LearningFuze

Change is difficult and often scary, but it can definitely be worth it.

I had 20 years experience in a career as a pastor. We didn't have much savings, and I had a wife and 2 kids to think about. My main question while I was considering any of these schools was, "Will it work?  Will it really work?". I continued to ask myself that same question all throughout the program.  I loved every part about the program, but always wondered, will this actually work.. will I be able to start a new career and make enough to provide well for my family.

The answer for me was a resounding, 'yes'.  It worked better than I could've imagined. I graduated the program this September, and landed an amazing job, doing challenging, invigorating, creative work. I love every minute of it, and it pays more than I had hoped for. 

I would caution readers though.  Don't be fooled into thinking that simply signing up and going through the motions will get you there. It's a rigorous program, and hard work is the key. I dedicated 6 days a week to learning to code. I showed up early and stayed late and constantly asked the instructors for more.

The great news is that LearningFuze is an amazing place to help you get there. The instruction from their main instructors is excellent. I've been involved in teaching for 20 years, and can honestly say that the main instructor Dan is one of the best teachers I have ever seen. On top of the instruction, they provide great guest speakers from top notch compaines (blizzard, kelly blue book, cornerstone were some that came for our cohort).  They also provide great job preparation with mock interviews / whiteboards etc.

If you're interested in a change, and youre willing to put in the work, you owe it to yourself to check out LearningFuze.  I'd strongly suggest attending an info session and attending a meetup at LearningFuze to see for yourself.

I went to learningfuze in 2016. Commutted 40 min to get there. Got there around 9:15am and stayed until 7-7:30 each day. At night time I would watch YouTube tutorials. Still hung out with friends on the weekends. 

Advice:

 Get comfortable with JavaScript, it will get you a job. Ask every question that comes to your head (even if it makes you look dumb). Become friends with the people in your class. Work together. Don't be a know it all, because you know nothing. Be aware of the jobs that are out there. Getting your first job is hard but completely doable. Once you graduate, make your own website and keep practicing. Do the practice problems. Write down notes! 

Success:

After applying to about 4-5 jobs a day for 4 weeks, I went through an intense interview process with a popular tech company in LA where they tested all my skills. Ended up getting the job, it pays great and I love life.

All the people that I know that are successful from my class do more work than required and have little side projects to further apply what you're learning. 

LearningFuze is a top tier program. A lot of work but really fun with great instructors. 

If you're serious about the program, make sure you do the required/recommended work they give you before you can take the course. All the people that did it were at the top of the class.

LFuze has a decent network of companies especially in OC. Go to all the speakers. Very insightful and they might know people hiring. 

What a long, strange trip it's been. 

One bleary morning a year ago I woke up and realized just how much I abhorred my job and dreaded going in to work. I was formerly a Project Manager in the construction industry and I spent the better part of six years trying to convince myself construction was something I was passionate about. 

I always wanted to learn how to program so I attempted teach myself  over the course of several weeks. Frustrated with the progress (or lack thereof) I was making I began to look into these coding bootcamps I kept hearing so much about. After doing extensive research and attending over a half dozen information sessions at various coding bootcamps I decided to enroll in LearningFuze.

The determing factor that ultimately convinced me LearningFuze was my bootcamp of choice was Dan (the lead instructor). Typically, coding bootcamps have information sessions conducted by a program manager that take place around 6 to 7 in the evening after all the students and instructor have gone home.  Much to my surprise, I walked in at 7 in the evening to a classroom that was nearly full and saw that Dan was walking around and assisting students. Dan even walked in to the information session and answered prospective students' questions. Seeing how dedicated Dan was to his craft to help mold and mentor absolute beginners like myself late into the evening  spoke volumes to me. 

If you are serious about pursuing and jumpstarting a new career in web development, choose LearningFuze! It will be the most mentally arduous and grueling three months of your life but you won't regret it.

I look fondly back on that day nearly a year ago. LearningFuze changed my life. It can change yours too! I graduated back in June as part of Cohort 8 and secured a position as a Front End Developer for a great company. 

