Software Guild

When I first told people about the Software Guild, I always felt like I was describing a get rich quick scheme, because that's what is sounds like when you say things like "double your salary in only 12 weeks".  It was only through a lot of research did I finally decide to take the plunge, and I'm glad I did.  

I attended the guild in February 2016, and was taught by Victor.  He was a very good teacher, and, especially in hindsight, extremely patient.  He taught the subject matters with efficiency and skill, and actually desired to thoroughly dive into our questions.  When the students started to become a little more compentent, he certainly expected us to find more answers for ourselves which was a little frustrating, but I understood (many in my class did not understand this in terms of teaching style, but to each his own).  

The coursework is heavy and will require 100% of your attention for the duration.  I recommend at least attempting a basic programming online course in either javascript or your course's language before attending, so you are not completely lost.  Having done this, I felt at an advantage, and spent a little less time worrying and more time moving on to more advanced topics. 
 There were a few in the class that either dropped or barely skirted by and never got a job because they didn't put the work in.  The work that you do is what will get you the job.  

The guild adequately prepared me for an Associate position.  A year later, I'm still feeling  competent and happy with my decision.  The life of a software developer is one of lifelong learning, and people who are ready for that will enjoy the guild despite its difficulty.  

Attending the Software Guild was easily the best decision I've ever made.  It allowed me to change my career path entirely in under 4 months. I honestly did not believe it was possible. Don't get me wrong, it was easily the most challenging and frustrating 12 weeks of my life, but I would do it over in a heartbeat.  

The Software Guild not only gave me a strong foundation in OOP programming and SQL, but it taught me how to think logically through problem-solving. I really appreciated that we were not spoon fed information, but rather forced to discover our own solutions by way of teamwork and personal research. This skill has already proven to be valuable in my professional career. 

If a career in programming is your end goal than the Software Guild is a great option. I received multiple job offers before the cohort was complete. A job is not guaranteed but they'll provide you will all the tools and support you'd need to get an offer. You'll get as much out of this program as you are willing to put in. 

I would highly recommend taking a cohort taught by Pat Toner if you're interested in learning Java. 

This course is not for the faint of heart or for people who will not invest everything you have into it. You DEFINITELY get what you put into it.

I took a huge gamble with the Software Guild and it has paid back in dividends. I was initially a bit terrified/excited when I chose to quit my full time job in the transportation industry, drop ~$10k and attend an INTENSIVE 12 week bootcamp.

The way that the in person program is structured is that they introduce concepts to you in a flipped classroom structure, then use in-person instruction time to build on the videos and readings from the night before. The instructors are top-notch. Seriously. . .  the absolute best. They go out of their way to work with you to make sure you are keeping up with the class or if there is an area where you are clearly strong or ahead of the class they will offer further resources and suggestions to deepen your knowledge of that topic.

I think that the way that they use measured pain-points in the assessments to introduce learning under pressure REALLY WORKS. I can tell you that there are times in this course that made me almost break down and cry but then they introduce a bit of relief in the form of a little less work or a change of topic. Additionally the whole course, though seeming disjointed at times, builds upon that material learned before. This very meticulous structure helps you to retain your knowledge better than I have been able to retain anything from my 4 year university degree.

The job support you receive and the interview prep is stellar. BEFORE I even graduated, I was entertaining 2 offers and had gone on 4 second interviews.

Bottom line: If you are willing to invest not only your money but 100% of your effort into this course, it will pay off in dividends. Trust the course, the instructors, and those who put together the curriculum. They really know what they are doing.

Before I started this bootcamp I researched a lot and after all the reviews and the policies and their methods, this is one of the top software bootcamps in USA. I strongly recommend. 
I was able to gain a solid base of OOP programming and SQL but the most important is the practical knowledge that can be applied early in the market. Don't expect it to be easy. But if you work hard their method is definetly working and was tested on almost 500 graduates. I got a job offer in week 11 of the bootcamp and all the effort paid off.

Attending The Software Guild was one of the most rewarding decisions of my life. I was definitely very nervous going in. I started in the online program and switched to the Akron in person cohort. The benefit of having other students in to directly bounce ideas off of and hear the questions they may ask the instructors that you might not have thought of was great. 

The instructors are more than willing to help you suceed and point you in the right direction without giving you outright the answer. It's all about teaching you how to think like a programmer and ultimately learn how to research to solve the problem. I was able to obtain a position of a Database Analyst the last week of the bootcamp.

Bottom line be ready to put in the work and take advantage of all the resources available to you(the instructors, open office hours, fellow students, and former guildees on slack.

The Software Guild is intense but extremely rewarding nonetheless. What you get is what you get out. Despite this being a back-end - focused bootcamp, I have a front-end job lined up for me, and this is one day before even graduating.

I have never learned so much in so little time, and never thought I could until I challenged myself to do so by applying here. This program will prepare you to be compatible with the modern programming career field without everything that is foundational that is included in a traditional CS degree. Of course, if you want to learn more about such, that is up to your discretion, and will only help you. But be sure to have a balance between your classwork and doing so.

I highly recommend this program. It is a very casual setting but despite that, I have been able to learn and overcome so much. It's alleviating that way. But you can do it. I will be telling all my friends about how I was able to get into the programming career field because of the program, my classmates, and my instructor Pat, with all of their help.
 

I came across The Software Guild when looking to pursue a career in software development. I had been self teaching myself web development in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for about a year prior to attending the guild. The pre-work and audition process was pretty easy for me based on my prior learning, and I think it is a great way to feel out if a student will be able to handle the program. 

The amount of information you learn, is definitely a lot. It is not so much that it is not manageable, however. You will need to make use of your non-classroom time to do further studying and self work. The instructors are available in person to you between 9AM-4PM at the Akron location, with further Open Office hours available after hours via screen share. 

The skills I learned at The Software Guild, along with the skills I had previously learned were crucial in acquiring a job at the company that was my first choice. Though there was some overlap if you have prior basic coding knowledge, you will still learn best practices and then blast into the unknown. A great benefit of the in-person cohort that I attended was the people that I met and collaborated with daily. It is super helpful to have classmates to bounce ideas off of and troubleshoot issues with. 

I would recommend The Software Guild to anyone who knows that they can learn quickly, are willing to put in extra hours when something doesn't make sense, and are passionate about achieving a career as a developer. 

The software guild provides a great environment for learning. I am constantly surrounded by intelligent people that I can converse with and relate to. Even though the course load is vigorous, it is made enjoyable because of the positive and friendly attitudes of the teachers and students. My instructor, Pat Toner, always asks if I am experiencing any problems. He also helps me in understanding concepts so I have the proper tools to solve problems on my own. This is a very hands on program. If you are strong willed and put in the effort, you will succeed. 

A very intensive, challenging and yet enjoyable 12-month experience that can carry you from zero to employable.  

Make no mistakes you will receive what you put in.   Be sure to work really hard and follow the system and be professional.   At the end of the cohort, you will be equipped with all the knowledge to be hired.

Most of my classmates got offers by the end of the cohort, and I would say the high placement rate advertised by the Guild is definitely true.  

However, you will need to be prepared before you come to the cohort.  Once you're behind the material there's basically no time to catch up, as the process moves extremely fast.  We started with 12 people and only 9 remained at the end.

Overall 5 out of 5 all the way.