Software Engineering Immersive

My expectations were high - and I was positively surprised! From day one Codeworks sticks to the promise of delivering top quality learning experience. The program is demanding, so exactly what you need if you treat your objectives seriously. It gives you an excellent background and you leave the course well prepared for the first coding job. The student selection process ensures you are surrounded by awesome teammates to make new friends you can rely on in your professional life after the graduation.

After over one year, it's time for me to write my review about Codeworks.

Almost one and a half year ago, I terminated my studies in software engineering in Italy, and the big plan was immediately to find a place where I could specialize myself in a programming language I liked. There were many options, but after reviewing different options, Codeworks seemed to be the best choice for me.

After the application process, which I think it was really challenging, I did the pre-course and started the main course in February 2018.

What I discovered was unbelievable: the program, the people and the environment were unique in their genre, just in the first week I learned so much to surprise me, even after 5 years at university, But, it doesn't mean you need a degree to attend the course: the material and the instructors are so clear that will make you comfortable learning advanced topics such as Data Structures and Algorithms.

The final experience was for me the most insightful of my life. After my graduation as a Codeworks student, I also had the chance to stay there as a teacher assistant, growing again day by day, until I finally became an instructor. This second part of my life in Codeworks helped me to grow even more than my student career because I discovered the teaching activity to be the best way to learn. And the amazing people around you make it possible creating the best work environment I've ever seen.

Now, I accepted another good job offer in Barcelona as a Frontend developer with React, and I think all of this is thanks to Codeworks.

After a year I finally write my review, Codeworks was a fantastic experience, not so much for the instrument as for the mentality, the team is really incredible Arol Alessandro, Leo and Marco are excellent instructors, always available to give you a hand . I decided to do this review after having so much time to dare another point of view, that of a person who has attended the bootcamp and works and after a year I can say that Codeworks is the state more than useful, I worked in Italy for 2 companies at the top of the startup in my area, I have an average salary higher than my peers and I do the job I love to do.

If you are looking for a truly professional bootcamp, choose it and I'm sure you won't regret it.

I graduated Codworks 1 year ago and I can tell you that my life changed completely from that moment on.

This bootcamp is not only an amazing experience, but of an excellent level:

- The course curriculum is everything you're going to need to succeed in a full stack position.

- The teachers are more than qualified and really great people.

- The course teaches you how to code, but moreover, it teaches you how to learn, so you'll be working with a lot of different technologies and languages but you won't be afraid to approach them.

- You'll be spending 3 months developing code, but also developing a bond with a lot of different people (and some ping pong mad skills).

For me it took 2 months to find a job. Why so long? I had a lot of offers, but I wanted to find a company with a product I could see myself using and having fun developing. I can tell you that you'll find a job, but if you're patient enough, thanks to Codeworks, you'll find your deam job.

I'll try and keep this as succinct as possible:
Is it worth the 10k? Yes/no- Do you want to completely change your career and get started as a full stack developer? Yes, worth it. Do you want to learn this so you can return back to your current job and be able to work better with developers as a PM or Agile Coach etc. No, I would say not worth it. This course is really intense and designed for those who want to start with a leg up.

How's the quality of the material? This is the only school, that I was able to find in the area, that went as in depth with JavaScript as possible with the time available. The **mandatory** pre-course work is no joke, one of the co-founders will say that it alone is enough to get a Jr. Dev position. I think it's a little bit of a stretch, seeing some job applications and coding challenges for potential hires leaves me to believe that he is not too far off from that statement. If you know programming and have used the method `.reverse()` and you use it but don't know the inner workings of it... don't worry, by the end of the pre-course you will know the inner workings of maaaaany JavaScript methods. Then you will go through topics of Classical Inheritance to Pseudo Classical(Prototypal) Inheritance to Classes. You will learn Angular AND React for frameworks, bare Node, Express and Koa. too many things to list.

Is it that intense? Yes, though depending on your previous knowledge. I did freeCodeCamp for a year previously and this course was intense. Not just because of the material, but you will do a serious deep dive into JavaScript and look under the hood often as to who, what, where, when, and why. You will do this for 3 months Mon-Sat 09h-21h (minimum).

How are the staff? The staff are great, very knowledgeable and patient with answering questions. Although, be fairly warned don't even dare asking them a question that's easily answered online because you are too lazy to google it. Aside from that. staff members will hold meetings with other classmates and go over topics maybe you still don't understand, they will really bend over backwards for you.

