Le Wagon

Working as Graphic designer since several years I decided to give new impetus to my professional career by following the training offered by Le Wagon Lausanne. This school showed me an absolutely fascinating world based on the sharing of knowledge. The teachers are very professional and are available for each one throughout the training. The school subject is complete for anyone wanting to start a career in web development. I thank Le Wagon for making me discover a new passion.

I was working as an IT-Consultant implementing ERP systems for many years and felt it was time for a change. Since I always wanted to learn how to code but could not afford the time while working full time (especially in Japan!), I decided to take leave from my company for two months (which they gratefully agreed to) and joined the Le Wagon boot camp in Meguro, Tokyo. I felt at home at once surrounded by awesome teachers and people from all around the world and had the most awesome time. The best thing is that I can now confidently say - I learned how to code! I can now create prototypes on my own even with languages we did not use at the boot camp (e.g. Python) while - probably the most important skill I learned there - being able to catch up on stuff I don't understand yet by using Google/the internet, a task I just could not do before joining the boot camp. I rejoined my company again now working as part engineer/part consultant in projects utilizing Internet of Things concepts, Deep Learning and lots of Web-engineering. Work became so much more fun!  

Before joining Le Wagon I worked in Consulting and Finance. Despite learning a lot in these two industries, I was looking for a job that would give more meaning to my life and through which I would work on tangible products that can impact people’s lives. Also, I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur in the next two years.
Therefore getting into the exciting and booming tech sector made a lot of sense. My civil engineering background and my analytical way of reasoning made a coding bootcamp the most appealing bridge to that sector. Choosing a bootcamp was an obvious decision thanks to Le Wagon’s reputation.
The 9 weeks went very well, I felt intellectually challenged and satisfied, learned a lot,  and found a passion. The limitless pool of things that coding allows you to do, from machine learning models to making people’s everyday lives easier, is something I find very exciting. Additionally, it is an ability that cannot be found in other industries and jobs. Also, I get a lot of satisfaction from building tangible automated products.

I come from a liberal arts background but have always been passionate about tech. After graduating from university, I worked for a tech startup, but I quickly realized I wanted to understand the product on a deeper level. I had been wanting to learn how to code for some time and heard about Le Wagon from multiple people around me. The timing was finally right and it felt like the perfect opportunity.

Trust me, the reviews barely do justice to the amazing experience it is! The staff is incredibly dedicated to us, and although the program itself can be intense at times, I cannot stress how rewarding it is. If you had told me I would have learned everything I have throughout this Bootcamp, I would not have dared to believe you. Moreover, you're not just learning how to code, but applying these skills into building a real product, as well as becoming part of the community that is Le Wagon.

Loved everything about it and would strongly recommend. 

C’est pendant un voyage d’un an que je découvre le Wagon et le code, à l’autre bout du monde, et c’est presque comme une évidence que je me suis lancée dans l’aventure à mon retour. Issue du milieu juridique et financier, je n’avais absolument aucune connaissance dans le développement! Pour autant la pédagogie du Wagon permet au plus débutants d’entre nous de progresser très rapidement et de prendre confiance. C’est un véritable challenge, les neufs semaines sont intenses mais les résultats sont clairement au rendez-vous ! L’équipe pédagogique du Wagon Bordeaux est toujours dispo, à l’écoute et bienveillante, c’est un véritable point fort. La plateforme où se trouve les cours et les exercices est très bien faite également.

Mais le Wagon c’est aussi une expérience humaine où l’on partage 9 semaines avec des personnes issues de background riches et variés. On apprend sur nous, sur les autres et c’est sans doute ce qui rend cette formation aussi inoubliable !

Le Wagon has changed the way I view how to code. I have a more technological background, I graduated in Computer Science in 2002 when there were hardly any web systems. My career has followed paths that led me further into the world of databases. I was curious about web development but it seemed to be a technology so different from what I knew that I believed it was not for me. But at the beginning of 2019 I got a better understanding of what bootcamp was and what Le Wagon was offering so I decided to head in. The experience was amazing. All that technology that I found complex, was super simple! I changed the course of my career and the way I saw the world of development. For my part it's just compliments to everyone at Le Wagon!

Whilst looking for bootcamps in London a few came to mind. As usual I looked at all the reviews from various websites and Le Wagon was the only bootcamp that had the best reviews. If I am really honest I thought the reviews seemed too good to be true and I tried very hard to find a bad review. Therefore I called Le Wagon directly and spoke to Alex Tombeur the UK Manager who was extremely helpful in helping me understand the course structure and what was required of me to enrol onto the course such as completing the prep work etc. Alex kept in regular contact with me and did not put any pressure on me in enrolling onto the course. To add further, Alex tried to help me find alternative ways to fund the course such as providing information about the governments Advanced Learner Loan. Unfortunately the government withdrawn this support before my deadline; however Alex was not to know this. 

Back to the review.......It have to say that studying at Le Wagon has literally been the best thing I have ever done. The staff have been helpful, understanding and being an alumni (also a bonus) has given me a life time support from Le wagon. The course itself provided me with the fundamentals of coding and enabled me to search and read documentations online which is something all coders do. Not forgetting the friends I have made throughout the course. 

The support post-bootcamp was also extremely helpful. The week after completing the bootcamp, Le Wagon arranged a hiring week event at Le Wagon where it gave us (the alumni's) the opportunity to speak with recruiters and employees looking for junior web developers. I was able to get an interview with a company on the day. 

A few things before I finish......... If you are thinking of enrolling yourself onto a bootcamp I have to inform you that its not easy and it takes a lot of work, patient, dedication and commitment. If you can try not to miss ANY lectures as even missing the first 5 minutes can be detrimental to your learning. Le Wagon has been a life changer and I cannot thank the staff enough...hence why I completed a review, which is something I never do. But I had to share my experience. 

Coming from a completely different field (logistics) I wanted to learn something new, and I wanted to learn it the quickiest way possible, and Le Wagon made that possible.
After a few months where my interest in coding grew, I heard about this bootcamp, and after some researches I did it, and I couldn't have made a better choice. The learning system is very optimized, and the subjects are carefully chosen in the right order to help you learn the most, the teachers are experienced beasts who know what they're talking about, and their teaching skills are just as good. The staff members are attentive, and they do their best to instaure an amazing atmosphere, whether by organizing drinks, restaurants or activities, so we're in the best conditions to learn. I couldn't be more grateful for the memories I had, and all the knowledge I got there.
After the demo day, the alumni community is huge, and they're always willing to help us with any question, and keep sharing job opportunities and forums to help us be more implicated and not left alone at the end.

If you're looking to learn programming quickly, in a great and friendly atmosphere, with great tools and amazing teachers, you can't go wrong with Le Wagon.