Full-Time Remote Software Engineering Immersive

I'm a pandemic career-changer in my early 40s and I left a good, stable job to pursue software engineering. This may have been the most significant decision and the most challenging project of my life. Before I was fully committed to this monumental life change I launched a deep research project to determine which boot camp was going to set me up for the greatest success. My research led me to Codesmith.Every reputable coding boot camp offers some kind of free live workshops and online resources to get you started, get you involved in the community, and help measure and improve your skills. Most offer some kind of "boot camp prep" course. Tuition tends to be pretty similar across the board. So how can you really know which one is "best" or which one is right for you?My approach was to try them all. In addition to reading reviews and articles and checking out their YouTube channels, I used the free online resources from ten different schools, and I attended the prep courses for three different schools. I figured this would give me the greatest insight into how each school operates and whether I should trust the outcomes I saw published on their own websites as well as in the reports from the Council on Integrity in Results Reporting (CIRR). My experiences led me to Codesmith.Codesmith's free workshops curriculum is incredibly robust. It includes sessions targeting everyone from Day 1 beginners to employed engineers seeking a deeper understanding of advanced concepts, and many sessions occur more than once per week. When I attended my first "JavaScript: The Hard Parts" session I immediately felt like I was witnessing something of real value. The instructor was a total pro. The approach and the method were thoughtfully constructed. The attendees were engaged and participating. The quality of this experience was in stark contrast to what I had seen from all of the other schools. I was mostly sold on Codesmith.The thing that sealed the deal for me was the challenge of getting admitted to Codesmith. At one point I had failed two attempts at the Codesmith technical admissions interview, and I had already been accepted to two other top coding boot camps. It would have been easy to throw in the towel and get started with one of the alternatives but my thinking was if I'm going to quit my job and take out a big loan at the same time, run through my meager savings, and risk everything for a chance at a great new career then I want to make sure it's the greatest new career possible. I couldn't be satisfied with a junior-level position that paid about the same as I was making before; I wanted to go into job interviews with the confidence derived from knowing that I had been through, by far, the most challenging software engineering boot camp available. Codesmith sets the highest barrier to entry and teaches the most advanced curriculum. They're able to do that because they have the best approach and retain the best staff. The formula is working.In a few days, I'll be starting my first job as a software engineer. I'm going to work at a large financial institution in a mid-level position with a team working on an exciting product. I've acquired all the skills I need to succeed in this industry, I've made a bunch of new friends-for-life, and I've built up a formidable professional network. I would recommend Codesmith to friends and family (and I do, frequently) and to anyone who is serious about getting started in the software industry.

I was recommended Codesmith by an alumni that was a close personal friend, and from CSX, their online learning platform, I learned all the fundamentals of Javascript that I apply to this day. The technical knowledge that is provided by the class is amazing, but the community of my cohortmates and alumni is what ultimately provided the help that I needed to land my current position. The hiring portion of Codesmith was also almost as valuable as the technical knowledge. In fact, many students that are already software engineers probably find the hiring portion the most beneficial as the logistics of finding a job can be just as difficult as the interviews themselves. The class also provides an in depth session on negotiation led by Eric Kirsten which completely changed my perspective on salary and offer negotiation. With Eric's help, I was able to raise my initial offer up by about 15 percent which is almost equal to the price of the entire course! If you're looking for the place to prepare you to take that next step on your journey to a career in Software Engineering, Codesmith will be that place. 

I did the Codesmith Full-Time Immersive program online from July-October of 2021 after having previously gone through the JavaScript for Beginners, CS Prep, and self-guided CSX courses. I cannot recommend Codesmith enough for anyone looking to change careers like me! I came from a totally non-technical background as a teacher, and I was able to land a job as a software engineer a couple of months after graduating. Looking at the coursework, and the teaching techniques I saw while I was in the program with my critical, educator's eye, I can also say I was definitely satisfied with what I got. The curriculum was on target with what you need in this industry, and all of the instructors I interacted with were helpful, friendly, and willing to go the extra step to make sure that you understood the concepts. They do really push you during the course, and sometimes you will feel like you're falling behind, but it's by design. Some concepts you will get over time, and with repeated iterations, and most importantly, the instructors won't actually let you fall behind. They keep track of everyone's progress, and they are willing to give additional help to you in the areas that you find most challenging.Additionally, despite doing the online course and only ever seeing people through computer screens, Codesmith did a really good job of building a community. My cohort-mates became my friends during the course of the immersive!I also want to emphasize the strength of the post-graduation career help. It was really easy to stay in touch with the staff even after the program was done, and they have numerous staff who are mostly dedicated to helping people with the job search process. I was able to get help on my resume, advice on how to present myself as a strong candidate, and information about how to go about accepting an offer once one is made. This information was especially helpful for me since I was coming from the education field where the job search process is very different, and I wouldn't have known many of these things otherwise.Again, I definitely recommend Codesmith if you are serious about the software engineering field, and if you are willing and able to put in the time-commitment and the work!

I graduated from Codesmith in June, was hired on as an Engineering Fellow by Codesmith for a three-month contract and am now preparing to end my Fellowship and move on to a full-time job as a GraphQL Full Stack Engineer with LexisNexis. From the first time I set foot into one of Codesmith's free public online workshops, I was impressed with their teaching style, pedagogy and above all empathy. They built a positive, ego-free environment where people worked hard at a difficult thing to better themselves, and always with an eye towards enthusiastically helping one another to understand the technology on a deep level. Other Bootcamps gave me the impression that I'd be going through the motions and simply 'making the code work' but Codesmith taught me to think deeply about my mental models and the language that I use to communicate what is happening technically so that I could share that mental model. I found interviewing for jobs after Codesmith to not only be un-intimidating but often a real pleasure - it was fun to share my understanding with others and describe what I knew! And because Codesmith encouraged me to always consider other engineers, I leave now feeling that I can continue to grow as a mentor as well as an engineer and human being. Codesmith is a really special place that is kept running by some really dedicated people and I admire them and am proud to have counted myself among them, even for a brief while! I owe a particular debt of gratitude to Nancy Kousholt, Katrina Villanueva and Grisha Levine-Rozenvayn, all of them former or current Fellows, Lead Technical Mentors and Engineering Instructors who showed me what it means to be an empathetic engineer!