Full-Stack Web Development w/Java Bootcamp (Onsite)

Skill Distillery gave a strong base and that extra push I needed to take my skills to the next level. I had a basic understanding of programming concepts and they helped me see the big picture from the bottom up (full stack!). Instructors were very knowledgeable, personable, and helpful The curriculum was well structured and thought out, helping those of us who had a slight background as well as those brand new to programming. After being out for a couple years I think it is one of the best time/money investments I have ever made. Highly recommended for those seeking to become software devs coming from other unrelated fields.  

I attended Skill Distillery (SD) for Java Full Stack between March 2020 and July 2020 in Greenwood Village Colorado and then virtual due to navigating the muddy waters of Covid-19 pandemic. This was the toughest program I have ever completed. It’s a fast paced full time program, Java pre-work is a must.The instructors and TA’s challenged us at every turn because they knew we could produce great deliverables. I’m glad they did, they are amazing 🤩 .Advisor (Briana) communicated often with us students and checks in on us as alumni within our alumni community tool. I highly recommend this program to my veteran community. If you are looking to pivot into a software development career, SD will provide you with a solid understanding of Java and OOP pillars to help you be in a career you can be excited about. [Immersives are an expensive investment, please do your research on any school or immersive you plan to attend. Do your research, contact the school directly to have their team answer your questions about the programs you’re interested in.]- cheers Yettsy Knapp

After working for one year as a software developer, I can say with confidence that my life would not be the same without attending Skill Distillery's full-stack Java bootcamp. Sure you can take online courses or even other bootcamps, but my knowledge and experience would not be the same without their 16 week program. I know this because I complete an online bootcamp and other courses before attending Skill Distillery. Those courses didn't even come close to what you learn in the first month in their program.Skill Distillery provides the foundation that you will need to get into the industry. Java is still very relevant in today's job market and once you learn a core language like Java, you can learn any other language. At some point, you will become language agnostic and deciding which language or stack to learn won't even be a concern. But if you are concerned about languages/stacks, the huge advantage Skill Distillery has over other schools is that they are focused on an enterprise stack. Most mid to large companies use Java or an OOP language similar to Java, which makes the job hunt easier.Instructors are very knowledgeable and provide daily feedback and support. All senior instructors worked in the industry for 20+ years. The class size is also great: small and plenty of staff to have hands on with everyone as needed. Job assistance is there for anyone who wants to use it throughout the course. You can schedule mock interviews with staff and they also set up luncheons with recruiters. It only took six months to completely change my life. I started the 16 week course on September 9th, 2019 and graduated on January 9th, 2020. My first day of work as a software engineer was on March 9th, 2020. My only regret was that I didn't start sooner. And if you're having doubts about family or responsibilities, just find a way. While attending the course, I still had family obligations to my wife and 3 year old. I still worked a part-time job at an Amazon warehouse. You can get through it. Find a way. There is a completely different life waiting for you on the other side.

After a 12 year career in Finance, I was looking for a challenge and a new career to go into that would be more engaging. I looked for many options but was impressed on the accolades seen from fellow veterans that had attended the school. This was before the Vet Tec Program, I used my Post 911/GI BILL and the VA worked well with Skill Distillery.Pros: The classes were taught by people in the industry, the depth and level of knowledge they bring would only be recognize by me until I started working. From day one I knew what was being talked about at my first job as a developer, thanks to the staff at Skill Distillery. You get a thorough breakdown of concepts that seem trivial at first but it's all part of a bigger picture and its not limited to the school environment. I went from having no formal technical training to having a grasps at concepts that would later transfer into a new field, and I had the confidence to take on new challenges at work because I got the core I needed at Skill Distillery. The course is challenging but they give you the tools and resources to reach the goals that sometime seem unattainable.Cons: This is a full time course, meaning you could be putting in some 10 hour days. The course is heavily backend based but with just enough on the front end to gain an appreciation for it.

