Tech Talent & Strategy

I was emailed directly and asked to apply. I took my time and asked lots of questions, I researched online and found very few reviews. Should have been my first red flag. 

I've since learned all negative reviews of this school are deleted not long after being posted. I've can only guess from my own experience why this would be. First of all, they were very fast moving, fast talking, and car salesman like in how they push you to meet fast approaching deadlines to sign everything and jump in. Also should have been a red flag. 

I initially stated I already had student loans I could not afford and did not want to take on more debt. I was told about a couple scholarships. I applied and won a 50% scholarship. I asked about additional scholarships and was advised about an Income Share Agreement. I had never heard of this before. 

I was told it was very safe and not a student loan because if I did not earn $65,000 a year for 5 years after certification the debt would be waived entirely, and if I did earn $65,000 a year I would owe them $7,500 repaid at 9% of my monthly income. 

I was promised job assistance in the form of job placement and resume and interview review and prep. I was told the entry level positions I could expect to get within 6 months of graduating was $100,000 a year or more. None of this was true. 

Again I was heavily pressured to get thing signed, software installed, permissions and access to my computers provided within a very short amount of time to meet their "deadlines". 

The reality is that they start these courses every couple weeks and they are almost entirely AI run through prerecorded slides, free links to other code teaching platforms, and YouTube videos. So there was no need to be pressured to meet these fast approaching deadlines because more classes start constantly. This was a tactic to rush through any and all fine print and questionable permissions and software. 

The entire staff at the time I came on board were self admitted hackers. They would begin exposing this through the course. There are 2 teachers for each course. A main teacher and an asst. teacher who would teach alternate supplemental classes sometimes related to the topic at hand and other times not related at all. 

Many times that instructor was expected to cover topics with us that had not been covered yet by the main instructor causing the class to be very confused and unable to follow along because that material had not been covered yet. 

It would be like learning multiplication for 3 weeks with the main instructor and then having the asst on Wednesday show up with a class assignment on Calculus. 

The literal example is we were learning HTML and CSS and then given an assignment on React. 

We then spent multiple weeks learning JavaScript to then get an assignment in Java. 

Every class was a slideshow with links to YouTube videos or links and assignments on other free platforms like freecodecamp and codeacademy and w3schools. 

The class is 3 hours long. We were originally told 4 days a week with Wed optional. When class started the instructor informed us Wed was mandatory as it was a different topic and curriculum from the main instructor and attendance would count for missed days. 

The instructor for the main course read the slideshows word for word for 3 hours straight. If we asked questions or asked for help with something we were told to "Google it" or ask chat gpt.  

We were told by both instructors that they were paid for the 3 hours of lecture time and the slides had to be covered so there was no time for questions or reviewing. Assignments were graded several weeks after completing with only 100% or 0% as completed or not completed. So there was no feedback or instruction on what was right or wrong. 

When I brought this up my next assignment was to code something intentionally incorrect so you could see the errors that vscode would present. I did exactly that and was graded a low grade due to errors. (This was the only grade the entire course that was not graded based solely on completed or not.) 

When I tried to address the feedback with the instructor privately he repeatedly ignored what I was saying until I put it in the class chat. He then changed the grade to 100% and privately in the feedback said it was a well deserved 100% after out loud verbally in front of the class repeatedly saying I was wrong because of all the obvious errors. It seemed like my instructions were different then the rest of the class. It felt like retaliation for complaining in the form of public humiliation in front of the class. 

Many of the slides contained errors or were covering outdated material or non-working links. Several of the advertised topics were never covered at all during the course. 

When I was still in the enrollment process and trying to make sure I could commit to the requirements I asked what the time commitment was outside of lecture time to complete readings and assignments. I was told 1-2 hours per night. 

The reality is they shortened the original course which was a year or more to 12 weeks. So the curriculum was reduced down to 12 weeks. Some days the assignments alone due the following day were upwards of 6+ hours of independent study time. 

This resulted in many students no longer completing assignments or getting very far behind. Many students complained and the due dates were changed so that the assignments were due 7 days from the date they were assigned. This gave us more time to complete lessons and assignments but resulted in no feedback. It also made learning things in steps impossible. 

Imagine being taught how to make cheesecake. The first lesson on day 1 is how to purchase and operate a springform pan. You attempt to do so, get the pan but can't make it work. 

