devCodeCamp

At the time I found devCode I really wasn't sure what career shift I wanted to pursue, but I knew I needed to make a change.  The staff at devCode were very friendly and answered all my questions and gave me time to look into software development and decide if that was the career shift I wanted.  I am very glad that I did choose devCode.  The program was very challenging but rewarding, the instructor were fantastic and always willing to help answer questions or to go over concepts that we had just learned.  I really enjoyed my time there and learned a lot.  Coming out of devCode and applying for jobs has been some what challenging but I have just accept an offer and am excited to continue developing my skills in this field.   

The decision to join devCodeCamp was definitely the best career decision I've ever made.    My initial concerns were that this course was going to be way too much work for me. And in the beginning, it was a little overwhelming with how much information I was getting and how fast our course work was moving. However, once I got into the swing of things (and got used to the 7am start time) everything suddenly seemed to be much more manageable. The course was tough to be sure but was incredibly rewarding!  The course work was always fun and engaging.  I never had a project that I didn’t want to be doing.  This was especially surprising to me because of my time in traditional education.  Any time I would get an assignment from my professors at UWM, I would groan a hefty groan.  So to be working on projects that I actually wanted to do was an incredibly refreshing change.  I truly believe anyone who is willing to put their “A” game into this course will get exactly what they want out of it.

I started contemplating devCodeCamp after evaluating my career in the insurance industry, and deciding that I would much prefer working in IT. I spent a month after quitting my job trying the self-study route using free online resources such as CodeAcademy and the online MIT CS101 course. I found it was difficult to focus and self-motivate for the 8-10 hours a day I knew it would take to learn enough to switch careers. I had read negative reviews of coding bootcamps, and of devCodeCamp in particular, so I was hesitant to enroll. What tipped the scales for me was knowing that, even if the camp did not back up all of its promises, it would at least provide the structure I needed to buckle down and study. 

My experience at the camp was positive. It starts slow then requires more time and effort as the weeks pass. The instruction was satisfactory. The instructors would present concepts over the course of a few days, then assign a project that  incorporates those concepts. I got a job using the main language taught at devCodeCamp, and I feel as though their coverage of the language adequately prepared me to contribute. The instructors had different styles, some would almost write code for the people who asked while another was dismissive of any question asked. I think I benefitted more from not being spoon-fed information, as it taught me to research the answers to my problems and led me to not overly utilize other engineers at my current job.

I started with a class of 16 people. 4 dropped out before completing the course. 5 graduated on time. 6 graduated after re-doing projects on completion of the course. 1 completed the course and did not graduate.  Of the 11 people in my class who eventually graduated - 8 that I know of have jobs in the industry. After graduation I put in 30-40 hours a week at devCode, applying for jobs and improving my skills. Due to my dedication I received three interviews through Paul, the engagement and employment head at devCodeCamp. I was hired through that third interview, three months after graduating. We were told that about half of graduates were hired through their own efforts, and half were hired through a connection at devCodeCamp, and I would say that is true based on the experiences of my peers.

So of the 16 people that started in my cohort, half have great jobs, which they wouldn't have gotten so quickly without the guidance of devCodeCamp, and half are probably pretty disappointed with their experience. The school is not a golden bullet to a position in the IT industry. For the most part you can decide if you are in the happy group or the disappointed group. If you have the ability to focus on complicated tasks with little oversight for hours every day, perservere through months of rejected job applications, and don't have a bad personality, then I would say do it. If not, then you are throwing away your money and time. For me, enrolling at devCodeCamp was one of the best decisioins I've made in my life.

My time at devCodeCamp was pretty great, the instructors were there to help. They taught the basics of the basics in the beginning making sure that everyone was on par with one another. 

Of course things get tougher afterwards and that's where you begin to shine, you learn how to learn, you learn how to ask specific questions pertaining to what you are trying to do, and you learn how to break things down to find solutions. 

devCodeCamp is located in Wisconsin, I actually came from another state to take this course, I heard from a relative how great it was. I remember my first week where I was told this is going to be one of the hardest things that you have done in your life and it was (this is not easy). 

I have graduated and found a great career back in my home state after 3 months of graduating. Now my new chapter begins, while it wasn't easy, it sure did prepare me.  

devCode works. Period. Full stop. 

I have seen it work for dozens and dozens of grads.

I came to devCode in the spring of '17, looking to start a second career as a software developer. With an English Major and six years of experience teaching English, I exemplify the kind of person who you don't expect to become a software developer. And indeed. when I started at devCode in March 2017, I had no piror knowledge of coding whatsoever. Yet here I am today, less than a year after I started at devCode, five months into a new career as a developer. 

It is worth mentioning that everyone at devCode will tell you how hard it is and they are not kidding. It's stressful as heck and very demanding of your time and energy. That said, almost everyone survives devCode and comes out on the other side better than they went in. 

Like many of you, I was skeptical of the stories I heard during the pre-enrollment process, but I did my due dilligence, researched the camp, talked to devCode grads, and checked out the local market. I pretty quickly discovered for myself that what the people at devCode were saying was quite true. They take people who have no experience and train them to code -- and those people get hired. 

