Full-Time Remote Software Engineering Immersive

Before Codesmith, I was working at a tech company testing autonomous vehicles. While I enjoyed being close to cutting-edge technology, I found myself increasingly drawn to the software side, curious about the systems driving automation and intelligence. That curiosity is what led me to explore software engineering more seriously and, ultimately, to discover Codesmith.

I chose Codesmith because of its reputation for excellence, especially in AI and ML. What really stood out to me was how Will Sentance, the CEO, is constantly learning, staying on top of emerging technologies, and thoughtfully integrating them into the program for the benefit of the students. It signaled to me that this wasn’t just a bootcamp. It was a forward-thinking, evolving ecosystem built for long-term success.

The immersive program itself was incredibly challenging, but I’ve never felt so supported by a community that was not only skilled but truly caring. From my cohort mates to the instructors and fellows, there was always someone willing to jump in, pair program, or just offer encouragement when the imposter syndrome hit. That sense of belonging and shared determination made all the difference.

One of my proudest moments was collaborating on an open-source tool that focused on AI model drift detection, where I got to apply what I learned to a real-world engineering problem. Projects like that made me realize how far I had come, not just technically, but in how I approach problems, work in teams, and communicate as an engineer.

Now, as a graduate, I feel confident and well-equipped to step into the industry. I’m grateful not only for the technical skills I gained but for the personal growth and lifelong network I’ve built.

If you’re considering Codesmith: expect to be challenged, but also expect to be deeply supported. It’s a place where your potential gets pushed and your wins get celebrated.

Codesmith really makes a difference in the job search afterwards. There's tons of alumni resources to pull from, and there's tons of mock interviews, system design, and phone screen practice sessions. The assistance is invaluable for any prospective graduates looking to make their leap into a career in software engineering.

Codesmith was inclusive and engaging from day one. I got very close to my cohort mates and the instructors/teaching fellows showed a lot of care in my growth and development as a software engineer. The program has two phases, which they split out into the junior portion and the senior portion. The junior phase consists of structured classes and learning modules, teaching you the MERN/PERN stack. The senior portion consists of projects on your own and with your cohort mates. This is where most of the learning happens.Getting a job post Codesmith is a grind, and graduating is only the beginning of your journey. However, the Codesmith support system is incredible and really helps you get through the process. The alumni network is huge and everyone wants you to succeed. If you're serious about pursuing a software engineering career, I recommend digging deep and getting very comfortable with javascript, react, node.js/express before going through the immersive program. This will put you in the best position to maximize the program. I personally know people who have gone through other bootcamps that have struggled to get a job post bootcamp or given up altogether. I really believe Codesmith's biggest value lies in the alumni network and post-grad support that is available to you for the rest of your career. I recently landed my first role post Codesmith and I was able negotiate a great offer thanks to Eric (Thank you Eric!) who is one of the senior advisors.

I cannot understate how great codesmith is. I received a job offer only 3 months after completing the bootcamp - in a tough job market nonetheless. Major coursework taught by great instructors. Minor coursework taught by previous graduates primarily. Eric K personally assisted me in my salary negotiations. They truly care!!

The full time codesmith program was tough and grueling, but their methods suited the way I learn new material. With the skills I learned, I was able to find a SWE job within 3 months. One year later and I’m back on the job market due to layoffs and I was able to use their career services to help find a new role and negotiate my offer. 

Codesmith was the best environment I could imagine for setting myself up for this life-changing career change.  Their instructors and career-support helped me immensely and while not everything is perfect, Codesmith is constantly iterating and improving as an organization.  Going with them was the best decision of my thirties.  Their instructors shaped me and their advice helped me negotiate a higher salary and signing bonus than I would have dared to hope going into the camp.

Codesmith provided me with exactly what I needed. The curriculum was set up to cover some of the most prevalent concepts and technologies in the industry, and what I left with was a strong foundation to stand on, a solid understanding of how to grow moving forward, and the dedication and confidence to do so. Since graduating, I've stayed in contact with my cohort mates and other people I met through the program (all excellent good-hearted people) and continued to learn and expand my skill set and capabilities. Recently I realized my goal, and with the help of the Alumni and Job Support Team (shoutout to Eric Kirsten), I landed a job as a Software Developer! 

