It has been six months since I completed the 16-week immersive course at DigitalCrafts and can say that it has been the best career decision I have ever made. The course was an amazing way to learn the skills that are required to get a job to get a job as a full time web developer. Additionally the work that I put into my projects during the course I was able to create a portfolio that helped me to get a job in Palo Alto, CA as a Software Engineer. 

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I'm currently 8 weeks into the DigitalCrafts 16 week Immersive Program, and I'm convinced it is one of the best decisions I have made. I did a little bit of self-teaching through CodeAcademy, W3Schools, and Eloquent Javascript, and even though I felt like I understood it; I didnt feel like it was enough. When I enrolled, all of resources were actually in the prework; reaffirming that this course was going to be intense and solid. The instructor is extremely knowledgable and his insights into the languages he teaches are valuable. I can ask whys and hows and he is able to help me understand it better. An added plus, he has a great personality and makes class enjoyable; which is very appreciated with the intensity being what it is. We are getting into the backend portion currently, and all the work we did with exploring and learning front-end has made me feel prepared for learning newer languages; which is an incredible feeling. I am given the tools to not only be an excellent web developer, but the confidence to move in any direction I want with this. Great investment, and highly recommended to anyone looking to get into this career.

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I just finished DigitalCrafts 16 week immersive bootcamp, and it was a great experience! Prior to DigitalCrafts, I had very little coding experience. I had taken a part-time course at another Atlanta code school and done a little bit of self study, so when I was looking for a career switch I decided to come to DigitalCrafts. I chose DigitalCrafts over other code schools in Atlanta (even outside of Atlanta as well) because it was a longer program than the others, focused on skills I was more interested in learning, and the administrators seem to really care about the success of their students. I can say that I was not disappointed! 

In the 16 weeks here, I learned so much more than I ever could have imagined. Sometimes it was extremely overwhelming, but by the end of the week you would be building a project using the new languages and realize how much you actually know. Also, it taught you how to be able to pick up new things extremely quickly. I thought the instructor was great and really made sure that we were all up to speed and that no one was left feeling confused or left behind. Also, he introduced a decent amount of computer science basics, which I think is something that sets DigitalCrafts graduates apart from other code school students. 

Also, the administration was extremely helpful in the job search. They really helped give us all the tools to have our portfolios up quickly, made sure that we always knew about the most recent job postings, and helped us network. They seem to genuinely care about the success of their students, and not just because it makes their numbers look better! They are passionate people and it really shows in what they've done with the school!

All in all, I had a great experience at DigitalCrafts and feel ready to start my career as a software developer very shortly!

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DigitalCrafts, for me, has been a tremendous experience! Although the long days and nights were rough, I would do it again! I had very little programming experience when I first came to DigitalCrafts. I now feel like I will be able to go find a career in Web Development. The most important skill I have now is how to learn, quickly and efficiently. The staff at DigitalCrafts are awesome. They care about the student's success as much as the student. They are encouraging and a big support during the program. My instructor was great!. He was focused on what the students learned more than if they just completed a project. I would highly recommend DigitalCrafts! 

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Going to DigitalCrafts was one of my best choices I have made for my career. Going to DigitalCrafts honestly is a complete life changer for me. I have never been more motivated to continue learning and improving my skills in Web Development. DigitalCrafts’ staff works really hard to find the right approach to teach the course and are always improving the course from feedback from the students. I never have seen the passion from individuals that really want you to succeed and always help push you to create even better projects throughout the class.

