Coding Bootcamp Praha

• Highly knowledgable instructors who are truly dedicated to their students.
• Very friendly environment, great classmates and patient mentors
• Great structure of the teachings, great to see how your knowledge ads up and ads up in a logical manner.
• Very practical so each student gets tons of practice. Further exercises always available when you need more practice for specific topics or even if you are more advanced and ahead of the class.
• The experience of developing the final project is valuable. Helped me learn and also helped me get a job. It is really useful to be able to talk about your code and show your progress.
• Staff always there to cheer you up or answer any questions you might have. Also super caring - free food for hackathons, free drinks from time to time - all really helped to create a nice atmosphere.
• Had two job offers already in the last week of the bootcamp from smaller companies but decided in the end to wait one more week to interview little more. Within two weeks of the bootcamp I started working in an awesome office with great colleagues, awesome equipment and trainings - couldn’t be happier!
• Would definitely recommend to anyone interested in learning web development

I joined the coding bootcamp in Prague around Autumn 2018. I started learning the basics of programming, as a hobby, in python from online tutorials but mostly I was not sure how to move beyond the basics of coding.  Thereafter, I started looking for full-time courses. My main aim was to get guidance from professionals as the programming field is vast and chances of getting lost are high. 
I enrolled myself in Coding Bootcamp Praha. It was a three months long, full-stack web development course. They introduced me to various front end technologies like Html, CSS, Bootstrap, Javascript and React whereas in back end technologies we covered Php, Laravel, and SQL. During the boot camp, in a group of 4, we were also required to put together a comprehensive site/app as a final project. This project was built in the Laravel framework using the different technologies learnt (PHP, MySQL and react). 
The bootcamp itself is quite intensive but really good if you are a beginner looking to get into the web development industry. This course requires full time dedication, five days a week of classes along with plenty of assignments outside of class hours. The instructors are senior developers in the industry and are quite knowledgeable as well as helpful. They were also approachable over online chat outside class hours.  There were also plenty of events to connect with the alumni and other people from the professional scene which is useful for job hunting if you intend to continue staying in Prague after the bootcamp.
I learned a lot of new skills and made some really good friends. Overall, the bootcamp fulfilled my goal of advancing me from a complete beginner to having a more focused path towards getting a job in web development. I would strongly recommend the bootcamp to those interested in web development however make sure you have the time and attention to dedicate yourself fully to this for the whole three month duration as it is quite intensive.

I just finished Coding Bootcamp Praha (CBP) yesterday and would like to share my overall experience. Please note that everything below is just my opinion and many people feel differently, especially concerning the tech stack taught at CBP.

First, some information that I consider important:

• My previous background: lawyer.
• I will be working as a full-stack JavaScript developer, mainly focusing on the frontend (React) with a little bit of backend (Node.js).
• Why did I choose to enroll in CBP: I live in Prague, it seemed to have a good price/quality ratio. I also reached out to some of the graduates before enrolling and they had a mostly good experience.
• Was I able to find a job after the Bootcamp? Yes, I was even able to be a little picky. It is however important to note that I was interested in programming for some time before actually enrolling in the Bootcamp and had at least basic understanding of the core programming concepts before I even started at the Bootcamp. I also think it is easier for Czech speakers to find a job as most of my interviews were in Czech, but there’s a lot of jobs available in the Czech market. Not sure how hard it is to find a job abroad after graduating.
• I have found my job completely on my own. It will be mainly up to you to find a job. CBP does not seem to have many contacts with jobs available. They provide you with some HR sessions but if you already have some professional experience (regardless of your field), the odds are that you will already know most of what is said in the sessions.
• I think 4 out of 20 people have found their jobs during the Bootcamp, but most of the people are just starting to look for a job now or they won’t be looking for a job in the tech field at all.
• The age of the participants varies largely, most of the participants (including myself) were in mid to late 20s. 8 Czechs, 12 people from abroad (mainly from English-speaking countries).
• The motivation of the participants also varied, some of them were enthusiastic about programming and very well prepared from the beginning, some of them just wanted to try something new and see where it goes.
• To my knowledge, 1 person has left the Bootcamp before it ended.

