For Brandi, their words were enough to pique her curiosity and compel her to seek an on-ramp to the tech industry. So, she applied to Codesmith<\/a>, a coding school that offers accelerated training designed to help prepare its students for mid-level or senior software engineering roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re going to enroll in a coding school, choose Codesmith. At least that\u2019s what a coding bootcamp graduate told Brandi about the school. \u201cI originally messaged her [on LinkedIn to] inquire about a different bootcamp that she attended,\u201d said Brandi. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHowever, she told me that the particular bootcamp was average at best. She said Codesmith was a much better bootcamp, and she wished she would have found out about Codesmith prior. At the time, I had never heard of Codesmith so I was anxious to see why she hyped them up.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Fortunately for Brandi and for others on the fence about committing to the school, Codesmith has a host of free, high-quality online learning resources<\/a>, YouTube video tutorials<\/a>, and weekly workshops<\/a>, along with a paid remote bootcamp prep course<\/a> that runs for two weeks. By leveraging these, you get a headstart in coding as well as a firsthand insight into Codesmith\u2019s immersive training approach. This way, you\u2019re not committing to the school blindly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brandi opted for Codesmith\u2019s JavaScript the Hard Parts <\/a>workshops, a series of free classes that explore how JavaScript works under the hood. \u201cMy brain was completely shot,\u201d said Brandi. \u201cI spent most of the workshops slightly confused.\u201d Even so, the rigor of the program\u2014which you wouldn\u2019t otherwise expect from something offered for free\u2014appealed to Brandi. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c[The instructors] did not hold your hand,\u201d she said. \u201cBut their explanations of computer science concepts were phenomenal.\u201d Wanting to move further with the school, Brandi joined Codesmith X or CSX<\/a>, the school\u2019s fully remote and free learning platform that offers more resources and coding challenges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Unlike the workshops, which are accessible only at set schedules, CSX is self-paced and available at your convenience. It also extends to a CSX Slack community<\/a>, which houses Codesmith mentors, alumni, and current and prospective students of the school. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was a game-changer,\u201d said Brandi. \u201cI was able to meet so many other software engineers, and we worked together solving problems and preparing for the Codesmith admissions interview.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Codesmith offers a rigorous Software Engineering program, designed to build a strong fundamental in computer science and develop proficiency in relevant skills.<\/p>\nApply to Codesmith today.<\/a>\n<\/div>\n Codesmith is selective, and its admissions process is known to be tough as they evaluate applicants on both engineering soft skills and technical capabilities. The first stage involves an interview, where the school explores your interest in coding and ability to commit to grueling training. The second leg is a technical interview, where you work with an engineer to solve coding challenges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Both interviews test your thought process, your ability to break down complex topics, your problem-solving skills, and how well you work with others. Few Codesmith applicants get through on their first try. Many end up taking the technical interview two to three times before they\u2019re accepted into the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brandi spent two months just preparing for her technical interview. \u201cI pair-programmed with other engineers, and we would take turns solving algorithms and going through our thought process,\u201d she recalled. \u201cHowever, I ended up failing my first technical interview. And then I failed my second technical interview a few weeks later.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the back-to-back rejection, Brandi was far from feeling dejected. \u201cCodesmith provided me with a lot of feedback as well as tips and advice in what areas I needed improvement in. The main thing was my technical communication,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n An aptitude for technical communication is one of the markers of a Codesmith student, otherwise known as a Codesmith resident. To get into the program, therefore, you need to demonstrate this skill early on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI spent a few more weeks working on my technical communication, recording myself, and doing mock interviews with fellow peers,\u201d said Brandi. On her third try, she passed the technical interview and secured a seat at Codesmith\u2019s Full-Time Software Engineering Immersive<\/a>. \u201cI was full of excitement,\u201d she said. \u201cBut I also knew my entire life was about to change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a lot to be said about the software engineering training that Codesmith provides. But a deep dive into Codesmith<\/a> highlights the school\u2019s three distinct features. It\u2019s rigorous, collaborative, and effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCodesmith is not the type of bootcamp that teaches tutorials or gives you the answers,\u201d said Brandi. \u201c[The instructors] allow you to struggle and hit mental blocks. They do, however, teach you the necessary skills and help you cultivate a certain mindset so you can approach and solve any technical problem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n By the end of your training, you\u2019ll have transformed into an autonomous software engineer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The short answer: extremely. The Codesmith curriculum is divided into two stages: junior and senior. The junior phase covers the fundamentals of computer science and full stack JavaScript while the senior phase puts everything you learned into practice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s a rundown of the Codesmith junior resident experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you become a Codesmith senior resident, you\u2019ll be stepping into the project phase<\/a> where you\u2019ll be challenged to build five major projects using all the skills you acquired throughout the program. \u201cI believe 70 percent of my learning came from all the various types of projects [apps] we built,\u201d said Brandi. