CodeCore Bootcamp

I graduated the CodeCore bootcamp in August and I feel confident saying it was the best educational experience I’ve ever had. I have previously received a Bachelor’s degree in business and began learning on my own over a year ago. I joined CodeCore because I found the complete full stack difficult to learn on my own. I wanted more hands on training and to be able to code with a group (as you would on a job) and to get more feedback and code review. 

It was hard work, and I really loved how much there was to learn and how quickly I could take it in thanks to the bootcamp format. Instruction took place in the morning then we did labs to practice during the afternoon. Homework and exams helped further cement knowledge and build confidence. The quality of the teaching was excellent - Steve and Tam are great instructors with valuable industry knowledge. And the TAs are excellent - friendly, highly skilled and helpful. 

I’m getting ready to start my first position as a full stack dev and I’m beyond excited. Advice I would give if you’re thinking of joining CodeCore is work hard, take it seriously, ask for help when you need it., and maximize your potential learning by practicing the basics as much as possible before starting. They really want you to succeed and will do everything to help you learn and prepare for jobs afterward. There’s a good reason past grads regularly keep in touch with CodeCore: CodeCore builds community and values its alumni and students. 

Having almost no previous background in coding, I completed CodeCore's 3-month course 2 years ago. A few months after my graduation I started working as a professional web developer. I feel well equiped by the education at CodeCore and emotionally supported by the welcoming community. The school truly offers quality education in this fast-paced tech world.  The tuition is really fair too, compared to similar programs in town, considering the instruction time and reputation etc. For what I've been able to get out of the bootcamp (coding knowledge, confidence for technologies in general, career prospect, financial income, developer community connection etc.), attending CodeCore has been one of the best decisions I've ever made.

I first took codecore's fundamentals class and pondered for a few months deciding whether or not to take the full bootcamp course either in Codecore or Lighthouse Labs. In the end, I decided to go to Codecore because they offered a 12 week program as opposed to 8 weeks and I truly do believe 4 extra weeks makes a lot of difference.

Throughout my time in the bootcamp, the instructors and TA's were really helpful and always available to answer questions. Another aspect that Codecore focus's on is the importance of Networking. Althought it wasn't something I really enjoyed, it is without a doubt an important aspect and Codecore does a good job pushing their students in the right direction to get started. It was a lot of hard work, spending around 10+ hours everyday coding is quite tiring. But you really do get what you put into it.

After graduation, Codecore was able to provide me continued support during job search. I was able to get a few interviews thanks to the staff there and ultimately landed a job after a month.

A little bit of background on myself, I have always been interested in technology and computers.  From the time I was a little boy I was fascinated with the multitude of things you could do with a PC so naturally once I had tried programming I was hooked. Gaining some experience in high school and later my first year at University I had never taken a deep dive into programming and computer science. I had taken some time off from University to work and that’s when my father had found out about these developer boot camps. Knowing that I liked programming and wished to pursue it further he told me about CodeCore, from that moment on I knew I wasn’t going to be going back to University.

CodeCore itself is supported by an amazing group of staff and teaching assistants. Both of the lead instructors Tam and Steve have great teaching styles which are easy to follow along and grasp these new concepts that introduced to you day in and day out. If you so choose to attend the boot camp your day will consist of 3 hours of instruction in the morning followed by 4 hours of lab time after lunch so you get a chance to practice and put into action what you had learned in the morning. After that you are technically free to go but, there is always teaching assistants on campus from 4 pm - 8 pm and I highly recommend you take advantage of these people. All of them are brilliant people working in the technology sector many of whom started in the exact same position you will find yourself. The course itself is 3 months long, 1 month longer than the other leading boot camp. The course will take you through the fundamentals of JavaScript of Ruby and other basic computer science topics. There is about a week spent on Node.js and the Express framework, which if you’re wishing to only focus on JavaScript I’d spend my time here. The main part of the course is Ruby on Rails, you will spend somewhere around 6 weeks getting familiar with the framework as well as web development patterns using Ruby on Rails. You may hear that it is not worth learning Ruby on Rails for whatever reason I would advise you to not listen to the nay-sayers. Ruby on Rails, especially for someone who is very new the world of web development is an excellent tool to grasp the many concepts that come with the topic which you can take and translate to whatever you wish to pursue in your journey towards becoming a developer. Finally, they do introduce you to the leading JavaScript framework, React. There is a lot of opportunity within that framework but it is not the focus of the course, I’d suggest pursuing it as soon as you grasp the fundamental concepts with vanilla JavaScript if you wish to pursue that within your career.

