It is becoming increasingly common for people to switch jobs throughout their careers. According to Zippia, the average American worker holds as many as 12 jobs in their lifetime. The reasons for a career change range from a desire for more flexibility, the option to work remotely, and higher salaries. The tech industry has become a popular choice particularly because it offers numerous job opportunities, financial stability, and continuous career growth.
So, how do you get your foot in the doors of tech? Well, if you want to reap the benefits the industry has to offer as soon as possible, look no further than Codesmith, a coding school that prepares its residents for mid- to senior-level software engineering roles.
Codesmith offers a first-rate curriculum within a collaborative community that prepares its residents for mid to senior-level software engineering roles.
Join an info session to learn more.Codesmith: Your Launchpad to Tech Career Success
Given Codesmith’s deep commitment to building an expansive community of skilled software engineers, it’s no wonder that many of its alumni now work in tech companies like IBM, PayPal, and LinkedIn. Codesmith’s expertly designed curriculum, strong community, and proactive career services result in a launchpad to tech career success.
To give you a more vivid picture of how Codesmith can help you start strong in tech, we sat down with two Codesmith alums who have built thriving tech careers since graduating from the coding school.
Juan Espinoza, Software Engineer at Facebook/Meta
Juan Espinoza is currently a software engineer at Facebook (now Meta). He attended Codesmith after completing his Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science.
“I’m very fortunate to have done both [college and Codesmith]…Codesmith prepares you for your career. You have a lot of resources available to you at Codesmith, and then there’s the hiring program you go through as part of your senior portion of the program. That really adds a lot of value. You don’t get that in college,” shared Juan.
In fact, Juan pointed out that many valuable lessons learned at Codesmith apply even years after completing the program. Examples include how to apply to jobs, how to network, how to leverage your network, and even how to be versatile and adaptive no matter what career path you take.
His training at Codesmith definitely comes in handy as he continues in his career. “Going through Codesmith, you learn the full stack, which is nice. You go through React and CSS and all that good stuff as well as JavaScript and the server-side development,” said Juan.
“So within the first few years of my career, I was able to get into roles working with both sides of the stack. You get to see if you have a preference. Some people don’t, and some people do. But you get the opportunity to try both at Codesmith and to learn what kind of path you would like to go on.”
After going through the program and working on the Open Source Product during the senior portion of the program, he decided he wanted to work in backend engineering. His first job out of Codesmith was a backend job at AT&T.
“I definitely had a good time doing that, and it was fun, but I missed working with React and JavaScript,” he said. “So for my next role, I looked for a full stack engineering role, and Facebook had that.”
Juan’s advice to prospective Codesmith residents? Attend all the free workshops that Codesmith offers to familiarize yourself with the coding school’s culture and teaching style.
“I’ve seen people go from being a substitute teacher or being a comedian to being a software engineer. You don’t need the technical background or a degree like I have. If there’s something that you are excited about and something that you really want to learn, then you should pursue it. Codesmith is a great place to do that,” Juan shared.
Daniel King , Engineering Manager at Google
Before he attended Codesmith, Daniel King was working in the education sector, where he spent six years teaching various technical fields at the high school level, including Physics and Math. Daniel also taught a computer science class which sparked his interest in programming and software engineering. Today, he is an Engineering Manager at Google.
He shared why he chose Codesmith over other coding schools and bootcamps. “One of the major things that stood out to me about Codesmith was that the Immersive [program] goes beyond surface-level technical skills and really focuses on technical and non-technical communication, community building, and the deeper problem-solving aspects of tech and being a software engineer.”
“That commitment was very clear to me from the first time that I talked to students who were currently enrolled at Codesmith and reinforced when I spoke with instructors. And it made Codesmith stand out as my first choice for an immersive program,” he shared.
For Daniel, Codesmith prepared him for his day-to-day job as an engineer in different ways. It helped build problem-solving skills, strengthened his technical and non-technical skills, and gave him the ability to collaborate with other engineers effectively. It also reinforced his ability to engage with and communicate with non-technical stakeholders to better understand the problems that need to be solved. These skills, he shared, are what have allowed him to thrive in his career.
As an Engineering Manager of Google’s Cloud Sales Apps, Daniel leads a team of five engineers. He ensures that they are free from obstacles so they can proceed with their highest priority work without distractions.
For those interested in attending Codesmith, Daniel offers this advice, “Codesmith and the instructors who lead the program know what they’re talking about when they focus on technical communication and deeper problem-solving,” he said. “So, if you’re aspiring to be a software engineer, if you’re thinking of attending Codesmith, my advice would be to lean into those aspects of it.”
“Use the time in the program to build relationships with your instructors and with your fellow residents in your cohort and be ready to support each other,” he added.
What Codesmith Offers
Codesmith offers an intensive software engineering immersive program, which teaches students (or residents as they’re called) how to build and think like engineers. The program is available in two formats:
You can attend the full-time program remotely in three different US time zones or onsite in New York City. The full-time program is completed in 12 weeks, and you attend classes on weekdays from 9am to 8pm, and 9am to 4.30pm on Saturdays.
If you cannot commit to a full-time schedule due to professional and personal responsibilities, Codesmith also offers a part-time, remote program that takes 38 weeks to complete. With this schedule, you will get the same curriculum, but attend classes from 5pm to 8 pm on weekdays, and 9am to 3pm on Saturdays.
Regardless of the schedule, Codesmith will support you from the beginning of the program, through your job search, and into your career as a software engineer. Career support at Codesmith is for life. Beyond that, Codesmith alumni remain engaged and connected to the entire Codesmith community through networking events, mentorship opportunities and an active Slack channel.
A core component of Codesmith is the engaging, empathetic, and welcoming environment it consciously creates for its residents. Activities such as Saturday Shout Outs & Snacks and Family Dinners encourage camaraderie and support among peers.
If you’re preparing to commit to an immersive program, or want to learn for fun, Codesmith offers free coding resources like CSX, the school’s proprietary online learning platform that helps you build out your JavaScript programming competencies.
You can also attend free Codesmith workshops like the introductory-level Intro to JavaScript or JavaScript the Hard Parts if you’re a more advanced learner. Finally, Codesmith hosts free pair-programming sessions, where you can program with a partner and practice your technical communication, a vital learning experience for up-and-coming software engineers.
Join an Immersive Training That Works
According to Codesmith’s latest outcomes, 89.4 percent of its NYC residents secured job offers in tech 180 days after graduation. At the same time, 87.5 percent of residents who completed the part-time, remote program also landed tech jobs.
Codesmith doesn’t just teach you the tools to land your first job. As Juan’s and Daniel’s careers show, Codesmith helps you learn the skills you need to build a career in software engineering.
Codesmith’s recently released “Where Are They Now?” Report surveyed over 100 alums who graduated over the past five years. The report highlights the impressive impact that Codesmith has on its alums, one year after graduation, 23% of alumni reported promotions since their first role. After 5 years, 100% of Codesmith alums reported promotions.
Codesmith provides immersive training that opens doors to meaningful and fulfilling tech careers. If you want to follow in the footsteps of Juan, Daniel, and other Codesmith grads, attend a free workshop and start your Codesmith journey today.
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
