Hack Reactor

I was a self learned web developer working in a meager job. I love coding and I really loved my job. But the pay was very low.

Hack Reactor changed it. Now I am a full fledged software engineer working in a wonderful company with good salary in New Zealand.

I studied commerce all my life. But I hated my job. Somehow, I got into coding and I loved it. But I was quite late. When I enrolled into Hack Reactor, I was already 38 years old.

But it didn't matter. I was fully dedicated and was determined to make it happen. And it did.

First thing you have to keep in mind is that software engineering is hard. With that, I can tell you the following:

Hack Reactor has created a program that works.

First, It teaches you things you need to know to become an efficient software engineer. I was a self learned developer before and I lacked in many concepts that are crucial for a software engineer that Hack Reactor taught me.

Second, I thoroughly enjoyed the course. I did it remotely from half the world away and I had to completely reverse my sleep schedule. I attended the classes the whole night. It would not be possible if the course was not really enjoyable. I got the most helpful counseling and guidance during the course.

Third, it provides its students incredible support to get an outstanding job.

I am very thankful to everyone at Hack Reactor for creating such an awesome program and would undoubtedly recommend anyone who would love to become a software engineer and change their lives.  

Everyone comes in to Hack Reactor with a different background. I met a wide variety of people at Hack Reactor Remote. There are students who had already had years of experience in Software Development. There are students who had recently graduated with Computer Science degree, but not yet started a professional career. There are students who have never taken a formal programming course and never worked for a tech company. There are students signing on from every part of the world (in the remote program).

As for me, I was working a blue collar factory job when I learned about Hack Reactor. Now I have a much more rewarding career that I love more each day.

The instructors and staff are great. There is surprisingly little 1-on-1 interaction that is timeboxed in the curriculum, but the staff members are great at making themselves available and are very good at identifying gaps in understanding. They are also very sensitive to student's struggling with the emotional/physical challenges of the experience. 

The outcomes team is great and very supportive and available after graduation. 

The overall experience is challenging! If you are already a skilled developer there are plenty of opportunities to push your boundaries. Almost none of the students are bored or otherwise unchallenged. If you are accepted (to the full time program) you must commit to it unconditionally. Some students drop out each cohort because of family or medical emergencies, but I observed a good number of these students re-enroll at a later start date. Very few students are removed for technical struggles or behavioral problems. The staff is pretty good about keeping people on track and recognizing when they need to intervene.

If you want to be a software engineer in the near future I totally recommend that you check out Hack Reactor. They know what skills and behaviors are valuable and they will help you grow very quickly. They also know that learning never stops for a software engineer, and they will make you thirst for more knowledge after graduation.

I'll admit that I turned to Hack Reactor as a last resort when my job search in my degreed profession was not yielding results. After talking to a friend who had gone through the remote program, I decided to pursue software engineering and began teaching myself Javascript and found I really enjoyed it!

It wasn't long before I was enrolled in Hack Reactor's Structured Study Program (SSP), which is a GREAT primer for the immersive experience, especially if you're considering the remote campus. SSP leveled up my Javascript game and I was ready to start the immersive program. The first thing everyone says is that the immersive program is hard, and they were right, I found myself often over my head. But Hack Reactor's great support network - Tech mentors, Hackers in Residence, Counselor, and each other! - helped me wrap my head around difficult concepts and provided emotional support when needed. 

After graduation, I felt prepared for the job search, in terms of technical skills as well as helpful job search advice from HR's great outcomes team. I was getting a lot more traction in my new job search and now find myself at a great company doing what I enjoy - which is probably more than I can say had I stayed in my previous field!

