Flatiron School

I attended Flatiron School's Software Engineering Immersive Program from July to October 2017 and recently began a job as a Solutions Engineer for a late stage startup. 

Flatiron's immersive program and post-grad job assistance via the business development and career coaching team definitely exceeded my expectations. The course materials, instructors, student engagement and job search prep were all fantastic. The instructors were always intelligent, dedicated, and helpful. While there was sometimes more material that we could handle (which was ultimately great since we could go back and review with new material) and the projects at the end of each module could have had more time allocated to them, the speed of the course and amount of material was to be expected. More than anything, Flatiron taught me how to think like a programmer and understand the workflow associated with working on a web application. This includes, but is not limited to, how we come up with a project idea (both independently and with group mates), how we research and implement specific tools relevant to our projects, and how we debug and error handle. This process is CRUCIAL when approaching the final project we completed during our time at Flatiron and extends far beyond it. 

The way the course itself is structured is key. Technologies and frameworks build on top of each other and supplement different aspects of the process of creating a web app. By the time one three week module was done and the first week of the next module began, we were able to start piecing together how each language or technology or framework fit into making an app. Once I graduated Flatiron and was job hunting, I was easily able to pick up new languages and frameworks that were necessary in different technical interviews and personal projects. The excitement and process by which to go about learning something new was definitely taught to me by Flatiron. 

With regard to job hunting, I was able to access all of the various course material that Flatiron offers. Most important was the Computer Science lessons. A lot of technical interviews require common CS knowledge (recursion, BSTs, algorithms) - this was something that was not really focused on during the immersive course and something that there was not much material for post-grad but luckily I had access to Interviewcake. Aside from this, my Flatiron career coach and the entire business development were super amazing throughout the three months that I was job hunting. I would receive, on average, 4-5 leads from business development per month. They also have career fairs 3-4x a year which allows for rapid fire interviewing with NYC based companies. In any case, the job I am currently working at was directed to me from a Flatiron business development person. Throughout the 1.5 month interviewing process for this company, the team member on business development and my career coach were excellent resources to bounce ideas off of, help me prep for cultural interviews, and give me any updates or feedback.

Overall, I highly recommend this course to anyone interested in working in tech as a developer, engineer, product manager, etc. It definitely helped me redefine my career trajectory but more so, taught me how to continually learn about technology. It is a challenging course and not everyone fare wells during it but if you’re determined and know how to improve, this is definitely a life changing program.

Flatiron's Online Web Developer program was a fantastic way for me to learn how to code. It taught me not only the fundamentals of Ruby, Javascript, SQL, React, Rails, OO and more but also taught me how to continue to learn new languages and new frameworks. The instructors were accessible and the online community of students and graduates on Slack is incredibly supportive and welcoming. I graduated in September and within 3 months landed a full stack developer role at a financial services company in New York. An additional element is the post-graduation career support. My coach was with me every step of the way and I felt that Flatiron was very much committed to my personal success. 

I'm a student about to start at Flatiron. I went through the Boot Camp Prep course leading up to my application. Compared to other online guided learning tools to get started coding (and learn if you truly enjoy it), this is far and away the best I've used. In terms of quality and density of content, frictionless presentation, authenticity to real-world workflow (through the use of a real IDE and git), and help when you need it (you can ask questions and help others at every step using a chat that has code snippet pasting, and there are friendly, knowledgeable Technical Coaches watching the chats as well.

If you're interested in Flatiron this is a great way to begin learning about the school. They've iterated on their online learning platform for a long time with great results and recently built the entire IDE into the browser. That alone is worth checking out. 

The Prep Course is definitely worth investing the time.

I recently completed the Online Web Development program. Although I had experience in programming prior to the program I did not have as much front-end experience and had 0 experience in Javascript, React, and Ruby. I began the program while working full-time but about 1.5 months in I was able to quit my full time job to commit to completing the program. If you are self-motivated and really want to do this program I think that it is a fantastic way to get experience coding each day. If you have experience coding then some of the program will be simple and be a review for you, BUT since it is self-paced you can fly through some lessons. It never hurts to nail down the basics.
Prior to this program I had many many BAD interviewing experiences because I was not prepared for interviews. However, about 75% through completion I took an interview for a Full Stack Program and got the job! I felt very prepared for the technical interviews because of the curriculum and hard work I had put in.
The online program will take hard work and lots of commitment but it is worth it!

Definitely one of the best online, learn-at-your-own-pace, coding courses I've taken. I did a good deal of codeacademy courses before doing the Bootcamp Prep Course and while they were great for learning coding concepts and syntax, I never felt like I knew what to do to actually launch my own project because all the coding is done on the codeacademy site.

I loved the Flatiron Bootcamp Prep Course because they immediately get you using an IDE to write code in. It's a great introduction to what it's actually like to be a developer and by the end of the Javascript section I was writing my own simple, one-page web applications. It doesn't teach you everything but it puts you on the right track and sets you up to ask the right questions to progress past the program. It also gives you a taste of what you don't know and how much more there is to learn. It naturally leaves you asking "But how would you do x?" which made me really excited to start their Engineering Immersive program.

