Codeworks

Codeworks has delivered perfectly on its promises. It's a wonderful experience that has taught me in just a few months the knowledge, tools and experiences necessary to acquire a job even in a working environment post-Covid.

From the beginning, I knew Codeworks was serious with its relatively stringent application process - it was the most rigourous out of all the bootcamps that I had applied to. The curriculum is thorough and they make sure to teach relevant technologies and languages to software jobs that are currently hiring.

With only my Math background, it would have been difficult, if not almost impossible to get a job on my own in the industry. However, after one short month having finished the course, I managed to land a job at a start up where I feel valued for my skills.

Codeworks was definitely an experience that I would recommend to anyone who wants to learn coding from the beginning, or needs a refresher.

The Corporate Training has been a very useful experience. Our class was a small group and all of us have learned Javascript muddling through with online courses like many in people these days. In five 8-hour sessions we could set a rock solid base on the actual functioning of the language and good programming practices in general. This makes further learning significantly easier, which is key in this fast-paced industry.
The sessions combined in a dynamic way code-alongs, pair programming, solo practice and small chunks of theory. Although it was quite challenging at times, the classes were adapted to our rhythm so we have not been overwhelmed. With the excuse of the time scarcity, many courses throw at you a lot of content in a way that simply does not stick into your mind. Few weeks after the course I can say my way of coding has definitely improved. We even had some time to solve doubts related to our product.
I would recommend this kind of program to any company as a quick way to develop the skills of the team. Being a few days in Codeworks away from our daily duties has been worth hundreds of hours of online code alongs and documentation reading.

If you're reading this review I'm assuming that you're interested in learning how to code and are considering if Codeworks is the right choice for you (or maybe you just enjoy reading reviews which is a bit weird tbh).

If your goal is to become a freelance programmer so you can work from the comfort of your own basement, or even if you just want to improve your skills enough that your clickbait website will finally take off, you'll probably be better off taking your business elsewhere.

What makes Codeworks different from it's alternatives is the fact that you will not only learn the practical skills of writing good code, but more importantly you will learn how to think like a software engineer (you may think that coding === software engineering, but it's not).

The most valuable things you will learn during your time at Codeworks will come from the experience of working on a team. Being part of a highly motivated team of developers, working towards a common goal, you will acquire skills that no "youtube professor" can teach you.

Finally, if you're not sure you want to become a software developer, but have been convinced after reading positive online reviews, you might be making a huge mistake. Only if you're already convinced you want to be a software developer, and are looking for the best place to achieve that goal, should you apply to Codeworks. You definitely won't regret it. 

After over one year, it's time for me to write my review about Codeworks.

Almost one and a half year ago, I terminated my studies in software engineering in Italy, and the big plan was immediately to find a place where I could specialize myself in a programming language I liked. There were many options, but after reviewing different options, Codeworks seemed to be the best choice for me.

After the application process, which I think it was really challenging, I did the pre-course and started the main course in February 2018.

What I discovered was unbelievable: the program, the people and the environment were unique in their genre, just in the first week I learned so much to surprise me, even after 5 years at university, But, it doesn't mean you need a degree to attend the course: the material and the instructors are so clear that will make you comfortable learning advanced topics such as Data Structures and Algorithms.

The final experience was for me the most insightful of my life. After my graduation as a Codeworks student, I also had the chance to stay there as a teacher assistant, growing again day by day, until I finally became an instructor. This second part of my life in Codeworks helped me to grow even more than my student career because I discovered the teaching activity to be the best way to learn. And the amazing people around you make it possible creating the best work environment I've ever seen.

Now, I accepted another good job offer in Barcelona as a Frontend developer with React, and I think all of this is thanks to Codeworks.

 

After a year I finally write my review, Codeworks was a fantastic experience, not so much for the instrument as for the mentality, the team is really incredible Arol Alessandro, Leo and Marco are excellent instructors, always available to give you a hand . I decided to do this review after having so much time to dare another point of view, that of a person who has attended the bootcamp and works and after a year I can say that Codeworks is the state more than useful, I worked in Italy for 2 companies at the top of the startup in my area, I have an average salary higher than my peers and I do the job I love to do.

If you are looking for a truly professional bootcamp, choose it and I'm sure you won't regret it.

I graduated Codworks 1 year ago and I can tell you that my life changed completely from that moment on.

This bootcamp is not only an amazing experience, but of an excellent level:

- The course curriculum is everything you're going to need to succeed in a full stack position.

- The teachers are more than qualified and really great people.

- The course teaches you how to code, but moreover, it teaches you how to learn, so you'll be working with a lot of different technologies and languages but you won't be afraid to approach them.

- You'll be spending 3 months developing code, but also developing a bond with a lot of different people (and some ping pong mad skills).

 

For me it took 2 months to find a job. Why so long? I had a lot of offers, but I wanted to find a company with a product I could see myself using and having fun developing. I can tell you that you'll find a job, but if you're patient enough, thanks to Codeworks, you'll find your deam job.

