Ironhack

If you're wondering whether you should join a coding bootcamp (and you are GENUINELY interested in pursuing it), stop what you're doing and APPLY RIGHT NOW. 

The reason I write the above first is because that is what I saw in several reviews I had read when searching for the right bootcamp. Yet, every time I would always think to myself, "Is that really the truth, though? Will I regret making the jump?" So before I write the rest of my review, I can tell you that those reviews were right!

Before joining Ironhack, I was working at a digital marketing company in operations and product development (and before then I had just graduated with a bachelor in Architecture), so clearly I had zero coding experience prior to Ironhack. After about a year of debating whether I wanted to make a career change, I found Ironhack. I put my fear aside and reached out to ask for a campus tour here in Miami to get the ball rolling.

Application Process: The first person I met at Ironhack was Alia, and Alia does NOT dissapoint! I felt such a great energy from her and genuine interest in getting to know me and understanding why I wanted to join their program. Shortly after, I applied and scheduled my three interviews (general interview with admissions, career interview with Brito, and a technical interview where you must solve a coding challenge). All three interviews went great (again...the only experience I had was working with developers, but never the actual coding aspect). The moment I received a phone call from Alia that I was accepted into the program I immediately felt two things: extreme excitement with a side of fear of "what did I just get myself into."

Cohort (9 weeks): The structure of the class is exactly as they describe it on the site. Grab your coffee in the morning, learn, code, lunch, learn and code (did I mention the coffee is free and unlimited?!). What really made the course, though, was our instructor Nizar and we were so lucky to have him! The way he explains the concepts is very clear for the most part and, to someone with no coding experience, I was able to understand what he was teaching. He never says no when you need help, and what's great about it is that he doesn't just hand the answers to you. He makes you think about what it is you're doing and what you need to do to get there. Now, I'm not saying your journey will be easy, because it won't be. You need to put in the time inside and outside of class to make sure you're not falling behind. The course moves quickly, so it's very easy to fall behind if you're not keeping up. You will feel like (and I can only speak from the perspective of someone with zero coding experience), "Holy crap, there is an entire universe of coding that I did not know about," but don't get overwhelmed! Don't let it discourage you, but do expect to be learning for the rest of your life as we all know how quickly technology can change. 

Finding a job: Brito, the recruitment manager at Ironhack, is also someone you will meet and never forget. Keep in mind, he is not there to hand you a guaranteed job on a silver platter at the end of the cohort - and he will make that very clear. He does a great job of coaching you on what networking events you should attend, what you need in your LinkedIn and in your resume, and is available whenever if you have any questions or need help. There is also a hiring fair where companies come in to sit and interview with you, I have yet to experience it as our fair is not until January, but it's great to know that we get the opportunity (thanks to Brito) to have that chance of "speed-dating" with several companies who are looking to hire.

Overall, my experience was amazing. I don't regret making the jump and am lucky to have been able to attend Ironhack. For the past 9 weeks it never felt like I was going to "school" and I was always excited to go in the next day to learn something new. The environment, staff and vibe of Ironhack was the cherry on top and I'm so glad that I chose to stay in Miami and attend their course. If you're reading this and you're still wondering whether you should apply....just do yourself a favor and do it already :).

Before joining Ironhack, I was apprehensive at investing a few thousand to attend a coding bootcamp. I ended up taking the risk and choosing to go with Ironhack. There was not one day during my time at Ironhack that I regretted that decision. It has been one of the best and most powerful choices I have made, because it literally has life changing consequences. 

What I came to realize, is the initial investment in a coding bootcamp, is exactly that … an INVESTMENT in yourself. Forget investing in other things that you have little control over, because the best choice you can make is investing in yourself by investing in your own education. I did weeks of research prior to joining Ironhack, and without any doubt it is the best coding bootcamp in Miami. I never felt like anyone was being fake with me, I never felt like I was being treated like a “number” in some education mill … this is absolutely nothing like that. My professor was Nizar and he was extremely intelligent, kind, and was accessible at all times. The whole staff is. One of the cool things about Ironhack, is witnessing staff members like Nizar, Brito, and even guest speakers, just staying for hours after their shift ends to teach and talk more with fellow students… When you see these things, you come to realize that Nizar, Brito, the guest speakers, all help because they truly love their job.  I think thats really the key difference your going to find, its like this perfect crew of people who love what they do, are passionate, and love playing a key role in helping others in their journey to success. 

