Codesmith

Being at the age of 36, I've made three best decisions in my life so far - and Codesmith was one of them.
On summer 2018 the restaurant where I was working as a bartender got caught on fire (true story). I was devastated because I really enjoyed working there, but at the same time I knew it was time for the change. I've been working in the restaurant industry for 4 years at that point, and knew it wasn't my career path. With that, having absolutely no background in IT, being an immigrant with English as a second language, I decided to become a programmer.
One of my favorite questions during the interview - "Why coding?". If I'm the one to answer, I tell the story from my childhood. In early 90s, my mom set a program to limit our computer time up to 2 hours. Me and my brother cracked it in one day. We played games for the whole day, and then reset the timer back to 2 hours before she was coming back home from work pretending we didn't even turn it on. Another true funny story that my mom still doesn't know :)
Once I decided I'd learn how to code, I did my research and limited it to the three best coding bootcamps in NYC. I started to prepare, and if you're just in the beginning of this journey, I FEEL YOU. Don't give up, it'll all makes sense soon, I promise! Only after 3 months since I wrote my first "Hello, World" I actually got goosebumps and thought: "Ah... so this is IT". This is when I knew I felt in love with coding.
I got into all three bootcamps, but that was just to test myself as I always knew it was Codesmith where I wanted to learn. They had the best outcomes, the best teachers (I attended their workshops), amazing vibes in that cute sunny Downtown office, and overall I just felt it would be a match.
I started in April, and graduated in July'19. That. Was. Hard. If you want to succeed, you gotta drop your normal life and give your full focus to the course. One of the most important things - you gotta trust the process. I can tell you about my hesitations and panic all night long. I actually couldn't believe I'd get a job, like, seriously. But there is a way how, and people at Codesmith know it. Just trust the process - you're not the first one.
In a month after graduation I had a part-time job. 2 months later I landed a full-time offer which exceeded my highest expectations. I've been working at the huge financial company for 4 years, growing, developing and using Codesmith advices on a daily basis. My love to coding was finally mutual, and I felt very grateful every day.
In the end of 2023 due to relocation I was in the job market again - now on the West Coast - and even though you probably heard it's tough right now and all, I was able to land three great offers. I felt the crisis too, it's no joke, but I simply followed what CS taught me - yet again - and it paid off. I'm now a Staff Software Engineer at a pretty cool software engineering company, and can't be happier in life.

Attending Codesmith was a transformative experience that exceeded all my expectations. From day one, the immersive environment, comprehensive curriculum, and supportive community set the stage for success. In hindsight, attending Codesmith was one of the best decisions I've ever made. It not only equipped me with the technical skills needed to thrive in the industry but also fostered a mindset of continuous learning and collaboration that will serve me well throughout my career. If you're serious about leveling up your coding skills and launching a successful career in tech, I can't recommend Codesmith highly enough.

Could not recommend Codesmith highly enough. There is no way I would have been able to be as successful in interviews and at my current job so quickly without going through the program. In addition to a vast amount of technical knowledge, you learn how to collaborate with engineers of all backgrounds and experience levels, which is crucial, especially working in lead and management-level positions. You get out of the program what you put into it, so it's not a "sit back and relax" type of situation, but those in the cohort who went all-in saw major results post-graduation. One con is that they pitch you being able to waltz into senior-level roles making 140k+ with no prior experience. This may have been true pre-covid, but is very rare in today's market. The average salary of our graduating class is significantly lower than it was a few years ago. That being said, everyone in my cohort who is working seems to be very happy and comfortable with their positions, their leveling, and what they're making.

The curriculum at Codesmith is extremely well-rounded, and introduces you to all of the parts needed to develop and deploy a full stack application from scratch. While there is a broad range of technologies covered, Codesmith encourages students to specialize in one area, becoming a T-shaped engineer (good at all, great at one). This lends itself to the best part of the curriculum: the focus on working in teams to build projects. Much of the program is devoted to building full stack applications; students are grouped together and work in an agile development process much like you would see in the real world, with certain team members tackling their specialized parts of the project. This gives you a great idea of what to expect in your future jobs. 