Day 2 you ask for help and are told to google it. While being taught how to gather ingredients needed and mix the cheesecake. So you get a bowl mix ingredients. Yours doesn't look like the teachers but you followed the printed steps. The teacher only completed 2 of 6 steps on screen so you have no idea how to work your pan and your cheesecake looks weird but no one wants to explain where you are going wrong. 

So you stay up all night watching youtubes, googling, chat gpting, you get the cheesecake right but can't figure out the pan still. Nothing has been graded, no feedback on assignments. 

Day 3 different teacher different topic, short YouTube then assignment: create a castle out of homemade rock crystals...(it's due next day 3 with no contact between with instructor) now.. 

Day 4 present your baked cheesecake with topping of choice. (The instructor will lecture on completely different topics while you do this so choose pay attention to what he's saying or work on your assignment).

Maybe it's just me but I don't see how anyone could be successful learning like that. By the end of the course one student was able to transfer to a different instructor and never heard from him again, the rest of us tried to figure things out either between us or alone and many didn't get their certs. All complained they did not learn the material needed for employment, and at least 2 of us cried in class so...As if that wasn't bad enough when higher ups were reached out to their response was to bad mouth the instructors and make excuses for the big changes in curriculum going on. 

If your curriculum is going through an overhaul, why charge students to attend your broken classes? None of us were placed. None of us received real job offers as a result of this course. I was immediately approached by someone claiming to be an IRS recruiter after completing the course and it seemed like they referred me, however I used to work for IRS and many of the things she asked for raised red flags that she was not in fact employed by IRS. When I questioned this I was told she was a third party recruiter. She wanted me to contact my former superviser and get a copy of my security clearance and send it to her to which I blocked her and refused as highly suspicious with all the govt hacking happening. 

Later I saw many news stories about big hacking events that utilized things we completed for assignments and it made me further question who was involved with this business and what was really happening. 

All of the staff with the exception of the CEO and her right hand gal have resigned including their legal counsel from what their staff said. The only contact I received in the 14 months since completing the course were solicitations to purchase more courses or supplemental lessons. 

I believe this is a pay to play and the only job you will be offered is in office position making you now involved in the scheme. I filed a complaint with the BBB after getting little to no response from their company or representatives. 

The ISA I was rushed into was nothing they presented it to be. While my financial obligation should have been $7500 paid back or waived in 5 years, these are the actual terms: If I make more than $65,000 in a year and this is based on my monthly income. 

So if I make more than $5416 gross in a month they deem me at 65,000 a year for that month and 9% of my monthly income goes to them even if my normal monthly income is $2500. If I don't make $65,000 to their calculations that month does not count at all. They place me in deferment and it is not counted towards the 5 years at all. 

The only way the debt will be waived is if I make less than $5416 gross in a month for the next 10 years. If I do make over $65,000 the clock starts then. They get 9% of what ever I make not until the original $7500 is paid back as you would expect when told its zero interest at sign up. No they get 9% until more than twice that is paid back. 

So for a 12 week course that taught us fragments of Full Stack Web Development, did not offer job prep or placement, they got $7500 from whatever company sponsored my scholarship plus $16,000 when and if I ever teach myself how to make that income. 

For a company that's claim to fame is women owned, I am a single mom with 2 kids, a medical disability, and DVSA survivor. Through my many attempts to give them the benefit of the doubt and make this right all I've gotten is the run around and silence. Please stay away from predatory companies like this one.


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I came from an academic engineering background and decided to leave my PhD program in biomedical engineering to switch careers and go into software development. I found TTS through a local networking event where a regional representative told me about the bootcamps offered, and I decided to enroll in the Full Stack Web Development course. I had the absolute best time in this course! I learned so much about front-end and back-end development including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript as well as specialized frameworks to create beautiful web pages and interactive applications. The back-end education and concepts we went over during our object-oriented programming in Java section were also incredibly valuable to me since I do not have a computer science degree. Overall, I would definitely recommend TTS to others who want to change careers or supplement their knowledge because the comprehensive nature of the bootcamp really allowed me to feel confident saying that I am now a full stack developer. Also the TTS community is extremely friendly, and they have been wonderful on a personal level.  Read less