I put off the Hack Reactor interview for a long time - about a year or so. I kept thinking the success stories were too good to be true, was nervous about the price tag, and already had a professional career that I was settled into (although I was powering through free online coding resources in my spare time and knew I was heading toward a career in development). Finally I bit the bullet and decided to go for it, and I am SO glad I did. It really is a life changing experience. It's not so much that Hack Reactor teaches you how to code in 3 months (the bar for passing the entrance interview is surprisingly high - they already expect relative comfort with javascript concepts when you arrive), but they teach you how to survive and be valuable in industry. The most valuable things I walked away from Hack Reactor were 1) ability to work on an engineering team, 2) data structures/algorithms foundational concepts, and 3) ability to quickly parse through documentation and use unfamiliar technology in a project on the fly. Beyond all of the incredible things I learned (and learned about myself) during Hack Reactor, I want to point out that the staff is amazing. The immersive nature of Hack Reactor is extremely intense, but all of the staff facilitate a really positive learning environment and really care about each student. Career services after graduation is also exactly as effective as advertised, and I ended up accepting a job offer found through a Hack Reactor partnership just a few weeks after I finished the program. I'm so glad I went for it, and 100% would do it again. 

I was a self taught very basic programmer if you could call me that. Learning programming part-time on my own was proving to be difficult if I wanted to learn enough to switch careers. Traditional school would take too long so I looked at bootcamps. I researched several coding bootcamps/immersive programs before committing to Hack Reactor. What made me decide on Hack Reactor was a few things. 1) From all the reviews and testimonies I could find, Hack Reactor shined through that they cared about everyone going through the program and that the quality and amount of material was great. After completing the bootcamp myself in Austin, TX, I can now verify this opinion. 2) The hours are 11 hours a day 6 days a week (Sat. is a little shorter). I knew this would help me focus on code and immerse myself in it. I didn't want to have a personal life outside coding, and this helped me do that. I feel that I got a lot more out of the program because it was structured like this. 4) The partnerships Hack Reactor has with other companies that help Hack Reactor achieve their 80% or so hire/placement rate (depends on the city, see their site for current %). 5) I went to a intro course on JavaScript before committing and was talking to a staff member (a higher up staff member who I'm sure normally has a tight schedule). They offered to meet with me beforehand a few times before my application assessment in order to make sure I can get into the program. (I know they want applicants because it generates revenue, but this person went out of their way from their normal duties in the company, for free, to help because of the risk I was taking to switch careers). 6) The fact that you have to qualify to get in was a big plus for me. This meant to me that they took their curriculum and reputation serious. Unlike taking someone with zero knowledge in coding, they take people with 20% knowledge and they finish with 120% knowledge to be a software engineer. This is what helps with the job placement as well. Also, you'll end up going through it with other people who are more serious about programming as well.
Overall, the staff was super awesome and extremely friendly and helpful the entire time in every way. It's hard to think of even something small I would change about the program. I loved the people I went through it with and I am very grateful for my time there. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I left a stable career to pursue software engineering and thanks to Hack Reactor (and my own hard work), I am starting my new career next week. 

Hack Reactor definitely helped me to make the biggest and most successful transition in my life.

Hack Reactor distinguished itself from most of the other boot camps from the very beginning. Prospective students had to go through a code challenge and interviews to exam their basic JavaScript skills which ensures that we have the capability to keep up with the curriculum. A great thing about that is the staff is willing to provide as much help as they can to get candidates ready for the immersive course.

I also want to recommend the SSP program for anyone that's interested in attending Hack Reactor. The tuition for SSP program is deducted from the tuition of the Immersive program,  and it had great mentors and help-desk resources that help students build up very solid JavaScript foundation before the program starts.

The program itself is quite intense, but the outcomes are truly amazing. The curriculums were designed to expose students to most of the popular frameworks and skill sets that prepare us well to meet the demand of the current tech’s job market. Moreover, the curriculum not only provides practical hands-on experiences which definitely help students succeed on the job, but also some great amounts of algorithms, data structures and JavaScript concepts practices that very much guarantee students’ success during a technical interview.

Another great thing about Hack Reactor is that it not only trains students to possess decent skill sets to get a tech job, but it also train students on how to think, approach and solve problems effectively like a successful software engineer(which is really a soft skill that’s applicable to any other field as well). A framework or even a popular language like JavaScript can possibly be out-of-date anytime in the future, but the ability to know how to pick up a language quickly and approach a problem in a most efficient manner is what Hack Reactor trains their students to do.