Codesmith does a great job of providing students with resources before they begin the immersive program. Even though I had been studying JavaScript for a few years before applying, the CSX program really helped me better understand important topics like closure, asynchronicity, higher-order functions, and recursion. On top of the CSX program, applicants also have to do live coding interviews with Codesmith faculty which encourages applicants to practice coding and get real-time feedback during their interviews. To me, the lead-up to the immersive program is one of the things that makes Codesmith stand apart from some of the other bootcamps / immersive programs.  I think it would be very difficult to find a SWE job if you start any three-month immersive program without any prior coding knowledge. To me, it seems likely that Codesmith's curriculum isn't vastly different from other programs. And as a former educator, I wasn't impressed by the actual teaching methods. It's mostly just an instructor narrating over powerpoint presentations (whose material seems to come mostly from the documentation for that particular technology), asking a couple questions to check for understanding, and then dismissing class for pair programming on the topic. During the pair programming, you might get an instructor or TA's guidance for five minutes, but because of the ratio of TAs to students, their time is quite limited. They will call this "hard learning" where you need to lean into being stuck, looking up documentation, and considering different approaches. These are worthy habits, but it's also "hard learning" because the lectures are hastily done and simply a pretty ineffective pedagogical approach. By the end of the program you have a decent understanding of a lot of the common tech stacks, but, for most students, further study is definitely needed to be fully job-ready.The crown jewel of the program is their job search portion. They pour a lot of resources into helping students with their resumes, interviewing skills, and networking. That on top of the time and effort they put into building a community (I'm still a part of the Codesmith slack today) really helps students find a SWE role right for them.Overall, if someone has really tried to get a SWE role through pure self-study (Udemy, YouTube, FreeCodeCamp, books, etc.) and is feeling like they're spinning their wheels, I'd recommend Codesmith as an immersive program that can help direct your learning, connect you to a community of other aspiring developers, and prepare you for the job search process. 

After the burnout of working in hospital administration/fundraising during COVID, I knew I wanted to pivot to something different after my 10+ year career. I had briefly floated the idea of attending a coding bootcamp before, but the timing just was never right. In 2021, I made the decision to quit my job and pursue software engineering, but had the task of deciding which school to attend. My research led me to Codesmith - while it had a much more selective acceptance criteria, I knew that it would give me the best possible shot at landing a job after graduation. From the moment I sat in a free online coding workshop, I knew this process was going to be special. I attended the early 2022 remote online immersive program, and my life changed forever. The curriculum was absolutely intense and difficult, but the results speak for themselves. Within just two months of graduation, I had secured a position as a full-time software engineer. Attending Codesmith was truly the best decision I ever made.

Joining Codesmith was one of the best decisions I've made. The bootcamp really dives deep into JavaScript and front-end development with a curriculum that's both challenging and incredibly rewarding. The instructors were not just knowledgeable—they were truly dedicated to our learning, always ready to offer extra help when needed. What made the experience stand out was the sense of community; everyone was eager to help each other out, making those tough coding challenges a lot more fun to tackle. The job support from Codesmith was phenomenal too, guiding me through the job hunting process with practical tools and advice that landed me a tech job faster than I expected. I can't recommend Codesmith enough for anyone eager to get serious about a career in tech.

Codesmith is super intense, but seriously was the one thing that got me where I am today—a senior software engineer at a successful start-up. It doesn't just teach you the most important technologies you'll need to know, but also teaches you how to think, how to work in teams, how to think about software from a product perspective—all sorts of things you don't learn with a CS degree but are absolutely vital to success in software engineering. One of the most critical aspects of all this is the job search module they do at the end—I was skeptical going in to the program about how useful that would be, but the job search skills I learned at codesmith are a lot of the reason why I found a job within 3 weeks of getting laid off, and many of my former colleagues are going months without bites. I'm not getting paid to write this review, I seriously rave about codesmith to anyone who's not sure how to break into tech. The price is definitely higher than a lot of other bootcamps, but for a good reason. I got my first software job three months after graduation, with total comp of about $160k. (I was definitely on the higher end of starting salaries, and the market was a bit better when I graduated in 2022, but I was also by no means an outlier.)Go for it!

