TrueCoders

TrueCoders taught me the basics of what I needed to get an entry level job as a software developer. I still am in denial -- am I really working as one now? I nearly quadrupled my salary within a year because of learning to code and finding a developer job. Very much life changing.

The instructors are very helpful and knowledgable, and they provide excellent support for job placement. Very much worth the time and money if you're seriously considering a job in software development.

 

When I attended TrueCoders, I had previously attended another Birmingham coding Bootcamp the year prior. 

The differences were night and day. In the previous one, instructors were only interested in getting through the lesson materials and assign some poorly written homework assignment that was never reviewed, while at TrueCoders, the instructor focused on the why of software engineering and provided feedback on every single project we completed.

The instructor in my class left to go work as a software engineer at Facebook now, but I can attest to the current instructor Chip as being one of the smartest, patient, and humble people I’ve ever met. I’ve set through probably a dozen live coding sessions from other people but Chip is by far the best I’ve seen.

As far as the job hunt goes, they actually practice soft skills and technical interviewing, job searching tactics, and whiteboard style questions. When I graduated, I got two offers from two different jobs that were from postings Daniel from TrueCoders shared with me. Seven months after I graduated, I had the opportunity to interview with a Silicon Valley startup and Daniel helped me prepare for that interview as well (which I got an offer that included a 60% pay increase from my previous)

There’s no doubt in my mind that TrueCoders is worth it. I don’t know where I’d be if it wasn’t for them, but I can say my quality of life is much better because of them. 

Most of my work life has been in kitchens. Once I got married and had a son, I realized that I needed a career that will leverage my strengths and be rewarding for the next 40 years. I enjoy computers and video games, so I began learning to code. I studied for a year before realizing that I needed a jumpstart to get into my new career. TrueCoders is exactly what I needed to bring about the change that brought my wife home full time.

The staff at TrueCoders is great. The instructors are helpful and meet you where you are without a sense of elitism or annoyance. If you show that you are committed then they will be committed to helping you succeed.

The curriculum is focused on teaching you how to learn how to code. It’s a bit like teaching someone to read as opposed to teaching them about a particular book. This opens up job possibilities, prepares you for future tech changes, and instills confidence that you can do it. Although you can show up with zero experience, I’m glad I took some time to look at the basics beforehand. It ensured I wasn’t behind the curve and helped me know that this is something that I’m actually interested in. 

That being said, it was important that I jumped in with both feet and committed myself to the career change because it’s a difficult subject and the TrueCoders experience works if you work for it. 

I don’t regret my decision at all because I’m doing what I planned to do serveral years ago, accomplished the goals I set out, and I have TrueCoders to thank for giving me a way to do that. 

I have worked an odd combination of jobs since graduating college a couple of years ago. I coached soccer, assisted a dentist, yard work, research, demolition, Chick-fil-A, and I was even an instructor at an axe throwing place! All of these jobs had good parts of them, but I always felt like I was leaving my most valuable skills on the table. I knew that I was great with details, problem solving, and strategic thinking. I always thought I should have been an architect or an engineer. Unfortunately my college degree is in philosophy and classical languages…

 

So there I was, slaving away, frying chicken in the back of a Chick-fil-A, wondering how I could bridge the gap between my dreams and my qualifications. That’s when I came across an add for TrueCoders on Facebook. It said something along the lines of, “Become a software developer in 10 weeks. Average starting salary $50,000”. 

 

I immediately thought “wow...what a scam. There’s no way.” But I was also curious. I started reading everything I could about TrueCoders, coding bootcamps, and software development. I ended up setting up a phone call with Daniel and eventually met with him in person. He was very helpful and knowledgeable about the tech industry in Birmingham.After talking with him I decided to go for it. I started the 10 week Developer Accelerator course a week later. The instructors Chip and Brandon are incredibly skilled coders and teachers. They can definitely teach you what you need to know to become a developer!In addition to great coding instruction, TrueCoders also provides you with all the knowledge and coaching you need to build a great resume and navigate job interviews.

 

Without a doubt TrueCoders changed my life. I went from making $13/hr to $24/hr in just 10 weeks!  I went from a practically zero career options to the entire tech scene being open to me. TrueCoders works!

 

Questions you might have:

Can I actually get a job after the program?

-Absolutely! I was hired a week before I graduated.

 

Is it really worth the cost?

-$9,500 to make $50,000 sounds like a good ROI to me.

