Hack Reactor

It's not easy to quit your job, spend a large portion of your past 3 years of savings, and then commit all of your time for a chance to succeed as a software engineer. It also wasn't comforting that I often felt behind when I joined the program. For moments, I had the looming cloud of fear and regret when I couldn't complete a project or I performed poorly on an assessment. Despite all the fear, if you are a passionate individual who has a strong work ethic and is willing to commit 100% of your time for at least 6 months with no back-up or fail safe options then I know you'll succeed. If you will work together with your fellow students then not only will you all succeed together but you'll create friendships for life. 

TLDR I was able to land 5 software engineer job offers from mid to large companies after 7 weeks of actively looking. I'm very happy where I am and excited about the future. My advice to anyone reading this is don't be complacent. If your current path is not uphill then you are going the wrong way. This program is a killer hill, approach with caution but the view from on top is rewarding.

I was impressed with Hack Reactor from the very beginning of the enrollment process, which was pretty rigorous.  They clearly spend a lot of time and effort to make sure that each cohort is filled with highly capable people, and it shows.  I was impressed by the pace we were able to keep, and I learned a ton from working with a really interesting and talented group of people.  I was in the remote program, where cohort size was around 20 people; I thought this was just the right amount to ensure we were able to build a strong community and each receive the proper support from one another and from the staff.

No major complaints about the program...it isn't cheap, but I think a worthwhile investment if you're looking to 'up-skill' very, very quickly and you have the means to make the investment (of time and money).

Hack Reactor, I feel, best models the real world of Software Engineering because you are thrown in and left to largely fend for yourself. This shouldn’t come as a discouragement to those on the fence - I believe many I see in Software and my own abilities are always best improved with little interference. Although during my time at Hack Reactor we worked only in JavaScript, the focus of the curriculum is put on how a program is structured, the idea behind writing quality code as opposed to being focused on how to write specific code in a specific language. You will be able to take patterns and models learned from this course and break into any direction you desire with enough curiosity and conscientiousness.

I have been at Hack Reactor both as a student and as a staff (Hacker in Residence), and after having seen the program from multiple angles, I can confidently say that this is a fantastic place to become a software engineer.

As a student, I had an incredible experience. The curriculum is fantastic. It's very obvious that a large amount of thought and effort went into the lectures and assignments, and the program even uses learning techniques found in teaching literature (i.e. spaced repetition and allowing students to struggle with problems rather than giving answers). Also, the Hack Reactor culture and community is amazing, which made it very easy to meet new people to network with, study with, and even become friends with.

As a staff, I was always blown away by how much everyone cared. They were there with the intention of helping people become software engineers, and would go above and beyond to try and make that happen. They don't work at Hack Reactor because it's a job, they work there because they want to make a difference in people's lives.

I was also there during the transition to Hack Reactor @ Galvanize, having been there both at the old building and the new one at 44 Tehama. There were a few bumps during the transition (lots of stuff had to be moved, furniture had to be rearranged, etc.), but at the end of it all, things turned out great! Galvanize provides lots of opportunities to network with people (there are lots of hosted events, and people working there who are from outside Hack Reactor). Also, Galvanize has a lot more amenities than the old Hack Reactor building, which makes it nice to spend time here as a student and also afterwards, during the job search.

I would highly recommend Hack Reactor to anyone who wants to get into software engineering.

Having taken two online courses I feel very confident in saying that Hack React was a good choice, which is not something I will say about the other online bootcamp I took.  Hack React prepared me incredibly well technically as well as preparing me through the pair programming and group project course design.  When I finished the course I was admittedly very concerned about my abilities but when I landed a job (which was introduced to me directly through the alumni network) I quickly found I was fully prepared for this career path.  I fully recommend Hack Reactor to anyone looking to enter this field.

So let me give you some context. Before attending Hack Reactor in 2017, I was unemployed for an extended period of time. And before then, I was employed in a job that wasn't satisfying. During my employed tenure, I was doing simple HTML and CSS copy pasting, but I knew I could do better and wanted to take my game to the next level. So I left my job and for the next few years, I tried learning software engineering all on my own. 

I learned a lot by myself because I have that tenacious growth mindset, but it wasn't enough. While I learned bits and pieces here and there, I didn't have the high level overview and understanding of how you build a piece of software both from the frontend and the backend. 

So I made the decision to attend Hack Reactor. I felt that by applying, I could actually get to the next phase of my career, up my skillset, and be better prepared in the job search.

