CodeCore Bootcamp

Codecore was absolutely instrumental in starting my career in the industry. After completing codecore I was hired as a junior back end developer and three years later I am still in the industry. Not only did Codecore help me gain the foundation I needed to find my first job,  the same foundation has made it possible for me to build on my initial skills and continue to learn the methodologies and technologies that are relevant. Codecore was absolutely one of the best decisions I have made in my life  

 

 

After you graduate you'll have a buddy (usually a codecore staff) to help you find a job. At first I was told there will be contracts and connections that will help me enter the tech field. However as I continued coming in every morning and applying for jobs online, I realized that both Tam and Bronwyn never truly cared about my progress. Some other grads were treated better and were offered either a contract or TA position. Sometimes even both. I had to get a job myself and never received any help. Staff are nice but at that time there weren't enough for the buddy system. 

Not worth your money if I could go back, I'd choose Lighthouse labs. 

Why I took it

I had always been curious about Programming and Web development. So when a friend of mine decided to take the CodeCore Fundamentals program, I decided to tag along. I was almost instantly inspired and impressed. I had taken programming courses in the past before but it was never an enjoyable experience. However, CodeCore was different. The people were super patient and passionate, the program was very approachable and well paced, and the campus was near a NoodleBox. So for those reasons, I decided to commit to the full 12 week bootcamp.

The Program and the People

The program itself was one of the most difficult things that I’ve ever endured. When I took the program, the focus was primarily on Ruby, Ruby on Rails, and Javascript. Everyday was a new day to abuse the brain with new concepts and teachings. You won’t have much time to review yesterday’s materials. Nor will you have the time to do anything else besides coding. And you have to be okay with not being able to understand everything. Now I know it sounds overwhelming and it was, but it really wasn’t that bad. I had made a huge investment on myself, so I decided to commit to it fully. Stay late, do the work, ask questions ,and trust in the process became my main philosophies for whole duration of the bootcamp. The teachers at CodeCore are Awesome. Great teachers are hard to come by. In my list of top 5 best teachers of all time who’s came into my life, Tam would definitely be one of them. He’s super knowledgable, patient, and most importantly- able to pass on knowledge in a non-intimidating way. He managed to keep me motivated and inspired me throughout the whole bootcamp. But it wasn’t just Tam, the rest of the CodeCore community were just as awesome. The TAs and staff were always super friendly and available for help. I also feel very fortunate because the people in the cohort were so amazing. Everyone supported everyone and we motivated each other.

The Payoff

After the bootcamp you’ll have everything you need to land a job. CodeCore will provide you with the skills, projects, and connections. Now what you do with those assets is completely up to you. CodeCore will even help you with proof-reading your resume, improving your LinkedIn profile, and conducting mock interviews. Those job finding services (along with the leads/connections to opportunities) plus the ability to retake the bootcamp will always be available to you. Fortunately, I was able to land a job not long after the bootcamp. I’m currently working with two of my former cohort classmates at a Startup. They are both weirdos, but the job is fun. I’m super glad that I went through with the CodeCore bootcamp because it has seriously changed my life. So is CodeCore for you? Before you decide, the most important question that you must ask for yourself is: are you able to fully dedicate to 3 months of hardcore coding. If you want do well and ultimately, land a job. You’ll have to show up everyday, ask questions, and stay late. This is a requirement. Also, keep in mind that job hunting is a completely different beast. CodeCore will certainly help you but you have to continue to work hard if you want to that job. So the verdict is: if you can commit to working really hard for a while then do it. Good luck!

As many others in my age bracket and possibly reading this, I was stuck in a job that I didn't like, feeling I was going nowhere and even worse, getting paid horribly for it. I wanted to change my situation, but it wasn't easy because studying is expensive and "slow". I couldn't afford to take some years off to go study full time and the pace of part time studying didn't seem to be worth it for me.

I have always had a passion for computers, and internet overall. I always had a deep interest on development and web design as well, but I only went as far as making a few basic static websites here and there. Development was scary and unreachable for me... why? Well because of "Computer Science", the hairy monster.

I grew up understanding that CS was a hostile world, ridiculously hard with a huge emphasis on MATH, and PHYSICS and ALGORITHMS and incredibly complicated abstractness that just seemed unreachable unless you resolve sudokus on hardmode for breakfast. In other words, I always perceived it as a career simply not for me.