Pros:

• The community is one of the greatest assets of CBP. Most of the people will be going through the same struggle as you and will be as motivated to learn to code as you.
• During the program, there is a hackathon every other week, focusing on one particular field (HTML/CSS, vanilla JS, PHP/Laravel, React, small full-stack application). I found the hackathons to be the most helpful days during which I’ve learned the most.
• CBP teaches React which is in huge demand right now. I would appreciate to learn even more React during the 12 weeks as those classes were the most useful ones.

Cons:

• We were taught very little logic during the program. Although I understand it is difficult, I think it is important to know a little bit more than just a simple if/else statement or a for loop to actually become a developer. If you go through FreeCodeCamp JS certification, you will actually know more logic than what is taught at CBP.
• Let’s face it, PHP is in decline. If you will be creating a new project right now, the backend will most probably not be in PHP.  Unfortunately, both of the backend instructors code mainly PHP/Laravel so that’s what they decided to teach. I would really like to see Node.js/Express instead. On the other hand, the only thing you need is to understand how MVC backend frameworks work and you will be able to understand that after learning Laravel. It would just be better to learn it using more relevant technology.
• We spent too much time learning the specifics of Laravel (e.g. sending email notifications). In my opinion, there will be 0 or 1 person that will be coding in Laravel after finishing the Bootcamp, there are more important things we could’ve learned (e.g. more React, Docker).
• The classes sometimes got really theoretical without coding anything ourselves for the whole day. Learning by doing is in my opinion very important and CBP should focus more on that.
• CBP should really start teaching Docker since it’s everywhere and it will be the first thing everybody will have to learn after they start their jobs.
• There are currently 20 people in the class and the instructors get sometimes really busy during hackathons/final project mentoring so it might be difficult to actually get their help.

Conclusion

• CBP gave me structure and allowed me to escape the “tutorial hell”. I would go again.
• Parts of the curriculum should be improved and PHP should be abandoned. Some instructors should focus more on learning by doing.
• I highly recommend preparing yourself well and see if you actually like programming. Go through some basic JavaScript courses at least.

If you have any specific questions, get in touch with me and I will be happy to answer them.

Hi everyone, I will try to sum up my experience at the Coding Bootcamp Praha, how I chose it, and how it went for me during and after the programme. I did a lot of research before choosing this particular bootcamp and chose it based on the great reviews and because no other bootcamp was so friendly and helpful when asking them tons of questions about their programme. They even gave me a personal tour through the campus because unfortunately I was not able to attend any scheduled info session. The staff is really nice and took the time to thoroughly go through what I was signing up for.

Before enrolling I tried to learn on my own a lot of the front end aspects of coding and while I made some progress I definitely struggled to put it properly into anything project-wise. I realised I needed more structure and guidance if I wanted to succeed at a career change. Before the bootcamp I worked in back office job in a bank and despite it was decently paid and a stable job I knew I could not do this for the rest of my life – I was missing the opportunity to create and to be intellectually challenged. 

Coding Bootcamp Praha was truly one of the best decisions I have made for myself and my career. The programme emphasizes community, collaboration and persistence over competition and natural-born talent and that’s exactly the type of environment I feel good at – doing my best, pushing myself as much as I can but not feeling bad when others are faster.

Each day at the bootcamp starts with a programming exercise to warm up your brain and I loved doing something practical right from the morning. It follows with the demo of the new materials and after lunch you have time to do exercises, sometimes individually and mostly in pairs or teams. 

In terms of the level of challenge, I suppose that this is really individual, so I can only speak for myself - for me, it was challenging, but manageable. All of the instructors are knowledgeable and are helpful throughout the 12 weeks. Considering that they know so much, it is pretty awesome that they are all really humble and down to earth. 