I graduated from Codesmith at a terrible time for entry level software developer jobs (they try to push you to apply for mid to senior level roles, and that works for a select few but the vast majority, including myself, are not qualified for that after just this program). Their application and interview style is honed and specific, so it must work for a lot of people, but I ended up kind of lucking into my job. But at the end of the day, I did get a job which was the point. I think Codesmith's curriculum is maybe more rigorous than others, which I appreciated. And the "final project" is much more impressive and technical sounding, which is what you're supposed to learn on when job hunting. If you're gonna go the boot camp route, this is probably the top option. Their CS Prep and free workshops are also great to get your feet wet. 

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)

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. 

The curriculum at Codesmith is extremely well-rounded, and introduces you to all of the parts needed to develop and deploy a full stack application from scratch. While there is a broad range of technologies covered, Codesmith encourages students to specialize in one area, becoming a T-shaped engineer (good at all, great at one). This lends itself to the best part of the curriculum: the focus on working in teams to build projects. Much of the program is devoted to building full stack applications; students are grouped together and work in an agile development process much like you would see in the real world, with certain team members tackling their specialized parts of the project. This gives you a great idea of what to expect in your future jobs. The only thing I will say is that 2023 and onward are not a reflection of the CIRR outcomes that Codesmith posts, which (last I checked) only go through mid-2022 and don't reflect the current state of the tech market. It took me 11 months to land a job after graduation, and I am being paid much less than the "average Codesmith grad", and only about half of my cohort have landed jobs. I don't blame Codesmith for this, since the job market is now saturated with experienced FAANG engineers that have been laid off, but it is important to note that the CIRR reports are no longer reliable with the current state of the job market. While it is possible to get a job after Codesmith, and the career support resources from Codesmith are incredible, it is an extremely challenging and mentally/emotionally draining process that does not end when you graduate Codesmith.

I attended Codesmith in 2022 fully online after growing disillusioned with the Biotech industry. I had already had some past experience in software engineering in college, but spent the majority of my time doing repetitive work in labs. I'd had some prior experience in web development as a hobby as well.Attending Codesmith was and will always be the best decision I made for my career. Codesmith isn't just a bootcamp or a way to "level-up" your coding skills. It's a roadmap to a new way of thinking and transformed my understanding of software engineering. They don't just teach you the skills you need in the job market, they teach you how to learn anything you need to in order to succeed in any position. Since attending Codesmith, I've worked as the solo developer on a Nuxt frontend and Node.js middleware. Despite having no prior knowledge of Nuxt, I was able to jump right in and solve session related issue day 2 of my employment. By month three, I had used what I'd learned in Codesmith to completely refactor the Node.js middleware, improving response times by 50% and cutting the lines of code by 80%. By the end of my first year, I'd refactored the frontend and improved loading performance from 2-3 seconds to 200-300 milliseconds. All of this was only possible because of my education at Codesmith. 

Codesmith did a fantastic job of preparing me for my first job as a software engineer. As someone who did not have a background that was even remotely technical, it took me a couple of months to get a high paying job. Granted, this was during a very hot job market, but I was able to make an impact at my new job from day one. I attribute that to what I learned at Codesmith. I talk to new grads on a monthly basis, and I think Codesmith has done a good job of adjusting their guidance and instruction to students entering the job market right now.

I attended Codesmith in November of 2022, graduated in February 2023 and accepted a job offer 2 months later. This program absolutely changed my life, but was also incredibly challenging. Codesmith does a great job of giving you a strong foundation in both technical skills and soft skills. It was incredibly demanding but the work doesn't stop after the program ends; I put a considerable amount of time and effort after the program not only with the job search, but also fine tuning my technical skills in order to compete with the other people currently in the hiring pools. If I had to do it again, I would definitely pick Codesmith as a bootcamp but be prepared to grind.