Even though this was in my mind, for some reason, I took a “risk” and went check out the CodeCore academy. I thought I would talk with someone there, and see if there was hope for me in the web development world… what's the worse that could happen right? They might say yes!

I was greeted by Tam, who listened my sob story, and organized a meeting with Bronwyn and himself, to assess if I would be a good candidate for the course, but first and most importantly, for the career. And this last part, is exactly why I chose CodeCore over any other option. They care to identify if this is a relationship that can work in the long run.  

I learnt that CS is not the only path into this profession, and had a better understanding of which skills are the most relevant for modern web development.

I signed up for the bootcamp starting the following week, and after incredibly intense 12 weeks, with outstanding mentorship, support and care to explain even the most ridiculous questions, I finished up with an extraordinary foundation to firmly commence my new path into web development.

Now I am happy to say I am working at a great company, loving my job, feeling challenged and engaged every day!

One thing that I believe is important for everyone to understand though is that CodeCore is just the beginning. You get a massive boost and level up, enough to fulfill the requirements of the market and get your foot on the door, but it’s in your hands to go to the next level after that. The good news is that with the core elements you get taught, and continuous support from the CodeCore community, that journey is much much easier.

The time that I spent at CodeCore was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I came to CodeCore in the hopes of pursuing a career in the tech industry, and the bootcamp program provided me with all the necessary tools and directions. 

I went into the program knowing very little html and css. During the rigorous and engaging 3 months of boot camp, I spent on average 12 hours a day to learn and absorb all the materials. The program’s hands-on approach helped me to really understand the material and acquire the practical skills I needed. The instructors were knowledgeable and helpful, and the staff cares about their students.  After graduating, the staff has followed up with me regularly, offering job placement assistance.  

To be honest, it was not easy but after 3 months I was able to find a job as a junior developer at a great company. Thanks to  CodeCore, I can now look forward to a career in an industry that I find interesting, challenging, and rewarding. 

CodeCore's developer bootcamp is a fantastic starting point for those wishing to get into the tech industry. However, unless you have prior programming experience, I would highly recommend going through the fundamentals course first. It gives an early taste of what web development/programming is like and allows you to make a more knowledgeable decision about whether this is truly something you enjoy and are willing to invest a TON of time, effort and money into. 

The instructors and TAs for both the fundamentals and full-time bootcamps were amazing. Highly knowledgeable, many of them were willing to spend time outside of class/lab hours to answer any questions or concerns I had regarding the material. As a few others have mentioned, it's impossible for a 3 month program to teach you everything there is to know about web development, but CodeCore will leave you walking away with a strong understanding of the core principles. You will have the confidence and ability to pursue further learning on your own and to succeed as a Junior Web Developer. 

I took the fundamentals course in June 2016 and the full-time bootcamp in July 2016. One of the instructors helped set me up with an interview on demo day and I was hired the week after. If you're willing to put in the effort and are up for the challenge, I would recommend giving the fundamentals class a shot.

Like any valuable learning, what you get from the course does not just depend on how well the material is taught. You yourself need to immerse into the work and study hard. Keep up to date with the material and be active in labwork by asking questions or taking good notes. If you think you're able to do this, you'll succeed at CodeCore. 

I took the bootcamp in May 2015 after meeting with the founders/instructors and seeing how friendly and well-spoken they were. I was interested in learning how to build something tangible that could ultimately solve some small problem for people. When the course began, there were days I felt lost but I kept at it because persistence is key. You will learn a lot of valuable skills and problem solving techniques aside from just the languages/libraries introduced to you. No bootcamp will ever teach you everything you need to know but this is well-thought out to the point where you should be able to confidently walk away knowing enough to explore anything else in the world of developing and coding on your own. 

After the demo day where I showed my final project, I was approached by 3 companies for interviews, in which one lead to a job offer within the next week. 10 days after the course completion, I was at my new job.

So it's up to you. It isn't easy but I can guarantee you it'll be rewarding. Engage with the community and go to the networking events. Build your portfolio with new ideas and projects. Collaborate and build something cool! 

