Code Platoon

I just recently graduated from Code Platoon's Immersive Full-Stack Software Engineering program this month and I can't say enough positive things about this program and the staff that work there. I was extremely worried starting the program because I had a previous bad experience with another SE Bootcamp called FlatIron because they didn't actually teach you any lessons in the bootcamp and only offered minimum support for learning the concepts, so I wasn't sure what to expect going into Code Platoon's program. However, I had absolutely no reason to worry because Code Platoon is far superior to the other bootcamp and the staff genuinely care about their students and will put the time in to make sure you understand the topics and concepts. The instructors presented the lectures in ways that made it easy to follow and ask questions and if you didn't understand they'd break the concept down a different way to help make it clear. They always encouraged questions and class participation and were always available to offer assistance to students if you are struggling. I felt as though they really cared about ensuring each one of us in our cohort was successful in the program. They also offer a robust curriculum that prepares you with the fundamentals as well as languages such as Django, PostgreSQL, Flask, React, etc. We also always had TAs available to help us during class hours and after hours to ensure we weren't getting stuck on problems or issues. During the program they also setup Beyond Tech Talks and brought in employers to prepare us for topics we needed to know going into a tech career. Finally, their Career Services and Job Assistance also goes above and beyond as they incorporate several topics like behavioral interviews, technical interviews, job search best practices, etc to make sure we are prepared for job searching as soon as we complete the program. We also got to talk to employers like Google and DFR to learn about interviewing process best practices and what to expect in your first role. During the program they also set you up with a mentor and a volunteer resume coach to offer you additional support and resources. Code Platoon truly goes above and beyond to make sure their students are setup for success. As I stated above, this bootcamp is top notch and by far the best bootcamp out there for active duty military members and their families, as well as veterans and their families. I'm so grateful I was given the opportunity to complete this bootcamp. They also offer a variety of ways to pay for the program so you have flexibility. You won't regret attending this bootcamp!

I would highly recommend Code Platoon to any service member or spouse looking to get into software development. After graduating from their Full-Stack Software Engineering cohort, I am still amazed at the progress I made in such a short amount of time. Having taken college classes both in person and online, Code Platoon offered the best learning environment/experience I have ever had. The entire staff is absolutely fantastic and only wants to see you succeed. Questions are only encouraged and the support offered even after class hours ensures that no student is left behind.

I would highly recommend Code Platoon to any service member or spouse looking to get into software development. I recently graduated from their Full-Stack Software Engineering course and I am blown away at the progress I and my classmates made in such a short amount of time. Having taken college classes both in person and online, code platoon offered the best learning environment/experience I have ever had. The staff is absolutely fantastic and only wants to see you succeed. Questions are only encouraged and the support offered even after class hours ensures that no student is left to struggle alone. While I had some experience coding prior to applying, there were students who had zero coding experience prior to applying who succeeded in the course. We also had several students land jobs prior to graduating thanks to knowledge and skills they gained from the course. 

I recently Graduated from Code Platoon in their Uniform Platoon Full-Stack course. My experience with Code Platoon is one I will never forget. I learned more in 3 months than I would of learn in any college setting. As a prior college student and military service member I have never witnessed better instruction than I did while going through their course. Code Platoon takes you from knowing little to nothing about programming to creating complete applications from start to finish within 3 months. On top of their curriculum, they offer amazing career services / resume coaches / mentors / TA to assist you on your journey to help you along the way. This program IS a full time commitment. You need to be ready to dedicate the entirety of all 3 months to Code Platoon to get the best out of your time. If this isn't for you they also have other options like their weekend course/ part time. The course is for military service members transitioning out the military / military veterans / and military spouses so you feel right at home. If you're interested in become a software developer this is the course for you

I was not the most experienced, nor was I the least experienced. However, I feel I can safely speak for a vast majority of the class in that we learned more in the past four months than I already knew through college or previous courses. Code Platoon not only improved on what was already known or taught during its Fundamentals of Programming pre-course, but it taught through both instruction and hands-on practice how to develop full stack applications in a clean and succinct way. I have zero regrets about this course and encourage everyone who has the opportunity to engage with Code Platoon.

I was lucky to find out about the VET TEC pilot program and get accepted into it. I always wanted to be a software engineer, but I didn't want to start over with a bachelor's degree in Computer Science since I already had one in Cybersecurity. When I learned about VET TEC and Code Platoon during the end of my deployment, I knew this program could help me switch careers from Cybersecurity to Software Engineering.

I joined the Delta Evening & Weekend Cohort, and it was tough to manage the program's time requirements while working full-time and being in the National Guard. However, it paid off, and I got a job as a software engineer. I would definitely recommend this program - it's a solid 10/10.

Pros

Solid Curriculum: Code Platoon's well-rounded curriculum taught me various programming languages and software development techniques, preparing me for a software engineering career.

Cons

Time Management: The program was intensive, and I found it tough to balance with full-time work and other responsibilities like family and National Guard duties.

 

My initial reasoning for choosing Code Platoon was because they were approved for DoD Skillbridge, and I'm 100% glad I went with them. Not only did I learn a very robust set of skills from an experienced team of instructors, they also allowed me the flexibility to handle my personal life while still being active in the course. It's clear that the primary focus of the organization is to help people LEARN new skills, and they didn't leave a single student on the sidelines to struggle on their own. Friendly, professional, knowledgeable, and the support structure with their partnerships and guest speakers is above and beyond what I anticipated. 10/10 recommend for anyone trying to start in the Tech Industry. 