I’d like to touch my experience after the boot camp. Like many people who put themselves through a boot camp I was quite worried about how finding a job would go with my education being this 3 months long course especially since, unlike most of my classmates, I did not have a complimentary bachelor’s degree as I was 20 years old at the time of completing the boot camp. CodeCore has some great connections within Vancouver’s tech sector and through them, I was introduced to the company I still work for today. In my current role, I have moved away from Web Development in some ways, I still write a lot of JavaScript but a lot of my work involves our legacy Java code base and our new project in which we use Golang as our primary development language. Also, I have been introduced to many DevOps technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes. I have moved into more of programmer role over a developer role which has required to keep pushing in my pursuit of a computer science.

Finally, who are these boot camps for? If you except to go to one of these for 8 hours a day and just do the bare minimum and somehow at the end walk away with a job this is not the place for you. You have to be driven, you need to know before you that this will require a great deal of sacrifice on your part. Some days I spent up to 16 hours a day working on a project or trying to fit as much study in a day as I possibly could stand. If you can handle that sort of workload, and be prepared to put in a great deal of work in the position you acquire after the boot camp, then this is the place for you.  If you present yourself as a driven, eager learner I am willing to bet someone will take a chance on you.

I want to start by saying that I believe codecore is the best option for those looking to enter into a career in web development. As a graduate, my opinion may be considered as biased, but I would strongly recommend those who doubt it to attend demo days at codecore and competing bootcamps. In my opinion, the final projects of codecore students are typically superior to projects completed at other bootcamps.

Throughout the 12 weeks in the bootcamp, I was exposed to a number of front end and back end frameworks in both JavaScript and Ruby, as well as learning relevant theory related to software development. The biggest benefit, however, was that codecore's approach to teaching helped me to understand why I was doing what I was doing, as opposed to only learning how to do it. Staff were on-site for 12 hours a day to help with anything I needed, regardless of it was included in the curriculum. This approach and support has enabled me to go learn new langagues and frameworks on my own.

Upon graduation, the team at codecore was incredibly helpful at helping me find employment. I was referred to postings by staff members, had interviews scheduled for me, and could always rely on the team to quickly help with any issue I encountered on my search. I am writing this, less than 5 weeks after graduating, with multiple offers to choose from and an abundance of confidence in my ability to succeed with the foundational skillset I acquired at codecore.

Tam, Steve, Luc, and all the TAs at codecore are well equipped to help kickstart your career in development, and I can't recommend them highly enough.

I had conducted hours of research into 4 of Vancouver's most prominent bootcamps. In the end I had chosen CodeCore because it offered a fundamentals course, along with the 12 week bootcamp itself. They were also very welcoming of their alumni in returning to the campus. This was in contrast to the interview I had with Red Academy's developer program. I asked the recruiter if I would be able to return to the campus upon graduating, and was told that the time should be limited as time progressed.

The experience itself was perhaps the most difficult 3 months (in terms of school or work) that I had ever gone through. Each day consisted of 9-10 hours of coding at a minimum. The TA's and instructors made the whole process easier, however. We were encouraged to stay every class and put in our greatest effort. The bootcamp felt like a community, with fellow students, alumni, and instructors guiding us through code, events and jobs.

After completion, I spent 2 months working on freelance projects and my portfolio before finding full time work. The campus administrator Luke, puts his best efforts to find meaningful positions for the graduates. With a reference from an alumni, and guidance from the administrators, I was able to secure the contract. My contract starts in 3 weeks and I am very excited.

I would highly recommend this bootcamp for anyone who is interested in coding.

Whether you  are a junior or intermediate developer or recently graduate from school, CodeCore is one of the places you can start a new career. 12 weeks intense coourse help you to boost your career path. Needless to say it reuires hardworking. It is recommended people without CS background just take part-time courses and if they found they can go further then try fulltime course. CodeCore is a freindly and positive environment whcich has proved it's name in Vancouver for years by educating great developers. 

Tam's knowledge, teaching style, and caring nature make this bootcamp hands down the best.  Not only is the course material dynamic to adapt to the changing landscape, but there are tons of knowledgeable resources to further drive home your education.

I course is about 4 hours/day with about 4 hours/day labs to get practical experience working on the days concepts.  Outside of these hours, there is about 4 more where one has access to Tam or his knowledgeable staff to answer questions on extra work, projects, or anything in general.

Overall, well organized with tons of support onsite.  All that's needed is your desire to succeed!

I can't say enought positive things about Tam and the people at CodeCore.