I just completed Ironhack's full-time UX/UI Design Bootcamp in Miami and I have to say it's probably one of the best decisions I've ever made for myself. The amount of knowledge and new skills you acquire in such a short amount of time is pretty amazing. 

The most important skill I learned through the course was how to problem solve. The process of problem solving that we were taught isn't limited to just websites or apps, it can be applied to absolutely ANYTHING. Maite (Instructor) and Keri (TA) were such a great team that complimented each other. They were knowledgeable, resourceful, passionate and extremely supportive of everyone in the cohort which made for an excellent learning environment. They really knew the material and I'm so glad I was able to learn from them. Aside from Maite and Keri, everyone on the Ironhack staff were always friendly and helpful. One of the most helpful people there is Brito. He genuinely wants to see you land a job and he sets you up with the tools to do it. 

I have to say that my overall experience at Ironhack was amazing. I made new friends and I learned new skills. It was very challenging at times, but totally worth it. 

I come from the world of Advertising and Public Relations and until joining Ironhack I have worked in my own advertising agency, Green Proiekt, being responsible for the creative and design part.

Before Ironhack I had only worked on the Web design side, but I had never programmed before.

After finishing Ironhack, I can say that I have learned new technologies such as Angular, Nodejs, Express, MongoDB, Javascript...

It's an extremely hard Bootcamp in terms of the amount of content that is taught in just 9 weeks, but the level at which you leave the bootcamp is pretty high for a junior programmer position.

If you want to take advantage of the bootcamp you must take it seriously and focus only on the programming during those 2 months.

I recommend it for people who want to change their professional career, as well as people who want to complement their profile with the knowledge that is taught.

When I first signed up for Ironhack I kept asking myself if I made the right decision. I was concerned about the price, if I would really get hired, if I'd leave feeling accomplished and fulfilled with the curriculum, and if it would all be worth it at the end.

All my doubts were crushed within the first week of the cohort. I loved our instructor, the entire staff, and made instant friendships with a good amount of my class. I was learning so much in a small amount of time, I felt pressure, but the pressure felt good. Every day I'd learn something new and with the curriculum, I was able to apply it right away to a project of my interest.

Prior to Ironhack, I was confused about what I wanted out of my future and thanks to this opportunity I know have the skillset to enter an evergrowing field that is highly in demand and is only growing with the technology around the world. I had received two phone interviews before even graduating so the hiring rate is real. If you work hard you will get opportunities, there is no doubt about that. I hope to close a job offer before the holidays to start 2018 with a career in this new field.

Thank you again Ironhack, you changed my life.

I just graduated from the full-time UX/UI design program and these last 9 weeks were life-changing. I'm not even exaggerating. Our teacher Maite taught us so much and really helped us to understand the material. All my classmates have become like my second family.

The school is in a beautiful building located in Brickell with an amazing staff. Someone even brings us coladas every day at 3:05 pm!

Brito has been great at preparing us for interviews and helping us find jobs. I highly highly highly recommend this program. I'm so grateful for it. 

I was part of the Oct-Dec 2017 cohort at the Miami campus. This has been hands down the best decision I've made in my life. It is most certainly a game changer. If you are thinking about it, my advice, stop thinking and do it! I understand most people considering a web-dev bootcamp might be overwhelmed at the idea. However, it is not like what you are thinking, this is not a traditional college lecture or highschool classroom ( time flies by ). This is a new home and a new family. I think there was only one person in the cohort who had a degree related to computer science, other than that person, no one including myself had a computer science background. We still succeeded, in just 9 weeks we already had 3 projects under our belt and being able to do full stack apps on our own. 

Much of what makes Ironhack what it is, is how the faculty interacts with each other and with the students. Their work culture is so amazing, they have a special type of relationship, nothing like I have ever seen before. Of course this translates to the students. The staff develops a relationship with the students and in my opinion this improves experience so much.

The learning doesn't stop there. At least for me, I took to learning other things during my free time. Things that weren't necessarily part of the curriculum, but I wanted to take advantage of having an instructor to which I could ask anything any time (literally any time. My instuctor would get back to me on Sundays! ). 

Ironhack gives you all the tools you need to succeed. From how to write amazing software, to what to say to future employers (more of this below). Like anything in life the you have to do the work, but my Ironhack family definitly made so much possible. The most important tool that I learned at Ironhack was how to "LEARN". You can't expect to become a the best developer in 9 weeks, but you can expect you will graduate with knowledge on how to become one! If you put in the work, I can guarantee you this. 