100% hiring? There was one person that I knew of that it took him longer than the 5 months to find a job, of actively looking. However, he is now working at a company as a full stack dev. The guy who helps you find a job (Don't know his title, sorry Marc) will work with you until you land your job. He will negotiate the contracts with you and try and get you the money that is deserved with the company that you want. Then if you decide that you don't like your current job anymore and want a new opportunity you can reach out to him and he will do his best to help you again. 

Negative - So this course is not a course where you are going to get your hand held through it. You can get really really easily overwhelmed. It's still a little too pricey. You will have ZERO social life. If you are not from the city and you think that it will be nice to go to Barcelona and see the city while programming, get that thought out of your mind. You will spend 90% of your time awake either reading about programming or actually doing it.

I attended the 12-week full-stack program Codeworks is running in autumn-winter 2017. It was one of the most rewarding experience in my life. The environment is the best I could ask for, both the personnel at school and the classes are very supportive and nice and their facilities are great. The course is very demanding, but for our benefit, I learnt an insane amount, and was really proud of what I was able to build. The program is the right mix of theoretical and practical. I can only recommend anyone to join!

Summary:

Codeworks is an excellent program if you know what you are paying for. Don't expect knowledge to be uploaded to your brain, instead think of it more like a mental "gym" with an intense workout plan, guided by lectures and TAs. If you put in the work, you'll learn a tonne, have a lot of fun and come out of it with a new career in a red-hot industry.
 

Curriculum:

The curriculum is fantastic, up-to-date and highly relevant for working as a full stack or front end developer today. Javascript is in high demand and the course does a great job of teaching you the things you need to know to get a broad overview of web development in general. Once I started interviewing for jobs I understood just how well the course prepared me for it. The more you can study and prepare before the course, the more valuable it's going to be for you!
 

Other students:

My colleagues were a very motivated and intelligent bunch of people from all walks of life. There were financial consultants, product managers, physicists, digital nomads and entrepreneurs. A strong motivation for coding was the common denominator, which made a huge difference on the final project. I was incredibly impressed by the group project (which I was most skeptical about going in), where absolutely everyone put in 110% of their efforts.
 

Outcomes:

I found a job very quickly after Codeworks at a level that was above my expectations going into the course. I can say for certain I would not have found the role without Codeworks, which means an additional huge benefit to me. Huge thanks to the outcomes team for that!

TL;DR

Excellent curriculum, great outcomes, passable lectures, fun experience overall. Be prepared to study hard and teach yourself. Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions. If you put in the time and effort, you will succeed. The jobs are out there, and if you can get through Codeworks, you will definitely find one.

The Course

The course is every bit as intense as is advertised. You will really spend 11-12 hours there a day, 6 days a week
The curriculum is excellent and well-tailored to the job market. You will leave well prepared for the technical interviews.
Lectures were meh. There were a few excellent ones, but I have to say that as a whole their effectiveness was questionable. Make sure to be vocal and ask questions if you don't understand. Be prepared to spend time learning things on your own.
Make the most out of your senior projects. These will form your portfolio after the course during the job hunt, and will make a big difference.
Ultimately, you get out what you put in. If you show up having barely spent any time on the precourse, you will struggle through the course and lose the opportunity to learn more in-depth things. The more prepared you come, the better positioned you are to take advantage of the whole experience.

Peers

The peers in your batch make a huge difference! You are spending 6 * 12 hours with them a week.
I was lucky to meet 14 amazing individuals who were a pleasure to work and learn with.
You can't control how your classmates are, but you can be an agreeable and cooperative person yourself.

Outcomes

To my knowledge, everybody in my graduating class (14 people) who wanted a job as a software developer has now received an offer as a developer, regardless of citizenship.
Job assistance was quick and effective. Thanks Marc!

I just graduated in December and Codeworks was an amazing experience.

It is definitely very challenging and intensive, but the instructors and TAs are always very helpful, the infrastructure is extremely good and having colleagues that are just as dedicated as you makes the learning process much better. At the end of the course, you are just amazed at how much you've learned!

I can definitely recommend the course for those who want an intensive and immersive experience.

I completed the Codeworks program a little over a month ago. I decided to wait a bit before writing this review because I wanted to see the validation of the market on my preparation and skills first. This validation has come in the form of job offers that demonstrated me, once again, how well Codeworks prepares its students.

My three months at Codeworks have been very intense and despite the stress, every day I was fully conscious that it was totally worth it. The pace is vigorous but you will never feel lost because you will have the support of your instructors, your teaching assistants, and your classmates. The student selection process really works well, and your classmates will be some of the most driven, motivated and knowledgeable people you will ever meet.