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCodesmith pushed us to develop apps that were far more technically advanced than traditional apps like a to-do list or a weather app. They pushed us to build apps engineers and developers could actually use on their job…We built apps for TDD [test-driven development], GraphQL, Redis, React prototypes, and a lot more.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was challenging and exhausting, but we gained a plethora of knowledge that prepared us for software engineer interviews at companies,\u201d she said. The rigor of the entire program lent to Brandi describing the entire learning experience at Codesmith as somewhat akin to \u201cdrinking from a firehose.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe program was intense. We moved really fast, and the hours were long. Most of the residents invested at least 80 hours a week at Codesmith because we were either learning or studying.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meeting this intensive curriculum is Codesmith\u2019s supportive community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sense of belongingness at Codesmith starts even before you join the immersive program. Like Brandi, prospective students can join the CSX Slack community and build connections with their peers and Codesmith alumni. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you\u2019re in the program, the support you get increases tenfold via one-on-one bi-weekly check-ins with Codesmith instructors, weekly gatherings and team-building activities, and career services. \u201cI believe one of the amazing things about Codesmith is the community. I learned a significant amount from the instructors, fellows, and definitely from my peers and residents in my cohort,\u201d shared Brandi. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA lot of the residents were always willing to stay later to ensure everyone was caught up on the material. We had study groups before and after the program started in case anyone needed to go over previous lectures or just needed a refresher.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Codesmith steadies students from the work and grit that\u2019s demanded of them with a strong support system. In doing so, the Codesmith community moves as one and always toward the same goal of seeing everyone succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Codesmith tops the list of job placement rates among coding bootcamps, according to the Council on Integrity in Results Reporting<\/a> (CIRR). CIRR is a third-party organization that reviews the veracity of a school\u2019s outcomes report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In numbers, the school\u2019s 2019 CIRR-certified outcomes report<\/a> reveals that 80.6 percent of Codesmith Los Angeles<\/a> graduates secured jobs in software engineering 180 days from completing their training. Codesmith New York<\/a> graduates meanwhile logged an 86.8 percent employment rate within the same timeframe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It wasn\u2019t just the employment rates that were high. Codesmith graduates also earned the highest median starting salary among all CIRR-member schools at $120,000, an impressive feat for a school that deviates from the type of education that\u2019s traditionally been favored by employers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Codesmith\u2019s impressive graduate outcomes speak to the value of the training the school provides. A testament to this is Brandi who found the job search as \u201cnot too challenging\u201d\u2014not the typical sentiment you\u2019ll hear from anyone who\u2019s done a job hunt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Brandi also credits the Codesmith community and its career services team for the smooth transition from the structured learning environment at Codesmith to a turbulent job market. \u201cConnecting with other Codesmith graduates and alumni alleviated some of the stress because we were able to hold each other accountable and help each other prepare for interviews.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n After graduating from Codesmith, Brandi secured full-time employment at Microsoft as a software engineer. Her journey to the company marks a full circle. From the novice who spent her time watching videos of and getting inspired by Bill Gates, Brandi is now an integral member of his company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Infographic](\"https:\/\/careerkarma.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/A-Student-Answers_Why-Codesmith.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nBrandi Meets Codesmith: Why Choose Codesmith?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nHow Hard Is It to Get into Codesmith? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Infographic](\"https:\/\/careerkarma.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Codesmith-Software-Engineering-Immersive_What-to-Expect.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe Codesmith Experience: What\u2019s It Like to Be a Codesmith Resident? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How Rigorous Is the Codesmith Software Engineering Immersive?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What Support Can You Expect from Codesmith?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Codesmith Outcomes: Can You Get a Job After Codesmith?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n