    I am currently finishing up the first part of the fully remote Graduate Accelerator Program - Data Science course. The class is set up really well for the diverse backgrounds and skill levels of the students. With that being said, be ready to work hard to keep up! If you don't set aside enough time to study, practice, and work through the materials outside of class, you could get lost pretty quickly.    Even as someone with a strong science background and a fair amount of experience with Excel and coding in Python, I'm gaining a deeper understanding of the python language, learned how to use Excel more efficiently, and had a much needed review on statistical analysis. I really look forward to the material covered later in the course as we will cover more advanced Python skills and dive into more tools and software specific to data science and machine learning.Lectures/Labs and office hours are held over zoom and are recorded, which has worked out wonderfully. Lectures/Labs have been a healthy mix of covering course content and working on assignments as a class and in breakout groups. Additionally, a Slack channel is set up so you can connect with and collaborate with classmates and reach out to the instructors. Instructors:     I really appreciate the instructors. They are very encouraging, helpful, and respectful of everyone. They seem to understand that there are several different learning styles, and use different teaching resources to utilize them. Links to these resources are shared when possible too! Curriculum:    The curriculum is challenging, extensive, and fast-paced. There is A LOT to learn when it comes to python, especially if you are new to coding. The best way to learn to code is through practice. In class, you get introduced to important concepts, shown examples, and become familiar with the documentation and other really useful resources. Use them.  It's important to study and practice outside of class-time so you can get the most out your time with the instructors and really keep up. However, I feel a point of improvement would using more examples in class that bring multiple concepts together.  All in all, my experience with TTS has been the windfall of support, resources, and structure I've needed since, like so many others, my life was flipped upside down since the pandemic. I look forward to the journey ahead with them. Read less

I just recently finished the Tech Talent South New Orleans JavaScript App Development Course. Despite having to go remote after the first class because of the COVID-19 pandemic, TTS was overall a really good experience. I am personally the type of learner that likes to go somewhat at my own pace, which comes with its pitfalls because it is easy to lose momentum and get stuck. Tech Talents's JS class was the perfect way for me to keep up some momentum and structure to my learning routine. The class goes into advanced JS concepts, comes with lots of great supplemental reading material, and assignments that give you hands on practice. The tools they teach, such as Webpack, React, and jQuery, will give you the ability to start making your own projects very quickly. In addition to the curriculum you are taking, you get access to lots of different seminars that they have that will give you insight on how to get started in the tech world, including how to build a resume and how to use LinkedIn to your advantage.
For some people, the full time, long hours break-neck pace of coding bootcamps with a "job guarantee" (often times people find there is an asterisk by a guarantee like that) and a huge price tag works well for them. For me, this balanced, yet accelerated approach with a very reasonable price and community support worked well for me. I am now working on building my own MERN stack apps and looking to start applying to jobs soon. Read less

I am currently in the Full Time Code Immersion and Intro to Web Design classes in San Antonio but we are meeting by zoom due to COVID.
I was a bit worried I wouldn't pick up the concepts well over zoom but the instructors are incredible! They make sure you're able to follow along, ask questions when you don't understand and keep you confident with lots of one on one help offered before and after classes, even on weekends! There is also lots of collaboration within your cohort that makes working on homework and networking fun.
The instructors are truly dedicated to making sure you succeed along with the others from Tech Talent South. They are available for any and all questions. Being new to the tech environment, having so many resources has been awesome as well as getting lots of career advice and help too!
They have made a nervous, recent graduate without many offers for a good career feel incredibly confident that with my new skills, I will land a rewarding position with a great company. 
This program has been challenging at times but has also been the best investment I've made in myself thus far. 
So glad I am a part of Tech Talent South! Read less

Took this course in 2018 when i wanted to make a transition into I.T. The course then covered Ruby and RoR but has now switched to a Java based platform (so jealous!!). The support from the TTS team was amazing, and their dedication to helping with the job search was reassuring. I was employed, and am still, within about 6 weeks of graduating the camp and am now a software consultant and manage infra and release for my project. Follow up has been constant without being overwhelming. I can't say enough good about them. Read less

Tech Talent South helped me start a career as a software engineer by providing valuable resources including great teachers, recruitment events, and insightful presentations from professionals in the New Orleans tech community. They continue to offer great resources like events and service opportunities to help me grow in my career as well. Read less

Great supportive teachers and coordinators who spent their time doing their best to teach us a very intensive lesson plan and creating a great profile for the tech industry. Our teacher has an amazing personality and great ability to both teach us in the subject matter and how to present it in way that ensured our understanding and ability in programming. Our community organizers were really supportive in resume building by reviewing with indepth feedback to ensure we are putting our best skills to the world, and going out of their way to make sure we are comfortable with the enviornment and class.
 

