Codesmith

Attending Codesmith was one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences of my life. The intensive program not only honed my coding skills but also taught me how to design applications, distribute work, and collaborate effectively within a team.

Before joining Codesmith, I had a good job in a different industry, so transitioning to a new career in my 40s was a significant risk. The support and encouragement I received made all the difference. One pivotal moment was when I emailed Phillip Troutman after attending one of his Hard Part meetings. He kindly agreed to meet for coffee, answering all my questions and helping me formulate a solid plan. His guidance was instrumental in my decision to take the leap and pursue a career in tech.

The people I attended Codesmith with are not merely friends and colleagues; they are family. Even five years later, I regularly interact with them both personally and professionally. The bonds formed during the program have been incredibly valuable, providing a network of support and collaboration that extends far beyond the classroom.

The program itself is rigorous, pushing you to your limits and beyond. But the challenges are balanced with a strong sense of community and camaraderie. Instructors and peers alike are dedicated to helping you succeed, creating an environment where you can thrive.

Codesmith prepared me not just to write code but to think like a software engineer. The skills I acquired go beyond technical proficiency; I learned how to approach complex problems, work efficiently in a team, and build scalable, maintainable applications.

In summary, Codesmith truly changed my life. It equipped me with the skills, confidence, and network needed to succeed in the tech industry. If you’re considering a career in software engineering, especially if you’re contemplating a significant career shift like I did, I highly recommend Codesmith. The experience is challenging, but the rewards are immeasurable.

Codesmith is an exceptional coding bootcamp that truly prepares you for a career in software engineering. The curriculum is intensive, focusing on JavaScript and full-stack development with technologies like React and Node.js.
The instructors are top-notch, bringing real-world experience and clear explanations to complex topics. The community-driven approach, with plenty of pair programming and collaborative projects, mirrors a real tech environment.
Job support at Codesmith is outstanding, with many graduates landing roles at companies like Google and Amazon. They provide extensive resources like resume workshops and mock interviews, and hiring and negotiation support, even after you graduate.
The sense of community is strong, fostering both technical skills and emotional intelligence. The admissions process is tough, ensuring that everyone in the program is ready for the challenge.
Overall, if you're serious about becoming a software engineer, Codesmith is a fantastic choice. The program is demanding, but the skills and career opportunities you gain make it worth it.

Initially I was wary of bootcamps and decided to pursue a self taught route, but Will and his team along with currently enrolled students changed my mind. I’m glad they did! The decision to go to Codesmith saved me at least two to three years of working my way up in low level IT and web development roles. When I calculate the time multiplied by how much more money I made in comparison it easily justified the tuition. At my first dev job outside of Codesmith I was already making twice my previous highest salary. The program is great. I can’t recommend it enough. I currently work with another Codesmith alum and she’s a great dev! The program works!

I had done the full time program in March of 2020 at the start of the pandemic and am now several years into my career as a software engineer. Without Codesmith, I would not have been able to make my pivot into the technical side of coding after being in tech for several years already. Through the program, I was able to learn full stack skills which I am still building upon today as well as a network and several friends I still have kept in contact with after this many years. I've also recommended a few people into the program who are also software engineers now.

Choosing to enroll in Codesmith in 2021 was one of the most pivotal decisions of my life. After comparing Codesmith's outcomes on CIRR.org to other bootcamps, it was evident that this program was leagues ahead - I like to call it the Harvard of bootcamps :) From the free workshops, to the prep courses and the Software Engineering Immersive program, The depth and breadth of the course material were not only comprehensive but also finely tuned to meet the demands of the job market. The transition to software engineering, although daunting, was made smoother thanks to the supportive and empathetic culture at Codesmith. The Codesmith community was a constant source of encouragement throughout my journey.

Moreover, Codesmith's commitment to accessibility through scholarships speaks to their dedication to fostering diversity and inclusivity within the tech industry. I was fortunate enough to qualify for one of these scholarships, which not only made it possible for me to become a software engineer, but also reaffirmed Codesmith's ethos of empowering individuals from all walks of life.

Fast forward to the present, and I find myself once again navigating the job market following a layoff. The Codesmith hiring team has offered guidance at every turn, even for alumni. From resume reviews to mock interviews, and even negotiations, the support I've received has been unparalleled. Thanks to their assistance, I've successfully secured not one, but three offers—a testament to the effectiveness of the resources and mentorship provided by Codesmith.

I cannot speak highly enough of Codesmith. My experience has been nothing short of transformative, and I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of such a remarkable community. I've already recommended Codesmith to friends and family members, all of whom have returned with glowing reviews of their own. If you're considering a career in software engineering, I wholeheartedly recommend Codesmith.

In short, I credit Codesmith with my pivoting from a non-tech role to a software position. It isn't perfect, nor is the curriculum as exhaustive as I would have liked, but the selection of material is solid and the post-graduation support was stellar. If you're willing to work beyond what they provide you, Codesmith can be an excellent resource.