 
Being a software developer was the top option I wanted to pursue as I was getting ready to transition out of the military. I wanted to attend a program that is veteran-friendly and teaches technologies that are highly sought after in the industry. Skill Distillery was on top of the list, and attending this program was the best decision I made. Now, I work for a fortune-100 company as a Software Developer.  
The program was designed to not only teach you how to code, but also teaches you the ability to learn new technologies. It’s also designed to train you how to collaborate with other developers using tools to help you be succesful at your work. Not very many bootcamps teaches Java, because it’s a hard language to learn in my point of view. But, they really make sure that everyone doesn’t get left behind.  Another good thing about this program is that they help you prepare for the Oracle Certified Associate Java SE8 Certification. I didn’t get to take it because I was one of the strugglinG students, but the fact that they offer it, is a great deal itself.  The instructors were very knowledgeable and they were definitely industry experts. They have dedicated instructors for each technologies, but whenever I needed help with a topic, even the instructor from a different topic was willing to help out. Like I mentioned earlier, I was one of the struggling students in our cohort, but I got all the help that I need, from the TA, classmates, and instructors. This was definitely a great experience for me. 

I attended Skill Distillery in 2019 shortly after leaving the military.  Everything about the experience exceeded my expectations from the first day of class through graduating and getting my first job as a developer.  The instructors are amazing and the curriculum is well designed to give you what you need to compete as a junior developer.The program is intense.  It's not easy, and is not for everyone.  You need to have the aptitude for this kind of work to be successful here, and they will help you decide if you are a good candidate during the admissions process.  You will begin coding on day one, and it doesn't slow down.  They call this a boot camp for a reason!  Between class and homework, plan on putting in at least 60 hours a week.I was amazed at what my classmates and I were able to produce in this short time.  You will write literally dozens of small projects while learning Java, JavaScript, SQL, and HTML.  You will also design and build two fully functional web projects for the midterm and final.  A week or two into the course, I watched the class ahead of us present their final projects and I remember thinking there is NO WAY I could build something like that.  A couple of months later I was even more amazed when I did.You might be thinking this sounds great, but can you actually get a job coming out of a boot camp?  In a word, YES.  Some of my classmates had interviews prior to graduation.  I had a substantial commute to/from class which left me no free time, so I decided to wait until graduation to start seriously applying for jobs.  I sent out maybe 15 or 20 resumes.  Within days of graduation I had a promising phone interview.   That lead to in person technical interview two days later, and I had a job offer before the week was over.  I have been working at this company for over a year, and can honestly say it's the best job I've ever had.If you are motivated, disciplined, and not afraid of drinking from the fire hose, Skill Distillery can offer you the express lane to a career as a developer.  Give them a call. You will be glad you did.

Skill Distillery was a life-changing experience for me! I went from a non-profit director to a Full-Stack Software Developer, and I do not think I would be successful in this change without the great instructors and SD course. If you choose to put the effort and dedication into the SD course, it will pay off when you begin a career as a new developer. My first Software Developer job was delayed because of COVID-19. I am now a developer working with Java building microservices at a Fortune-150 company at one of their Denver Metropolitan locations, but I am currently working remotely. I graduated in January 2020 and became employed in May 2020 after a seven-week delay to my original start date. This transformation was not an easy process, but I learned the needed developer skills at Skill Distillery and how to learn new skills quickly.  It was a game-changer to me having SD's staff continued to encourage, coach, and help me after the course to help me have stronger interviews. I recommend the Skill Distillery Java Software Development Bootcamp to anyone aspiring to be a developer who is willing to put the hard work in and wants to make a career change. Please look me up on a business networking site and feel free to ask me about this experience.  

I attended Skill Distillery (SD) around end of Jan 2020 and graduated first week of May. I have only good things to sat about the program and especially about the instructors. The course work was very well laid out and had a very good structure to it. Although it is Full Stack, most of the focus was on the backend especially Java using Spring Framework. I cannot, and I write again, I just cannot say how good the instructors are. Rob, Denise, Alex, and Paul are all great. They have over 15-20 years of teaching experience and they know how to teach. They have a vast amount of knowledge but they know how to transfer it over. I cannot thank them enough. The whole program is like a family and Briana, Bruce were very understanding and made everyone feel home from day one. I was lucky to be in a cohort full of veterans, and this definitely helped me. I only have good things to say about the program and the people involved in it. However, I feel that the networking opportunities should be better. Overall, I would definitely recommend anyone trying to get into the software engineering field to attend Skill Distillery. You will learn a lot while feeling at home.