Some advice for prospective LFZ students:

• One step forward, two steps back - Do not compare yourself to others in the class. It's OK if it takes you longer than others to absorb and understand the material like myself. To my detriment, I  always tried to keep up with the class without solidfying my knowledge base. 
• There is a common misconception that once you graduate from a coding bootcamp you are guaranteed a job. This is not the case. While LFZ will provide you with a bountiful amount of very helpful career advice, it is ultimately up to you as an individual to hustle and put in the effort to go through the interview and application process just like you would do with any other job. 
• Be persistent! It took me a bit longer than expected (over 2 months) but I applied a little over 250 positions before I found my secured my first job.
• Try not to overload on those Nature Valley granola bars they leave out. They're super calorie dense! 

Registering for LearningFuze was not only one of the best career choices I've ever made but also one of the best life decisions I've ever made as well. I joined LearningFuze as a member of their 9th cohort. During my time there I learned so much about web development, the web dev environment, the web dev market, and I learned a lot about myself as well.

It's a 12 week long full immersion web development program that goes over HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, AngularJS, jQuery, Bootstrap and dabbles in a little bit of Node.JS, Firebase, and OOP. The instructors are great at explaining the material and are really good about slowing down if you need extra attention or need to go over something that might have grazed over your head. The instructors are really good about breaking down the concepts down to it's core and explaining everything step by step. The program helps you understand the basic fundamentals of coding and how everything really works from it's most simplist form as opposed to just holding your hand through 12 weeks and then throwing you into the sharks.

The support system is great and all the instructors and staff encourage everyone to work as a team. Somewhere around the 3rd week mark I had been so discouraged and felt so poopy. I didnt feel like I was able to continue down the web development path but the instructors and my classmates really helped me through my questions, pushed me to keep fighting, and supported me the whole entire way. 

If you're on the fence about whether or not you want to join a bootcamp or are trying to decide between which bootcamp you want to join, I definitely reccomend LearningFuze. Absolutely, hands down one of the hardest, most rewarding, and fun experiences I've ever had.  

Attending a coding bootcamp was probably the best decision I made regarding my career so far. I've always wanted to be a web developer since I was a child. I earned a CS degree at a university, but I did not come out of college as a programmer because there were very little opportunities to gain real, hands-on experience creating projects. I knew I had to do something more. 

I loved attending LearningFuze every day. The work is fast-paced and it feels great to accomplish so much in such a short amount of time. My fellow cohort-mates were driven, positive, and friendly. The learning model is fantastic; you learn pieces at a time (through lectures and prototypes) and gradually incorporate everything you've learned into projects. The staff is always there to answer questions (and you WILL ask questions!). Being able to deliberately practice is a valuable skill that you can apply to other things in life. 

What really sold me on LearningFuze is the advanced topics they teach. I learned about data structures, algorithms, user experience design, and object oriented programming. They taught most of those things in college, but I didn't know how to apply them to web development. It was a great feeling to be able to connect the dots. Version control and javascript frameworks were part of the curriculum as well.

LearningFuze also teaches soft skills and offers practice interviews. The scary reality of the job market is that you'll be competing against hundreds of other bootcamp grads. So, you've got to stand out not only as a skilled developer, but also as a team player and an overall nice person to work with. I worked in several group projects meeting deadlines, practiced both soft skill and technical interviews, and learned all about the job application process.  

 It took me around 2 months since I started applying to jobs to receive an offer. Please don't be discouraged if you struggle getting offers. Everyone is going to struggle because we don't have experience. Have faith in yourself and keep pushing forward. 

LearningFuze is as good as you make it. Don't go in expecting to slide through and have a job fall into your lap! Listen to the advice the staff gives you. Those who do turn out to be the most successful. 

I have nothing but fantastic things to say about Learning Fuze from top to bottom. The instructors possess extensive technical expertise and share it with passion in an encouraging and supportive environment. 

As you can imagine, learning a full stack of web technologies in twelve weeks is a daunting task. Learning Fuze provides the collaborative, positive environment in which each student can achieve their maximum potential.

When the twelve weeks are over, the job search begins and Learning Fuze supports their graduates with superb job assistance! Their job placement staff assist students with preparing their resume, crafting their online presence, and improving interview skills. They remain actively involved with each student until they are employed.

If you are considering attending a full-immersion boot camp, look no further.