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I am currently in the code immersion class in New Orleans and the class is very helpful so far with being introduced to the tech community. Our instructor Carlos is very knowledgable and Mary Lachapelle is amazing with community outreach and networking. So glad I found Tech Talent South to start my tech career!

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Participating in the Select program from Tech Talent South has been incredible. An immersive and detailed experience covering Full Stack Development. A great community of unique individuals, excellent management, and knowledgeable instructors. Proud to be involved in this program, and excited to see where these skills will take me!

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After deciding to leave my recruiting job and pursue a career in development, I researched around and decided to take the 8 week code immersion course. The bootcamp was a great introduction to general programming and really sets you up to learn different programming languages and frameworks. I met a lot of great people during my time at TTS. Bart was my instructor and he did awesome at explaining the lessons and you could tell he really cared about teaching the class. We also got to go on a lot of company tours where I was able to grow my network. I am also taking the JavaScript course to further my knowledge. The only thing I would have liked to see more of in the 8 week bootcamp is covering more relevant technologies that would be useful as an entry level developer trying to get their first dev job like myself. Also, some job interview prep or assistance in getting my foot in the door would be nice too. It is definitely not an easy course so be prepared to give it your all or else you might not get as much out of it as others who do. Overall, I would definitely recommend taking some TTS classes to anyone who is trying to get into the field or just trying to learn something new.

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The Part-Time Code Immersion course is perfect for someone with a full time job. The curriculum is scaffolded very well, and the homework pushes you to fully learn the subjects introduced in class. The course also does a great job of giving you the tools to keep learning on your own.

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Background
I recently graduated from the 8 week part-time code immersion November - December 2017 cohort. I had previously been learning web development using Free Code Camp, Udacity, Codeacademy, and other online resources. I was tired of jumping around and not fully understanding how everything connected so I started researching boot camps. Tech Talent South fit all of my criteria: curriculum, cost, and location. 

Overall Impressions: Code Immersion Course (Part-time)
The course does a great job of balancing content for complete beginners and somewhat knowledgeable students. With that said please make sure you complete the pre-course work before the course starts. This will make the class better for you as you won't feel completely lost on the first couple days. 

This course gives a great foundation in web development skills. You will learn some best practices in coding and how to structure your files and folders. We spent our class time following along with the teacher typing code and then after class the homework was uploaded for us to work on. The homework is not required for the course. However, if you really want to get the most out of this course you should complete it. 

I would highly recommend anyone looking at a coding boot camp to consider Tech Talent South and I would recommend that they attend. I truly enjoyed my experience and would do it again. 

Extras

Resume Review: I was able to get my resume reviewed and got advice on how I could tweak it to attract attention from tech companies. I currently have 10 years of retail sales experience so this was extremely helpful. 

Company Tours: The company tours are okay. Since I was taking the part-time course for the fact that I have a full-time job I was not able to get to many of the tours. However, the one I was able to attend was a great experience as you are able to see what real jobs look like and what the company is looking for. Attend as many of these as you can. Well worth it. 

Job Assistance: There is a job board that updates with jobs in the area. TTS is not going to hold your hand so if you have jobs that you are looking for or want help finding jobs then you need to reach out. Once you do they have done a great job with sending me jobs and highlighting what I should be looking for and what I would have the best chance of getting interviewed for. Again, they cannot promise you a job and they cannot help you get an interview but they are helpful in wanting you to get a job so reach out and help will come. 