In the past year, I was transitioning out of Retail and pursing a career in the IT field. After a few months of IT training and certificates, I attended a few IT job fairs in the Atlanta metro area. At one of the job fairs I attended was the DigitalCrafts booth. That was the start of my journey of becoming a fullstack web developer. Before attending DigitalCrafts, I did tons of research to compare other coding bootcamps. 16 Weeks to learn two web stacks and cost the same as programs that are half the time? That’s a no brainer! But, I had to make sure that the program was right for me. Talking to Jake and Max from DigitalCrafts during the in-person interview answered a lot of my questions. I could honestly feel the passion which led me to believe the students from their school will not just learn to code, but students will become great developers and be successful in developer world. When I finally met my instructor Rob, I knew 150% I found an outstanding Bootcamp to mold me into a great developer. Rob is an amazing individual, he is lovable, kind, outgoing and just super passionate to share all his years of experience as a developer into each student. He was the heart of taking the course and always helped me stay on course when I stumbled in the course and would get frustrated. He taught me so many things, and I can’t thank him enough.

Overview of the course:

Going to a immersive bootcamp Monday – Friday for 40 hours a week is not a simple task. If you plan to attend DigitalCrafts for the 16-week program, then this should be your only commitment during the four months. I worked my ass off everyday, I came in early and I stayed late after class. I even came in on the weekends to stay focused and continue to improve my craft. If you just work really hard for those 4 months I can honestly tell you it pay off! I enjoyed that the course was 16 weeks, because I had more time to make an outstanding final project and make my portfolio site stand out. DigitalCrafts doesn’t just educate you on coding, they also help you prepare for technical interviews, interviews in general, how to display yourself and standout from others.

Final note:

Deciding to go to DigitalCrafts was the best choice I could have ever made. I’m not working retail anymore, I’m a junior full stack developer at a company in the same building as DigitalCrafts. I’m making 3 times more than I ever have and what did I have to do? I just invested all my effort in 16 weeks to be where I’m at now. Just remember keep coding after you finish! Keep challenging yourself and don’t stop your thirst for learning new things in the development world. After you learn key principles you learn and pickup new things very easily. I can’t express anymore the fact that I get to code and build things and get paid to do so now! (It’s like playing and I get reward with $$$).

Article about me attending DigitalCrafts:
http://www.hypepotamus.com/people/joshua-ciaralli/

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       The decision to commit to a Web Development Immersive Course is not easy and not to be taken lightly. I was first introduced after hearing an acquaintance detail plans of quitting his job to attend a code school in San Francisco. Listening to him speak I couldn't help but think I should be doing the exact same thing.

        Some weeks later I had applied to Iron Yard, General Assembly, and DigitalCrafts, eventually deciding on DC. Due to the for profit nature of the industry, I do not believe all schools to be created equal. DigitalCrafts felt more individualized, at the time had only a single class, smaller class size (10-12) and cheaper overall price ($12,500) compared to competitors (discount incentives up to $1-2k based on early enrollment and gender), and felt Max, Jake, and Rob were genuine guys. 

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DigitalCrafts is growing like a wildfire, and it doesn't take long to figure out why.

From instruction to job assistance, DigitalCrafts is hard to beat. The success of a business always comes down to communication, and these guys know how to communicate every step of the way. I am extremely pleased with how the course went and that I ended up with a great new job as a Web Developer.

Don’t get me wrong, you have to work your butt off. You can’t just breeze through the program and expect to be handed a great job on a silver platter, but if you give it your all and let the DigitalCrafts team do what they do best, then you’ll be pleased.

Get there early, stay late, and don’t be afraid to branch out from the projects to show your creativity. I’m confident that I got my job because I worked extra hard to make a unique portfolio. Make yourself stand out. Give it everything you’ve got. It’s just 16 weeks of your life.

Places like DigitalCrafts are shaping the future of education. After earning 2 degrees over almost 7 years that led to dead end jobs, the mere 16 weeks at DigitalCrafts catapulted me into the best job opportunity I’ve ever had. 

I would highly recommend DigitalCrafts to anyone and everyone who is considering getting into Web Development. 