I am part of the Cohort 9 which will end this coming September 2016. I attended the info session first before finally deciding to enroll. Starting from the info session, enrollment process to the actual live class, all of the mentors and staff at LearningFuze have been helpful. They tell you from the very beginning before you even enroll that it really takes time and effort when you decide to go in a bootcamp (I suggest you take that seriously). The mentors are there to help you with whatever question you may have or if you feel like you're stuck. Instructor Dan would even come early to spend time with students who want to take the extra mile. Bootcamp is a fast-paced learning environment. It would help if you have read or have taken some online courses or watched video tutorials prior to the bootcamp. The curriculum simulates a real-life working environment but at the same time mentors are there to guide you. 

     I am a current student of Cohort 9. I will be writing a full review after I finish but I would like to help future cohort members in making their decision. I'll keep it short and to the point. The learning environment is amazing. Your cohort group will become your second family. The staff ensures that you receive the help you need to grow. Don't get suckered in by the other schools that offer you "3 full stacks" in the same amount of time. It is difficult enough to master one full stack in the given time. Is it possible to learn 3 full stacks? I'm sure if you're dedicated enough anything is possible. However, do understand that you may come out a mile wide and an inch deep. Personally, I'd rather be a foot wide and a mile deep, with a strong foundation in one discipline before moving onto a different language. Learning Fuze's curriculum is heavily based on JavaScript and there's plenty to do to keep you busy. Already an experienced programmer? Don't worry! The instructors will give you added challenges to test your knowledge! I hope this review has provided some insight in making your decision. Conquer the Code! 

This will be a review for the job placement.

Finishing the bootcamp was challenging. Refining my portfolio and working on personal projects afterwards was a lot of work also. 

After that came the real adventure. Trying to get a job with the work that I had done. This was a scary task because just 3 months before I didn't really know how to code at all. 

On my first few interviews I was very nervous, but the LearningFuze staff coached me on how to handle myself during an interview. Savrut, their job placement expert, checked in with me when I progressed to the next round of interviews and when I made rookie mistakes. Eventually I was interviewing at a company that was excited to meet me, and they eventually hired me. 

I am extremely happy with LearningFuze and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in becoming a web developer.

I had been working in retail after getting a degree in a field I didn't have much feeling for. I'd always had an interest in coding, and after finally taking a online intro class, I realized that this was the change I needed in my life. In a whirlwind few weeks, I was researching bootcamps, found LearningFuze nearby, and after an on-site info session, decided to take the plunge! I'm happy to say that I definitely made the right decision!

LearningFuze provided the environment I needed to really make the push from just dabbling to making a full-on life swerve. While I was definitely motivated to learn on my own, being around others who were also determined to learn and the ability to ask someone with years of experience, face-to-face, was an irreplaceable advantage. The course is unquestionably hard work and at times the sheer amount of knowledge that you need to cram into your head can be extremely daunting. There's no magic bullet when it comes to learning to code, but the instructors (and junior instructors) at LearningFuze really helped clear the path as long as you're willing to give it your all.

Even after graduating, there's continued support. That's when you really have to bring all you've learned together and make that final push into starting a new career. This includes help in revising your resume and portfolio and making connections with potential employers. With LearningFuze's help, I was able to connect with the right company for me and have been happily employed as a developer for over a month now.

The course is hard work, but if you're ready to work hard, LearningFuze may be the right bootcamp for you!

I now know JavaScript! That's a huge deal for me! My background was in customer service/sales. I am a mother of two and didn't think it was possible for me to make a huge commitment like this. I used to be terrified of computers. Always afraid to click the wrong thing. But, instead of thinking of all the reasons why I couldn't do this, I decided to just go for it! I am soo glad that I did. It was difficult but so worth it. I am also glad we spent a good amount of time on JavaScript because I was having a hard time with it. Dan, the instructor, was extremely patient with me and answered my millions of questions I had. I know for a fact that I would not know what I now know had it not been for him. He does what it takes to make sure you understand. He goes above and beyond for all his students. If I can do it, anyone can do it! 

  I am a current student that came into this with no knowledge of any coding language, but with a passion to learn how to code.  If you have the passion this is the place for you!  In the beginning (2 weeks) it is about HTML/CSS, but only the beginning.  From there you jump straight into javascript and the skills you learn with javascript is vast.  Those who have worked with code are pushed just as hard as those with no prior experience with more indepth exercises and thery testing.  It is a journey I would reccommend to anyone who wants to learn how to use javascript or just improve there knowledge with it.

  The atmosphere is fantastic with the help that is always available.  The instructors do not just give answers.  Instead they help you figure them out because they want to see you succeed!