry. I had already had some past experience in software engineering in college, but spent the majority of my time doing repetitive work in labs. I'd had some prior experience in web development as a hobby as well.

Attending Codesmith was and will always be the best decision I made for my career. Codesmith isn't just a bootcamp or a way to "level-up" your coding skills. It's a roadmap to a new way of thinking and transformed my understanding of software engineering. They don't just teach you the skills you need in the job market, they teach you how to learn anything you need to in order to succeed in any position. Since attending Codesmith, I've worked as the solo developer on a Nuxt frontend and Node.js middleware. Despite having no prior knowledge of Nuxt, I was able to jump right in and solve session related issue day 2 of my employment. By month three, I had used what I'd learned in Codesmith to completely refactor the Node.js middleware, improving response times by 50% and cutting the lines of code by 80%. By the end of my first year, I'd refactored the frontend and improved loading performance from 2-3 seconds to 200-300 milliseconds. All of this was only possible because of my education at Codesmith. 

Pre Codesmith Profession
Prior to attending Codesmith, I pursued a career as a healthcare professional, investing seven years of my life to earn an advanced degree. However, upon venturing into the real world, I was taken aback by the rapid pace at which healthcare companies exhaust their professionals for the sake of financial gains. Overbooking, subpar care quality, inadequate compensation, and stymied long-term growth opportunities left me disheartened with healthcare as a whole. The whirlwind of COVID-19 served as the final catalyst, prompting me to seek an alternative path. It was during this time that one of my closest friends, a Senior Software Engineer, recommended a switch in careers. He recommended that I pursue a boot camp, and after conducting thorough research and considering various factors, I found that Codesmith consistently delivered the most exceptional outcomes, making it the clear frontrunner in my rankings.
Pre Codesmith Prep
During my search for programs, I simultaneously pursued Harvard's CS50 course. As I delved deeper into the requirements for admission to Codesmith, I shifted my focus from C to Javascript, immersing myself in the fundamentals through CSX and Eloquent Javascript. Additionally, I dedicated myself to self-teaching data structures and algorithms by solving Leetcode problems, laying the groundwork for a successful job search after graduation. Months of consistent effort in preparation for the technical interview paid off, as I was fortunate enough to secure acceptance on my initial attempt—a noteworthy achievement given the high selectivity of Codesmith. Recognizing the program's rigorous standards, I made the decision to invest in a new Macbook Pro, a decision that proved invaluable, as I encountered no compatibility issues throughout the duration of the program. 
During Codesmith
Life during Codesmith offers a profoundly distinct experience. It demands unwavering dedication and investment in personal growth, as well as a collective commitment to the success of one's peers. It is a journey that requires pushing oneself beyond perceived limitations and persistently striving to overcome obstacles. Days consisting of 10-12 hours of intense learning and perseverance become the norm, with some individuals choosing to extend their efforts beyond the structured schedule. The program unfolds in two distinct phases: the initial half, characterized by structured classes and learning modules, and the latter half, where the true essence of learning emerges through project work. My overall experience with Codesmith was truly exceptional. From day one, the atmosphere fostered empathy and kindness among the cohort, and this sentiment resonated with my personal encounters. Whether offering assistance or receiving help, each interaction was infused with a sense of fulfillment and compassion. The main instructors, mentors, and teaching fellows showcased exemplary skills and dedication. I attribute the extraordinary quality of my experience to Codesmith's meticulous vetting process and the nurturing environment they cultivated. Our class made it a collective goal to ensure that every individual felt comfortable with each topic, readily providing tutoring and support to one another. The unwavering commitment to high standards and positive vibes permeated throughout, leading to a transformative and life-changing experience.
Post Codesmith
Upon graduating from Codesmith, one swiftly realizes that the journey has only just begun, and it is an exhilarating prospect. The growth potential that lies ahead over the next 3-6 months is nothing short of inspiring. Personally, I was picky with the roles I applied to and only did 200 applications, which ultimately led me to secure my first role. In contrast, some of my peers took a more extensive approach, submitting 2-4 times that number. Unlike traditional universities, Codesmith does not simply hand you a diploma and bid you farewell. It is more akin to an anti-university, placing little emphasis on pedigree, titles, or mere pieces of paper. Instead, Codesmith's core values revolve around tangible outcomes. Remarkably & deservingly, many individuals in my cohort have successfully secured senior positions or are earning annual salaries exceeding $150,000. The support provided by Codesmith extends far beyond your initial job search. They offer comprehensive career assistance, regardless of whether you are seeking your first job or embarking on your third. While there were moments of discouragement during my own job search, they were fleeting thanks to the unwavering encouragement and motivation provided by the support team and my fellow peers. Eric Kirsten was of immense help during the process, providing positive encouragement and real-life stories to aid in the hunt.
Summary
Overall, if you are looking to change careers to be a Software Engineer, I give Codesmith my highest review. Keep in mind it will take a long time of grit and grind, but it will pay dividends. If you are interested in pursuing software engineering, I would teach yourself a first language and dig deep into if this is something you want to pursue. Allot at least a year for the full transition, and expect to give it your all each and every day. 