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I decided to attend an immersive bootcamp to accelerate a career change.  I wanted to experience both front-end and back-end development, which DigitalCrafts provided with their fullstack course.  Once I met with Rob, Max and Jake, I knew this was the place for me.  I came to DigitalCrafts with no experience except for some free online resources.  I admit there were times during the course that were pretty intense.  This course requires that you put in the time to learn the material.  You continue to build on content from day one.  If you are willing to put in the time and effort you will be successful.  I had Rob as an instructor and he was great!  If we had trouble during the course Rob was willing to help, we just needed to keep him in the loop on our progress.  When it came time to start looking for jobs Jake was a big asset in helping us look for postings and letting us know when there were oportunities within the employer network.  With their help I was able to secure a front-end development internship at the end of week 12.  I feel confident in my new skills and look forward to what the future holds.  

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I set out to accomplish something, bridge a gap between my past work experience and my love for developing software. I wanted to shed my skin and feel youthful again. Do something that had meaning and change my professional career path. DigitalCrafts met my expectations and helped me to understand core development concepts which directly led to me finding a job within the first 8-weeks of class.

I chose DigitalCrafts because I wanted a full immersive program, I wanted to eat, breath and drink development for 16-weeks, and do nothing else. I got exactly what I wanted. Project after project, with small but effective hands-on work with a bottom-up approach, you gain new ammo in your arsenal of tools. Each day at DigitalCrafts, we apply a new concept, slowly tie each piece together and by the 8th week your writing AngularJS, interfacing to multiple API's and eating real world data for breakfast.

My journey has led me down many different paths each with it's own hardships and obstacles but with countless rewards as well. It is not just the lessons I have learned along the way, or the internal battles that you fight with yourself to stay on $scope. It is without a doubt, what you choose to do with the knowledge you gain and the relationships you build along the way.

Thank you Rob, Jake, Max, to my classmates and to everyone I have had the pleasure of meeting at Atlanta Tech Village. Thanks to DigitalCrafts, I have a signed offer letter in-hand, new skills at my finger tips and peace of mind moving forward in my career path.

Br,

)oeciH

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The experience I had at DigitalCrafts would be hard to top anywhere. There is an exceptional energy within the classroom, and the culture is dedicated to learning as much as possible, as quickly as possible. There were several guest speakers who offered advice for the job hunt. The instructor was extremely passionate and seemingly tireless in his effort to ensure that every student was up to speed with every technology covered. The wide variety of technologies covered was the selling point for me, as it allowed me to really have an opportunity to figure out what I liked and gave me a more marketable skill set.

DigitalCrafts has changed my life, and set me on an exciting and rewarding career path. I can't say enough to really express the benefit this course has given me.

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I just graduated from the Web & iOS course and I never would have thought that I would be in the position that I am now as a result of the course.  Before even graduating I received two job offers, both for more than I have ever made.  And because of the skill set that I have learned I honestly feel like I have the flexibility and freedom to be picky about a job and really choose something that I am interested in.  Taking the DigitalCrafts course has been phenomenal and has been one of the best decisions that I could have made.

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The DigitalCrafts staff have definitely fostered a family atmosphere while providing resources and an environment extremely favorable to learning.  Though the curriculum is demanding, everything is set up to promote providing you the skills to succeed and ultimately find a job.  I have enjoyed my experience and have learned a ton.  Rob & Joe are great teachers, I couldn't ask for a better experience! 

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I am currently a student in DigitalCrafts, a 16-week immersive course + ios.  I have just finished Week 7, and so far I am enjoying the entire experience.  My background is in finance with a degree in electrical engineering in the distant past (graduated in '99).  While I had some entry-level programming in college, I hadn't touched it since and knew only the very basics.  I was by no means a developer when I started this cohort, but that is quickly changing  So far the immersive program has been challenging but rewarding.  New topics are presented every couple of days, and while they may initially seem overwhelming, the material is presented and explained in such a way that I am able to grasp the concepts quickly and move forward.  Rob, our instructor, also gives us projects that incorporate prior topics, and this really helps to build my confidence in the skills that I am learning.  Rob is an excellent instructor who is very generous with his time and goes out of his way to make sure that everyone understands the concepts that are being covered.  The pace is fast, and it definitely takes a lot of effort and hard work to become comfortable with all of the new skills we are learning. But everyone working at DigitalCrafts has been willing to help and I genuinely believe they want every student to be successful.  I'm almost halfway through the course and I'm quite happy to be a student at DigitalCrafts.  