There's no secret to the tech stack that they teach you at Hack Reactor and you could probably get the same info without having to attend. BUT... getting accepted and going through the program is one of the most valuable and rewarding experiences because for 13+ intensive weeks: 

-You're learning about software engineering and computer science fundamentals by implementing full stack applications using JavaScript and Node.js;

-You get a higher level understanding of building full stack applications (both the front and backend);

-Get a great baseline for computer science fundamentals;

-Build a portfolio of projects you can showcase to future employers; and

-Learn the soft skills of partner and team collaboration.

One thing I never took for granted are the 36-hour sprints where we're required to learn a new technology or computer science concept on the fly without any prior training or experience. 

As a Hack Reactor graduate, we're trained to learn new skills and technologies in a pressurized and time sensitive environment to the point it develops into a growth and learning mindset. Once you graduate, that mindset never leaves you and only serves you well in the job search and later in your career. 

After graduating Hack Reactor, the job search is the HARDEST thing you'll ever do. It's a long and arduous process filled with studying, filling applications, getting rejected, learning from your rejections/mistakes, and passing the coding challenges and interviews before you get an offer. 

Everyone's job search is different, but I was lucky enough to leverage the wonderful and amazing career counseling services Hack Reactor has to offer post graduation. My outcomes coach deserves special praise and lots of credit for teaching me to be methodical and tenacious about my job search, as well as being a good friend for all the rejections that almost resulted in a job offer.

And the alumni community is nothing short of supportive and caring. All you have to do is ask for help, and somebody is always willing to answer your question or give you a heads up about a job opportunity at their current company.

Looking back on my time and what I can look forward to in my career, I can honestly say that attending Hack Reactor was one of the best decisions I ever made, and I'd do it again.

I moved to Austin just to attend Hack Reactor (HR) and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Before HR I had few job prospects, little money, and no college degree; now I'm doing work that a truly enjoy, making much more money than I need, and... still don't have a college degree. 😜

The program is hectic and difficult, especially when you're so poor that you have to live in the cheapest part of town, cook almost all your own food, and take the bus everyday. But the leadership there and the other students were fantastic; it was amazing being surrounded by so many smart, dedicated, and encouraging people. Although almost all my time was spent there those 3 months, it all flew by way too fast.

Although the program itself was difficult, the hardest part was the job search. Don't think that people are going to be offering you work just because you graduated a bootcamp. It took me nearly 6 months just to get a solid 2-month contract (which has now turned into full-time work) and I only got that contract because I had a great referral from another HR grad at the company. The whole search was emotionally exhausting and I wouldn't have been able to sustain it for that long if I hadn't had some part-time work that could help to pay the bills; make sure you have a backup plan.

If you don't love programming, don't do HR. Learn the basics, figure out if it's something you'll enjoy first, then go apply. I was rejected on my first attempt at passing the coding interview, but after attending the Structured Study Program (SSP) I tried again and aced it. But if you do love programming and want the ultimate crash course in web development, you can't go wrong with Hack Reactor... even if you don't have a college degree. I spent so long hoping that there was decent work out there that I could really enjoy doing (without 4 years of college and debt) and Hack Reactor has helped make that dream a reality.

Thank you, Hack Reactor! Keep up the amazing work of changing lives and supporting the tech industry!

Awesome program. Great staff.  Very friendly and willing to help with anything. Instructors always challenged us to try the latest technology, and did a great job of guiding us to a solution without just telling us. Got hired a few weeks after graduation, and formed some great memories with all my classmates. 

Advice: I did the remote advanced software engineering immersive. This is a very fast paced course that is 11 hours a day 6 days a week for 12 weeks. Well worth it, and very demanding. Make sure you can dedicate the time to this course. 

Remote: Great if you don't live in a state with a Hack Reactor campus. Same challenging material. You are in a video conference with someone for most of the day (The entire class, or your coding pair). Lots of interaction with teachers. I definitely recommend it.

First Six Weeks: Mainly learning the modern tech stack. Every two days was a new piece of technology. Lightning fast pace. It was a jolt in the beginning, but definitely keep with it. Well worth the effort. Amazed how much I had learned.

Last Six Weeks: Multiple longer projects that encourage going from start to finish of building a website. Easily the most valuable part of the course. Learning to code effectively as a group is critical at my job, and Hack Reactor did a great job preparing me for it.

Outcomes: Awesome support. Mock technical interview, resume support, etc. Consistently every week checked in on my job search, and were happy to work out a time to meet if I needed it. Definitely listen to their advice. They know what the current job market is like, and how to approach it.

Results: Going into the program with some programming experience (personal projects), I graduated, and got hired within 4 weeks of graduating. Really happy with my investment.

I attended Hack Reactor Los Angeles as part of the HRLA22 cohort starting in April 2018. The tl;dr is that I’m happy to give Hack Reactor a 5-star review: it worked out for me exactly as I’d hoped. I learned a lot, had a lot of fun, built friendships and professional relationships with an excellent group of people, and landed a well-compensated job I’m excited about.