Nizar, our lead instructor is the man! The guy is legit one of the smartest people I've met, and one of the most patient as well! Trust me, dealing with me is no easy task. However, he was always there for me, and like I mentioned above, he even answered my questions on a Sunday. Rarely (very rarely) will he give you the answer to your problems directly, he does much more for you, he tells you how to be resourceful and where to look or something along those lines. You end up solving the problem on your own and because of this, you learn so much more. The whole teaching staff is amazing, Ironhack always have great T.A.s. Our T.A. Dappered dan was the man. He was also always accessible.

The experience does not end there. At Ironhack, they have a placement manager. His name is Daniel Brito. What do you need to know? Brito is one of the most connected people I've ever met. Everyone in the South Florida Tech ecosystem ( maybe all of South Florida ) knows who Brito is. His background makes him the most qualified person for the role. His been on both sides of the table when it comes to hiring. If you decide to take the course, make sure you follow his every word. Why? Well I did, and I had a job before the cohort ended. He will also never write your resume for you or give you an answer directly, but you can expect the most detailed feedback you could ever imagine. He knows exactly what employers look for and will get you to where you need to be if you put in the work!

I can comfortably say Ironhack that has changed my life and I am very grateful for this!

Before initiating my experience un Ironhack, I was working in an Industrial Design studio in Pamplona bigD as Industrial Designer. Additionally, I was a teacher in the school of design, Creanavarra, giving Marketing classes applied to design to students of product design. 

My experience at Ironhack has been incredible. The teachers, mates, TAs and the whole Ironhack family have infected me with the enthusiasm of a new world. Living the Ironhack experience helps you to leave your comfort zone totally, and challenges you every day, in a way that you end up doing incredible things that you never thought you would be able to do. I have learned a lot of things not only in the technical field, but also personally. I have learned to improve myself every day, believing that all of us are capable of anything we propuse ourselves. Of course, I take everything away from all the teachers that have taught us and who are real cracks!

The most important thing I keep from Ironhack is, without any doubt, the Ironhack family. I think this is what defines Ironhack, we help each other, we support each other and we give love one to another.

I would definitely do it again and again!

Soy director de arte y diseñador con experiencia de más de 16 años entre agencias de publicidad y estudios de diseño. 

He trabajado en diferentes proyectos tanto online, como offline y tv a lo largo de estos años.

Para marcas como Juegos Empresariales, Bodega Privada, Bizz Global, Grupo AVISA, Canal+, Yomvi Cinesa, Morato+infinito, Mediaset España, Cuatro, Digital+, El País, Prisacom, Red Bull, Coca Cola, Telefónica, Terra, Santillana, BBVA, Carrefour, Citroën, Trek, Repsol, Banco Santander, Opel y Volkswagen entre otros. 

Actualmente soy freelance pero desde hace tiempo sentía la necesidad de que ciertos procesos de trabajo no se estaban realizando adecuadamente y fue por ello que descubrí IRONHACK pues una amiga, que ya había realizado el Bootcamp, me comentó que aquí aprendería lo que necesitaba saber para resolver las dudas que tenía al respecto.

Fue por ella lo que me animó a experimentar estas interesantísimas 8 semanas de BootCamp.

Reconozco que aunque se trabaja mucho no, muchísimo para poder aprender en tan poco tiempo las metodologías actuales UX/UI que hacen que los desarrollos de productos digitales lleguen a buen puerto, estas 8 semanas me han servido para al menos sentar las bases de lo que podrán ser proyectos bien construidos.

Todo se consigue gracias a un profesorado a la altura de los tiempos. Profesionales del mundo digital muy actualizados que crean grandes productos digitales que usamos en nuestro día a día, el equipo organizativo de IRONHACK que son unos cracks y unos alumnos (mis queridos compañeras/os) que hacen que todo esto cobre sentido y puedas conseguir lo que te propongas. Todo junto se crea la receta perfecta.

Sólo no puedes, con amigos si.

Gracias a todas/os

Before Ironhack I worked at  energy consultancy as a visual designer and frontend developer. I have felt passionated for a long time about UX, and the bootcamp has made sense to all product process. It has given me an expanded and deeper vision of what I do. Learning from your classmates enriches your work a lot. Ironhack  has offered me many opportunities for both career and personal growth.