devCodeCamp

At the time I found devCode I really wasn't sure what career shift I wanted to pursue, but I knew I needed to make a change.  The staff at devCode were very friendly and answered all my questions and gave me time to look into software development and decide if that was the career shift I wanted.  I am very glad that I did choose devCode.  The program was very challenging but rewarding, the instructor were fantastic and always willing to help answer questions or to go over concepts that we had just learned.  I really enjoyed my time there and learned a lot.  Coming out of devCode and applying for jobs has been some what challenging but I have just accept an offer and am excited to continue developing my skills in this field.   

The decision to join devCodeCamp was definitely the best career decision I've ever made.    My initial concerns were that this course was going to be way too much work for me. And in the beginning, it was a little overwhelming with how much information I was getting and how fast our course work was moving. However, once I got into the swing of things (and got used to the 7am start time) everything suddenly seemed to be much more manageable. The course was tough to be sure but was incredibly rewarding!  The course work was always fun and engaging.  I never had a project that I didn’t want to be doing.  This was especially surprising to me because of my time in traditional education.  Any time I would get an assignment from my professors at UWM, I would groan a hefty groan.  So to be working on projects that I actually wanted to do was an incredibly refreshing change.  I truly believe anyone who is willing to put their “A” game into this course will get exactly what they want out of it.

I started contemplating devCodeCamp after evaluating my career in the insurance industry, and deciding that I would much prefer working in IT. I spent a month after quitting my job trying the self-study route using free online resources such as CodeAcademy and the online MIT CS101 course. I found it was difficult to focus and self-motivate for the 8-10 hours a day I knew it would take to learn enough to switch careers. I had read negative reviews of coding bootcamps, and of devCodeCamp in particular, so I was hesitant to enroll. What tipped the scales for me was knowing that, even if the camp did not back up all of its promises, it would at least provide the structure I needed to buckle down and study. 

My experience at the camp was positive. It starts slow then requires more time and effort as the weeks pass. The instruction was satisfactory. The instructors would present concepts over the course of a few days, then assign a project that  incorporates those concepts. I got a job using the main language taught at devCodeCamp, and I feel as though their coverage of the language adequately prepared me to contribute. The instructors had different styles, some would almost write code for the people who asked while another was dismissive of any question asked. I think I benefitted more from not being spoon-fed information, as it taught me to research the answers to my problems and led me to not overly utilize other engineers at my current job.

I started with a class of 16 people. 4 dropped out before completing the course. 5 graduated on time. 6 graduated after re-doing projects on completion of the course. 1 completed the course and did not graduate.  Of the 11 people in my class who eventually graduated - 8 that I know of have jobs in the industry. After graduation I put in 30-40 hours a week at devCode, applying for jobs and improving my skills. Due to my dedication I received three interviews through Paul, the engagement and employment head at devCodeCamp. I was hired through that third interview, three months after graduating. We were told that about half of graduates were hired through their own efforts, and half were hired through a connection at devCodeCamp, and I would say that is true based on the experiences of my peers.

So of the 16 people that started in my cohort, half have great jobs, which they wouldn't have gotten so quickly without the guidance of devCodeCamp, and half are probably pretty disappointed with their experience. The school is not a golden bullet to a position in the IT industry. For the most part you can decide if you are in the happy group or the disappointed group. If you have the ability to focus on complicated tasks with little oversight for hours every day, perservere through months of rejected job applications, and don't have a bad personality, then I would say do it. If not, then you are throwing away your money and time. For me, enrolling at devCodeCamp was one of the best decisioins I've made in my life.

My time at devCodeCamp was pretty great, the instructors were there to help. They taught the basics of the basics in the beginning making sure that everyone was on par with one another. 

Of course things get tougher afterwards and that's where you begin to shine, you learn how to learn, you learn how to ask specific questions pertaining to what you are trying to do, and you learn how to break things down to find solutions. 

devCodeCamp is located in Wisconsin, I actually came from another state to take this course, I heard from a relative how great it was. I remember my first week where I was told this is going to be one of the hardest things that you have done in your life and it was (this is not easy). 

I have graduated and found a great career back in my home state after 3 months of graduating. Now my new chapter begins, while it wasn't easy, it sure did prepare me.  

devCode works. Period. Full stop. 

I have seen it work for dozens and dozens of grads.

I came to devCode in the spring of '17, looking to start a second career as a software developer. With an English Major and six years of experience teaching English, I exemplify the kind of person who you don't expect to become a software developer. And indeed. when I started at devCode in March 2017, I had no piror knowledge of coding whatsoever. Yet here I am today, less than a year after I started at devCode, five months into a new career as a developer. 

