Codesmith

Statistics show that people are more likely to leave a review if the review is negative. This is not one of those cases. I recently graduated from Codesmith’s software engineering immersive program in NY. I can confidently say, it was one of the best experiences of my life. You get an unmatched curriculum and brilliant instructors.

What sets Codesmith apart from other coding schools is the community. It is uncommon to see people leave at 8:00 PM.  People stick around to work on algorithms, improve a project, pick up a new skill or just hang out and exchange jargon on new technologies.

Your job outcome is only the amount of effort you put in. My peers at Codesmith were hardworking people. They put in the hours (long hours) and helped one another in projects, interview prep and the job search. They are landing high $100k+ job offers because of their hard work and the supportive community.

If you would like to know if Codesmith is right for you, attend Javascript The Hard Parts sessions hosted by Codesmith online or in person. It’ll give you an idea of their teaching style and what the community is all about.

 

Codesmith is an exemplary program for a number of reasons - its curriculum is current and constantly refreshed, for instance, and its instructors are stellar. However the two things that I think really set this program apart for me are its community and its hiring program. Codesmith is one of the strongest, most supportive communities I've ever been a part of, and the staff go to every effort to make sure that those admitted to the program are going to contribute positively to that community. They are fiercely protective of it, and their efforts ensure that you don't mind that you're there 12+ hours per day working with the same people, because you're enjoying the company of those around you as much as the work itself. I would go home at the end of a long day, exhausted but excited to go back and do it again tomorrow. They always welcome alumni and provided a space for me to work when applying to jobs. That brings me to the hiring program, which is exhaustive and well thought out. I had no idea what the hiring process was going to be like, and it seemed daunting, but Codesmith broke it down and made it manageable. Their approach to applying for jobs is different than anything I'd encountered in the past, even at times it was counter-intuitive, but it works. Within a few weeks, I had two six figure offers, and there were others in my cohort with more than that. I'm very grateful to this program, its founders, instructors and staff for enabling me to change my life. 

If you're looking at bootcamps, I highly recommend checking out Codesmith. You can experience the teaching style and the community by going on Thursday nights to their Javascript the Hard Parts lectures. It's free and gives you a good tase of what to expect.    If there's any room for improvement, it's only that they're growing a little too quickly. The space they're in is beautiful, but they've expanded so fast that it's a tight fit. 

I had an unblievable experience at this software engineering immersive. The staff, the people, and the community are what really separates codesmith from other traditional bootcamps. I would recommend being pretty solid on CS fundamentals before joining, as the curriculum is challenging and fast-paced. The first half of the program is geared towards the core technologies/curriculum while the second half is mainly project building and hiring workshop. Absolutely would recommend this to anybody looking to turn their lives around and get into SWE as a career! 

I attended the Bootcamp in 2019 and I cannot speak highly enough of my experience. The training I received was high quality and approachable. If I ever struggled with a subject my mentors or peers were always there to help me out. The projects you work on successfully enforce the core tech stack taught by Codesmith. Additionally, Codesmith's blend of projects and pair programming seamlessly work together to not only teach you the technology, but also teach you how to solve problems for your self. This bootbcamp does not spoon-feed you solutions. It forces you to struggle and meet your breaking point day in and day out. Beyond the technical instruction, the support staff are top-notch professionals. They make the sacrifice you make for enrolling in a bootcamp worth it. They are always there to answer any questions regarding tuition, scheduling, etc. But they also are instrumental in organizing the networking days, which were vital in my job-search process. I cannot speak highly enough of them. Finally, the best thing about Codesmith is the community. They work hard to make sure their students fit the culture of the program, which makes working with the people wonderful. I made life-long friends during this program and always looked forward to coming in every day.  At the end of the day, the Codesmith program works. It gets results. Codesmith's unique blend of community, technical training, and hiring support make it far superior to any other boot camp.  

Codesmith is one of the pivotal moments of my life.

Prior to attending, I was struggling to find meaningful work. I knew I wanted to get into software engineering, but I didn't have the knowledge nor background, but I had immense desire to break into the field. I heard about bootcamps when they first popped up 7 years ago and always thought about attending. 

I decided to take the leap after realizing this was the most direct route to an engineering job. 

I wanted the most rigorous and intense program and narrowed down the choices amongst Fullstack Academy, Hack Reactor SF, and Codesmith. These were all schools with classes Mon-Sat 9am-7pm+. I chose Codesmith after attending their Javascript the Hard Parts and speaking with multiple alumni about their experience. For many of them, it was a transformational experience that launched them into a dream career, granted they put in an enormous amount of work.  I could relate to them and felt that I too could make the transition. 

The experience itself is one the best periods of my life. It was a totally immersive and I got very close with my cohort. I slept in my car, was in the classroom from 9am to 1am+, and made life-long friends. I'm very thankful that such intensity was not only encouraged but cultivated as there were a couple others that would stay up and grind well into the night. And frankly I wouldn't have it any other way.