The final piece of puzzle was finding a job and I found one after meeting an HR person from my current employer at the Demo Day, which is the final event of the bootcamp. From my batch it was bit more than half students going into frontend (mostly JavaScript / React), and the rest into fullstack / backend (mostly PHP/Laravel or other PHP frameworks such as Symfony or different other backend languages, eg. Python). I didn’t keep track of everyone after the bootcamp, so this is just a rough number. Cause it;s definitely true what they tell you during the bootcamp – the bootcamp is intense but the first few months in your new job even more so! 

Overall, my experience at the Coding Bootcamp Praha was awesome, I highly recommend this bootcamp to all the people who want to learn web development!

To all who are considering taking this course:
I started the Bootcamp and didn't finish it, because i got offered a job full time 2 weeks before the demo day. I had to choose, stay till the end or take the job. And i don't regret my decision . I currently work with Java for BackEnd and Javascript for FrontEnd.

CONS:
- What they teach there is mostly JavaScript and PHP+Laravel. While Javascript is a really good subject to learn, php and laravel is completely useless, the only useful thing was GET, POST methods there and also VMC model in laravel. That is it. In my opinion spending on PHP and Laravel that much time is just a poor program planing, but the main teacher is a PHP developer which explains it.
- Only 1 Week on React.JS, which again, doesn't make sense if this Bootcamp is targeting to make a "ready to work" person. 
- Group projects are good, but, it lacks project management. What i mean by that is, i really had troubles because i was always in a group where the person just wants to do things his way. Sure you can change the group, but who can guarantee that this will not repeat again in the next one?
- They dont help you find a job at all. They just pretend that they do, but in the end, it's all up to you.
- No one cares if you passed this bootcamp,  got a certificate or both.
- The main teaches is the only one who actually teaches and helps. Others are just giving an assignment or pretending to explain.
- Exams are to easy. 

PROS:
- The overall experience is really good. You learn, struggle and try with people like you.
- When working on a group project, If you get a good group, where you can work together as a team, then the knowledge and experience you gain.
- Besides PHP and Laravel, the program is really good.

Conclusion:
If you are the type of person who can't learn by himself(like me) then definitely try it. But be aware, they don't teach you like in school, they just help you learn. Don't get me wrong, they do present with information and topics, but it's not even close to enough. Its just basic things that you MUST know. In the end, if you will not practice or dig deeper into what you learned, then it's just a waste of time.

I attended the Coding Bootcamp Praha last year after thinking about joining a coding bootcamp for about a year. I came across an article comparing various bootcamps & I went for this because they already have been on the market for a while, they have great reviews and their graduates work at cool tech companies. But that was just the start. 

I was excited to get accepted and resigned from my job the very same day. Afterwards I had about three free months before my batch started and I tried to learn as much as I could from the pre-bootcamp study materials as well as any resources I found myself. When the bootcamp started I was glad that I did this. 

I really enjoyed getting to know my classmates and we had a lot of fun together studying as well as just hanging out. We studied a lot together also during the weekends and it was great to spend an intense Saturday learning stuff and then going out together for dinner. 

My biggest thanks go to the instructors who were all extremely helpful, experienced, and knew how to help us efficiently. They all were creating a really nice positive atmosphere and cheering us up when we started being tired. 

My best advice to anyone who thinks about this journey is not to compare yourself to anyone else! I wasn’t the fastest at my batch to understand every new concept but that really didn’t matter in the bigger picture. It took me six weeks after the bootcamp to find the right job and start and Im really happy that I did this career switch.

I highly recommend Coding Bootcamp Praha to anyone interested in starting a career as a web developer.

I had been teaching english in Prague for a few years but needed a career change. I met a graduate of the course randomly and she told me how she had found a job quickly after completing the course. I jumped at the opporunity to sign up as I was desperate to get into a carreer with room to grow. Following the course I was getting plenty of interviews and offers. My visa situation was the only barriar to many of them, although I was able to find a company that would sponser an employee card for me. I am now happily and gainfully employed in a job that will take me much further than anything I have done previously, I am very happy and grateful to have found Coding Bootcamp Prague. 