My former career plans had hit a wall and I was looking for an exit. The VA's VET TEC program in April 2019 provided that exit and offered three schools to choose from: Code Platoon, Zip Code Wilmington, and Skill Distillery (SD). SD was the longest course available (680 hours, 16 weeks) at the time and logistically it worked best for me. SD was the most mentally challenging endeavor of my life and it consumed all of my time from July 5th through October 28th. The amount of material SD manages to cram into 16 weeks is staggering and you need to understand that this won't be a walk in the park.The teachers are supportive and knowledgable, the assignments engaging, and the curriculum is a perfect foundation for bringing a person without experience into the world of software development. I highly recommend SD if you're looking to make a change in your life and you're willing to wholly dedicate your time to making that change. Today, I have a stable and promising career path that is enjoyable. The future is bright!*Prior to enrolling in a bootcamp, research what technologies are in demand for your target locale* For example, I went to Denver and learned Java at SD and then moved back to Tulsa and didn't gain much traction in the job hunt until picking up C# / ASP.Net on my own. I highly recommend speaking to a few recruiters in the cities you're interested in to get a feel for that job market. 

Pros:+ VET TEC Preferred Program+ Very veteran friendly, my cohort consisted of all military veterans+ Seemingly very compassionate instructors & staff+ Very eager to do whatever it took to ease our minds through whatever transition we would go through (OCAs, COVID, etc)+ Made an extended family with my cohort+ Accepting of my emotional support animal which I understand is not a service dog+ Awesome building/facility even though one classroom has no windowsCons (which I knew going in):-Extremely fast paced, wish there were more reviews to ensure retention of foundational topics-Some instructors read from slides so can lose attention easily 

I made the decision to attend Skill Distillery because I felt stunted in my career field and wanted to attain marketable skills and felt like this Java Full Stack Bootcamp was a good decision based on recommendations from prior students and other veterans. I ended up leaving my job and moving from Missouri to Colorado and quickly realized that it was the greatest decision I made thus far in my career path. Prior to attending Skill Distillery, I had worked in the cybersecurity field as an intelligence analyst but did not really have any knowledge about programming languages. We were immediately thrown into learning Java since the program is only 16 weeks. The program offered numerous labs, some that needed to be completed over the weekend, that were crucial when it came to fully understanding and absorbing the new concepts. Quickly on I did feel like I was falling behind, but through the closeness of the cohort (small class size), dedication of the instructors, and the teaching assistants help on Saturdays I was able to pull through and have more confidence in my coding ability. Throughout the program, we learned many technologies, including front end, back end, and project management tools.  I started attending the course in January and when the COVID-19 pandemic occurred Skill Distillery was very transparent when it came to communication and a way forward as lockdown was eminent. Skill Distillery was able to transition us to learning over Zoom and I did not notice any loss in the material we were learning. We were able to share our screen with the instructors if we were stuck or behind and had the ability to have breakout rooms to be able to conduct pair programming and group projects.  Lastly, Skill Distillery was very helpful in preparing me to reenter the job market by conducting career workshops, mock interviews (technical and nontechnical), and resume review. I was able to secure a job offer the week prior to completing the program. Everyone that worked at Skill Distillery seemed genuinely passionate about what they did and helping the students to succeed and overcome their imposter syndrome. Overall, I would highly recommend this bootcamp for anyone that is considering making the transition into software development or wants more knowledge on front and back end technologies.