I learned a ton from my peers and worked on projects that interviewers were intrigued and impressed with. My classmates were outstanding and many of us went on to earn offers $100,000+. The promise is real, but you have to earn it. Many of us went to top schools yet some didn't even go to college at all. One of my classmates came from an animation background with no college degree and struggled to grasp many of the concepts, yet he never gave up and hustled harder than anyone and nabbed a 6 figure offer after applying to hundreds of positions and going through nearly a hundred phone interviews. You meet hardcore committed people here, people that will inspire you to elevate yourself and get to the next level.

Job support is great. There are alumni that hang around and will help you out and the staff are committed. I called a year after graduating to negotiate an offer and a 5-minute call with Uncle Eric, who advises on neogtiations, helped me get an additional $15k in salary and $5k in bonus. I followed his instructions and everything happened exactly as he described. The people here are real Pros, they know what they're doing, and they're not messing around. 

Shoutout to Will, Schno, Shanda, the fellows, and staff for making such a fun and intense atmosphere. It really is one of the best experiences of my life and I'm very grateful for having gone through the program. I too got that 6 figure offer, and I'm working at a job that not only is using the exact stack that was taught (React, Node, Mongo) but is also very fun! I continue to work hard and the future is very bright.

I had a phenomenal three months at Codesmith. The amount of support I received by all my peers and the staff was outstanding. I had a much different experience studying Computer Science in college. While I was in college, I was not passionate about a majority of the subjects I was studying and I received very little support heading into the job search. One of the aspects that I really enjoyed about Codesmith was the modern curriculum. At Codesmith you learn React, Redux, Node, and many in-demand skills. Another great aspecet of Codesmith is the amazing hiring program. The staff will work with you on your resume, cover letter, and many other key components of the job search. Many of my cohort mates have already had several interviews before graduating simply by following the tips given during the hiring portion of the program. Codesmith was definitely a life-changing experience. 

Deciding on a bootcamp wasn't easy, going through the application process was one of the first signs Codesmith was for me. Coming to Codesmith, you are expected to be at a higher level than all other bootcamps, this ensures you get the most out of the 3 month process and aren't paying a premium to learn the basics.

The dev tool I created with my team at Codesmith is an asset that will set me apart from other bootcamp grads (no crud apps or games for final projects), and diving deep into a technology while building this product certainly helps with the non junior/entry level narative all bootcamp grads will face. 

Aside from the technical excellence the culture at Codesmith is incredible. They go above and beyond to ensure that people who join are not only a technical fit, but also a cultural one. This makes those 80+ hours weeks managable, working with a great group of cohort mates, instructors, and fellows who are all there to help you reach your goals. 

Overal I'm incredibly lucky to have wound up at Codemsith and couldn't imagine having attended another program.

P.S check out their free programs on tuesday and thursday to get a taste of what curriculum is like

Codesmith was a life-changing experience that exceeded my expectations in every way. While there are numerous things I appreciate about Codesmith, I would like to elaborate upon four. 

First, the Codesmith staff is incredible. Schno, the Head of Curriculum at Codesmith, and Augustine, the Lead Technical Mentor, are two of the best teachers I have ever had. They are dedicated, considerate, and extremely knowledgeable. Specifically, I appreciate Schno's ability to break complicated concepts down into their component parts. This greatly aided in the on-boarding process. I also appreciate the dedication of Augustine, who would stay at Codesmith as late as he needed to help his students. Sometimes, this even meant staying at Codesmith until 4:00 AM, just to show up bright and early the next morning.

Second, the Codesmith culture is extraordinary. I have never seen a place (except for the home) where there is so much support and kindness. From the "Family Dinners" on Mondays to the kickball tournaments during lunch, Codesmith's culture is truly remarkable. 

Third, the founder and CEO, Will Sentance, is an exceptional person who is active in the daily works. I find it remarkable how Will focuses on each student. He makes a concerted effort to know each student, their background, and their interests.

Fourth, the curriculum is continuously improving. No cohort has the experience because the curriculum continually evolves. 

To any who might be reading, I encourage you to attend Codesmith. Gaining admittance is challenging, but worth it in every regard.

I'm a LA Cohort 30 graduate. Prior to Codesmith, I graduated UCLA with a degree in physics. I didn't have much programming experience but had a lot of experience grinding. That's what codesmith is; a hardcore grind. We learn everything from vanillaJS, to React/Redux in the frontend, NodeJS/Express in the backend, MongoDB/Postgres for DB, and your very own niche topic that you'll spend 4 weeks on. Honestly, what other boot camp helps you make your own developer tool. The hiring process itself (how codesmith approaches finding interviews/etc) is worth the 18k honestly. I'm blown away at how strong the hiring process is and how they go about reaching out to companies. You will not regret your experience at codesmith. Cohort 30 best cohort :)

I just finished the JSB prep course and can't recommend it, or Codesmith, enough. I started looking into bootcamps as my next step in a career change out of social services. JSB was perfect for a beginner like myself; succinct but robust enough to provide a great jumping-off point for a future engineer. As a female and LGBTQIA+ person, it was important to me to choose a program that not only acknowledges marginalized communities in tech but actively works to reduce barriers and support their success. Codesmith does both. Their scholarship opportunities and proven course outcomes made my decision a no-brainer. I plan to continue my journey with CS Prep and later the immersive. While I'm in the very early stages of my coding journey, I'm so happy to have Codesmith on my side already!