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I am currently a student in the 16 week web immersive and so far the course is going very well.  Although I did some studying prior to starting the camp, I had very little actual experience of building anything.  From the very beginning at Digital Crafts we jumped into building pages and working on projects.  Initially it was very intimidating, but I quickly realized I was learning much faster when I was forced to push my way through projects.  The course is always pushing forward but the pace is not overwhelming.  You just have to be sure to put in the time to learn each concept thoroughly so that you can move on to the next topic.  The instruction is clear and there is help available if you need it. I have 10 weeks left in the program so things certainly could change, but as of now I would not hesitate to recommend the program to others.  

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Thought the course is not over yet, I've already learned a lot of knowledge and skills on JavaScript, jQuery, HTML, CSS, Angular JS, Bootstrap, Swift, xCode, and the bascis of Linux.  I think the instructors really make an effort to teach the material and confirm that each student understands the codes and concepts.

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So far in the course, I have been extremely pleased with the entire experience. Rob, the teacher, is extremely competent across all of the technologies we have covered, and has been an invaluable resource when it comes to helping troubleshoot code with beginners. Rob has helped students develop individual projects that help peak their interest, because it becomes a project that the developer really cares about.

The classroom has been well stocked with snacks and hot coffee to keep you going during the long days.

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We are currently 1/4 the way into the first 16 week Full-Stack Immersive Course. So far the experience is great, lots of tips to help with getting a job after the course is finished(which is the end goal of course). Curriculm has been all front-end for thus far but back-end stuff starts soon. I would recommend DigitalCrafts to anyone with an interest in entering the Web Development/Tech industry. Will try to update as we get further into the program.

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First off let me say that bootcamp experience mostly depends on who your instructor is. I came based on several of the reviews of teachers that are in Atlanta and I didn't meet one of them, so keep that in mind when you are reading reviews. The other pieces of the company are important, but if your instructor is awesome or terrible, the other stuff won't change it.

Instructor:
Mine was a decent guy, I think he cared about the class. He tried to meet our requests and was clearly knowledgeable, but most of the class was just letting us loose on a bunch of code exercises. I get that exercises are important, but I was already doing this before I came. Why would I spend thousands of dollars to do code academy? Many of the students were way behind and he didn't manage it well at all.

Company:
My main problem with the company was with the founders because there is only one support person in Houston. Jason was a good guy, but didn't seem to have any power to help us. The founders came to Houston a few times (they're in Atlanta 99% of the time) and made some big promises and told us how important we were, but in the end only seemed to care about keeping us from complaining. 

The Houston classes are like the red-headed step-child; we didn't get any attention, we didn't have any community, and we were in a complaint ridden facility. I'm sure Atlanta is great, but Houston DigitalCrafts isn't focused on teaching, it's focused on keeping anyone from complaining. Everything circled around making the students think we were in the right place even though we were just doing exercises most of the time. The routine went like this:
1. No sign of the founders for 2 weeks while we do exercises all day
2. Complaint (about class being slow, or whatever) and Jason can't do anything
3. Founder shows up and promises everything will be awesome tomorrow. They are on it!
4. He leaves and we have half a day of better class.
5. Everything goes back to normal. 
6. Repeat. For 16 weeks.

I don't think either of them have taken the class or know anything about development so they're not in a position to do anything anyway. Atlanta classes interact with each other but didn't know we existed. The whole thing was pretty obvious. I felt this way for a long time but never said anything. Re-reading some of the reviews made me think it needed to be said. I'd blame them over the instructor because they didn't manage him. Just interested in a big, profitible business.

Facility
It seemed like a hip place but there were constant complaints about something. If you whisper, people two offices over freak out for instance. Not in a very nice area of Houston.

