Command Shift

It's been a few months since I finished Manchester Codes and it's safe to say I would not be securing a Front End Engineer role now, when I didn't even know the basics less than a year ago without Manchester Codes.
I was looking for a bootcamp that I would be able to manage along side my busy full time job and MC stood out for me more than other schools due to all their success stories, as well as them making a conscious effort to make the course more accessible for under-represented people. The price of the course is reasonable compared with other coding schools, however it is a lot of money to have to commit to, so having the diversity grant available definitely made it more accessible for me.

The course itself was probably one of the toughest things I've done to date - very fast paced it does require a lot of commitment (20 hours a week is recommended) however I did find myself spending every spare minute I had working on projects! The tutors are really helpful, approachable and have the very up to date knowledge on development so no questions went unanswered. In terms of the content delivery - I did find it a bit powerpoint heavy and wordy when it came to projects and I found myself looking for more video content that would aid my learning. I think adding more of this in would make MC even better. 

If you are looking for a coding school, I would highly recommend Manchester Codes. Even after finishing the bootcamp I still feel part of the community and the team have been more than happy to give me advice and support as I begin my new career. One piece of advice I would give is before jumping straight in, do some self learning beforehand and familiarise yourself with terminology and basic concepts; I think this would have made my experience a bit easier as I would have been able to pick up new concepts faster than I did, and probably would have spent fewer evening shouting at my computer!

When looking for courses it was absolutely crucial to me to find a part time boot camp so that I could keep a roof over my head while developing my career. Manchester Codes provided this perfectly giving me the flexibility to really dive into the course material and lectures whilst still holding down my job. The course itself was challenging, offering core modules and additional optional projects should you have a good knowledge of the tools. The stand out feature for me was the level of support. Manchester Codes has built a great network of like minded developers eager to help each other learn. I am pleased to say that I have now landed my first junior developer role at a large tech company thanks to the wonderful team at Manchester Codes.

I'm just finishing the 6 month part-time Software Engineering Fast Track course. Overall, I'm really pleased I decided to join Manchester Codes. I've learnt a lot in a relatively short space of time and I've met some truly amazing people - both staff and fellow students.
The big plus - I've just landed my first role as a developer! While I could have gotten to this point on my own eventually, I know I wouldn't be here now without Manchester Codes. The career guidance, CV help, support + encouragement and networking opportunities provided by various members of the team were major factors in building my confidence and job-readyness.
The tutors are all knowledgeable and experienced and the round the clock support via Slack exceeded my expectations. Also, they are all lovely easy-to-talk-to people who help create a relaxed and friendly atmosphere in the cohort, which can be challenging when remote (especially as previously they were not remote).
The course content, I believe, gives a reasonable enough grounding in the included topics and if you complete all the projects and study related concepts and topics, you will be ready to apply for jobs at the end or soon after the end of the course.
However, this will not happen just by attending lectures and following the walkthroughs. It is really important that to get the most out of a course like this that we take responsibility for our own progress and dedicate an extra 15-20 hours a week to studying/coding. This will require some strict time management and self-discipline if you are working full-time. And perhaps some favours from partners/family to help lessen your homelife responsibilities if possible.
I had already done a Udemy web development course before I started at Manchester Codes and this meant that much of what I learnt with Manchester Codes was already partly familiar to me. I found having this foundation really helped - Manchester Codes went further on each topic and I was able to build on this previously gained understanding. I think this made it easier for me than some others who were starting from near 0. For this course and any bootcamp, you will find you need to use materials from other sources such as FreeCodeCamp to help support your learning - and there's not much point in the bootcamps recreating what's already out there, so I think it's fair enough.
Things in my opinion Manchester Codes could improve:
Materials
The projects are well chosen and their outcomes useful and educational, but some guides were confusingly written, and there were some mistakes in places which caused frustration for students when projects didn't work properly (all problems were solved though!). Also, they are all text-based, more visuals would be appreciated, perhaps even videos.
Lectures
Sometimes lectures felt disjointed from the project we were working on. All topics were useful, but for me, it would have been better to tie in lectures to the project being worked on at the time. Also more lectures needed exercises and practical elements. I'm not a fan of lectures about programming to be honest. It's hard to take in especially after a day's work! Shorter lectures with exercises for us to try during class time would have been more effective. This was done at some points but mostly not. (And when we did get to do exercises in class it was really fun!)
Recap - things they are great at:
-Teaching programming skills - code alongs, demos, explanations-Setting projects that will help you get job-ready-Support with all your coding woes-Careers Support-Networking-Community building-Taking feedback - they ask for it every week and often adapt accordingly

I started the Bootcamp 11 months ago while working in construction and now 5 months after graduating I've been working as a Junior Software Engineer for almost a month. As the course is part-time you are still able to work full-time which for me was a huge bonus. You learn all the best practices taught by working Software Developers who clearly care for the work they do and will help as much as they can. After finishing you can expect really hands-on career support, regular check-ins, CV advice, job posts and when I had an interview lined up I even got connected with a past employee who was able to give me great advice. One of the best decisions I've made and I couldn't recommend it enough.