The price tag is intimidating but the cost of devCode was ultimately well worth it for the following reasons:

• decCode delievered, and here I am, working as a developer, making more than I did in my previous career.
• devCode was fast and it ultimately more cost-effective that slower routes that charge less in tuition.
• The sense of community and drive there is amazing and helps instill a developer mentality.
• Paul is a totally awesome person who worked tirelessly to help me and other grads. He has been honest, straight-forward, and has always had my back. Trust him -- the man knows what he's talking about. 

In the interest of parity, I'll throw in some cons too.

• I have definitely had to continue learning on the job, which is, to be fair, probably typical for a new developer. Things like dependency injection and complex inheritance patterns were taught, but I still had lots to learn about these when I started working. The process of not just writing code but building and deploying an application to users was not covered but is a big part of the day-to-day at my workplace. Also, working on a large, complex code-base was not something taught at devCode (or probably anywhere) but it obviously is the norm for most workplaces.

When starting devCodeCamp, I had next to no experience with development. I knew a little about html and css but nothing that could be considered a marketable skill. Starting off the program was more than manageable in learning the basics of coding. After the first 3 weeks the honeymoon was over and the program was fast in amercing the students in more challenging projects and material. I quickly found myself learning and growing from project to project. The work was moderately challenging to exceedingly difficult at times but the teachers really guided me where I needed to look in order to solve these challenges. By the end of this program, I felt I had enough knowledge to start on new projects that I wanted to work on without feeling lost or needing my hand to be held through the process. devCodeCamp has given me all the tools to succeed at my new position and I would highly recommend the program if you enjoy solving problems, are determined to continuously learn, and want a fresh start in a rewarding career path.

I came to devCodeCamp with no coding experience and very little computer skills whatsoever. I was 19, just barely out of high-school. All I had coming in was an interest in coding and a passion for building new things. There were times I excelled, and times I struggled, but pushed through it and completed the course learning more than I ever thought was possible in such a short period of time. It was by far one of the most challenging things I have ever done and I don't regret a single minute of it. A little pricey for the short length of the course, but it helped me land a great job and I couldn't be more thankful for devCodeCamp jump-starting my career path. 

If you are curious about what you can make and have a desire to learn something new everyday, devCodeCamp may be for you. After realizing I wanted a career-change with a focus on technology driving business, I was intrigued to enter the coding world. Going back to school for 2-4 years knowing many of the additional classes would be a waste of time and money, I researched the on-site expedited alternative, devCodeCamp. After dabbling with free online resources, I decided to quit my full-time career and enroll in devCodeCamp.

Please note: it is centered around being a boot camp because it is challenging, fast-paced, and, at times, exhausting.

Keeping in mind what motivated you to do 600-hours of new material over such a short-timeframe is what will get you through the course such as: learning how to learn, preparing for in-person technical interviews, and landing a job (which is the ultimate goal). devCodeCamp is not a magical potion, rather, it is a commitment to a new career and provides an open-door to fill a dire need of entry-level professional software developers whom need to know how to learn and how to solve problems.

After carefully considering if this is the right educational structure and financial decision for you, I am proud to say that I began late January of 2017 and in less than 6 months later have a new career as an Application Software Developer. I cannot emphasize enough, although, that communicating/working with others, asking questions to better understand something, and staying motivated is how to truly develop a new skill.

P.S. I am also extremely grateful to my support system during the 2017 transition.

**This review of devCodeCamp expressed is my own; there is no incentive or reward offered for my views**

My initial reaction was that the tuition was beyond my budget, and if I invested money and time into this, I NEEDED to get something out of it. dCC (devCodeCamp) was honest with me from the beginning, that employment is not guaranteed and the course would entail long hours and dedication for the next 3 months. I was very confident in my ability to succeed in the course, but I was unsure and new to the software development field. I didn’t know whether completion of the course would set me up for a rewarding job. Having only heard of success stories from previous dCC graduate reviews, I made the decision to enroll, unsure of my future.

As with any institution, dCC is not perfect. There are things that need improvement which I won’t go into detail, because what’s important is that dCC delivers on its goals. And it does, at least for me. dCC is not your traditional 4 year school where you sit in long lectures and study from textbooks. Classes are a few hours of lectures at the beginning of the week and then you are by yourself coding away majority of the time. A little over a month after completion of the course, I am proud to say that I was able to land a job through dCC’s hiring partners. I want to make it clear that there are students who struggle, and then there are those that do really well in the course (keep in mind, I did poorly in college and had no coding knowledge prior to dCC). It should not be a surprise that only some students actually land jobs after graduating, and that comes from many factors. But it should not affect your decision to enroll with dCC, because honestly, there will never be job placement promises in anything; even 4 year institutions don't promise you that. For me, I only needed to know that it was POSSIBLE, and the rest was simple logistics that I had to figure out. Ultimately, and it sounds cliche, but it really depends on how committed you are and what you are willing sacrifice and do to succeed. Would I recommend dCC? Yes and No.

Yes, if you want it bad enough.
No, if you don’t.

Good luck to all students/grads of devCodeCamp!