The only thing I will say is that 2023 and onward are not a reflection of the CIRR outcomes that Codesmith posts, which (last I checked) only go through mid-2022 and don't reflect the current state of the tech market. It took me 11 months to land a job after graduation, and I am being paid much less than the "average Codesmith grad", and only about half of my cohort have landed jobs. I don't blame Codesmith for this, since the job market is now saturated with experienced FAANG engineers that have been laid off, but it is important to note that the CIRR reports are no longer reliable with the current state of the job market. While it is possible to get a job after Codesmith, and the career support resources from Codesmith are incredible, it is an extremely challenging and mentally/emotionally draining process that does not end when you graduate Codesmith.

Codesmith did a fantastic job of preparing me for my first job as a software engineer. As someone who did not have a background that was even remotely technical, it took me a couple of months to get a high paying job. Granted, this was during a very hot job market, but I was able to make an impact at my new job from day one. I attribute that to what I learned at Codesmith. I talk to new grads on a monthly basis, and I think Codesmith has done a good job of adjusting their guidance and instruction to students entering the job market right now.

Transitioning from a non-technical background to software engineering was a daunting decision for me. The fear of regretting such a significant career change, coupled with the financial investment and uncertainties surrounding immersive programs, made me hesitant. However, in 2020, I took the leap and enrolled in the full-time remote Codesmith immersive, a decision I now cherish as one of the best I've made.
My journey with Codesmith began with their free JSX course, which not only provided me with a solid foundation in JavaScript but also introduced me to their supportive community on Slack. Their free online Hard Parts workshops further cemented my decision to join their full-time program, showcasing the community's commitment to building confidence and providing empathetic support to engineers.
Enrolling in their CS Prep course was the next step for me, serving not only as preparation for the immersive program's interview but also as a personal gauge of my commitment to the full-time program. The CS Prep course was fantastic, once again immersing me in their supportive community and affirming my decision to pursue software engineering with Codesmith.
Ultimately, I committed to their full-time online immersive. Though intense, the curriculum was exceptional, covering TypeScript/JavaScript to React and Redux, and Node and Express. While challenging, the hands-on projects and insightful educational lectures equipped me with the skills crucial for my first role.
What truly sets Codesmith apart is its community. Throughout the program, I felt supported, encouraged, and challenged, especially during moments of imposter syndrome. The post-program support, including resume assistance, mock interviews, and career guidance, further underscores their commitment to their students' success.
Four months after graduating, I secured a software engineering role with almost double my previous salary. Codesmith equipped me with the foundational knowledge I needed. While there were still gaps in my knowledge (which is expected in any SWE role for any engineer at any level at any point in their career), Codesmith instilled in me the mindset of continuous learning and problem-solving, which has been invaluable in my career.
Now, several years outside of the program, I continue to excel in my career as a Software Engineer and utilize Codesmith’s alumni resources. It's a community I know will accompany me for a long time.
While Codesmith offers the technical foundation for a software engineering role, achieving success demands dedication and effort. It's essential to recognize that success isn't guaranteed; Codesmith provides the tools and guidance, but it's up to you to put in the work. This entails committing to deepening your skills, practicing rigorously, and actively networking. If you're prepared to roll up your sleeves and fully commit, Codesmith will undoubtedly pave the way for your success. However, if you're expecting a passive experience and hoping to coast through the program effortlessly to land a job, I would advise against taking the leap.
If I were to offer one suggestion for improvement, it would be to provide more support on System Design interview preparation. While some time is allocated during the immersive, additional dedicated time in this area would be beneficial. Nonetheless, I was able to supplement my technical knowledge independently to excel in my interviews.
I'm genuinely grateful for my decision to join the Codesmith immersive. The strong community, comprehensive curriculum, and post-program support make it an excellent choice for anyone looking to transition into software engineering.