And the staff. Absolutely amazing people with very strong technical skills and experiences that provide great mentorships. One best thing about them is that they recognize every student with our uniqueness and provide helps that tailored to individual’s needs during the program, and they all truly care about every one of us and our success after the program.

The career support is also amazing. More than half of my interview opportunities were derived from Hack Reactor’s amazing network. The current offer I’ve landed was also through an alumni’s referral. Hack Reactor’s career assistance team diligently works with all students until we land an offer. And the alumni network itself is huge and is a wonderful resource for job searching phase.

Overall, I would recommend Hack Reactor to anyone who wants to explore tech field and work with software!

Attending Hack Reactor was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. Initially, I was pretty skeptical about coding boot camps because they were fairly new and the results they claim were pretty unbelievable. However, after completing Hack Reactor's curriculum, I can confidently say that the education you receive in 3 months is aligned with the current job market and the staff works tirelessly to ensure you leave with the necessary tools to thrive in the tech industry. The curriculum goes by extremely fast, but if you make an effort to fully understand all of the material/content they provide, I can guarantee that you will have the high-level knowledge of a senior software engineer. I have to agree that software engineer is an extremely broad subject and it takes many years to become an expert, but companies aren’t hiring based on how many different languages you know. Companies are looking for autonomous problems solvers and quick learners. As long as you make sure to do a lot of research in the field you want to get into whether its front-end engineering or back-end engineering you will have the same chance of getting the job as any other applicant. As long as you have a passion for software engineering and are making an effort to stay up to date with new technologies there will always be a market for software engineers. Aside from the amazing curriculum that Hack Reactor has to offer, they also provide you with a vast network of other software engineers that share the same passion as you. The connections you meet at Hack Reactor can help facilitate the job search and you will form strong bonds with people who were once strangers 3 months ago. Lastly, Hack Reactor provides you with a career coach that will offer almost 24/7 support throughout your job search. Having a career coach is the icing on the cake to the complete experience Hack Reactor has to offer. The career coach teaches you how to present yourself as a professional, teaches you how to negotiate to get an offer you are happy with, and gives you the confidence/tips to tackle interviews. I believe the support of the career coach is at least 50% of what determines if you get a job or not. Overall, Hack Reactor is probably one of the best coding boot camps out there because they provide you with the whole experience (curriculum/network/career support) and are teaching a language that will stay relevant as long as the web exists. But my advice before pursuing a career in software engineer is to really question if you are passionate about the subject, make sure that you are willing to become an autonomous problem solver, you are self-motivated, and must accept the fact that you will always be learning/studying while in the field of a software engineer. If you have these traits then you will have no problem being successful in the world of software engineering. Whoever is reading my review, I wish you the best of luck with your journey and I hope this review helps you make the right decision!

I went to Hack Reactor because I was ready for a radical change in my life. Hack Reactor helped me to leave my previous field and become a competent software engineer in about 3 months.

From the very beginning, it's clear that Hack Reactor is a great school. When I applied, I was initially rejected because my coding skills weren't up to par; I wasn't yet ready for as intense of a program as Hack Reactor. The amazing thing is that they told me what I needed to learn and helped me to get to where I needed to be. You can tell the staff truly care about your success before you even begin.

During the program, I began learning programming fundamentals while applying them right away. I worked hands-on with other students, learning not only to become an effective coder but an effective communicator and team player as well.

I was absolutely amazed by the Outcomes and Careers teams. I knew that Hack Reactor was going to prepare me for the job search, but I didn't realize just how much. They help with resumes, interviews, negotiations, and beyond. I've always been someone who gets extremely nervous when interviewing, but after graduating I was able to go into the most intense interviews of my life feeling confident, and eventually landed the job of my dreams!

Yes, Hack Reactor is difficult. You will learn materials in two days what might have taken weeks or months to learn on your own. But you will leave with the most satisfying knowledge that you overcame it and that you're ready for any challenge that comes your way in the future. If you want to change your life and become a software engineer in just 3 months, you owe it to yourself to attend.