Codesmith was better than I could have possibly imagined. It has skyrocketed my career and income! Now I am doing work I am more passionate about and getting paid WAY more. Totally amazing. And I was already a software engineer before joining Codesmith.
The community is incredible, really supportive and I feel I have some friends for life even though the course I did was remote.
The instructors are passionate and genuinely care about the students, pushing you to go the extra mile and helping out those who are struggling.
The best thing about Codesmith though is how intelligent their approach is. I went to another bootcamp before Codemsith and the results were mediocre. Then I saw how Codesmith do things.
They get you build something cutting edge, pushing the boundaries of programming in the field. This helps you distinguish yourself as an engineer and innovator. It puts you apart from the rest in the field.
Then there is the job search support which is par excellence. They teach you how to sell yourself, communicate and negotiate in industry in the right way. This is so powerful, and now I feel like I am “in the know” as to how the industry works.
Before I was sending out all the wrong signals when interviewing and marketing myself. Now I know how to position myself as a high value engineer.
They also give you access to incredible people like Eric Kirsten, he helped me to negotiate an extra $25k on my salary before I had even finished the course.
And then I have reused what he taught me in regards to negotiation to earn many multiples of that since.
So just that advice alone was worth significantly more than the whole cost of the course.
But I am also a much stronger engineer technically thanks to Codesmith. It taught me to be more ambitious technically in what I am building, so that keeps paying dividends.
Most of all Codesmith was great fun (though challenging too). I did it during the pandemic remotely, and while most everyone else’s pandemic was terrible, mine was amazing thanks to Codesmith.
It was one of the most productive and high growth periods of my life.
And also the connections I made with other cohort members has continued to help advance me in my career long after finishing the course.
So big shoutout to the whole Codesmith team, I owe them a huge debt of gratitude for what they do.

After dedicating 12 years of my life to nursing, I made a decision to pivot my career and pursue my true passion - technology. The experience provided by the full-time immersive  proved to be both challenging yet immensely fulfilling. It pushed me beyond my limits and helped me realize my true potential, showing that with  determination, I had the potential to be a talented engineer.

For those who are considering a career shift to technology, I highly recommend  Codesmith. The supportive and helpful community offered here is exceptional - before, during, and even after completion of the program. I'm grateful for the lessons learned and the lifelong friendships I developed along the way. They truly changed the trajectory of my life and that of my family.

Going to Codesmith was one of the best decisions I have ever made! As I am writing this I just finished my first day as a software engineer making 3 times more than I have ever made! So I can tell you that Codesmith really does what they say it does.

The tuition alone is worth it for Codesmith's hiring program. They help you hone a resume that you can be proud of! They teach you how to reach out and get interviews even in a horrible job market. And they provide continued support after you graduate. I did not come from a tech back ground either. I mostly worked in the service industry and government. 

The thing that impressed me most about Codesmith was that it wasn't designed to take you from zero to hero. You actually have to work hard to get in. They have a free program called CSX and weekly free trainings that will get you to a junior level skill set. Once you are in the program you hit the ground running and they start developing the skills that will take you to a mid to senior level engineer. You learn the stuff you really can't get from YouTube videos or medium articles. You work with other humans and develop technical and empathic communication skills. As you grow as an engineer the challenges get bigger and bigger. Then to cap it all off, you and a small team of engineers build a production level application that is designed to impress other engineers. I can guarantee that you will look back on your journey and be shocked at who you have become and what you can accomplish! 

It is not an easy program. It is not easy to get into Codesmith. You will work your ass off and you will hit a lot of blocks that you have to work through. But those challenges literally made me a better man and they made it so that I could handle the challenges of the job hunt and now the challenge of onboarding as a Senior Engineer (I don't know how it happened, I wasn't anywhere close to the smartest in my cohort, but I landed a Senior Fullstack Engineer roll - I am still in shock). I was in the part time program and it was a wonderfully fulfilling nine months that I will always cherish. I made life long friends. And honestly, it is the fact that it is not easy that makes Codesmith so valuable. I genuinely feel like this tuition was the best money I have EVER spent!

This is a long review, but I know how intense this process can be for those of you looking at attending a bootcamp. It has now been about a year since I decided to attend a bootcamp to change careers. I looked everywhere online when I settled on going to a bootcamp; I read every review, I watched every video on Youtube, I even messaged alumni of different bootcamps on LinkedIn, and eventually, I found my way to Codesmith. For the last 3 months since the program, I’ve considered myself lucky everyday I made the choice I did.
 
 Codesmith is without question, the best educational environment I’ve had the privilege to learn in. I’ve been lucky enough to go to good schools in the past, but I’m really proud, frankly, to say that this online bootcamp has really left them in the dust in key ways. I’ll make a note here that I was hired as a fellow by the program after my time in the immersive program, so if you need a grain of salt to start, there could be one. 
 