About me: I’d been programming for several years before Hack Reactor, mostly in Python and SQL, which made me one of the more experienced people in my cohort. However, I didn’t have a CS degree, any engineering roles on my resume, or any professional network of engineers to speak of. I’d wanted to make the career transition for a while but hadn’t pulled it off. Before deciding to go to Hack Reactor I’d been taking classes in the evening towards a CS degree, but frankly I was impatient and wanted results faster. (I’d only taken a couple math classes and one CS class before making the jump, so I would have had at least a couple years left on the college route).

About the team at Hack Reactor: Everyone I interacted with regularly at Hack Reactor (Campus Lead, Tech Mentors, Hackers-in-Residence, Career Coach, Class Coordinator, etc.) was great. Smart, knowledgeable, friendly, and truly interested in everyone’s success. They’ve done a great job putting together a team.

About my cohort-mates: I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people with whom to attend Hack Reactor. Everyone was excited about engineering, willing to work hard, and easy to spend the long hours with. We’ve kept in touch after graduation and hopefully will continue to do so. 

About the curriculum: It’s definitely “drinking from a firehose”, but that’s kinda the point. I thought the lectures were generally excellent and found the whiteboarding practice especially helpful. The project-oriented system really pushes you to learn-by-doing and practice solving problems autonomously.

About career week: I got a lot out of career week; more than I expected to. The discussions on interviewing, negotiating, etc. were all very helpful. The improvement to my resume after feedback from the Career Coach, Tech Mentors, and my peers was remarkable: I hadn’t realized how ineffective my pre-Hack Reactor resume was (not to mention all the things I was able to add from Hack Reactor’s curriculum).

About the job hunt: I accepted a contract-to-hire offer at a salary I’d previously worried might be somewhat unrealistic (low six figures) a week and a half after graduation. Even apart from the money, it’s a job and a company I’m really excited about. And the job was a referral from Hack Reactor (the company is one of their recruiting partners), so they get even more credit for making it possible. I went to our Career Coach for advice several times during the application process, and she was always responsive and helpful.

Of course, it wasn’t 13 weeks of pure bliss: It’s long hours and hard work, and there were moments when I was frustrated, overwhelmed, bored, or questioned whether I’d made the right decision by going. But comparing where I was at the beginning of April to where I am now (4 months later), or where I’d be if I’d continued taking night classes, it was clearly the right thing for me.

All in all, my experience was exactly what I’d hoped for: I learned a lot, had a lot of fun, built friendships and professional relationships with an excellent group of people, and landed a well-compensated job I’m excited about.

Before I attended Hack Reactor, I had spent four years as a baker. I made a living, but it wasn't really where I'd meant to end up, and I wasn't sure where to go as someone with only years-old, rudimentary experience in any other field. It was hard to imagine what job would take me, or what school would give me a chance, but Hack Reactor was a great fit for me. I attended the remote program, which made the intense hours a lot easier to handle. 
If you consider attending Hack Reactor, know that it's, as they say, "like drinking from a fire hose". It's a lot to take in, and at times I (and everyone else) became convinced that I wasn't learning anything, or that I wasn't cut out for the work. For 12 weeks, my whole life revolved around web development and the software industry. In half that time, I got taken from learning basic data structures to sitting down and coding a full stack application from scratch in a matter of hours, using a modern and popular JavaScript framework. That was the moment where I couldn't believe how far I'd come. The whole second half of the course was refining the skills I'd learned through self-driven projects, which was a great preparation for the unpredictable and hectic nature of the industry. The course teaches you technical concepts that you could learn elsewhere, but more importantly, it teaches you a mentality you'll need to make your way as an engineer. The ability to embrace pressure, failure, discomfort, and disagreements with your coworkers, and persevere dealing with problems you feel totally clueless about. It also gives you access to a team of kind, smart, and talented people who more than anything want you to succeed. Every peer I worked with was talented as well, and the focus on pair programming and group projects meant that I wasn't allowed to hide in my corner and try to do things in a safe, controlled way. Articulating my ideas and seeing other peoples' approaches, though difficult, were crucial aspects to my growth. 
The biggest shoutout I can give is to their outcomes strategy. Occasional guidance meetings and lectures on the job market led up into a full week on online presence, negotiation tactics, mock interviews--everything I needed to feel ready for an on site interview. I'm not good at marketing myself or coding under pressure, but after graduation, the constant contact with their alumni network and outcomes team kept me pushing myself and adapting my job search until I found a great fit for me. In under half a year, I completely changed my career and work mentality, and I've never been happier to make a living. Job search guidance is the biggest reason I wanted to try a boot camp, and Hack Reactor didn't let me down.