It is worth mentioning that everyone at devCode will tell you how hard it is and they are not kidding. It's stressful as heck and very demanding of your time and energy. That said, almost everyone survives devCode and comes out on the other side better than they went in. 

Like many of you, I was skeptical of the stories I heard during the pre-enrollment process, but I did my due dilligence, researched the camp, talked to devCode grads, and checked out the local market. I pretty quickly discovered for myself that what the people at devCode were saying was quite true. They take people who have no experience and train them to code -- and those people get hired. 

The price tag is intimidating but the cost of devCode was ultimately well worth it for the following reasons:

• decCode delievered, and here I am, working as a developer, making more than I did in my previous career.
• devCode was fast and it ultimately more cost-effective that slower routes that charge less in tuition.
• The sense of community and drive there is amazing and helps instill a developer mentality.
• Paul is a totally awesome person who worked tirelessly to help me and other grads. He has been honest, straight-forward, and has always had my back. Trust him -- the man knows what he's talking about. 

In the interest of parity, I'll throw in some cons too.

• I have definitely had to continue learning on the job, which is, to be fair, probably typical for a new developer. Things like dependency injection and complex inheritance patterns were taught, but I still had lots to learn about these when I started working. The process of not just writing code but building and deploying an application to users was not covered but is a big part of the day-to-day at my workplace. Also, working on a large, complex code-base was not something taught at devCode (or probably anywhere) but it obviously is the norm for most workplaces.

When starting devCodeCamp, I had next to no experience with development. I knew a little about html and css but nothing that could be considered a marketable skill. Starting off the program was more than manageable in learning the basics of coding. After the first 3 weeks the honeymoon was over and the program was fast in amercing the students in more challenging projects and material. I quickly found myself learning and growing from project to project. The work was moderately challenging to exceedingly difficult at times but the teachers really guided me where I needed to look in order to solve these challenges. By the end of this program, I felt I had enough knowledge to start on new projects that I wanted to work on without feeling lost or needing my hand to be held through the process. devCodeCamp has given me all the tools to succeed at my new position and I would highly recommend the program if you enjoy solving problems, are determined to continuously learn, and want a fresh start in a rewarding career path.

I came to devCodeCamp with no coding experience and very little computer skills whatsoever. I was 19, just barely out of high-school. All I had coming in was an interest in coding and a passion for building new things. There were times I excelled, and times I struggled, but pushed through it and completed the course learning more than I ever thought was possible in such a short period of time. It was by far one of the most challenging things I have ever done and I don't regret a single minute of it. A little pricey for the short length of the course, but it helped me land a great job and I couldn't be more thankful for devCodeCamp jump-starting my career path. 

If you are curious about what you can make and have a desire to learn something new everyday, devCodeCamp may be for you. After realizing I wanted a career-change with a focus on technology driving business, I was intrigued to enter the coding world. Going back to school for 2-4 years knowing many of the additional classes would be a waste of time and money, I researched the on-site expedited alternative, devCodeCamp. After dabbling with free online resources, I decided to quit my full-time career and enroll in devCodeCamp.

Please note: it is centered around being a boot camp because it is challenging, fast-paced, and, at times, exhausting.

Keeping in mind what motivated you to do 600-hours of new material over such a short-timeframe is what will get you through the course such as: learning how to learn, preparing for in-person technical interviews, and landing a job (which is the ultimate goal). devCodeCamp is not a magical potion, rather, it is a commitment to a new career and provides an open-door to fill a dire need of entry-level professional software developers whom need to know how to learn and how to solve problems.

After carefully considering if this is the right educational structure and financial decision for you, I am proud to say that I began late January of 2017 and in less than 6 months later have a new career as an Application Software Developer. I cannot emphasize enough, although, that communicating/working with others, asking questions to better understand something, and staying motivated is how to truly develop a new skill.

P.S. I am also extremely grateful to my support system during the 2017 transition.

**This review of devCodeCamp expressed is my own; there is no incentive or reward offered for my views**

My initial reaction was that the tuition was beyond my budget, and if I invested money and time into this, I NEEDED to get something out of it. dCC (devCodeCamp) was honest with me from the beginning, that employment is not guaranteed and the course would entail long hours and dedication for the next 3 months. I was very confident in my ability to succeed in the course, but I was unsure and new to the software development field. I didn’t know whether completion of the course would set me up for a rewarding job. Having only heard of success stories from previous dCC graduate reviews, I made the decision to enroll, unsure of my future.