Skill Distillery’s 16-week course was an incredible experience. I was itching for a career change into software development, and Skill Distillery made that possibility a reality. Much like whoever may be reading this, I too read every review I could -  even reached out to former students who all had positive things to say about the course. The fact that it is based on the Java language is an advantage for those wanting to gain practical experience using Object-Oriented Programming.  The course was highly fast-pace, and at times I did feel like I was drowning. However, that is expected. The instructors were incredibly knowledgeable and went above-and-beyond to help students understand difficult concepts. Within three weeks of graduating, I had two offers. The position I accepted uses C#, which is similar to Java since they are each part of the C language family. Needless to say, students gain the ability to learn how to learn, which opens the door to many jobs outside of the languages taught throughout the course.  Overall, I can't recommend this course enough. This easily might be the best decision I’ve made, but having a desire to code and natural curiosity is essential to enjoying the process. I feel like I learned more in those four months than I did in four years of college. The instructors and staff truly care about the success of each student. 

If you are ready to put in the time for a change, this is the place to go. Staff and instructors are very intelligent and helpful, they are there to teach you how to code and they do it well. You will come out of Skill Distillery as a confident developer ready for the job market. You will get out of this course what you put into it. Be ready to devote yourself to a career change and you will have it.

I graduated Skill Distillery class SD23 two weeks ago and already have a job offer.

At the end of 16 weeks you'll have a really solid foundation and be able to build make websites hosted on Amazon Web Services EC2 using Java, Angular, and SQL databases.  Before coming here I'd always struggle learning programming languages on my own. I dropped a C++ class in college, and got by in other Java / Microsoft Access classes. Here they're not as concerned with the academic concepts of topics. They focus more on the practical application of writing code and that's how I managed to stay interested and learn quickly how to do it. Instructors and TAs are very approachable when it comes to questions or when you're stuck on something.

I'm 1 week into my job search and have much confidence in what I've learned during my time at Skill Distillery.

Choosing to go to Skill Distillery was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I essentially picked up my whole life and moved across the country to attend, and I don’t regret it one bit. I was working on a computer science degree in college and felt like the degree was taking far too long, with a lot of irrelevant classes that made my course load feel bloated. It was simply a more effective use of my time to spend 4 short months in a boot camp vs. 4 long years at a university. 

Skill Distillery being a 16 week full stack program that covers front and back-end means that you’ll have a lot more experience with a wide variety of technologies when compared to most other courses. This greatly improves the amount of jobs you’re qualified to apply for. The course is legitimately difficult because of the speed you learn these new technologies at, but with the help of the instructors (who actually have industry experience), it’s nothing you can’t do if you actually study and put effort into your assignments. I can’t recommend Skill Distillery enough.

Skill Distillery is a very comprehensive and well rounded course. I feel confident in the skills I have gained and their ability to help me transition careers.

Skill Distillery is a great bootcamp. I can't say enough good things about the material, the instructors, the assistant instructors, etc. The course as a whole is A LOT of work and is probably the HARDEST bootcamp around, but the resources and material provided, along with the excellent instructors and team as a whole, along with a strong personal work-ethic and commitment, make it totally doable. I'd highly recommend this school to anyone looking for a career as a developer.

This was a very worthwhile experience. I'm coming from a very different field, and I needed a school that has strong connections to local businesses. I also wanted in-person instruction from instructors with experience in the field. This school far exceeded my expectations, and I feel well prepared to start a new career in a different field. The instructors are prepared to personalize instruction where needed, and they do a great job of breaking down complex topics for people unfamiliar with the content. The graduates also find work pretty quickly after completion, and the school is a big help with job search assistance.The entire staff is very open to student feedback, and I felt that they were very responsive. I'm very glad I came to this school. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to train or retrain for a new career.

The hardest school I have ever done including my bachelor of science degree…but worth it because it is exactly what I needed to make a career change.

Skill Distillery was one of the most challenging and over the top schools I have ever been to. Coming from a non coding background I believe what I have learned at this school has given me enough that I can succeed in this field of work. The Instructors here are very informative and down to earth they will help you whenever you need it but at the same time push you to the extreme to get you reading and breathing code. I will say this if you are not serious, can't handle pressure, and don't like failing this is probably not for you. Through this course you will come to understand that in coding you will have alot of pressure, you will be failing alot of code, and you will be playing catchup most of the program. But when everything finally connects you will be gratful for what this program has prepared you. You will be surprised at how much you know, and you will not regret it.