I spent an average of 12-13 hours a day in Codeworks including my Sundays. On my typical Sunday, I would sleep a couple of hours more than usual and then go to Codeworks to revise the concepts introduced during the week or to experiment with new technologies. I was not the only crazy one! Many of my classmates were doing the same!

Regarding the team there, everybody is amazing.

Arol is a coding rockstar and he mentored us throughout all the course. Marco is super competent and always in a good mood. Leonardo is really experienced on the front-end and always very supportive and helpful. Marc will be the to-go-to person when looking for a job after the course. Marc is super knowledgeable and encouraging: he will guide you through your job search. From him expect pieces of advice that will save you a lot of mistakes and will help you to get the job you want.

Barcelona is an amazing city, you probably won't have the time to explore all its corners during your time at Codeworks, but the weather will definitely help to keep the mood positive. The wonderful weather really played a role for me.

At Codeworks I learned Node.js, React, Redux, GraphQL, MongoDB, MySQL, Redis, Web Sockets and so much more. The curriculum is vast and in line with the current technological trend and after the intense months there, you can really call yourself a Full-Stack Developer.

My recommendation is that, if you are looking for a coding boot camp in Europe, joining Codeworks will be one of the best experiences and choices of your life. It has been for me.

CW is still a young and growing bootcamp, but is proving to be one or the best bootcamp in Europe.
The challenges I had to face everyday were huge, because studying here is very demanding but the good is coming now after finishing it, finding myself able to build stuff, learn new things and technologies with ease, apply for positions and being considered by employers! Now, I'm working with leading libraries like React and React Native, build chrome extensions, create phone app and countless other things.
Yes, at first I was unsure about it and more in general about bootcamps, but trust me, it totally worths your efforts.

I'm a graphic designer who decided graphic design wasn't enough and decided to learn something new. I started learning how to code by myself and, after a while, decided to join a bootcamp. Codeworks was the best decision I could have made. It is a hard bootcamp, I'm not gonna lie, but my effort was worth it. I couldn't imagine it was possible to learn so much in so little time. I graduated from Codeworks less than a month ago and already have a job.

As all the places there are good things and bad things, the reason why I leave 5 stars is because the good things in Codeworks are undoubtedly the most important things.

- I have learned a lot during this time with Codeworks, possibly everything I need to be prepared in today's job market, and I think that without Codeworks it would have been very difficult and it would have taken much more time.

- I met a lot of amazing people with my same interests.

- After 2 weeks of finishing the bootcamp, get a Full Stack job in a very good company with a very fair salary.

For these three reasons I think that Codeworks deserves the 5 ends, and these are the things that I think could be improved, and that you should keep in mind before starting in Codeworks to be more prepared:

- the pre course: it's not bad, but it's missing a lot of things, being a bootcamp things go very fast and many times when you have to learn something new that is complex in just 24-48 hours it can be very frustrating even if you will understand it later.

That's why I think it would be great if the pre-course were more extensive and cover more things like for example: more javascript challenges, more exercises with flexbox and CSS grid, definitely back-end (Node.js, Express, MongoDB, Mongoose, MySQL...), look at the basics of Agular and React, a finally some basic of Testing.

If you look at all this before you start you will be more confident, you will be more prepared and you will get much more out of the bootcamp.

But in summary if your looking for a coding bootcamp in Europe without a doubt I think that Codeworks is the best option.

After 3 demanding months of 12 hours/day sessions of coding, data structures and algorithms, I found myself with new skills, ready for a career change.

Now I'm super happy with my new job and so is my employer with my performance.

I just completed my course a month ago and I wish I never left for so many reasons. 
Barcelona is a lovely city - but don't get too excited about it, you'll just see some parts of it going to the Codeworks facilities. Because classes are Monday to Saturday 9am sharp till at least 9 o'clock in the evening. And after that I was learning on my own to keep up with topics I did not understand. Most of the time I also spent my Sundays at Codeworks. That made 80-85 hours of coding and learning a week. 
The facilities are great! A 5 minute walk to the ocean, restaurants and a supermarket nearby and you'll find cheap rooms to stay in Poblenou.

I wanted to learned Full Stack Javascript and was not disappointed. The staff is amazing and can break down complex things into easy steps - especially Arols live coding sessions are worth the money!

The most important thing about this bootcamp is not that they teach you how to code (and they do it pretty well), it is that they show you how to find solutions to your problems by reading documentations. For me it turned out to be the most valuable skill after leaving the bootcamp.