I'll try and keep this as succinct as possible:
Is it worth the 10k? Yes/no- Do you want to completely change your career and get started as a full stack developer? Yes, worth it. Do you want to learn this so you can return back to your current job and be able to work better with developers as a PM or Agile Coach etc. No, I would say not worth it. This course is really intense and designed for those who want to start with a leg up.

How's the quality of the material? This is the only school, that I was able to find in the area, that went as in depth with JavaScript as possible with the time available. The **mandatory** pre-course work is no joke, one of the co-founders will say that it alone is enough to get a Jr. Dev position. I think it's a little bit of a stretch, seeing some job applications and coding challenges for potential hires leaves me to believe that he is not too far off from that statement. If you know programming and have used the method `.reverse()` and you use it but don't know the inner workings of it... don't worry, by the end of the pre-course you will know the inner workings of maaaaany JavaScript methods. Then you will go through topics of Classical Inheritance to Pseudo Classical(Prototypal) Inheritance to Classes. You will learn Angular AND React for frameworks, bare Node, Express and Koa. too many things to list.

Is it that intense? Yes, though depending on your previous knowledge. I did freeCodeCamp for a year previously and this course was intense. Not just because of the material, but you will do a serious deep dive into JavaScript and look under the hood often as to who, what, where, when, and why. You will do this for 3 months Mon-Sat 09h-21h (minimum).

How are the staff? The staff are great, very knowledgeable and patient with answering questions. Although, be fairly warned don't even dare asking them a question that's easily answered online because you are too lazy to google it. Aside from that. staff members will hold meetings with other classmates and go over topics maybe you still don't understand, they will really bend over backwards for you.

100% hiring? There was one person that I knew of that it took him longer than the 5 months to find a job, of actively looking. However, he is now working at a company as a full stack dev. The guy who helps you find a job (Don't know his title, sorry Marc) will work with you until you land your job. He will negotiate the contracts with you and try and get you the money that is deserved with the company that you want. Then if you decide that you don't like your current job anymore and want a new opportunity you can reach out to him and he will do his best to help you again. 

Negative - So this course is not a course where you are going to get your hand held through it. You can get really really easily overwhelmed. It's still a little too pricey. You will have ZERO social life. If you are not from the city and you think that it will be nice to go to Barcelona and see the city while programming, get that thought out of your mind. You will spend 90% of your time awake either reading about programming or actually doing it.

I attended the 12-week full-stack program Codeworks is running in autumn-winter 2017. It was one of the most rewarding experience in my life. The environment is the best I could ask for, both the personnel at school and the classes are very supportive and nice and their facilities are great. The course is very demanding, but for our benefit, I learnt an insane amount, and was really proud of what I was able to build. The program is the right mix of theoretical and practical. I can only recommend anyone to join!

TL;DR

Excellent curriculum, great outcomes, passable lectures, fun experience overall. Be prepared to study hard and teach yourself. Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions. If you put in the time and effort, you will succeed. The jobs are out there, and if you can get through Codeworks, you will definitely find one.

The Course

• The course is every bit as intense as is advertised. You will really spend 11-12 hours there a day, 6 days a week
• The curriculum is excellent and well-tailored to the job market. You will leave well prepared for the technical interviews.
• Lectures were meh. There were a few excellent ones, but I have to say that as a whole their effectiveness was questionable. Make sure to be vocal and ask questions if you don't understand. Be prepared to spend time learning things on your own.
• Make the most out of your senior projects. These will form your portfolio after the course during the job hunt, and will make a big difference.
• Ultimately, you get out what you put in. If you show up having barely spent any time on the precourse, you will struggle through the course and lose the opportunity to learn more in-depth things. The more prepared you come, the better positioned you are to take advantage of the whole experience.

Peers

• The peers in your batch make a huge difference! You are spending 6 * 12 hours with them a week.
• I was lucky to meet 14 amazing individuals who were a pleasure to work and learn with.
• You can't control how your classmates are, but you can be an agreeable and cooperative person yourself.

Outcomes

• To my knowledge, everybody in my graduating class (14 people) who wanted a job as a software developer has now received an offer as a developer, regardless of citizenship.
• Job assistance was quick and effective. Thanks Marc!

I waited a bit before writing my review as I had taken some time off before applying: I needed to make up my mind on where I wanted to live, which role, etc. I had therefore little visibility on how I would perform compared to the rest of the "market". Currently I am a full-stack developer working in London for clients as a contractor. I am now in the position to attest that the things we learned and the depth of our knowledge in Javascript and software development in general is really, really good. If you're skeptical about whether those months can take you to a professional level, please, know that it really will. 
You'll get much more than just knowledge in web development. You'll get the right fundamentals (algorithms, data structures, etc), which makes a whole difference on your approach when you'll start building things: you'll be able to judge the efficiency and quality of a given code. 
Warning - before coming to CW, you do need to learn and code as much as you can. As others have pointed out, in the end of the day, you will have to do the work. So you might struggle if you haven't prepared properly before the program. Really take the pre-course exercises seriously, and start learning on your own now. 
The TAs are really patient and helpful, it really speeds up your learning by ten times compared to if you were on your own. Not to mention the rest of the students. I met the most brilliant minds. 
I urgently recommend if you're serious about becoming a full-stack / front-end / software engineer.