As with any institution, dCC is not perfect. There are things that need improvement which I won’t go into detail, because what’s important is that dCC delivers on its goals. And it does, at least for me. dCC is not your traditional 4 year school where you sit in long lectures and study from textbooks. Classes are a few hours of lectures at the beginning of the week and then you are by yourself coding away majority of the time. A little over a month after completion of the course, I am proud to say that I was able to land a job through dCC’s hiring partners. I want to make it clear that there are students who struggle, and then there are those that do really well in the course (keep in mind, I did poorly in college and had no coding knowledge prior to dCC). It should not be a surprise that only some students actually land jobs after graduating, and that comes from many factors. But it should not affect your decision to enroll with dCC, because honestly, there will never be job placement promises in anything; even 4 year institutions don't promise you that. For me, I only needed to know that it was POSSIBLE, and the rest was simple logistics that I had to figure out. Ultimately, and it sounds cliche, but it really depends on how committed you are and what you are willing sacrifice and do to succeed. Would I recommend dCC? Yes and No.

Yes, if you want it bad enough.
No, if you don’t.

Good luck to all students/grads of devCodeCamp!

I came to devCodeCamp with ZERO coding skills. Twelve weeks later I felt confident in calling myself a Junior Developer, but still didn't truly understand the power of what I learned there until I got into the real world and started taking assessments and applying for jobs. You cannot learn every coding language in 12 weeks (though you will learn many), but what you do walk away with is a strong understanding of the fundamentals, a clear view of how full-stack development works, and the ability to expand your skills to new languages if you choose to further your education afterwords. That being said, I can't overstate the fact that you will only get out of this program what you are willing to put into it. They will tell you that it's hard before you start and they're not kidding. The instructors will not work toward your success harder than you will, nor should they. But if you can come at this program with passion and an ability to be self-driven, you will be able to utilize the amazing resources that exist there in the instructors (and even your fellow students) and reward YOURSELF with a new career path and receive a bounty of support once the program is done. If you are looking for someone to hold your hand and give you answers, cough up the money, take a few years and go to college. But if you're serious about getting a new career and you're willing to put the work in, go to devCodeCamp because it really can change your life. It's hard, it's a bit costly and it's not for everyone, but if you look at what your future could be if you're driven enough to achieve it, it will be worth every penny. 

**First, I would like to clarify that my review of devCodeCamp is on my own free will. While reviewing any program that someone has just attended is always encouraged, there is no incentive or reward for me to write this, which is what some other reviews have indicated and is simply not true.**

devCodeCamp is not for everyone, period. It is not anyone who is unmotivated or ambitionless. It is a program for those who are driven to learn a valuable skill and establish a foundation which can be built upon in one of the fastest growing industries right now. 

My relationship with devCodeCamp started about a year before I decided to enroll. I met with Mike and Paul, an Instructor and The Director of Operations respectively, and they didn’t pull any punches telling me what to expect at all. They explained how tough it can be at times, how life may have to put on hold during the course and how the program is designed to produce problem solvers as well as developers. After mulling over the idea of attending for about 10 months, I decided to go all-in, quit my job, change my career, and my life… for the better. I had as much coding experience as a nun has experience fighting fires…NONE. I started the program in November 2016 and was lucky enough to have a very supportive wife and I connected very well with some of my classmates who have become great friends of mine. The instructors were fantastic, I was told before I agreed to enroll that they would not be handing out answers and solving our problems for us and that’s exactly how it went. I enrolled in the program to learn how to code and get a job as a developer; a company is not going to want someone who is not willing to put in the work and that is what were driven to do. (This is important if you are reading this considering joining the program, some students in my class had different expectations which was an issue for them.) I always appreciated how the instructors spoke and taught us like we were individuals and on our same level, as opposed to talking down to us, while still maintaining a sense of authority and control throughout the program. By the end of the program our conversations felt more like talking to friends than instructors, in my opinion. Because of this relationship with them, it removed a lot of the stress that comes with learning new things at a very fast pace.

The content of the program we were taught was done very rapidly. We started with HTML/CSS and learning to use GitHub in the first week, then C#, SQL, JavaScript, then finished off with ASP.NET which tied everything that we had learned together. We would typically have one weekly graded project with a few smaller ungraded ones mixed in as well. The environment we would learn in could not be better. The school is in an old cream brick building which was fantastic. We are all adults and were treated as so, which meant managing our time was on us, we were free to take breaks anytime we weren’t in a lecture as long as we made our project deadlines. Since it is a lot of knowledge very fast with not much previous understanding, there were times when you felt a little lost. When that happened I personally would speak up and try to get further direction which was successful but if you do not speak up it would be hard for the instructors to know if you are struggling, so that part is all on the student to be proactive. The whole course leads you to gain the knowledge of the tools that you will use not only for your final Capstone project but also professionally. The two weeks spent on the Capstone were easily the most difficult, yet the most satisfying. A lot of us would stay late to work, work weekends, and some days, work through lunch. In order to be sure the final Capstone project was our own, the Instructors were very hands-off, only giving subtle guidance if we were very stuck on something.