This place literally changed my life.

I just finished the program on 08/30/19 and I just signed my offer letter yesterday for an engineering position well within the 6 figure salary range.

I just want to start by saying that you are not guaranteed a 6 figure salary by just attending. Codesmith gives you the perfect environment and resources necessary to succeed and grow at a rapid pace, but it is ultimately up to the individual to get the most out of their experience.

My Background: I graduated with my B.S. in a tech related major (not CS) last year in 2018 and I have been trying to break into the industry ever since. I took a few CS classes in Java and taught myself Python; I would say I was at a junior level after graduating, but I had no software engineering internships. After trying for so long with no luck, I realized I was doing something wrong. My application was rarely ever seen; having the required technical skills won't matter if you are never able to get into an interview room with engineers and show them.

I was very hesitant to go to a bootcamp, I already had some coding experience so I felt as though paying 17k for something I could teach myself was a waste of money. After a fair amount of research, a friend of mine recommended Codesmith. He went through the program after being in a similar situation as me and ended up at a successful startup making over 6 figures a month after finishing the program. I decided to attend the free workshops every Thursday night and I was sold after 2 weeks.

How to join: You definitely need to have a solid understanding of JavaScript fundamentals to truly get the most out of CodeSmith, if you are completely brand new to JavaScript or coding, you definitely need to study before attending. The technical interviews required for admission do a good job at gauging this, if you are able to get accepted after the technicals, you should be at a good enough level to start.

Luckily, Codesmith provides a lot of free resources that can help you get to the level needed for entry. CSX, their online learning platform, and JavaScript the Hard Parts meetups every Thursday are 2 fantastic free resources Codesmith provides to the community.

What sets it apart from other programs?

I won't try too hard to sell it, the results and positive experience students have speak for itself.

I will say that the way I was thinking about it before joining was wrong. I did not pay 17k for the material they teach here; I could have learned that on my own, anyone could. I paid 17k for a lot more than just the material taught.

The 4 things that make Codesmith worth it: 

1) Learning how to problem solve

Codesmith believes in hard learning. For your own benefit, there is no spoon feeding at Codesmith. The units are designed in a way that you and your partner are bound to hit blocks. This is 100% intentional. The lectures give you a high level overview of the topic so that you are not completely lost in the unit, but you will have to dig deeper into specific parts of the technology with your partner in order to push through those blocks. You might think this is stupid, why are you paying so much money to end up teaching yourself ? This is a fair concern to have. To be clear, you have access to your partner, other cohort mates, your seniors, your fellows, and instructors as resources to help you break through those blocks. Still, no one here will flat out tell you the answer. It is absolutely essential for you to bridge that gap and have that moment of realization on your own, having someone simply tell you what to do robs you of that learning opportunity. You are bound to struggle, but I guarantee that you will have a deeper understanding of the topic after struggling with that block for so long. On the other hand, if someone just gave you the answer you might take it for granted and not fully understand what you did. Hard learning a topic is more likely to stick with you.

2) Building soft skills

Something that is often overlooked are the soft skills that you develop during your time at Codesmith. This is something that you absolutely cannot develop while studying on your own at home. Soft skills play a huge role during the hiring process and an even bigger role within the workplace. Soft skills become increasingly more important as you climb the software engineer ladder at work. The difference between a junior engineer and a mid-level engineer is that the junior needs to be told what to do while the mid-level is autonomous. A senior engineer has all that and can also teach/guide other engineers to make sure the team is on the same page. This requires a good mix of technical skills and soft skills.

Codesmith teaches you how to write your resume, present yourself, whiteboard effectively and technically communicate. Even pair programming every day helps build these soft skills while communicating with a partner. This is invaluable stuff.

3) Hiring support

The hiring support has been amazing. The job hunt is definitely a rough road, no one said it was going to be easy. I have been finished with codesmith for about 4 weeks now and the staff has kept in touch with me throughout these 4 weeks to make sure I am going about the job hunting process as efficiently as possible. It might be annoying at first, but it really forces you to self reflect and be real with yourself; if you are not getting any results then it means you must change what you are doing and try something else. I honeslty believe the only reason someone would not get hired after is if they don't put in the work required; its a really hard grind but you just have to make it to the light at the end of the tunnel. That being said, Codesmith does an amazing job at keeping morale high and making sure everyone is putting in the work necessary to get their dream job. You can also schedule mock interviews/resume reviews/ anything else you need with staff whenever you need help.

The negotiation advice given by a specialist at Codesmith alone was worth the 17k i paid; I was able to get an extra 10k a year on my base salary because of it.

4) Amazing community

I have met SO many amazing people since joining the Codesmith community around 5 months ago when I started going to the free workshops. This is something that might sound corny but its nice to be reminded that you are not alone in this process. After job hunting for so long on my own with no luck, I was starting to feel really down. Being in it together with a group of like minded individuals has helped me tremendously. They believed in me at times when I wasn't able to believe in myself. The staff does an amazing job at fostering a supportive community. Breaking into this industry will be scary and rough, but you don't have to do it alone.