The athmosphere is amazing. There are great students, great staff, and amazing teachers and TAs. I had never the feeling of being uncomfortable. 
At the end of the course there is a hiring week where they invite companies that are interested in developers.

I can't recommend this course enough - go there and start an exiting carreer!

Should you attend Codeworks?

If you are reading this, the answer is most likely yes.

I started programming during my childhood and have been studying web development for about two years before I entered Codeworks. Naturally I had a lot of doubts whether a coding bootcamp would be the right choice for me. The answer as I soon found out, is a resounding YES.

The way the program is structured gives you a lot of freedom to develop your skills at your own pace. Codeworks provides you with the best possible environment for deliberate practice, always making sure you are not getting stuck.

The curriculum is being improved and updated in every iteration and solves one of the biggest issues during self-study: What should I focus on?

This is something I see many people struggle with in the beginning. Watching a video about framework X here, reading a chapter from a book on JavaScript there does not give you the best results when your goal is to be able to be able to build large scale web applications.

The experienced instructors at Codworks have seen many students through this journey and have optimized the timing and depth of the content to give you all the tools you need to create amazing things on you own and in a team.

You will also learn highly sought after skills like software testing, advanced version control mechanisms and Github flow. This might not get you excited, but these are skills you need from day one in your new job.

And if you are worried that you don’t learn technology X in this course, don’t worry. After this course, you will be able to pick it up in a couple of days.

Believe me it doesn’t matter. When you start at your new job, you will probably find out that you have to work with Elm, Java, .Net, Elixir or whatever tech stack they are currently using.

What matters is your speed of learning.

In addition to the technical skills, Codeworks puts a strong focus on developing the soft skills necessary to accelerate your developer career.

Wait, are you serious “soft skills”? Yes, I am totally serious.

Being a developer entails project management, pitching projects, explaining your solutions to coworkers and giving presentations at your company. Not only will you be able to train these skills in a supportive environment of friends, you will also get constructive feedback on it. I saw every single person in my cohort become better in these areas over the 3 month period.

Recruiters will also be very happy when you tell them that you have experience with Scrum and other project management techniques.

The job support is great. You will spend the last week writing up your resume, polishing your online profiles and receiving coaching on how to approach companies and negotiate salaries. And don’t worry, the support is not going to end after one week. There is also a hiring day, putting you in touch with exciting local companies. Two of my cohort (myself included) found their perfect match during the hiring day and we couldn’t be happier with our choice.

As for everything else, it is hard for me to describe how great of an experience this was for me. The people I have met, the people I will meet in the future thanks to Codeworks, it is an experience I will relish my whole life.

If you have doubts about whether the program is right for you, my best advice for you is: Talk to them!

Just get in touch and ask them whatever you feel unsure about. If you want, they will also put you in touch with some graduates, so you can get an unfiltered opinion.

Best luck on your journey 👋

I have very sunny memories of my time at CodeWorks Barcelona from July to October this year. CodeWorks is located near the beach in a beautiful, light building with high ceilings. The teachers are not only technically skilled but also a lot of fun to hang around with, the weather was great and on top of all of this I even managed to learn heaps and stacks!

-The founders of the school are nice people with a positive outlook on life. They, like the rest of the staff, are really dedicated to provide you with all the opportunities to make your 3 month stay as rewarding as possible and this shows in the attention to detail they have. In our first week we all came together in the patio and were taught how to do various back exercises and how to create an optimal work environment as to avoid injuries. It's these kind of small gestures that showed me that CW is for real in doing everything it can to provide its students with an optimal learning experience and preparation for the professional development world.

-CW does a good job selecting its students so I learned a lot not just from the teachers and T.A.'s but also  from my fellow students, some of whom were quite proficient coders on entering the course. 

-One word of caution that I read in other reviews but nonetheless would like to repeat: 

YOU need to put in all the work. - This is a good and well thought out curriculum but the ultimate responsibility of what you'll get out of this course lies with YOU.

To cut a long story short, I had a great time at CodeWorks Barcelona! Coding really IS better in the sun!

Long story short: Codeworks was an amazing experience and I would definitely recommend it.

I'm pretty sure that if you're reading this, you have doubts about coding bootcamps and/or Codeworks. I was the same. I am a skeptical person. Before attending, I was afraid this would be a scam, even though it had all of these positive reviews. The concept of a coding bootcamp and of changing career in so little time felt alien. Attending would involve leaving my job, spending a lot of money and moving to another country. And while I knew I liked coding, I wasn't sure I'd like web development.