 

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I am a PhD candidate at Emory University where my focus of study centers around topics including accessibility, usability, and research design and methods. I've always been interested in making services as "easy" and accessible as possible, but also reliable and valid. Is a product or service actually doing what it sets out to do? I became interested in these sorts of topics as a teenager when I was first learning about standardized assessment, survey design, and statistics. I realized that even on the most highly regarded standardized assessments, much of the content seemed "inaccessible," or inapplicable, to large segments of the population. For example, sometimes the language used would be so theoretical or heady that it was difficult to understand a question or a concept. Other times, questions on assessments, which were theoretically "standardized" and designed to be of use by "all" people, seemed to be missing the mark. For example, a standardized body image assessment might ask about a person's experience with exercise or a healthy lifestyle--the assumption could be that someone who exercises a lot may be labeled as having a negative body image because they're "obsessive"; at the same time, someone who doesn't exercise at all may be labeled as having a negative body image with the implication that they "don't care" and are negligent of their health. These sort of discrepancies bothered me! I started noticing these things everywhere in all forms. For example, have you ever used a "handicap" bathroom? Take a look around next time! Usually, the stalls are large enough for a wheelchair to comfortably navigate the space, and oftentimes the toilet seat and countertop are lower; but so often, the paper towel dispenser is too high to reach from a seated position, or there is a step-can trashcan for waste disposal, which could be completely inaccessible for someone who uses a wheelchair.

It took me years to realize that these organic passions of mine were related to fields like human factors engineering and user experience research and design. While teaching myself some UX "basics," I realized how perfect of a fit this field was for me! I also realized that I needed (and wanted) a lot more knowledge and training! I first approached TTS because I was interested in their "UX Design for Beginners" course (which was a total blast.) On top of that, I'd always been interested in coding. I had zero experience with coding--I dabbled in things when I was a teenager, like html and silly customization (I can't be the only teenager in the early 2000's who had a bunch of different Angelfire and GeoCities (RIP) websites, am I right!?) but "coding" itself always seemed way too difficult. My friends who coded tended to be ridiculously good at math and they seemed adept at learning "foreign" concepts easily. I mean, I took Spanish for six years as a kid and can barely remember a thing--ergo, learning entire programming languages seemed impossible.

After filling out some info online, I had an initial phone interview with Meghan, which was really much more of a conversation about *me* and my goals. I really appreciated this call--initially, I thought I had to "sell myself," which made me a bit anxious since I had zero tech experience. Instead, Meghan seemed more interested in figuring out if TTS would be able to provide me with the necessary resources for me to get a step closer to *my* goals. Since I'm already a full-time doctoral student, I don't have much free time and I have basically no money, ha! Meghan assured me that even though I'd be even busier, my schedule would be doable. She also shared invaluable information with me about scholarship opportunities and discounts. When Meghan asked if I was interested in other courses that TTS offered, I think I laughed. Of course I was interested! But every coding "bootcamp" I came across was several thousand dollars, required a lot of time, and seemed to offer false promises like guaranteed job placement. I casually mentioned I might be interested in a part-time coding course but that she shouldn't go into too much detail because I knew I wouldn't have the time or the funds. She respected this, and simply mentioned that I seemed like a really good fit for TTS and so she would email me pricing information, the schedule, and information about scholarships and discounts.

Before approaching TTS, I looked into other UX and coding programs offered through competitive companies and attended some info sessions. While I'm sure that many competing programs are fantastic, they were simply too expensive for me to even consider. I found several courses that were $10,000+ for ~10 weeks and essentially required that people quit their job because of the class schedule. Many programs did offer scholarships, but they might only offer one single scholarship. One company in particular, a nationwide company, told me that they did indeed offer a scholarship but that I wouldn't be a good candidate (I appreciated their honesty!) because they only awarded ONE scholarship per cohort across the entire nation, and that these scholarships (understandably) went to people far more disadvantaged than myself. These companies also seem to prioritize job placement ratings and use that as leverage, using carefully-worded language to make it seem like a job was "guaranteed." Very few programs are in the position to guarantee anyone a job, especially in this economy, and that really concerned me. A company told me they had a 98% job placement rating within three months of graduation. When I asked probing questions, like "what percentage of these jobs are in the tech industry?" and "what percentage of graduates who became employed also had a traditional 4 year college degree?" I was met with silence. These are important questions for such an expensive investment!

TTS makes no promises or guarantees about job placement and that's honestly one of my favorite things. The people at TTS, the entire model of the school, the quality of teaching...it all speaks for itself. TTS doesn't need to offer any [false] promises--they've created an environment where 1) the employees have the best interest of the students in mind, so obviously they will assist with things like connections and networking, and 2) the students are offered such good instruction and resources that we want to do as much as possible to succeed...we don't need handholding!

