Code Platoon

Everyone from the staff, instructors, the admin team and the students body is absolutely professional and friendly. Because every student in the community shares the same military background there is a seamless connection and made it a lot easier to collaborate with every one. 
The bootcamp is by no means an easy one, you really have to be studying on your own time after class and prepare to give up some leisure time. But the instructors team and the TAs are always there to be ready to help you. 

Code Platoon was tough and very fast. It is best to go in knowing at least most of the content to some extent. Also, most students have created webpages or other projects before so the pace is intense. But the instructors, TAs and other students are very helpful and can help you. It is worth it. In my opinion this program is as good as it gets. I liked having full stack in one course. 

Lots of help is provided from configuring your coding environment, environment variables, getting the right packages, and sometimes downgrading to a package that works. The students are all very knowledgable and smart and can usually help you. 

cons: A lot of people take this course while already knowing almost all of it which can make you feel very behind. Some had already worked as engineers, many had already designed webpages. If you can help it you would want to have exposure to some or most of the curriculum. Additionally, the internships are competitive. If the class is large not everyone will get placed. 

I went into this course with very little coding experience and came out being able to code a full-stack Django/React app! This course is extremely fast-paced and not easy, but if you're willing to put in the work, the instructors, TAs, and volunteers are all there to encourage and help you along the way to graduation. The curriculum was very well thought out and a great foundation for web development. I have so much more to learn, but I'm looking forward to my job search and am confident that there is something out there for me.

Code Platoon is a self paced program that delivers on its promise. It is a rigorous, fast paced, challenging program that is meant to prepare graduates for a career as a full stack software developer. The instructors lay out expectations early and give ample feedback on your progress. 

The remote community that they foster is second to none. It was amazing to see that as a student I never felt alone. Any time of the day if I asked a question, there was an instructor, teacher assistant, or fellow student that was willing to help.
The curriculum is amazing. They are very focused on making each iteration better than the last and are very receptive to feedback.

Could not recommend more!  I went from knowing basic Python and JavaScript to being able to create a full stack web application in a matter of less than four months, growing in so many ways.  Throughout the course the instructors and staff ensure that students are consistently in the "stretch zone," where we are challenged but not overloaded.  The patience, knowledge, and willingness to make us better engineers and people is what sets apart Code Platoon from many other organizations, and what made the experience so worthwhile.  Expect to work very hard, increase your hard and soft skills, and make new teammates that all share the military as a common background.  I cannot say enough good things about Code Platoon, Rod, Tom, Ankur, Jon, and the rest of the staff there.

14 weeks of instruction in JavaScript, Python, OOP, Django, React, PostgreSQL, & HTML / CSS.  Instructors, TA's, and mentors REALLY go above and beyond to help you understand the material. There's also career coaching, resume coaching, plenty of networking opportunities, etc.  The resources are truly endless, if you have a desire to learn.  On top of that, the available internship program is top notch.  I really can't say enough good things about this school.  Thank you, Rod, and everyone for making Code Platoon happen!!

I am going to assume that at least some of the people reading this are either veterans or military spouses that have come across Code Platoon and are trying to decide if the program is worth it. I just finished it and I can tell you with complete confidence that it is worth every bit of your time and if you have the opportunity, do the application and commit to the course. If you are worried about the cost, lucky for you, they work with many sponsors that provide scholarships that cover most if not all of the tuition. To add to that, the team behind code platoon also works with these sponsors to provide internships and sometimes full-time positions following the course for many of the students, which I'm not sure any other boot camps do. The course itself is top-notch and the instructors are super knowledgeable and attentive to all levels of ability coming into each cohort. It will absolutely prepare you for an entry-level position in software. The stack they teach is up to date with the industry and the concepts you learn will give you a good base for starting and continuing down this career path. At this time, the course is fully remote which I expected to be a hassle but It didn't detract from the learning experience in my opinion. 

I had a great experience at Code Platoon. The instructors are extremely invested in each student, and there is always someone to ask for help when you feel lost. I never really imagined that I could learn so much so fast. Also, aside from the coursework, the internship opportunities offered by companies to graduates at the end of the course is something that I had not read about being offered at any other coding bootcamp. The different kinds of scholarships and grants afforded to students to help with tuition also make this program a great opportunity for anyone able to attend Code Platoon.

The decision to attend a coding bootcamp was a hard one for me to make. I worried that the course would be too fast-paced and I would get left behind. Code Platoon immediately made me feel welcome and cared for and I knew it was the school for me. I never felt alone and there was always someone to help when I became stuck. I would highly recommend this bootcamp to anyone that is eligible to attend. It is a lot of work, but the instructors and TAs are there to support you. If you put in the work you will get through the course. This is the best decision I have ever made, and I am so thankful to Code Platoon for offering such a wonderful opportunity. I am proud to be a part of the Code Platoon family. 

Code platoon has 3 major things that after my exhaustive search for a DoD skill bridge program that others simply do not have:

1) A tech stack that forces you to learn multiple technologies and therefore become more confident in your ability to find the similarities in new languages and apply them. Don’t come here thinking you are just gonna learn JavaScript-everything-stack and leave it at that.

2) A comprehensive soft skills program covering topics like wealth management, inclusion and diversity, and career/interview prep. I had historically struggled with interviews due to excessive nervousness- but taking a day per question to bullet point out my response and practicing it throughout  the cohort (yes, including in front of the whole cohort of 22! Get out of your comfort zone!) made me realize that I am actually pretty damn good at interviewing, I just previously hadn’t been practiced enough.