I did this course at the end of 2020 and it took me 6 months to finish, the course was great and got me on track to working in the tech industry just 1 month after completing and most of my cohort also ended up in employment after.

So the course its self is split up into. An introduction to programming so HTML CSS etc, then Front End, Back End and a final group project that builds on everything you have learnt.

The intro i found a little strange in it's approach they basically set you off without any teaching for the first few weeks and give you some tasks to complete the idea is that you learn how to source information (google everything) and figure out the problems on your own, while this is a great skill to learn I feel as though it is a little to much to begin with and can put some people off. After all you pay to get taught right!!! don't get me wrong the tutors are actually there to help you every step of the way its just a shock to start with and I wasn't not expecting that. credit to the tutors tho they are really help full.

The course then goes through all the fundamentals of computer programming to set you up for your first role in the industry and I can honestly say 100% that is does this, while you dont finish the course feeling like you are the new Bill Gates you come away with a bucket of new information, skills and strength's that are desirable for any junior position. You will learn how to think like a programmer solve problems like a programmer and communicate like a programmer. You will build a great portfolio consisting of around 10 projects that you can present to employers

Lowlights
The material could be better maintained and proof reading was needed on a few projects. somethings did not make sense or had become out of date, after a quick convocation these issues got resolved, and they are still updating there documents and trying to improve.

Back End is the area that makes the course difficult as they are trying to pass on so much information in such a short space of time and they do there best to deliver but I think there is still room for improvement it feels very overwhelming and when I finished I wanted nothing to do with it. On the flip side I now work in the Back End and its not actually that bad!

Highlights
Great staff, great projects, great communication, great students. Everyone struggles together and succeeds together there is a great support net and there Saturday sessions are a game changer or they were for me, any projects I would be struggling with I could sit with someone and they would really give you the time to go through your code and help you understand whats going, I have kept in contact with the tutors and other people from the course, I got a-lot more out of the course than I expected too, Not only did I have this new world of information and skill set I met some amazing people, the tutors really go out of there way to help you.

After the course you have access to there job coach and I feel as though they will not stop until you are sorted out. even now almost 2 years later I still get asked how I am doing in my role and would I like any help with my CV for applying for new roles in the future. They care alot and it shows, the positives of this course out weigh the negatives by far. and I have even recommend this course to my Friend and they enrol this September 2022

Last bit
Prior to this I had zero experience, other than a few youtube videos and research on Python, JavaScript and HTML but just tried to figure out the basics, obviously the more prep and lessons and projects you do before the course the better prepared you will be. I am also Dyslexic and have Dyspraxia and this was a big concern for me taking on a course like this, while they do not offer any extra support from this I found it didn't really matter in the end if you work hard you can learn how to program. Overall I would always recommend this course to people as long as they are willing to put in the work. 

The Manchester Codes course was over 6 months, two nights a week. There was the general expectation that you would do around 20 hours of self study a week. The course content is of a very high quality and hosted on their own platform which you get life access to. You are taken through all stages, from early cope skills to building an app. There is definitely a focus on moving into the software development career space, but no pressure if you are there to just learn and have the experience. I was lucky to make some great friends on the course too. The experience and jobs of the tutors was really fascinating and made me realise how wide the tech industry was, it was fantastic to learn from real Devs. I think this course is fantastic value for money. 

I attended the 2019/2020 cohort of Manchester Codes because I needed to refresh my coding skills.
To start off, Manchester Codes was the most cost efficient coding bootcamp I could find, and also part time so you can fit it in with your work/famiky commitments. They are located in central Manchester, very accessiblevia public transport. The registration and enquiry process was super helpful, and I was assisted thoroughly through the onboarding and enrolling process. Joe personally even set up my laptop with the right version of Ubuntu.
The course content is concise, yet gives you a deep dive into what's the most sought after web dev skills. It is quite intense but in the right way. The course is also interactive and project based so you have work in your GitHub to show your potential employers. My tutors were Romy and Ian, both of whom were extremely knowledgeable and always ready to help. Literally 24/7. 
Besides just coding, I also learnt from here soft skills that are necessary in this industry, and other software development practices such as clean coding, modular coding and Agile methodologies. They also help with CV reviews and interview preps to land you the right job.
I landed mine at IBM.

Studying coding with Manchester Codes was the best decision I made. From the supportive mentors and tutors, excellent learning materials and lectures and the supportive community they have created, I feel very lucky to have been a part of it! 

The course is intense, and you do have to commit atleast 20 hours on top of the 6 hours per week of classes, so be sure you’re able to make that time commitment before undertaking the course. I would also recommend doing some free courses online (such as free code camp) so you have some knowledge of the concepts beforehand which will definitely give you a head start. 

The support with finding a job is also great! From CV reviews, general tips, the lunch and learn videos with various companies, I felt very supported and less overwhelmed when it came to applying for jobs and I truly believe I would not have gotten a job less than 1 month after graduating had it not been for the guidance Manchester codes provided.