I went through the application process anyway, which I thought at first was quite easy. I visited the Codeworks campus while on vacation and I felt it was worth going ahead. So I got accepted in the program, contracted the necessary loan, and moved to Barcelona to do it.

Now I couldn't be happier with my decision to attend. It was an incredible experience. It lasts only three months but the personal growth makes it feel like it lasted much longer. The course ended three weeks ago and I already have an interesting job (which I can start as soon as I have the paperwork done).

Overall it was a lot of fun, it is pretty amazing what they create there in only three months! I think that Codeworks is one of the (or simple the) best coding bootcamp in Europe (can't be sure about other parts of the world as I didn't research it). Here are the reasons that prompt me to think so:

0. It is by far the most intensive. So you can immerse yourself in learning and concentrate in only doing that. This is something that was important to me and I feel it lived up to my expectations.
1. It doesn't teach you just one stack, so you get the full picture of how things are working and you're not stuck in only one way of doing things.
2. It makes you work on three projects that you choose. This is one thing that I was looking for: not just working on making a random clone of Airbnb or something else but actually working on stuff that I found really interesting and challenging. There is a lot of diversity in the projects and I think that's one of the strongest point of the course. It is also extremely helpful while looking for a job. The employers almost all went through my Github profiles and talked about my projects during interviews. (Check out my project Scenic Routes at scenicroutes.io)
3. The teachers are incredible. They knew their stuff (and somehow when Arol explains something it just sticks). The course is also well structured and you continuously built on top of what you already learned. It's also constantly improved and updated with new technologies. Best practices are taught and that's a really important thing too. I also liked that it was mainly taught by doing/example. It makes you learn things fast and build a good foundation to learn more theory after the course ends.
4. The students are incredible. They say it's because it is highly selective with around 2% acceptance rate and I tend to agree.
5. The environment is incredible. Like, the space is perfect for doing something like this. There is a huge terrace to relax. Everything you need is on campus (including oranges to press your own orange juice!)
6. The staff is incredible. Everyone was very welcoming and competent and they all obviously enjoy what they do. The staff is dedicated and every day-to-day problem is dealt with quickly so you don't have to worry about it.
7. It is a small structure and that's good because that's where the strongest connections are made.
8. The network you gain is also valuable. I think there are a bit over 100 alumni now and all of those I talked to were more than happy to give advice and recommendations.
9. The support in the job search was really good too (see some more on that below).

Now, just a couple of points that may be important for future students:

Pre-course
The pre-course is important: don't skip it and do it seriously. It provides you with the basis for understanding everything that follows. There is a noticeable difference of skill achieved between the people who did and those who didn't.

Commitment
Another thing I'd like to stress: while CW provide you with an amazing learning environment, it can't do the learning for you. How much you will get out of the course is directly proportional to your commitment to it. Whatever my classmates starting level was, the ones who improved most were consistently those who worked hard and put the hours in.

Job guarantee
There is no job guarantee per se, and I remember thinking that was a bad point before attending. However now it feels superfluous as graduates definitely have the capacity of finding a (coding) job.
I applied to three companies, which were presented to me by Codeworks on the last week of the course. I received two offers, refused one because I didn't liked the company and accepted the other (after they raised their offer to a very fair starting salary for the city). As for the last company, I think we both understood that the role proposed wasn't what I was looking and that I wouldn't be the right fit. So no regrets here.
I also received good support while job hunting. There is a dedicated CW employee for job placement who was available even after hours if the situation required it and gave me great advice (cheers Marc!)

10/10 would attend again.
If needed you can reach out to me on LinkedIn.

I've recently finished Codeworks - it was a great experience and one of the best decisions in my life.

I learnt a lot about web development, had hands on experience  developing apps and just had so much fun.

The program is very intense, but it's very well structured so you don't get too overwhelmed. They teach you good practices, put focus on clean code and knowledge of basics.

All the staff are incredible: nice, helpful. Teachers are very knowledgable and are always happy to guide you. And then you also meet incredible people as your classmates and have great time together.

I got out of Codeworks much more than I expected. Attention to detail is impressive: they thought about everything and constantly strive to get even better.

What impressed me as well is the assistance in getting a job: they share they extensive experience and really prepare you for everything that might come up in the application/hiring process.

I loved the 3 months I spent at Codeworks and would recommend it as the bootcamp to go to :)

Fastest way to move deeply into JS world