When I started looking for a school, I read so many online reviews for developer bootcamps my head was spinning! I spent months self-learning but not getting very far. 

I immediately got a great vibe when I met Tam, Bronwyn and all the team. I'm not going to lie. The bootcamp was hard going. But the best career decision I've ever made and I don't regret it for a second.

This is an intense course and you definitely get out what you put in, as the cliche goes. But its so true! Personally I put in 12 hour days, 6 days a week, sometimes 7. For the duration of the bootcamp I ate, drank and slept code. 

The quality and the delivery of learning material is excellent. Fantastic teachers, who have a way of delivering complex material in a very understandable way.

TAs were always available to help out whenever I got stuck or wanted a deeper understanding of concepts. Working on actual projects I could put on my github as a portfolio helped me better understand the tech I was working with and also I had something to show for it at the end. Every day I was excited to come to class!

When I finished the course CodeCore lined up some interviews for me and I landed a job on the second one as a web and mobile developer! I'm still working with the same company since I graduated and loving the learning journey!

I had an amazing experience at CodeCore. So happy I made the jump and took the full time bootcamp!

I highly recommend the Codecore Bootcamp course for many reasons. You will be able to find very knowledgeable and experient instructors there for sure.
Besides community and network events that they created there is just amazing.

After a long period researching what boot camp course I should invest my money here in Vancouver, I'm very pleased to my had chose them.

They definitely care a great reputation putting good developers out there that help me to stand out at my job interview.

After longing to go to a codeing bootcamp for years I was finaly able to line up both the time and money to attend CodeCore. It was quite honestly the time of my life, I loved every moment of it. If they offered another with a different focus I would try to find the time and money for it as well.

This is an intense experience with 12 hour days 5 days a week. During the weekend team project I was awake for over 30 hours trying to get it done in time. When I say its not for the feint of heart I am not kidding. You REALLY need to stay the full day. Finish the homework on campus and USE the TA's whenever you get truly stuck. 

This is a course where you get what you put in to it.

The excellent instructors and TA's are there when you need them and are willing to answer questions outside the current plan if you have them. Shout out to Steve for giving me each_with_object.

We had a great deal of job prep; From interview question practice to polishing our resumes. They honestly want us to succeed. Codecore lined up a good number of interviews for me and I landed a job!

Coming to Codecore was the best career decision I have made in my life and I can't thank them enough. I couldn't be happier.

One last shoutout... To the DotP community: without you guys I could never have attended CodeCore thank you so much.

From my personal CodeCore experience, I can strongly say that CodeCore has changed my life. Would I recommend CodeCore to other people? OF COURSE!, BUT to those who are willing to put in extra hours and grind like there is no tomorrow.   From the get-go it was super challenging. I still remember spending extra 2 hours at waves coffee with my classmate just trying to understand the daily taught material. And 12 weeks later? Nothing's changed. I still worked really hard, and spent most of my hours at CodeCore.   I feel like there is a misconception with getting a job after the bootcamp and and here is my thought. Nothing is handed to you in life, you have work for it. Even after all your hard work, there is a chance that you might not get what you expected. With that in mind, If you think that you deserve to get a job after 12 weeks of programming you are mistaken. Only thing that will help you to get a job is your perseverance, hard work and luck (your coding skills are given). Upon graduation, CodeCore will help you as much as they can to provide with leads and help to prepare for the job interviews but after that, it’s all on your own!   All things said and done, the most important value this 12 weeks program gave me was the opportunity to start my career as a developer. It provided me the first stepping stone towards a career that I am really passionate about. I still have so much to learn but I am very glad that I took the course. Taking the CodeCore Bootcamp was a huge investment but it turned out to be one of the best investments I’ve ever made. 

There are a lot of options for learning web development in Vancouver, first I’ll list the reasons why I chose CodeCore over other options in the beginning, then I’ll give a summary of my experience.

Why I picked CodeCore initially:

In the summer of 2015 I went through the admissions process and was accepted into two Vancouver dev bootcamps and had also looked into some university programs and classes.