I attended the remote full time program. Day-to-day activities were built around working through introductory modules (basically partially-premade code with an explanatory blurb and pointers to documentation) with one or two other students, followed by discussion and going over a working example. Activity is relentless, which is 1) good news for learning and 2) exhausting. The latter half of the program is centered around work on an 'Open Source Product' (ostensibly actively maintained and of a high technical caliber; in practice, maybe a little more of a proof-of-concept exhibition, depending) with a 4-5 person team. There's really a lovely sense of community that builds from going through all this with the rest of your cohort, and that sense (and enthusiasm) is what manages to hold the whole thing together.

Instructors tended to be sourced from the pool of previous students. As a result, we couldn't always rely on confident answers or responses coming from deep expertise. The program's emphasis on keeping with a current and relevant curriculum does, however, mean there are plenty of strong anchors for students to begin researching on their own and with others. After all, this is the skill Codesmith seeks to instill; once on the job, it's up to the engineer to find the answer, be it through familiar documentation, Google, or trial and error.

No three month program, no matter how intensive, is going to bring anyone up to the level of an undergraduate degree. Instead, Codesmith is focused on providing its students with the hands-on skills and gumption typical CS students might lack. I'm appreciative of how much the curriculum pointed us to industry standards. It may not be enough for, say, lower-level programming, but it's certainly enough to get projects off the ground and eventually up to a quality people will pay attention to. The curriculum is also focused on making sure its students are able to speak about their work in a compelling and informed way, which turns out to a be a crucial part of standing out when looking for a job. The goal is to output the kind of people you'd like to work with, and that goes a long way.

What makes me feel the most positively about the experience is the support provided for alumni. Codesmith invests in its network and offers it up to you (to the level that you're willing to engage). The program will set you up with other motivated alumni for accountability meetings, provide you with resume and interview guidance, and host networking events--all of which is provided indefinitely after graduation. Once you've left Codesmith's hyper-structured days, the job search seems exhausting and ten times as difficult in comparison.  The extra support is a godsend.

As with most things, you get out of it what you put in. Bootcamp attendance is not a guarantee of employment, and it's still possible to struggle with the material once the 3 months end. Unsurprisingly, the strongest graduates were those who had studied previously--I recommend doing the same so that students can get the most out of the process of building a project and self teaching.

Given the worsening market conditions, I've heard many tales of 6+ (or even 12+) month job searches (mine was 7). Sometimes the job search is unlucky or outright hostile. But Codesmith continues to produce working software engineers and keep its alumni network running. I'm glad I made the decision to attend.

When I joined Codesmith, I was looking to make a big change in my life - I was working in social work and deeply dissatisfied with the amount of return I was seeing in my career. I was scared to pursue coding, because I didn't think I was smart enough and thought it would probably be too hard.

While it was hard, the support and guidance I found in the Codesmith community was what helped me achieve my goals. From the moment I attended one of their free classes on a weeknight until after graduation, I felt welcomed and excited to be part of a community that clearly felt so passionately about the success of the students. My hard work and investment was rewarded by the instructors and fellows who were just as invested in me. After graduating, I managed to find a job within a month. When I was laid off from that job, Codesmith was there to support me in finding a new role (which I found two weeks later). I went from not having written a line of JavaScript to employed as a software engineer in under a year.

My story isn't everyone's, but I know it wouldn't have been possible without Codesmith, their support, and their curriculum. I felt capable and ready to enter the workforce after graduating because I was provided with a deep understanding of how code works under the hood and I was able to communicate my choices and ideas professionally.

(Full disclosure: I was incentivized by an offer of free merchandise to provide this review, but my words are 100% truthful and 100% my own)

Before attending codesmith, I was teaching music and landscaping part-time. I had previously done a bit of self-learning around programming, with free materials available online. After attending the 9-month PTRI program, I took on a paid 3-month mentorship position with codesmith. During that time I landed a full-time contracting role with IBM, which kickstarted my software engineering career and increased my income six fold.

Codesmith is not a silver bullet. You get out of it what you put into it. But it provides powerful support and a community of people going through the same hell as you and who motivate and grow alongside you, and the value of that is incalculable. 

It's a non-stop deluge of information and you're exhausted every step of the way. I put in tons of extra hours studying and working on projects, trying to make the best product I can, and that effort paid off in the knowledge I took away from it. 

Codesmith took me from a owning a cut-flower farm to working as a Software Engineer inside of 6 months.  It is an intense, rigorous program that prepares you technically and academically to work in the field.  The focus is empathetic and engaged learning and pushing you to research and work independently.  You come out of Codesmith with some great technical training, but much more, you come out with the tools you need to keep learning.  You will spend your whole career adding to your training, but Codesmith can help you get your foot in the door.