Codesmith is one of the best decisions I ever made.  Not only does their unique approach to teaching engineering truly set them apart, but the folks I met along the way have become some of my most important friendships. Learning to code is tough, and the environment they foster and the standard of excellence they promote is second to none, allowing their students to grow and learn in ways most of my classmates doubted were even possible. Many of my classmates were changing careers, didn’t have a background in tech, and most had never seen any code before beginning their application process.  While they set themselves apart by expecting students to work hard to understand the concepts, they also are incredible at tailoring the experience to make sure every student is able to succeed. Everyone struggled with one concept or another at some point, and yet, all of them came away from the program with serious, industry-ready skills that set them apart– even from folks with computer science degrees.  Being a professional engineer means constantly facing new tech, concepts and challenges– one of Codesmith’s greatest strengths is that they teach their students “how to learn” in a way you simply don’t see elsewhere. I came away from the program not only with a really solid foundation, but also with the confidence that I’d be able to tackle anything new in my career. I learned how to break down problems and incorporate new tech and skills on my own  As a student that went through the program and graduated in the midst of the 2023 tech lay-offs that happened world-wide, I was scared to say the least when it came time to hunt for a job. In the end, I found one within six weeks after completing the program. Not only had they prepared me, more than perhaps I even realized, but they also provide incredible post-graduate support that helped me every step of the way.  I wholeheartedly would recommend this program to anyone, it sounds corny to say so, but it really changed my life. 

I didn’t love every aspect of my Codesmith experience but I will say if you are to do a bootcamp, Codesmith is your best bet.

Starting with the positives: The support and community is top-notch. Everyone from instructors to TAs to alumni to support staff go above and beyond to make you feel welcome and battle imposter syndrome. It’s cheesy and borderline cult-like but as much as people rag on it, everyone feels safe, supported, and seen. The emphasis on projects is where you get your money’s worth and is the cornerstone of your resume and interviews. You’ll learn the basics of git and have plenty of options for answers to behavioral questions during interviews. The hiring portion at the end of the program I don’t think is as amazing as everyone puts it out to be, but they really do mean lifelong career support. Plenty of alums still use their postgrad career services. There are also some opportunities to connect with alumni during the program which proved valuable on the job hunt. 

There’s a lot that I wish were different about my experience. First, the weekly assessments I don’t think were a good measure of what I learned throughout the units. I was able to pass them just by copying a lot of the code from the units and changing them slightly. Just because I’m able to recognize a pattern doesn’t mean I have a deep understanding of the concepts. I felt like I skated by not really knowing the material. The TAs are previous alumni who just finished the program and it was obvious some of them didn’t know the material well enough to teach it and answer questions about it. (I did have some exceptional TAs though that I think deserve the senior engineering roles they landed after TAing.) There’s also no structure for the capstone project that you do. We were left to our own devices, tasked with building a solution to a technology none of us knew nothing about, and no one told us about good coding practices or did code review with us. I’m still proud of my group’s progress on the project and it gave me a lot to talk about during interviews, but I really feel Codesmith is missing out on a great opportunity here to teach us how best to code instead of just scrapping for an MVP.

Overall, I’m glad I did Codesmith because it helped me find a SWE job in a pretty brutal market between the career and alumni support but just know what you’re getting into if you go for it. Codesmith isn’t a golden ticket to a well-paying job. You’ll have to work hard to get through the program and you’ll need to supplement that with your own studying. If you’re not afraid of working hard and staying determined, Codesmith will be a good choice for you. 

I initially started looking into a career change after not being happy with my previous career trajectory and consulting with a friend that was in the industry.  After doing some initial research into another program, I noticed that Codesmith had superior analytics in regards to job placement and salary.  It's very important to do your due diligence because you are spending big money so you want to make sure that those funds aren't being wasted. 

Once I knew that CodeSmith would be my target, I started using their free JS learning resources (at the time called edx) and attending their free workshops.  This gave me an introduction to some of the lead instructors, some of the teaching fellows and the format of the lectures.  I also decided to enroll in both of the prep courses (since the cost was subsidized from the Immersive Tuition) and from there started to prepare for the interviews to get into the immersive itself.  I ended the CS Prep course in mid-july and pretty much studied from then till I got accepted into the course in October of that year.  There were two formal interviews, the first was a character interview where you spoke with someone over the phone to confirm your cultural fit, after you pass that you then need to pass a technical interview, which was done over zoom and was pretty much a coding interview. (One thing here is that this felt very similar to the actual job interview process).  It took me three tries to pass the technical interview but when I did I had a call with the lead instructor who told me I had passed.

