How CodeBoxx Bootcamp Bridges the Gap to Better Tech Career Opportunities

Rapid technological advances have brought about an avalanche of job opportunities. However, companies continue to struggle with talent shortages. College degrees offer a conventional route to access these opportunities, but did you know that other options offer lower barriers to entry and in a shorter amount of time? 

Coding bootcamps, for example, help diversify the tech talent pool by providing accelerated career-focused programs. The question is, “Do these programs bring success?” 

According to CodeBoxx, they definitely can.

CodeBoxx is a coding bootcamp established in 2018 that teaches students how to become software developers. The brain behind it is Nicolas Genest, a three-time Chief Technology Officer (CTO), who realized that people with nontraditional backgrounds can be as competent as Ivy League tech graduates when given the proper guidance and environment. 

That was his light bulb moment to bring a real-world-ready program that recognizes talent everywhere. Three years in and hundreds of CodeBoxx graduates later, the success of the bootcamp is clear. CodeBoxx boasts a 90 percent job placement rate, with graduates getting jobs that pay an average of $47,000 a year. 

The Role of Technology in CodeBoxx 

Career transitions have become the norm in the modern workforce. A study from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that people between the ages of 18 to 35 switch jobs about eight times. Factors like career advancement, benefits, and company culture come into play when making this decision. 

As companies become leaner due to unprecedented circumstances like the COVID-19 pandemic and the accelerated transition to a remote-first world, people are getting more critical in their career switches. They are now looking for jobs that provide more security and flexibility, driving them to jump into different industries. One that constantly thrives despite numerous crises in the tech industry. 

That said, many potential talents with no tech background are still on the fence if they stand a chance at getting through the doors of the tech industry. Education is a main cause of concern, where earning a degree in computer science and other related disciplines can take four years and cost thousands of dollars.  

This is where CodeBoxx comes in. More than a coding bootcamp, CodeBoxx is a tech business, which leverages technology to achieve its core mission of providing opportunities to everyone. Whether you are a musician, an English major, or someone trying to find a career calling, CodeBoxx strives to transform your life for the better through technology.

This ethos is clear in the demographics of CodeBoxx. Over 70 percent of its students have no educational or professional background in tech. They are the ones who didn’t see themselves working in the tech industry for various reasons; perhaps intimidated by the prospect of coding or ill-equipped to afford the demands of a college education. 

While CodeBoxx also has students with a prior tech background, most have come to the bootcamp looking for a nontraditional learning setup. Universities have their strengths, but CodeBoxx offers practicality and flexibility to those who want to earn skills and knowledge in a sprint.

How Does CodeBoxx Produce Successful Software Developers? 

CodeBoxx offers a 16-week coding program where students learn how to use modern tools and leverage technology in furthering businesses. Their journey begins with the admissions process where they complete exercises and quizzes. These tasks give them a peek at what they can expect upon entering the program.

CodeBoxx Experience

There are no prerequisites to becoming a Codeboxx student. Although the barrier to entry is low, CodeBoxx ensures that the students who join them are ready for the tasks at hand. After all, it is an immersive coding bootcamp.

All applicants undergo a trial phase called Genesis. It is an intense two-week program that helps students determine if:

• A tech career is right for them
• They have the right aptitude and attitude
• Their learning style aligns with CodeBoxx’s curriculum and teaching method

Once a student passes Genesis, they can decide if they wish to proceed to the next phase, Odyssey. If they think that coding or the bootcamp is not for them, then their $2,000 deposit will be refunded. But, the remaining hopeful tech professionals can move forward to the Odyssey stage. 

Forget the theoretical lectures in traditional classrooms. Your mentor and cohort-mates make up your support system as you dive into the course. Upon entering the Odyssey program, students work on tasks that will hone their skills from Day 1. 

Through these tasks, students learn backend development, cloud and web services, and security. They also acquire practical skills in machine learning, networks and protocols, and quality and compliance. 

CodeBoxx Placement and Partnership

CodeBoxx not only aims to educate students but also to ensure that they finish strong with a career. Through its placement program, students can polish their communication skills, learn how to create an effective resume and LinkedIn profiles, and sharpen their interview skills. Profiles of students are also accessible by employer partners who are looking to hire software developers. 

CodeBoxx sets itself apart by being an ecosystem comprising students who are job-ready and enterprises looking for skilled tech professionals. At the end of the program, CodeBoxx makes good on its promise of excellent education and a higher chance of employment.

It also helps that CodeBoxx is not just a bootcamp but a tech consulting firm as well. Through its consulting firm, Boxx Solutions, it gets to work with companies from several industries. This also gives Codeboxx a better insight into the current trends and in-demand tech solutions needed in the market.  

Among those who found their place in tech through CodeBoxx are Marie-Eve Goupil and Thomas Carrier. 

