Northcoders

I was on the third cohort for northcoders and I graduated at the start of this year. The course itself is really fun and you will learn alot due to it being so intense and you meet some amazing people in the process! I was the youngest graduate at the time and I now work for a finance company in Manchester City Centre as a Junior Developer, they are really helpful not only on the course but after as well as they help you improve your CV, general skills and make you more employable to companies. If you enjoy coding and want to persue a career in tech then I definitely recommend this course!   

I was on the very first cohort back in April 2016. The course is intense, but incredibly well designed and exciting and left me feeling like I'd learned more than I had in 3 years of uni. I am still good friends with many people from the first cohort - all those I have kept in touch with are in work as software developers and loving life. The specific technologies you learn are very relevant but part of the real value for me was that I felt like I 'learned how to learn'. You leave the course being confident to pick up any new technology you need in the future which is the most valuable skill you can get. Thoroughly recommend if you want to get into a career in tech.

The course itself is really intense and challenging, but you learn so much in a short space of time! The tutors are fantastic, and the curriculum is constantly being reviewed and brought up to date. In the last few weeks you are put in touch with the careers team who give you some insight into what it is like to work in the industry and given advice on CV's, interviews and generally how to put your best foot forward. I had an interview lined up through Northcoders before I graduated and had accepted an offer within a week. It was really hard work, but I can't recommend it highly enough.

I consider myself incredibly lucky to call myself a Northcoder. Even when I was 3 weeks into the course, I knew it was the best choice I'd ever made, and I felt they deserved every penny I was paying - even then. I've been fortunate to make friends for life and am part of a very, very special Northern community in its own right - the Northcoders Community. You couldn't hope to find better support or more knowledgeable tutors.

I was a bit dubious at first - nobody seemed to have a bad word to say on the whole internet (except the bloke below - but you know, the clue is in the name..!) Because of that I went in to meet the team before I applied and it immediately changed my mind - you can just feel the buzz and scale of the place even when you walk inside the door. The team were beyond friendly and it is composed of good-hearted, ethical people who are trying to do good and help people. Fair play to them.

A friend of mine went to a competitor bootcamp and wound up saying she wished she'd not gone there because they seemed like they were just playing at it and copy-catting everything Northcoders said but didn't deliver the goods. They literally took her money online with no application process what soever so watch out for that. Not all bootcamps are created equal, they say... It's simply true, it seems..!

In terms of the experience it was extraordinary from start to finish and I found work in under 2 weeks. I really, really like my new job and am incredibly grateful to the team at Northcoders for making the match.

I guess my advice would be, watch out for bootcamps trying to copy success and don't be taken in by their cheaper prices or copy cat tactics. Didn't pay off for my friend... I believe Northcoders was worth every single penny three times over and would pay it again every time. Cheers guys.