Final Thought:
DigitalCrafts as a company is not that great. In my experience, it was a major let down. It might be awesome if you get an epic teacher or are in Atlanta where all the support is. If not, just do Code Academy 6 hours/day and save a ton of money and disapointment.
 

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Material is good and relevant, the teacher is knowledgable and does a decent job, but the class size is WAY to big. I get very little personal time with the instructor because the class is too big and the time to short. The TA’s are good but I didn’t pay for them to teach me. I talked to an alumni and his class was HALF the size of mine. I did a ton of research on course report and went based off the reviews, but the bottom line is that the greed for money is taking another quality small business product down.

Unless you are already pretty advanced and don’t need much help (also way too many exercises), go somewhere else.

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Awesome class! 

I just graduated a few days ago and had an incredible experience. The staff is super nice and the instructors do an excellent job of breaking down complex material into easy-to-understand terms. I received a great job prior to graduation and learned more than I expected to. 

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DigitalCrafts was a great choice for me.  Because I was making a career change, I did a bunch of research.  I found DigitalCrafts to be the best bootcamp for me.  It is located in a fantastic tech hub in Atlanta and surrounded with both exciting startups as well as mature tech companies.  Even the location of the bootcamp is a great asset because it provides access to so many other developers and companies to build relationships with, talk code with, and network with.

My instructor, Rob, made it clear that his greatest desire was for all of his students to be successful.  Both in the class as well as in our software careers.  His breadth and depth of subject matter knowledge was impressive, to say the lease, and his ability to communicate technical subject matter on many different levels was excellent.  I was consistently impressed at his ability to make challenging information digestible and easily understandable.

The rest of the staff at DigitalCrafts displayed the same care for the success of their students.  It was quite clear that they were working hard for us.  Always keeping a feel for ways to improve the learning, networking, and ongoing job support that they offer.  You are not just a student at DigitalCrafts, but a valuable member of a family of developers.  And their goal is to help build you into the best developer that you can be.

The course is 16 weeks of working your butt off to learn both the LAMP and MEAN stacks and build some really cool projects.  I'm totally thrilled I did it and would do it again.  I now have a great job as a developer and love the endless opportunities that I have in this new career field.  DigitalCrafts gave me the education and experience to make it happen.

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I highly recommend DigitalCrafts for so many reasons but will focus on these four:  1) Curriculum 2) Location, 3) Instructor and 4) Administration.

But first, my situation.  I spent 28 years in Software Engineering prior to my DigitalCrafts experience but really wanted to get back to coding.  A bit of an anomaly (based on comments from peers, family and friends!).  Nevertheless, I needed a place to re-tool, to re-boot and learn the prevalent and upcoming web technologies.  Researching and comparing bootcamps, I landed on DigitalCrafts.

The curriculum/program at DigitalCrafts was perfect.  Since I worked in software engineering for a long time and already had exposure to C++, Java, .Net and the top 3 relational databases, I really wanted to learn something new and exciting.  The MEAN stack fit the bill.  Only DigitalCrafts offered training in the MEAN stack. 

The program is truly immersive.  Although advertised as 40 hours a week / 5 days a week at 16 weeks, for me it turned into 50+ hours a weeks / 7 days a week at 16 weeks. It became addictive!  The program has a “Hacker” component (if you’re brave enough) that challenges you to go above and beyond!  The immersive nature of the program also gives you the ability to really feel like a developer day-in and day-out.  Something I really looked forward to because the last 15 years in IT I was a manager/leader with no coding responsibilities.  With DigitalCrafts you have the opportunity to learn and practice pair programming, Agile methodology (Scrum) and develop a business/product sense via writing MVP statements.

In terms of location, being in the Atlanta Tech Village (ATV) felt surreal.  There was a level of excitement in the air I had never experienced.  I encountered people talking about raising capital, making their pitches, understanding the ins and outs of their business and desire to out-grow the ATV;  amazing.  It felt like I was watching Shark Tank every day!  Because of the experience of being part of ATV, I am targeting startups for future employment.