Once I reserved my place in the cohort (maybe 2 weeks before it started) I was given some pre-course work which was setting up my environment with ide, connecting to github and working on pre-course work to prepare me for some of the upcoming work. (again the whole prep process was very similar to what it would be in a professional environment).

At this point the course started, i believe there were 4 weeks of lectures/smaller partner projects, 4 weeks of group projects, 4 weeks of capstone project and 2 weeks of job searching preparation.  I'd say my biggest takeaways from the learning/project side, is that Codesmith didn't necessarily pump all the information into me to make me a capable senior reaCT engineer, instead they more gave me a taste of technologies, and during the project phase, it was up to us to know how to research/read documentation to make things work (again very realistic to a professional setting).  Drilling into us how to research and problem solve was one of the biggest benefits to the program.  I've heard in other programs, people are just coding along and copying the instructor but with Codesmith we were literally building things from the ground up and figuring out how to do that.  When I got my first job I quickly realized that the process of building and problem solving felt very similar to the project phases at Codesmith.  And if you need extra help or are falling behind, the staff is there to help and assist.  During the lecture phases there were weekly assessments and if you struggled during those, you would get 1 on 1 sessions with staff.  I think I had a 1 on 1 session for every assessment I took.

The last 2 weeks of the program were also invaluable.  During this portion Codesmith helped us build our Resumes and Social media presence as well as going through interview prep with each other and also Alumni.  It was very similar to what I experienced during the job hunt.  and the Career assistance is for life!

In conclusion, I would like to say that the journey through Codesmith and the job hunt were not painfree.  I think I was interviewing and studying for a good 6 months before landing a job and even though there were some embarrassing interviews, I learned from each one and continued to learn and prepare for the next one.  It's very Cliche but you get from Codesmith what you put in.  The harder you work there the easier the transition will be into the workforce.  I stayed at my first job for 1.5 years and recently got referred and hired to another company.  I wouldn't say my life is stress free nor would i say software is easy, but I am in a much better place then before thanks to Codesmith.

Codesmith changed my life.  Before Codesmith, I was working a dead end customer service job.  I came into the program having studied for about 2 months to get into it, and then after the 3 month program, I was able to land a SWE position in less than a month, more than tripling my total compensation from before.  In talking to some current students and even some of my cohortmates, it's tempting to think that you know better than Codesmith... but from my perspective, it's like why would I pay $20k to do this thing and not give my 100% and see it through to its finish?  My advice would be to keep an open mind, give it your all, and then give it some more.  Codesmith was one of the hardest things I ever did, and the subsequent job search even harder, yet it was all worth it in the end to get to have a career that I always dreamed of.  

I attended Codesmith mid-last year, despite everything I heard and read about the market. All in all, between studying for and attending the program, and Job hunting I managed to land a job in just over a year. The entire process has been quite literally life-changing, I make nearly 4x what I made prior.

Is it easy?
No. The bar of entry is high, the program requires your entire undivided attention, and the job hunt is more difficult than both of those combined.

Is the market bad?
Yes, the majority of my cohort mates are still on the hunt, and 

Is it impossible?
Absolutely not! I have no degree, and was still able to land a role and a salary that had you asked me 1 year ago I would have never thought possible.

Overall, yes the market is bad, and yes nothing is guaranteed, but Codesmith is far and away the best BootCamp on the market, and the skills that they teach absolutely prepare you to successfully switch careers.

Before Codesmith, I was working on switching out of the medical field through self-learning but I quickly realized that a reliable bootcamp is a much better option. Having done research for months, I decided to go with Codesmith and the decision has been the best one I've ever made. The education I received at Codesmith in the short 3 months I was there made me a stronger dev than I could've become in 3 years of self-learning. I truly owe all of my professional success to the program and would recommend it to anyone I know as the education they provide is second to none. The community of people I met was truly amazing and has helped me still to this day in my coding journey. That support network of other engineers is by itself worth the price of admission. Even with the fast pacing, no one was left behind in learning as well all boosted each other, and the staff truly cares that everyone is learning and growing by providing whatever support is needed. Along with that, the way that the curriculum is taught was outstanding and truly gave me such an in-depth understanding of JavaScript and other frameworks were I feel that I have a better understanding of the technology than most of my coworkers. This is the best bootcamp by far that is out there!