Upon completion of the course there was the deployment phase. In this phase we were taught how to write a great resume and how to interview well. After our resumes were complete they were sent to the hiring partners of devCodeCamp. Myself along with a few other graduates were asked to work on a two-week project for a local start-up which involved learning AngularJs to further pad our resumes and continue the learning process. While this is not a guarantee for all students and is not part of the tuition it is great to get semi-real world experience through devCodeCamp’s partnerships. During this period, I would still attend devCodeCamp and use their facilities to work on the project, and had great communication back and forth with Paul and the instructors about potential jobs. I also had the opportunity during this period to interview with 3 potential employers who came to devCodeCamp personally to meet myself and other graduates. For one of the employers I did not expect to interview with but since I was in the building and someone wasn’t able to meet with them, I was allowed the opportunity and they eventually ended up hiring me!

In under 150 days I went from a retail manager to a Business Intelligence Developer at a very respected company, excellent pay, and fantastic benefits all because of devCodeCamp. At a traditional school this would be impossible and much more expensive. If you are motivated and ready for a serious challenge that will change your life than this course is for you. Like I said at the start, devCodeCamp is not for everyone…but it was the best decision for me. Thanks for reading.

I was concerned about attending devCodeCamp prior to my enrollment.  It's a lot of money for a 14 week course.  You definitely can't do it while employed, as you are there 8am to 7pm, Mon - Fri.  And it's definitely scary not knowing if you'll be able to find relevant work after you complete the course.  After doing my research, and speaking with the instructors and staff, many of my fears were put to rest, but that didn't mean they were unfounded.  Overall, I would say I had a positive experience, however, there are caveats to that.

The curriculum is broken down over 14 weeks into parts.  These parts are constantly in flux dependant on the changes in the Milwaukee tech market.  devCodeCamp (dCC) works with their network of "Hiring Partners" to determine which skills are most important in the area at any given time.  These skills are what make up the core of the dCC curriculum.  What is being taught today, may not be taught in the next class, or it may not be taught the same way.  I had the somewhat unique perspective of experiencing this in action, as I watched 6 classes run to completion, none of which were taught quite the same.  Why 6 classes?  We'll get to that later...

What you learn may change from class to class, the general methodology does not.  The core essence of what would normally make up a BA in Computer Science is distilled down into just the information relevant to your future career.  You'll learn about a semesters worth of information each week, and have labs and projects to build using what you learn.  Tests are almost non-existant, as the results of your labors are in what you create.  I've tried programming on my own before, and honestly I learned more in the first 2 weeks here than I learned in 2 years on my own.  The instructors really know their stuff, and are very personable to be around.  It's not a typical educational environment, and they like it that way.  The only downside here is if your fellow students are not "All In" on the program, or are otherwise phoning it in, it can cause the entire group's experience to suffer.

So, you've decided to sign up.  Complete the course, and get a job with one of those sweet "Hiring Partners" that you'll likely have heard so much about.  Yeah, about that...remember when I said I watched 6 classes go by...

I graduated in August 2016.  I recently was hired at a company that is not a "Hiring Partner" (though to be fair, dCC did have a contact within the company) in March 2017.  I won't say I'm a prime example, I have seen many people get jobs with 1-2 months of graduation.  This is the only part of the course I have an issue with, and it's not entirely their fault, but they do use it as a selling point to students.  The "Hiring Partners" are a group of ~20 companies that have regularly done some hiring from within dCC.  They like dCC grads, and they are happy to look at more dCC grads.  The problem is:  They aren't necessarilly hiring.  Many of them have filled their positions with previous grads.  So, you're going to be looking at non-hiring partner companies for open positions.  Know what that means?  Same thing it means for everyone else in the world:  Indeed.com.  dCC does try to help with the job search process.  The main issue is: They aren't just helping YOU.  They are helping every other grad that hasn't found a job yet.  So to get any assistance from them, you will be pestering them a lot.  There may be times that you will want to go out and do your own search, which you are free to do, but they will want to give you guidelines for job search etiquette.  The real issue is what happens at the interviews with the non-hiring partners.  HR interviews are standard across the board.  Tech interviews, however, are usually done by another developer, and they tend to ask questions about your programming background.  Many times, they've never heard of dCC, and you will end up having to basically sell them dCC.  20 year veteran developer with 2 degrees, don't be surprised when you get scoffed out of the interview because you ONLY have 14 weeks of programming experience.  This has happened to me more than once.  Overall, I am happy with my end result in the Job Assistance, but it is the one point in the course that I believe needs the most improvement.