To my delight, TTS helped make it possible for me to take both of the courses I wanted--UX and coding. They were incredibly responsive and I never felt any pressure. Everyone is also so accessible! For example, I kept running into a coding error while I was doing some independent pre-coursework coding exercises. We were given Zack's email and told to contact him with any questions, so I did. Little did I know that he's the CTO of the entire company! How cool is that!? I felt a little silly for asking such a basic question, but he never made me feel like I was wasting his time and he always responded with great detail, wanting to make sure I understood things.

Both of my instructors were always available for office hours, and were constantly on Slack. On days we didn't have class and I was having a hard time, I would message my instructor on Slack and know that he'd respond. I had to miss a couple of classes due to a pre-planned trip, and my instructor took it upon himself to with meet separately upon my return to ensure I wasn't too far behind. I've been in school for 23 years at this point and the attention and quality of teaching I've experienced through TTS has been among the best! Plus, all of my classmates are pretty awesome; with relatively small class sizes, we're pretty much all able to get some form of individualized instruction if we get stuck and ask for help.

The guest speakers that TTS brings in are among the best and also so accessible! None of them have a "cocky" attitude, and many of them are in high-level positions (CEOs, etc.) Atlanta has quite an impressive tech community and I was curious to see what sort of resources or connections TTS might have access to. When our first guest speaker was from MailChimp, that basically just solidified my confidence in them. Because of the guest speaker series through TTS, I've already had three separate one-on-one meetings with highly respected tech companies in the Atlanta area. I'm convinced that it's my own knowledge and drive, networking, and mentorship that will help me get a job in this industry, not a fancy "job placement rating" toted around my competitors.

I could go on and on but this is already too long. Every interaction I've had with a TTS employee (i.e. Admissions, Communications, Logistics, Community Organizing, instructors) has been enjoyable. Go to this school! It's small in a good way--you won't be overlooked; you'll have access to their resources and connections; and you'll learn a ton in a short period of time. You'll also probably keep a lot more money in your bank ;)

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The course I took was the Part-Time Code Immersion - Java. I came in with a basic understanding of some languages but had not used Java before. I have learned so much in the short class time you have. Its has been a great experience from the Instructor, TA's, to all the support staff that have been AMAZING! There is always someone just a message away for any help or questions you may have. I am excited to see where this journey takes me next. Big thanks to everyone!  Read less

Tech Talent South has given me a great opportunity. I got accepted into their GAP(Graduate Accelerator Program) and got placed in their Java code immersion course! So far it has been an amazing experience. The instructor has done a great job explaining the material and makes it easy for students with no prior programming experience to understand and grasp what is being taught. He goes out of his way to help students outside of classroom hours who need extra help. Besides learning how to code, TTS also helps prepare you for the job market. They really care about your success and make sure you are getting the most out of your time at TTS by helping you achieve your goals. If you are thinking about attending a course at Tech Talent South, do it! You won't regret it.   Read less

I have always had an interest in coding and started searching online for available options and came across Tech Talent South.
 
After submitting a request for more information on their Code Immersion Program I was contacted promptly by the staff. They answered the many questions I had and offered guidance to help me to understand what is was I was looking for.  It is a Bootcamp so it fast-paced, however many topics are covered and while it is challenging for a beginner in web-based development, it is also informative. It has helped pique my interest and has encouraged me to pursue further. At this time it is more for personal interest \ development, however, it may lead to further training in this field.  The part-time code immersion course seems to well with my full-time job, which is a plus for me.  A team environment is also encouraged in the classrooms. I would recommend this course for anyone that is interested in this field. The staff is supportive, encouraging and bring real-world experience to the classes.  Read less

I recently completed the code immersion boot camp in CLT and would recommend this course to others seeking to break into coding or who have been out of the game a while. My instructor Phibal was amazing, framing the content in real world examples, linking learnings to how you can best demonstrate skills during interviews, and otherwise eager to help, reiterate and make you think. Shannon my Experience Director was as well most helpful, offering herself and other resources to guide you through the course and get you over learning hurdles. The course covers front end and back end, the highest-demand languages and tools/apps. Highly recommend.  Read less