3) A network of top tier companies that are completely and utterly invested in the product that code platoon delivers. No where else will you find 3-4 members of a company with a combined 35 years of experience come in to present their offerings, give mock interviews, check up on students, and ultimately give paid internships to them. With all the amazing competition in Chicago, this demonstrates incredible faith these companies have that the students they place there have learned to learn.

 Originally, I was completely unaware of Code Platoon as a coding bootcamp option.  It was appealing for a few reasons:  VET-TEC approved, follow veterans and spouses, full stack web development and a full-time remote option.  If you have no prior experience in programming, you will not be left behind.  However, you will need to put in several hours outside of lecture and beyond the homework.  The best thing to help your progression will be learning how you learn.  I watched a lot of YouTube tutorials prior to starting new languages, frameworks or libraries to get familiar.  Reading documentation is also extremely helpful and underrated.  You will more than likely be overwhelmed at the beginning and at additional points.  

Once you start learning, you get exposed to an exponential amount of computer science disciplines.  This isn’t new information if you have been reading up on attending a bootcamp, but I want to make it clear there will be stress involved.  The staff and teaching assistances will help you understand the material, not just complete it, and will answer all your questions.  The bootcamp is still working 100% remote due to COVID-19 restrictions and safety.  Therefore, you need to make sure you ask questions.  The program sets you up for success with an excellent curriculum, which is not limited to development.  It also includes internships, job placement assistance, resume assistance, budget management, investment strategies and one-on-one mentorship.  These are all great benefits if you take advantage of them.  Find your motivator and hold to it throughout the program.  If you do that, Code Platoon will help you with the rest to start a rewarding career in software development.  

It took me nearly six months to get placed after regular applications and interviews.  They will attempt to find a career for you in your area with the help of Rich and the Chicago staff.  They consistently work with you to work on interviews, resumes, networking and introductions to potential employers.  The bootcamp does not end when you graduate, and they support you to remain on task. I could not state enough how helpful it is to have someone keeping you on track and motivated, especially in this current economic climate.  The strategies we developed together, and the consistent communication were crucial for my successful placement at an excellent company in the Boston area. 

After doing network security for a number of years in the Navy, I was ready to rejoin civilian life and knew that I wanted to get into software engineering. I started researching various programs and bootcamps that I could take part in through the DoD Skillbridge program. Code Platoon was hands down the only choice for me after looking at probably 7 or 8 different programs. This program is 100% catered to veterans, by veterans and you can really tell from start to finish. I just want to highlight a couple of my experiences, starting with the initial application, to the the course content itself, and finally, to the post graduation support.

Every single person at Code Platoon goes out of their way to make you feel informed about what you are getting into. I never once felt like I was being sold a product or being duped into signing up. My first few phone calls were with the Executive Director and he went out of his way to answer all my questions and to be available even though we were multiple time zones away from each other. Code Platoon is not a program that is out to get your money. They offer a number of attendance and scholarship models and if you take part in the DoD Skillbridge program, they offer a full scholarship to the remote program. This ended up saving me a significant amount of money. One key highlight on this aspect is how they responded to the Covid situation. I was initially supposed to take part in the "in person" program (this confers certain benefits not available to "remote" students such as in person workshops, an internship program, etc) which is not 100% funded by Skillbridge scholarship. However, due to Covid we were forced to go remote for the duration of the course and this made travelling to Chicago impossible. Code Platoon could have easily continued to hold me in an "In Person" status and charge me the money that I would have had to pay, but they didnt and I didn't even have to ask. The Director called me, and said due to the situation I was welcome to change my status to "remote" if I wanted in order to save me some money. I was so impressed by this level of integrity from a business.

So on to the course content, is it any good? Upon starting Code Platoon, I already had a degree in Software Development and was primarily using the course for more hands on and practical experience. I can honestly say that this is some of the best instruction you can get and rivaled or topped many of my classes in college. The curriculum is designed to get you proficient with the most relevant and in demand technologies in Web Development and by the end, you are building full stack web applications with multiple programming languages and frameworks. One small thing to point out here is: the bootcamp is fast paced and there is a lot to cover (llike every bootcamp will be) so while you do get a ton of hands on practice building apps and will feel comfortable building by the end, not a ton of time is spent understanding theory and computer science concepts(this is not going to get you a degree in computer science). However, this is not a critique of Code Platoon specifically, but of the bootcamp model in general. You get a lot of the "how", but I wish students got a bit more of the "why" as well. That aside, by the end of the program you will absolutely be ready to accept a junior developer role. While the pace and intensity is very high, one thing I liked about the instructors was that they never made you feel like you were slowing them down or wasting their time. Even though there's a ton of content to get through, they always made sure to pause for questions, and would flesh out anything that wasn't making sense and if necessary, would spend time with you offline or after hours making sure you got through whatever you were stuck on. I really can't say enough about how great and patient all of the instructors were.

Finally, I wanted to say a couple of things about career prep and post graduation resources. Throughout the course, many many hours are spent not just teaching you the technical skills, but preparing you for all of the things outside of coding (resume building, LinkedIn presence/networking, interview practice, job hunting, etc.). You get a ton of practice answering typical interview questions as well as technical whiteboarding questions. You do this both privately and in front of the class which really helps shake off the nerves and performance anxiety that comes with interviews. They also bring in industry professionals to do both technical and non technical workshops to give you different perspectives on various aspects of the industry. This is long enough now so I'll just finish by saying that Code Platoon was an incredible experience and I have already landed my first job as a software engineer, largely thanks to the skills I gained through this course.