Overall, the Flatiron School's online Bootcamp Prep Course got me into programming like never before. I have been on and off when it comes to programming. I tried Codecademy, Udacity, and another bootcamp's free prep material.

The greatest advantage of their Bootcamp Prep Course is their Ask a Question feature. It summons almost immediate help from their tech coaches or fellow applicants. I also get the opportunity to return the favor. One night, I ended up working with someone else stuck on the same material. We finished it together.

I feel like the Javascript curriculum could be improved a little bit because the last lab at the end is overwhelming. It would be nice if it built up to it like it does in the Ruby curriculum. However, I get the sense that their team is always finding ways to improve the course. (I did get help from their tech coaches and finished the overwhelming lab.)

I am now going to start the Flatiron School’s NYC Software Engineering Immersive in January 2018. The Bootcamp Prep gave me a taste of their teaching style and convinced me that I would love to learn code from the Flatiron community.

Background: CPA, 10-year tax consultant/accountant, BS Physics & BBA Accounting, Mother of an infant and a toddler, super supportive family.

Timeline:

• 2015-2016 - Thinking about changes and looking for different options
• Jan 2017 - Enrolled at Flatiron online web developer program
• Aug 2017 - Graduated
• Oct 2017 - got an offer
• Nov 2017 - Started the new life as a software developer

School:

1. Great curriculum: Study materials are comprehensive and organized in an intuitive way to lead students from entry to complicated concepts.
2. Live tutors and study groups: readily available daily. I didn’t utilize those resources much b/c I learn at odd hours like Midnight - 4am and whenever kids are napping.
3. Instructors: led study groups and reviewed portfolio projects. they were super knowledgeable and gave constructive reviews and suggestions. I reached out on Slack from time to time to ask about personal career questions and other random questions and always have support.
4. Lectures are recorded videos: The videos were fantastic! I watched all of them and learn a lot more than just reading alone.
5. Career services were top-notch:  Everyone gets a designated coach who will work with you on cover letter, resume, online presences, interview skills, mock interviews, networking tips and more. They have a great network of employers meaning lots of opportunities to get interviews. All of my interviews came from campus recruiting.
6. Time & Cost: online course tuition is paid monthly. The faster you learn, the lesser the tuition.  I was fortunate to be got a scholarship that paid half of the tuition. (There are scholarships from time to time and make sure to take advantage of it.) My total cost was $4500.

Overall: I highly recommend Flatiron school.  It is a great school with very dedicated individuals who are passionate about their missions and skillful at what they do.

Personal Tips: 

Online classes are convenient and cost effective only if you are super motivated and dedicated. Check out the free pre-bootcamp class and see if you like the course materials and learning styles at Flatiron.  If you can focus and finish the pre-bootcamp under a month (20-30 hr a week), that's a good indication that you can focus and finish the whole program.  And almost all of pre-bootcamp materials are part of the actual curriculum, so it's to your advantage to finish it before you begin the full program, that'll save you time and $$.

Also, note that there wasn't any technical interview to get into the online program. There was only a cultural interview. The entry barrier may look like lower than the regular in-person bootcamp where acceptance rate is in single digit and often requires rigorous technical interviews, however that means you really have to be motivated, otherwise it's easy to slack off once you are in the online program.

I am by no means an expert at anything just because I attended a bootcamp and switched career. I am happy to share my own experiences. Feel free to reach out to me on Linkedin if you want to chat more.  

Have fun and enjoy life!

Experience at Flatiron It was hard and overwhelming. It was also encouraging to see other people in the same boat as me. We had all wanted a career change and everyone was determined to do well in school.   Basically, what you put into your work is what you'll end up getting out of it. It's easy for someone to go through the 'labs' and make things work but really understanding why it works is all up to you. At times, it felt discouraging seeing other students finishing tasks that were taking a while for me but in the end, since I took more time to try to know what's going on, I feel I got more out of it.   The people that were in my cohort were all really great people. They were accepted into the school for a reason - the determination and drive. During the bootcamp, it's an experience that is hard to emulate outside of bootcamp. Everyone feels pressured, everyone feels like they have to be the best, and that's how it should be. People learn through motivation and drive.   There are many events that Flatiron hosts or tells you about so that you can engage in the tech community. They also have happy hours every couple of weeks to encourage relationships to grow among the students.    Post Experience The career team has helped connect me to companies that are looking for students like those that attend bootcamps. There were times when I was contacted by companies mainly because they have a relationship with flatiron. It's really helpful.   BUT, be warned. It's going to take time and it's definitely stressful. When you finish school, you feel ready and want to land a job asap but most of the time, it takes at least a month to 6 months to land your first job. It's all a waiting and interviewing game. During this time, practicing interviewing skills and working on side projects to keep your curiosity up is crucial.   TL;DR I had decided on a career switch, went to Flatiron School, worked really hard and made lots of new friends along the way, graduated at end of June, and accepted an offer in October. I don't regret anything and am super excited to dive into a new career.