 - Admissions: It is worth making a comment right away that getting into Codesmith is not easy, but it is NOT an unjust process like I experienced in other programs. I speak from experience as someone who applied elsewhere, tried to go through admission processes at other places (everyone should have options), and eventually conducted the literal technical interviews for Codesmith myself, the admissions process is doing its job well. I won’t get too lost in the details, but I will say that if you can pass the Codesmith technical interview, you have what it takes to become a software engineer. They test on every quality and detail that I was tested on in a real technical interview for the job I have now. That all said, don’t rush into this process. It is possible, having seen both sides of admissions, to brute force your way through, with time. Do NOT throw $20k into something before you are ready. If you understand, for example, how to add methods to a prototype so they can be inherited by other objects, you could be ready. If you have no idea what I mean by that, do not stress even a little bit; just take your time to learn is my point (:
 
 - Curriculum: The curriculum is fantastic. You will touch all the technologies you need to get a full-stack developer position: Javascript (you’ll be a pro), React, Node.js, Git/Github, etc. However, what you come to appreciate and feel confident in by the end of the program is that you could see any tech, any framework, even any new language, and given realistic timelines / expectations by your team “in the wild” could learn what is needed to solve a problem in whatever tech stack. This is really because — Codesmith doesn’t create cookie-cutter engineers; Codesmith creates first-class problem solvers who communicate empathetically and technically like senior engineers. If you want to understand why outcomes seem so high for this program compared to others, the answer begins with these 2 qualities above all the rest.
 
 - Portfolio: Not a ton to say here, although a ton could be said. It is worth noting that you will have a better time job hunting when you have real open-source products on the resumé. And Codesmith focuses on making you build real, open-source projects before you leave. You don’t want to pay for a program that is tutorial style really, because why not just spend $2k (at most) in Udemy courses and be done with it? Codesmith makes you build in small teams of engineers (like in the real world), on projects that are technically impressive and that are REALLY challenging. You’ll hear “hard learning” thrown around a lot in and out of the program, and there is no form of better learning than solving a bug you’ve been stuck on for 6 hours with a team; this makes a good portfolio for sure.

- Hiring Support: I have so much love for the hiring support team answering every ridiculous, anxious question I ever hit them with, day or night. Codesmith really points you in a direction at the end of the program and teaches you how to carry yourself in interviews in the tech industry. Tech interviews and getting hired generally as a software engineer is honestly very formulaic. It’s almost entirely behavioral / very ceremonial, which was somewhat surprising to me. Codesmith guides you through all of these processes and really do their best to ensure you have support networks (during and after the program) to guide you through the idiosyncrasies of the tech industry. I would NOT have gotten a job as smoothly as I did if it wasn’t for their mentorship.

- Management/Team: This part could be a never-ending rant. I think what you will find, even will find just by attending the free workshops, is that Codesmith is a community of really passionate people that are putting in the work for the right reasons. I truly believe Codesmith only works because the instructors and the management of the organization are people who are passionate about seeing people change their lives. Will Sentance is the founder and owner, and not only will he give your cohort a lecture at the end, but you will get several chances to hear from him throughout the program; could not be any more apparent this person cares about fostering a space for people to change their lives. Eric Kirsten is a senior board advisor that will lead you through the hiring program. Eric is another huge element of the “secret sauce” of success at Codesmith. Takes a certain level of tailored mentorship to get an engineer to negotiate $15k in base salary after only 8-12 months of studying the industry, and Eric will take a hands-on approach to make sure you get that. Phillip Troutman, he’s the chief academic officer, is another key player you’ll hear from often. Let me tell you, part of the secret of Codesmith is convincing students every day they can do everything and anything so that they actually go out and attempt insane feats of engineering; Phillip is the key to that happening. Every program has different instructors, but in the central remote program — Katrina Villanueva and Jared Lewis are *the* reason students understand the core curriculum so well. Their compassion and attention towards student success is without question what makes the CTRI immersive so effective. For the sake of not making this piece of the review endless, I’ll stop here, but yes, there are that many incredible people in this organization.
 - School / Life Balance: There is very little balance. This is my very real, very difficult con for the program that I would not hide from anyone. You will eat, sleep, and breathe Codesmith, which at times will be a lot to handle. This program is hard. You will watch your cohort go lows and highs of imposter syndrome almost daily. It can even feel a bit cult-like, I suppose, at times. But what can I say — you get a room of intelligent people together every day who want to change careers in a (seemingly) impossible time frame into a field that is really challenging and competitive. It isn't crazy to assume that process will be hard, but if you put the work in you’ll be so glad you did it one day. It took me about 10-11 months, from start to finish, from the day I decided to attend Codesmith, to the day I got a job offer.
 
 There are other great programs out there for sure, but if I was to do this all over again, I’d be right back at Codesmith.

I've been working as an engineer in the industry for over 3 years now. Whenever I needed help/advice with negotiating my salary Eric Kirsten has ALWAYS been there for me. I've been able to negotiate upwards of 15K on my first job acceptance, and 15% pay bumps every year after (thanks to Eric's advice). Not only that, as of my latest job hunt I was able to negotiate over 15K just on the base (not including bonuses and pay bumps)! Eric is an absolute gem of a resource, his advice has already paid Codesmith's tuition 2-3 times over!