You get 100% of what you put into this program. It's an extremely challenging program but if you're an individual who is willing to put 100% effort into learning and really trying to build the fundamentals of a software engineer like the curriculum is set up to do than you'll be in good shape. The curriculum is set up in such a way that the instructors will give you enough material then it's up to you and your partner to engineer your way out of a sprint. Hack Reactor's culture and mission is to develop self-driven autonomous engineers, so the teaching fellow's here will do a good job of giving you enough and steering you in a direction without giving you the answer. If you're used to a traditional educational setting, where the teacher spoon feeds you everything and tells you exactly what you need to do to get an A in a class, it will take some adjusting, but once you do adjust and truly value what hack reactor is trying to teach you'll be appreciative that you did, because it's one of the skills that's going to set you apart from engineers with computer science degrees on the job search. Along with the curriculum, the culture at Hack Reactor is very inviting and warm and just epitomizes productivity in a nutshell. It's very fun to be here and if I had a chance to do it over again, I absolutely would.

When I was in college, I knew I wanted to do software engineering, and I had a feeling that the best route for me involved dropping out and enrolling in an elite coding bootcamp. It was a tough decision, since I was doing Computer Science, had some good connections in Houston, and would be leaving my scholarship and financial aid on the table. Having scored an awesome job with good perks (flexible hours, can work from home), and a salary that is more than both my parent's combined, I can say I have made a good decision.

The curriculum at Hack Reactor is pretty good, given that technology moves pretty fast. I wouldn't say it's bleeding edge; it depicts what the job market is like, which is what's important. I was always impressed at the balance of algorithms and data structures, lecture vs practice time, pair programming, and creating your portfolio. The hardest thing in learning on your own is knowing what you don't know, and knowing how much to focus on what.

If you want to learn to code, Hack Reactor is a solid choice. You will learn the fundamentals of full stack development; but more importantly, you will develop confidence in what you know, and what you don't know; which will ultimately be what gets you that job you want.

If you are looking to join a community of people that are working really hard to break into web development, look no further than Hack Reactor. By learning some of the popular JS frameworks while also learning solid principles of programming in general and full-stack development more specifically, the HR curriculum will accelerate your learning of the technical concepts as well as help you develop the mindsets and workflows necessary to enjoy modern web development as a career.

I completed the program remotely. As a former educator with an undergrad engineering degree and masters in secondary education, I was consistently impressed by the instructional choices made throughout the curriculum and by the efforts that went into building community in our cohort. Most of all, I won a great network of awesome people who are all working to break into web development (and having a lot of success in doing so). Their support has made all the difference in affirming this career decision and pursuing my interests in development. 

I had chosen Hack Reactor (Makersquare at the time I was introduced to it) after hearing about it through at least two of my friends in the Software Industry. I had originally considered getting a degree from a university and was working towards that at a community college. But when I heard about this program and it's amazing reputation in the industry, I decided to go this route. By the time I enrolled at HR, I had taken an Introduction to Programming course (coded in Python) at a community college to see if I like programming before committing. The knowledge I gained from the course helped me through the prep and the first week or two of the programming, after that it was an unfamiliar, challenging but exciting territory.

Hack Reactor is great for learning programming and about yourself as an individual. This intensive 12-week program is great for those that are able to pick up things after doing the hands-on learning for 2 days and then pivot to another concept afterward. Although this type of learning style may take some adjusting on your part, after this section (first six weeks) is over, you will have a pretty good idea about how you learn as a student and how much research/practice you as an individual needs in order to understand a concept or new technology. Moving into the second half of the program, you'll be put into teams of 3-5 to work on building apps. Here, you're able to work on teamwork skills such as communication, organization, accountability, and problem solving as a group. You'll learn how to balance each team member's style of work and personality as you're going through this process.

Overall, my experience at Hack Reactor was amazing and I would definitely recommend it for prospective students!