I have worked in IT and development for more than a decade, although I'm not a developer. The core principles and philosophy of the course is very well thought out, and is correctly focused on what is important in real-world development. The principles listed on the wall, and the structure of the class is all based around "hands dirty" writing code immediately, and creating quality code that others will inherit. I recognize the importance of this focus, because I deal with this issues on a daily basis in my work. 

I originally had reservations about starting the full-time day course because I was awaiting job offers at the same time. Daniel and Chip became conversational friends, and it was very easy to continue the discussion of my options. I received and accepted an offer during the first week of class, but I still wanted to continue the course. It was very easy to switch to the upcoming scheduled evening class. 

The instructors are really, really good. I've taught at the college level, including software methodologies; and I've had 6 years of college level academics. TrueCoders has found instructors who bring an incredible palette of knowledge, teaching ability, curiousity, fun, and patience. The background and skill set of starting students in both the day and evening classes varies widely, and the instructors make sure that's not an obstacle. If a question is asked and the instructors don't immediately know the answer, they have a "let's see!" mentality, and they teach students solid practices of how to learn on their own. 

I have heard multiple students across the two classes say they have taken CS courses at a four year degree, but never learned how to actually write real-world usable code, or compile a working application. TrueCoders is the type of environment where acadmic theory is not a 4 year obstacle to overcome, and students will create working applications within weeks; and full-stack applications by the end of the course. 

The course covers the right mix of technologies for the current market. Time is limited, but if there was more time, the curriculum could use some expansion into AWS / cloud based applications, and DevOps or CICD release / production processes. 

The instructors and administrators also focus heavily on the ultimate point of this knowledge, getting a career in development. This conversation starts early, and resources are provided; from guest speakers, resume and interviewing workshops, and networking within the local tech community. 

Before Truecoders I was working for myself with my dad as a welder and Hydraulic mechanic. I was happy doing that for 3 years however we were not making enough money for both of ourselves to live comfortably and keep the company floating, so I decided to take it upon myself to leave and work somewhere else so there would be more money for my dad and the company. I ended up working at a competitor shop and I ended up hating it and hating pretty much my life, only good thing i had to look forward to was coming home to my wife and the weekends. By complete random chance I heard about Truecoders on the radio, called Daniel that same day and ended up starting class the following week on July 9th, 2018. Honestly it felt strange, I was very nervous since I was sitting in a classroom instead of working. On to the meat of this review, I had absolutely no knowledge of coding before Truecoders, I was a complete beginner. I've always been decent with computers and navigation but no programming. The class started off a little slow in the first couple of days but once we got the terminology down it really started picking up. By the middle of week 2 we had already learned about methods and classes. Once week 4 came around we had pretty much covered all the basics of C# and some advanced topics. In all we covered C#, SQL, JAVA, some python, and ASP.NET. Chip the instructor was excellent, he is extremely knowledgeable about programming and was always willing to keep everyone on the same pace. If you needed to stay after for a one on one he never turned anyone down. The class itself was very relaxed. We would take one break in the morning, lunch and then one before class was over. We were always playing ping pong or XBox if we had a "quick minute". Once it was time to start job placement Daniel took over on that front. He works with you every step of the way until you are placed, that also is true after you graduate. Truecoders is the only school around Birmingham that will help place you after graduation and if you have already gotten a job and are wanting to change locations. Frequently Daniel would bring in influencers of HR reps from different companies to talk to the class. We would have resume building sessions and mock interviews to help us prepare for real tech interviews. Also we would do white board challenges in class like they would in a real interview. In closing I would like to say Truecoders is and amazing opportunity for someone to change their life. At the time of writing this it's been almost one whole year since I started at Truecoders. I've been recently reflecting on how different my life is compared to last year. I know for a fact that if you feel stuck or are just looking for a change of pace, Truecoders is the place for you. I would do it all again without question. If you have any further questions feel free to look me up on Facebook (Cruz Sanchez) or shoot me an email at: cruzsanchez9209@gmail.com. I'm very passionate about the school because I know for a fact you can go from knowing nothing about coding to getting a career in programming in 2 months. Thank you for reading my review, Cruz Sanchez

TrueCoders truly brings a wonderful teaching environment, I had little to no experience with coding and they have introduce me to a whole new world. The staff are friendly and will go the extra mile to help you out as much as possible. Now for job preparation , I feel this course should be extended another week or two, so that students have more time to understand the material as this course is C# focus with a dab of front end thrown in there. I enjoy most of my time there but there could be improvements made to the curriculum. I would recommend this course if you has some coding experience/knowledge prior so TrueCoders can sharpen your skills.