After spending 10 years doing physical labor, I purchased my first computer in Spring of 2015 and attended the BootCamp in fall of 2015.

Since then I have had 5 jobs and moved to San Francisco to be on a cutting edge team at one of the hottest startups in the history of startups.

My pre-BootCamp income was a very reasonable, comfortable, and livable wage.  I now make 2.7 times my previous income.

The BootCamp is difficult, it will not give you anything.  You have to earn everything.  I was not the smartest, or most talented person in my cohort...but I was the hardest working and now I am a successful developer.

CodeCore will teach you how to think and learn like a developer.  If you put in effort, you can come away with enough knowledge to get an entry level position.  After that, it's all about how hard you work and there is no ceiling on the possibilities. 

I may have finished the BootCamp 2 years ago, but the effort I put forth in learning and writing good code has not diminished and it has paid off.

Investing several thousand dollars into a 3 month course is not an easy decision. No doubt you have already spent several hours researching different education options. I hope this review will shed some light on whether it’s right for you.

Are Bootcamps for Me?

If you are fresh out of highschool, seriously consider going to university or BCIT for a compsci degree.

A lot of material is covered in a very short time. A science/engineering degree, or previous programming experience is highly recommended. IMO it’s generally understood that a bootcamp can only teach so much. Employers will also be looking at your background and personal projects.

What Do They Offer?

There are a few advantages with Bootcamps. They focus on teaching you very specific practices and technologies within the shortest possible timeframe. They tend to be well-connected with employers and may even act as ‘feeder’ schools, funnelling talent directly to certain large employers.

In short, they are great for augmenting existing skills or experience and for networking. You will probably still want a degree at some point.

How Does CodeCore Compare?

There are a lot of options within the city. I chose CodeCore due to:

1. Professional atmosphere. Other locations had video  games, foosball, and similar loud distractions. Good for marketing but not conducive to work.
2. Better value. Due to a longer course curriculum and more lecture hours, the course can be intense without being overwhelming. I feel they are underpriced in the current market.
3. Unlimited retakes. This doesn’t sound great until you realize how quickly the curriculum evolves. Over the past year they have pivoted with market trends, much to the delight of employers. This is a great way to remain relevant and connected with up-and-coming talent.
4. Honesty. Having worked at educational institutions I know how the “95% placement rate” statistics are spliced together. CC did not give a placement rate but spoke about their commitment on quality placements, rather than low-paid internships.
5. Alumni Support. It’s not uncommon to walk onto campus and see grads working there instead of the office. Job opportunities, networking events, and hackathon teams are commonly shared on the alumni chat channels.
6. Free Fundamentals Course - if you also take the Bootcamp. This is a good way to test the waters and see if the course is for you. Worst case, you learn a little programming and for much less cost than similar intro courses.

Having kept in touch with several cohorts of students, I can confirm the hiring rate is very good.

Will CodeCore Get Me A Job?

No, but they will try really, really hard. One thing not advertised is their professional development classes that begin at the end of the curriculum. I’ve been around a long time - these classes are quality and are geared towards today’s CEO of Me, Inc mentality.

They harmonize your LinkedIn, resume, portfolio, github/bitbucket online footprint and also find job leads for you. Then there’s mock interviews, technical practice, and free editing for cover letters.

Ultimately it’s up to you to actually LAND the position but the school teaches you how to job hunt effectively.

What’s Your Story?

I’m a former programmer/technical designer in the game industry and a college instructor. I also have some finance designations. I decided to get into Web Dev as I wanted to help create a more intuitive and connected world.

I attended CodeCore, met some great people, and ended up at an amazing company, and am very grateful for the experience.

Feel free to get in touch if you ever have any questions.

Also a shout out to the staff that kept everything running smooth and the coffee flowing.

I had a blast going through the CodeCore course, and I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who wants to enter the tech industry. The instructors are very knowledgable, personable, and are always very helpful. The founder himself teaches some of the classes and is very approachable, always there for a chat or to answer questions. I had great classmates that challenged and taught me a lot. If you can use this environment to push yourself, you will find yourself making things that you didn't think you have the ability for. There are projects and problems that I would've never thought of attempting, but I'm glad I did, because it gave me the foundation in both skill and confidence. The classroom is very spacey and well-lit, which I liked very much. The community feels tightly knit and supportive, with a lot of the alumni remaining as active members, sharing their knowledge and experience. After graduation I received large amounts of help in finding a job. The referral and recommendation from CodeCore is what helped me land my first tech job. If you are willing to put in the effort, the journey will be really rewarding.