My experience with Codesmith, having graduated from both their immersive program and the CS Prep course, has been absolutely remarkable. The immersive program delved deep into full-stack JavaScript and essential computer science principles, providing me with a solid foundation for a career in software engineering. The hands-on projects, rigorous curriculum, and supportive community not only enhanced my technical skills but also instilled in me the confidence to tackle real-world challenges. Additionally, the CS Prep course was instrumental in laying down the groundwork for my journey into the immersive program, offering a structured introduction to JavaScript and core coding fundamentals. Thanks to Codesmith's exceptional education and career support, I successfully secured a fulfilling role in software engineering and continue to benefit from their lifelong career guidance. Codesmith's commitment to excellence in software engineering education truly sets them apart, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of their thriving community.

When it comes to changing careers and finding a job in the current market, it’s going to be difficult no matter which bootcamp you attend. Finding a job is always a difficult hurdle when changing careers into such a competitive field. All of that said, I can’t imagine a better value for your money when it comes to coding bootcamps. The course lectures are pretty good, but that is not what really stands out about this company. What really stands out is the forced collaboration with other like-minded engineers, and learning how to pair-program and work through challenges with other people. In my opinion, this is where the true value of this program lies. To be forced to work through cleverly-designed challenge units and projects with another aspiring engineer is an experience that is more valuable than any lecture could be. This forces you through the inevitable struggles of understanding how to set up proper dev environments, how to  debug pesky Git flows and merge conflicts, how to teach a topic you feel strong in, how to learn a topic you feel weaker in, how to empathetically communicate and provide valuable feedback, how to gracefully receive constructive feedback… these are all extremely valuable ‘soft skills’ that Codesmith offers, on top of the official curriculum that they advertise. I became close friends with many brilliant people, and attending Codesmith was an experience like nothing I’ve ever done before. I definitely recommend this program to others looking for a positive, productive, and supportive environment to develop your engineering skills and learn most of the things you need to become a successful mid-level developer. 

I attended Codesmith July-September 2019 after attending their free Tuesday and Thursday night workshops for about six months (which I highly recommend, they offer them virtually now) and taking their 2 week Codesmith Prep course. I had no other tech experience aside from self-teaching with FreeCodeCamp.

The application process was pretty thorough, and included a phone screen, a culture fit interview, and a technical screen. I was not accepted on my first attempt, which I was actually really happy to hear - they won't just sign you up and take your money, you have to have the basics of JavaScript down before they'll allow you to join a cohort.

The Experience Itself
I attended pre-Covid, in-person, in Los Angeles. Our schedule was Monday through Saturday, 9am until late in the evening. I think officially we were done around 8pm but there were a few nights were I stayed past midnight to work on projects. 

The curriculum was really thorough, and really quick. Other students referred to it as trying to drink from a firehose.  For the first 6 weeks, new subjects were taught in two-day blocks. There was an introduction to a new technology and practice project utilizing it on Day 1, and a sort of quiz project on Day 2 with a debrief. Students weren't "graded" on the quiz project, but if they were unable to complete it satisfactorily, a Fellow (teaching assistant) would schedule one-on-one time with you to go over the subject matter again. 
Other projects included a Chrome Extension Hackathon and an Iteration Project, where students would build a project and then everyone would trade to get used to working in an existing codebase. 

The first 6 weeks ended with a big test day, broken up into two parts: an algorithm section, and a fullstack application coding challenge. Students were required to pass the test to go on to the next 6 weeks, and you could only take it twice. 

The last 6 weeks of program were dedicated to a Senior Production Project. You had to pitch an idea for a new developer tool or a refactor of an existing tool to the teaching staff and got the next 6 weeks to work on it. This was ostensibly to give you something cool to show off in interviews that wasn't a simple to-do list app. In fact, some of these projects have gone on to be awarded thousands of stars on GitHub and are still used today. 

After my residency was done, I was asked to stay on as a teaching fellow for another two cohorts, and finished my fellowship in January 2020. 

After the Program
I think were Codesmith shines is it's alumni support programs. Codesmith offers continuing support for graduates of any cohort, and this could be anything from resume review to mock interviews and networking. I utilized the mock interviews to prepare myself for the real thing many times. 

I think my job hunt was about 2 months. I left Codesmith January 4th and accepted an offer in late February. For full disclosure, I accepted a compensation offer that was below that of my peers who had already been working, but I was more eager to jump into my first job and start gaining equity and experience. 

I am still working at that company, and have since been promoted once and my compensation has increased by 50% of my starting comp. 

Final Thoughts
If you're looking into a boot camp to get you started in Tech, Codesmith is my recommendation, if only for their alumni support alone. 
I have friends who have done other boot camps that don't offer any support after the program, and they seem to be struggling more to find their first paid role. 

I definitely recommend trying out their free workshops on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, which offer easy and more difficult JavaScript lessons. It's also a great opportunity to ask a teaching fellow about their Codesmith experience and the program itself. 

I also made some really close friends in the program. We still have a group chat going to this day, four years later. One of them even attended my wedding.