Becoming a Software Developer with CodeBoxx

Launching yourself in an unfamiliar field is not an easy feat. And this is an experience shared by several CodeBoxx students, like Marie and Thomas. 

Marie was formerly in the food industry and was unsatisfied with her career. Being the go-to computer troubleshooter at home and in her workplace, starting anew in tech crossed her mind. Meanwhile, Thomas is a teenager who spent most of his time playing video games. Despite not knowing what he wanted career-wise, he had some familiarity with coding and knew he would enjoy tech.

So, what made them choose CodeBoxx?

For Marie, it was the bootcamp’s on-campus course structure. Marie says, “At first, I really wanted in-person [classes, as] I thought online would be too difficult.” Like many who are used to the traditional classroom setup, learning remotely seems far from doable. But with the pandemic changing how education and businesses function, adjusting to the new normal was inevitable.

“The curriculum was perfect for me. I think going back to college to get a tech education is time-consuming,” Marie says. Despite the online setup, CodeBoxx gave the assurance that she can request a meeting with the mentors to work things in person if she hits a roadblock. And that sealed the deal.

As for Thomas, it was a family member that pushed him to try CodeBoxx. With no other career prospects in sight, he enrolled in the course. But it didn’t work as well as he expected. “I did the course the first time [and] I failed miserably,’’ he shares. “I [went in] thinking it would be easy and I would breeze through everything. I didn’t take it seriously, and [I] wasn’t prepared to work [hard] enough.” 

He did not let this put him down. With the help of Nadya, the Co-Founder and COO of CodeBoxx, he came back stronger and joined the next cohort. “It’s really Nadya who pushed me. She put all of her trust in me, and it paid [off],” Thomas says.

CodeBoxx’s program is far from easy and Thomas agrees, “What they say in the beginning is true. You have to put everything [in].” Most of his time was devoted to completing the exercises. “They [also] have values that you need to follow. Because if you don’t, [then] you will not make it. [For example,] even if you’re done [with your tasks], you [have to] put in the extra effort to make [your output] better,” he adds.

But the rigorous method was effective and rewarding. Being a morning person, Marie’s daily routine usually started at four in the morning, giving her enough time to review and read through her tasks for the day before the scrum meeting at 9am. After which, she would do some work with her classmates or by herself throughout the day. 

CodeBoxx students put in at least 50 hours of study each week, with some even reaching 80 hours. “Rinse and repeat. It was intense,” she says. 

Two weeks into the course and she had a breakthrough moment. “In the first two weeks, we were working on a static website, HTML, and JavaScript. That was really eye-opening for me. That I can do those [things]. I can do something presentable and [something] that works,” she says.

After graduating, both Marie and Thomas jumped into the opportunity to coach students and work with CodeBoxx’s corporate clients. Thomas enjoys coaching students who, just as he was before, are not so sure of their paths. He wishes to expand his coaching experience to Tampa Bay, US, where the newest campus of CodeBoxx will be. He also swings as a developer for Boxx Solutions from time to time.

Marie works primarily as a developer for Boxx Solutions, with the potential of coaching future cohorts once she learns the ropes. “But the final objective for everyone is to move on from CodeBoxx,” she says, “In the next five years, I’m hoping to gain [more] experience and knowledge that would help me get better [opportunities].”

Students like Thomas and Marie mirror CodeBoxx’s belief that talent is indeed everywhere. No matter the student’s background, CodeBoxx can produce tech professionals with a solid skill set who can be assets to any organization they join.

Trust the CodeBoxx Process

As we close the curtains on Thomas and Marie’s stories, they have a few pieces of advice to incoming CodeBoxx students. For Marie, patience and trust in the process go a long way, given that the CodeBoxx coaches will push you to your limits.

“But everything is feasible, and they know it [because] a lot of people have gone through it, too,” she adds. “And like [some] of the coaches, they have been through [the program] a few years ago. There’s one coach, [Mathieu Le Francois], who is now the head of education at CodeBoxx. He was among the first cohort of CodeBoxx. He’s a really great coach.”

For Thomas, he says, “Each week don’t give up, don’t quit, and keep trying to learn.” The experience of learning a new programming language or tools every week without lectures, but only the support and supervision of qualified coaches, can be nerve-wracking, he says, but as days go by and with ample support from the team, everything gets better as you adjust.

Is CodeBoxx Worth It?

A survey from Glassdoor shows that most of the best companies to work for are in the tech industry. Thanks to a flexible work structure, collaborative environment, and competitive salaries and benefits, the work satisfaction rate in the industry is high. 

It is CodeBoxx’s mission to make this attainable for everyone. Like Marie and Thomas, everyone can build a satisfying career and work with the best companies, including their employer partners like Desjardins, COVEO, eBay, Lucky Brand, and Sneakercon. All it takes is for you to take the leap and join the next CodeBoxx cohort.