• My decision as to which program to choose was very much up in the air until I met the founder and lead instructor Tam in person. Tam is one of the most warm, kind individuals you will ever meet. When I talked to him it became immediately obvious how much he cares about CodeCore and that extends to each and every student that applies, let alone attends the program. He talked through all my concerns and questions with me and our interview alone was enough to sell me on the program. He’s also an incredibly impressive web developer and can give fantastic advice on almost any facet of that.
• Extending from that, I had read on a Reddit thread that CodeCore was a developer program run by developers, whereas the other program I was accepted into was a developer program run by marketers. I did very much get that feel from the interview process where I was able to get much clearer answers to my technical questions from Tam as well as a more detailed understanding of what I specifically would be learning and why.
• I also read on a Quora thread that CodeCore had in the past seemed to produce technically stronger students. I think it is somewhat dependent on a given cohort but I can’t say I disagree having attended demo days from both schools.
• CodeCore was the only fully accredited program
• I could start earlier for CodeCore and there was only one full cohort going through the program at one time. The latter made it feel less like I was jumping onto an assembly line.
• I talked to a former student who told me that the TA quality was apparently better at CodeCore as they only hired developers who had been working in the field for several years where as the alternative program was hiring past graduates immediately. I have no idea what the TA quality is like now at the other program, but the TAs are incredible at CodeCore as I’ll mention below

My Experience:

I think the first thing anyone who goes through a bootcamp program needs to understand is that what you get out of it will be proportional to the time and effort you put in. If you’re willing to throw yourself into this full-time, 10-14+ hours a day for 2/3 months you’re going to gain real tangible skills no matter what bootcamp you go through. If you aren’t fully committed, you’ll still learn some cool stuff but you’ll be wasting an amazing opportunity to blitz learn some really valuable skills.

• First of all the entire bootcamp was a whirlwind. It didn’t feel like it while it was happening but by the time the 9 weeks were over it felt like it had barely started, only I could suddenly build web applications and use a ton of really cool tools that I previously hadn't even heard of. It went by fast but I’ve never learned so much so quickly and part of that is how effective the teaching was.
• Tam is an incredible instructor. For as fast as he can rip through a complicated lecture he is also extremely patient and will answer all your questions, often explaining things in several different ways to make sure everyone understands. He has a great sense of humor and is good at reading a group to see when people need breaks.
• The TA support is also excellent and you will become very friendly with the TAs by the end of the program. They are an amazing resource and even now, 5 months after I completed the program some of those TAs are my best resources for solving tricky problems with the startup I’m now working on. As a side note to that, past CodeCore students are also a great resource both in person at CodeCore and on the Slack group. And if you’re still stuck and you need to talk to an expert in some particular tool/framework/programming language Tam will always introduce you to someone who can help.
• The support for finding a job is also very strong. Almost everyone who wanted a job out of our cohort has found one, and at the very least have gotten contract work. I wanted to work on my own startup out of the program but Tam still helped me and another cohort member get some contract work on the side to help pay the bills and keep learning new stuff that also related to my own project.
• While you do plenty of group work at CodeCore they also let you build your final projects solo as opposed to in groups, which I think forces you to become a more complete developer as well as letting you dive pretty deeply into whatever unique tools you use to build your final project.
• Speaking of group work, the hackathon style group project weekend just over half way into the program was one of the coolest experiences of the bootcamp for me. It was the point where I suddenly realized I could actually build real websites that people would want. It is also a great introduction to the previously confusing idea of how developers collaborate on projects and really brought our cohort closer together.
• Post graduation you’ll still have so much to gain from CodeCore. It has been an extremely valuable resource for me since I graduated. Once you go through the program you have access to the work space indefinitely into the future. I work there often, as having access to the TAs, and especially Tam is just ridiculously valuable for a relative beginner finding his way in the world of web development. It’s also nice to be able to go back and sit in on a lecture when it aligns with something I’m having problems with.

Other Stuff:

• Since I graduated the bootcamp has been extended from a 9 week to a 12 week program, I believe so as to allow student loan coverage and to cover some of the foundational and/or trickier topics in more detail. The core of the program seems relatively similar but if you meet with Tam it might be worth talking to him about the changes. 
• Tam was also the only instructor I had during my cohort so I can't comment on any of the others who now appear to run some lectures. 

Overall I couldn’t be happier with my decision to attend CodeCore. Just make sure you’re ready to fully commit yourself when you decide to do it. If you’re open to it they will make you into a quality developer no matter what your background is.