Coding Bootcamp Praha's instructors are definitely what secures their program's reputation as a five-star coding bootcamp experience and sets them apart from other programs. The mentors are well educated, experienced software engineers and very good at teaching others. I had a fantastic time at the bootcamp, I learnt much more than I ever could imagine (partly because I had no idea how much is there to learn :) ) and I met a great crowd of people.

My advice for the bootcamp? Be disciplined, do the work, be on time and be courageous. Also, make sure you do the pre-bootcamp studies - they are there for a reason! Finally, it's easy to fall into the trap that the field is so vast and you might start feeling that if you know only 5% it's not ever enough. Also, if you are not 18 anymore, you might also think that you are too old to learn all this - at least that's how I felt few times. If you ever feel down, talk to the other students, talk to the staff - they are extremely nice and supportive and it might be a cliche but if you feel you are not the only one, it really helps.

Finding a job in Prague has proved to be much easier than in my home country so I stayed in the Czech Republic after the program. It's a lovely country and with so many opportunities in the tech environment right now, so it was an easy choice despite I never lived abroad before. Good luck whatever you decide to do!

Hey there, I have graduated from the Coding Bootcamp Praha about a half a year ago and have worked as a software developer since February 2018. I have been asked a number of times about my experience - by my new colleagues, by random encounters at events or even by strangers who found me on LinkedIn. So, I have decided to share my story here (to save myself a bit of time :-D ). What do I get asked mostly:

What did I do before and how much I knew?
I worked as a customer support manager in a corporate environment for several years. Before I studied communications and management at a university. I guess I have always likes computers and figuring out stuff on my own but being a girl I have never considered IT to be the path for me. None of my girlfriends were interested in this area so not really having anyone to share my passion with probably made me choose more generalist study fields. I liked that one third of my batch were girls because I finally felt more normal haha. In terms of my previous knowledge - I have studied on various online platforms on and off for about two years and learnt HTML and CSS and played with JavaScript. But since i had a fulltime job I sometimes managed to study every evening for a week and then I had a two month break. After this repeated few times I decided i need a more structured approach.

Why did I go for CBP and not another bootcamp?
Im from the Czech Rep and there arent any other coding bootcamps - just short courses on one topic, workshops or studying computer science at a uni. So i got pretty excited when i learnt that there is a coding bootcamp in my country too. I learnt about the coding bootcamps concept from an American friend, so i first actually researched there. I checked the taught languages, the instructors and i attended an intro workshop that the CBP organised - all that was great for me & ofc the location was perfect for me too. There were many foreign students in my batch - US and Europe mostly but also other countries, we had a lot of fun also outside the bootcamp.

Was it hard / how much did I study?
I studied a lot, almost every evening, on Wednesday afternoons, most of the weekends… i think that programming is hard, its a different way to think and its so easy to frustrate yourself when things dont work. But its also very rewarding once you start getting a grasp of things - i never had a feeling like that in any of my past jobs. I think that was the moment i realised this is really the right field for me. In general, i realised i have to try and try again, get help and try more - thats really the only way to learn anything at all i believe. I liked the instructors a lot, they are the reason why i managed to make it happen so big thanks to all of them!

How are the days organized?
On a normal day you start with a guided exercise, followed by a lecture on the new topics and in the afternoon you implement new concepts into exercises or projects. In the second half you work a lot of your final project, so the schedule is sometimes bit different. In the last two weeks you work fulltime on your project within your team - i felt the final project was where i learnt the most because it combined it all together.

Did I get any help with finding a job?
There are HR workshops and individual sessions or you can just ask Jana or Honza pretty much anytime for help. For the hackathons we also got extra mentors who are senior developers from the partner companies, so i also used that to ask about what they expect from juniors & how to get hired. I had a LOT of questions and I got help and guidance anytime I needed, many thanks for that.