TL;DR:  Coursework is great, you will learn a lot in a relatively short period of time, from a great group of instructors, but be prepared to bring your own work search skills.

They teach you everything you need to know to be a jr developer. More importantly they teach you how to teach yourself which is a crucial skill to have as a developer considering there are new technologies all the time. 

I recently acquired a job and while it took me a long time I can say that dCC was there for me the entire time. They hooked me up with presentations and interviews until I finally received a job. As long you come in to the camp here and there, dCC will keep helping you. 

All and all I highly recommend devCodeCamp to anyone looking to be a jr developer. 

    First off, let me say that I would recommend devCodeCamp to everyone that I know who is serious about coding and tired of the plain old curriculum or cost of traditional schooling. I went into this without any actual programming experience until I started the pre-course work. Throughout this program, you gain valuable experience programming in several different languages as well as working in a team based environment. More than that though, devCodeCamp provides you with a conductive environment where there are people in all steps of the program so that you have the ability to learn from others as well as teach the people in the earlier classes. All this taken into account, the greatest things that I have taken away from devCodeCamp was the incredible community, the work ethic you gain, and the ability to be independent. The instructors will slowly almost push you away forcing you to be able to think differently about the problems you encounter and learn on your own. I am incredibly glad to have done this, and would only want to go back to improve on my projects that we did in the beginning of the course. Everyone was amazing and I hope they continue to do their good work.

I attended devCodeCamp in the fall of 2016.  The course is challenging and fast-paced -- not for the faint-of-heart.  The instructors are knowledgeable and approachable; I never had any qualms about asking for clarification or extra help.  They instilled confidence and provided guidance when necessary.  In addition to the programming languages, we were also taught problem-solving skills and effective research techniques.  We were taught team skills through team projects; an invaluable skill that is necessary in software development.

devCodeCamp also provided guidance regarding the job hunt.  I had three in-person interviews as a result of their efforts on my behalf.  They also showed us how to interview, how to prepare a tech resume, and how to approach the job search productively.  I was able to answer questions and propose coding strategies during the technical parts of the interviews that I had.  It took me less than three months to find a job.  

What is paramount to keep in mind when considering the course is that it requires a great deal of independent effort in addition to class.  I had to review at night after class and work on projects during the weekends.  I didn't have a lot of spare time.  Students must be totally committed to this effort to be successful.

I was able to achieve my personal employment goals, I learned a lot, and I formed lasting professional relationships with other students.  Would I do it again?  Absolutely and without reservation.

I have always had an interest in coding but never pursued it during college. After I graduated I went into retail and stayed there for a little over a year and found myself not satisfied with what I was doing.

This is where I found reviews of devCodeCamp on Facebook and decided to give it a tour. Going into the program, I had little to no experience in coding and now, through this course, I have received more from this course than I had first anticipated.  Now I have a job at a great company and pursuing something I love. 

I would recommend this course for anyone that loves to problem solve and loves a challenge. This course challenges you throughout and you definitely get what you put into this course. I am proud to have graduated from dCC.

Before I heard about devCodeCamp, I was taking courses part-time at a technical college for web and software development. Since I was working full time and taking classes at night, I had four semesters (two years) left and had only built console applications focusing on simple concepts. Then my team at work hired a devCodeCamp grad. I was impressed with not only his technical skills but also the positive feedback he had about his experiences with the camp. After taking a tour and meeting with a few instructors, I was sold. So far it is the best career decision I have ever made. In a matter of weeks I was building full ASP.NET applications and developing the tools needed to write programs I could showcase to potential employers.

DevCodeCamp's teaching methods rely on resourcefulness, self-sufficiency, and perseverance. You are presented with the basics and expected to teach yourself the rest. Not everyone will thrive in this environment, but those who survive set themselves up for a promising career in a dynamic and growing field. You will be challenged and you will likely struggle. There will be days you hit a wall that delays any progress for hours. But persistence is key here and the instructors are always available to support you and point you in the right direction. Not only will you learn how to code, but you will learn more efficient ways to learn. This will only help you moving forward, both professionally and personally.

I chose to find a job on my own outside of devCodeCamp, so I cannot speak to any explicit experiences with those services. But I will say that the instructors and staff are fully committed to assisting you with this process and that many graduates have found success via this option. I was fortunate enough to find a job in my career within a month of graduating -- something I didn't think was possible six months ago.

Bottom line: if you are serious about coding, you would be hardpressed to find a better option than devCodeCamp.