Overall, Code Platoon was a very good experience for me. I feel confident that the knowledge and materials provided to me over the past 7 months will lend a huge hand in starting my career in Full Stack Web Development. This course was thorough and the instructors were clear and concise in their lectures. They also didn’t hesitate to answer any questions that the students had. I would recommend this course to anyone interested in it. Just be sure to give 100% and you will be glad you did!

I can't recommend this program enough. I was in the first cohort of students in the part-time program and we did the program 100% remote (right in the heart of Covid). I was a little bit hesitant about doing the program remotely, but it turned out to be an awesome experience. We met 3 times a week, Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and all day on Saturday for a teaching session, and then worked on projects after the lecture with help from the instructors. The only negative thing about doing the program remotely was that the internship options are not as robust as they are for in-person students (that was the case when I was a student anyways, they may have changed that now). I found a 100% remote role soon after graduating that incorporates my software skills and pays about 40% more than my previous job. If you're a veteran or spouse, this is definitely the right bootcamp for you. The scholarships make it the most affordable option, too!

Code Platoon is honest when they tell you it will be difficult, but you’re stacking a whole lot of knowledge into a few months. Regardless, it was the best decision of my life. I went from level 0 knowledge to being able to create fullstack applications, and now have an amazing software engineering apprenticeship. The instructors were awesome, the curriculum aligns with the industry, and I made some of the best friends I have - all while being remote. You’re going to have to put in work, that’s a given. But it was a blast and I couldn’t have images a better experience. Not only do you learn A LOT, but you also get to meet industry professionals and mentors to help with interviews, your resume, and your learning styles. Then upon graduating if you didn’t participate in the internship program, you get resources from their career services professionals to assist in the job hunt. This isn’t a bootcamp where they give you some online tasks then that’s it - there’s lecture, assessments, projects, 2 instructors, and a plethora of TAs you can talk to both during the day and after class. 

This course teaches you everything that you need to become a full stack web developer including JavaScript, Python, React, Django, PostgreSQL, and much more. By the end of this you will walk away knowing how to develop a fully operational website and have a base of knowledge with the tools necessary to expand that knowledge. Their workshops are very useful and information dense. The presentations are very resourceful and will help answer any questions that you may have about the industry or anything coding related. The instructors are very understanding if you have anything occur that may distract you from participating, but it is up to you to catch up. They also go above and beyond teaching you how to be a developer. In addition, they provide you the assistance you need to become a developer, such as a résumé coach and career services. I would highly recommend this course to any veteran who wants to work as a developer. And for those who are considering, it is a challenging and demanding grind, but the instructors are there to help you every step of the way, and the reward that you get from completing this are more than worth it. This is honestly one of the greatest decisions that I have ever personally made, and I am sure that anyone that takes this course will feel no different.

There is nothing more to say other than my title really.  Unbelievable amount of resources, staff is top notch, they have remote learning down to a science, and a dedicated alumni network that is very active.  Even though it could be extremely challenging/frustrating, the feeling of successfully solving a problem or having a concept finally click outweighs the frustration a hundred times over.  There were a ridiculous amount of TA's (former students, industry professionals, and child prodigies [literally, we had a 17 year old TA that might have been the smartest human being I have ever met in my life]), you can sign up to have a mentor, and the instructors are also top notch.  While you can feel overwhelmed, there is always someone to help out and everyone made it an extremely fun learning environment.  I cannot say enough about the course, truly one of a kind!

My journey into professional software development started as I was transitioning from an Active Duty service member into a Navy Veteran. I came across the VET TEC program on the Veterans Affairs Education website. The VET TEC education courses are helpful for Veterans and Spouses that would like to transition and advance into the high-technology industry. The goal is to match up Veterans with a leading training provider to help develop those high-tech skills to quickly be placed in a high-paying tech job.

The program has a long list of approved providers. As I scanned through all of the providers, the one that stuck out most was Code Platoon's Full-Stack Software Engineering Bootcamp. It was a program that focused on giving Veterans the tools they need to succeed as a Full-Stack Software Engineer. Additionally, it's located in Chicago, near the same place every Navy Saylor starts their career at the Navy Boot Camp Recruit Training. 

Initially, my experience with Code Platoon started with the administration process. You begin by filling out some forms about your background. You provide some videos of yourself answering some interview-like questions. Finally, you're given some resources and some coding challenges to complete. Once you've completed that process and have done everything correctly, you'll be approved to start in the cohort of your choosing. 

I was a part of the PAPA platoon cohort, which officially started OCT 2021 and ended JAN 2022. Before the cohort starts, you are required to complete some prework. It's about four weeks of self-paced learning to get you prepared. The initial prework documentation outlined expectations, resources for help, and all the tools needed to set you up to be successful in the Boot Camp. At the end of the prework, you're given a live coding challenge with one of the instructors to ensure that you completed the prework and retained the information.

Now, the actual course can be pretty intense and fast-paced. Each week will become increasingly more difficult. You will need to show up five days a week on time, ready to learn. Every day starts with a live online workshop teaching new programing or career-building concepts. In the second half of the day, you will be applying those newly learned skills on your own or paired with other students in a paired programming environment. If you get stuck, you have access to a group of very skilled and knowledgeable instructors and TA's that will quickly help you out. Their goal is not to give you the answer but to help you develop the skills to find the answer.

Each week you'll focus on learning JavaScript, Python, Django, SQL, React, Data Structures, Algorithms, Version Control, Paired programming, Career building, and much, much more. Overall, the Code Platoon Boot Camp will give any Veteran willing to learn all the tools needed to succeed in the Software Development space.