My instructor, however, was a force to recon with.  I’m still trying to figure out where he gets so much energy and patience.  He did a great job of taking people with very different backgrounds and presenting the subject matter in consumable chunks so that people can feel accomplished; feel they are learning and consequently, stay engaged; feel like developers (each morning he would say “good morning developers!”.  In addition, I found him easy to talk with and transparent.  He’s a well-rounded technologist and a published author with tremendous insight who’s open and ready for the students to tap into.

Lastly, the DigitalCrafts administrators truly care about the students and student success.  When the Director of student services interviewed me for admission, I initially that it was overkill.  My impression was “all you should care about is my money”.  Not so with these guys.  The Director challenged me to carefully consider my decision.  He clearly articulated expectations of students, shared success factors and provided insight on market statistics.  I’m not naive to think all of this doesn’t benefit DigitalCrafts as well.  However, there is something special about these guys beyond business as usual that’s difficult for me to quantify … but it’s real. 

The DigitalCrafts team invests their time and money into their current and former students through many avenues.  Some involve active career assistance, networking events, continued education and even employing graduates (eat their own dog food).

In summary, DigitalCrafts was an awesome experience! 

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My mind had been spinning about if I should leave my job and go back to traditional school or try a coding bootcamp. However in early Jan 2016 I was laid off from my job and was finding trouble find a new gig. I did a lot of research on coding school, this was going to be a big risk that I was about to take. This would be my last option before joining the military. I joined DigitalCrafts and I believe that it was a great decision for me. I have a background in Comp. Sci and wanted to get more involved in the actual coding. For me the leap paid off. I received am apprenticeship from a top tier company and learned a ton and am continuing to learn more each day.

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• You will learn two stacks. You will probably not attain mastery of any particular technology, but no one who starts from zero can expect to master HTML, CSS, JavaScript, git, the MEAN stack, Linux, Apache, SQL, and Python within 16 weeks. After the bootcamp is over, you should be in a good position to continue learning about any programming languages or technologies of your choosing.
• Given the multitude of web technologies out there, attending a bootcamp can potentially save you a lot of time and frustration by introducing you to the most relevant technologies at the appropriate time.
• While learning the trade of programming and web development, you are bound to encounter bugs in your code and issues with your development environment. This is one area in which DigitalCrafts excels: the instructors (to date) have 10+ years of development experience, and the Developers-in-Residence have gone through the same program that you are going through. You will be in the perfect place to get your issues resolved in a timely manner so you can get back to learning.
• Changing careers is not easy. Expect to apply to anywhere from 100 to 200 jobs before getting an offer. If you are one of the top students in your cohort, DigitalCrafts may connect you directly with prospective employers. The career services at DigitalCrafts may well be worth the price of the tuition alone.
• DigitalCrafts holds regular Meetup events where you can meet the instructors, current and prospective students, and the founders of the company. Prior to enrolling, I would recommend getting to know your instructor and any prospective students of your cohort.
• The landscape of web technology continues to change rapidly. The 16 Week Immersive curriculum is currently a good match for the Atlanta job market, but it will have to continue evolving to stay relevant.

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I came into this program with very little programming experience (one Java class in my college curriculum), and I can honestly say that I have come out on the other side as a developer, albeit a very junior level developer. I can't say that I am an expert at anything programming related, but I can say that I am an expert at picking out my strengths and weaknesses very quickly, and that was my biggest takeaway from this program. I learned a TON about the MEAN stack, and a reasonable amount of Python and PostgreSQL, but the most important thing I learned was how I learn. Because of the pace of the program, and the volume of information, you are forced to adapt and learn how to learn, which was an amazing experience for me. I know that I can pickup a book or watch a YouTube tutorial series on a new programming language or framework, and I am going to learn it in my own personal way, at my pace. I do feel that the curriculum could be tightened up a bit more (stricter schedule, more uniformity between cohorts, etc.), but I think that will get progressively better as DigitalCrafts grows. All in all, I am very happy with my experience at DigitalCrafts and would recommend aspiring web developers and software engineers to attend.

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