PDX Code Guild

I had little to no problem with the Guild despite the lead instructor consistently showing up 20 minutes late to class. All was fine and dandy, even though the week before we were going to start working on capstones most people were several labs behind schedule, I couldn't know if it was a reflection of the Guild, or the difficulty of the course. 

Then comes the 2nd time I go to study hall, a week ago today. I am immediately asked if I needed help by the same instructor that failed to help  me last time, so I thought maybe he might actually want to help me this time. The last time he was clearly looking and typing in another screen before I left saying I would figure it out on my own. This time he feigned interested and threw a couple generic solutions to the problem at hand, but they actually made my situation more complicated, still with no sincere interest to help. So I left, and unwisely posted in their Study Hall that I had only gone twice, and got no help. This was apparently grounds for expulsion and I was expelled by the Director by the next day. This is sick how they would just discard a disabled veteran who dropped out of college to use this VA funded program to get a job to support my now 4-month old and wife that has just returned to hybrid work. It's good that I can spend more time with him, but this is a sick practice that must stop! Reported to VA, but of course that will take it's time to get down the pipe. The instructors are incredibly knowledgeable, just not always helpful, and if you join this program, keep your head down and mouth shut and learn from my mistake.

I signed up for their free Intro to Programming (Python) evening class and had a great experience with instructor Al B. & assistant Indu. It was a short Tues-Thurs course for 2 weeks (18 hours total) on the basics of Python and feel more confident about my journey for new career skills. The class style is instructor led on a projector, with group coding practice and 2 individual labs per session which are reviewed by the instructors. Classes are uploaded later to youtube for helpful recall. I had a much better experience here than at a paid Epicodus intro class. They also do another free Intro to Front End (html, css, js, jquery, git) 2 week course which I plan to take. 

After 16 years with a company I was laid off.  Although I had Computer Technical background and strong WAN Technologies background I was struggling to find any Job.  I also had recently made a Career change into software development, but I only had 4 years and never held the title of senior so I was unable to find work in that field either. So, I worked with WorkSource and using the Reboot program and I found PDX Code Guild.  Sheri Dover the Schools President was warm and inviting.  The interview process left me feeling encouraged that I had found a group of like-minded individuals who were on a similar journey.  Although I had read through the program on the website, I came away with a real sense that this program was the best program fo me.  We had a small class of six people to start with and the instructor Andrew Hedges had real world experience giving the class a broader depth to real world uses of everything we learned.  There was a lot of material to cover in 12 weeks, and it was very intense, but the smaller class size gave us many opportunities to work together and if need be a lot of one on one with Andrew.  One of the best parts of the class was not just having recruiters and industry leaders coming in to speak to us weekly, but was the mentoring on how to network outside the guild connecting with local meet ups like Front end PDX or Donut JS.  One of the greatest strengths of PDX Code Guild is there continuation of support while in class with gaining understanding and after you done with the class with give you a space to continue to build your portfolio to help you find jobs.  My greatest take away after the friendships and professional relationships I have built, is being able to put the code guild completion on my resume. In fact, although the Job I am currently working at is not in software coding my experience with the code guild was the deciding factor with getting this Job.  Because of the steep learning curve in the code guild I was able to show that i have the propensity to learn new things and be productive quickly and that gave me the edge I needed to land my current position at XO Communication a Verizon Company.  While they may not have traditional Job assistance where they have Job postings I believe I have gained greater skills in finding and getting a Job then I had before because of the networking skills they provide.

With no prior coding experience-- thanks to the instruction and guidance of the PDX Code Guild team, I'm currently in the middle of interviewing for Meta, Google, Amazon and other tech powerhouses of the world.  PDX Code Guild was the BEST professional decision I've made for my career.

After making the leap of doing a career switch into software development, I enrolled into the Full Stack Development Bootcamp at PDX Code Guild.  They give you an opportunity to test the waters of their curriculum with a FREE two week introduction course where you learn the fundamentals of programming.  If you decide they're the right fit for you, and vice versa,  you're in for the most rewarding experience of your life.

The Instructors:
Pete was our instructor and I have no words to explain how amazing he was.  He was patient, his methods were intuitive, and he went out of his way to answer every single question we had.  I would contact him endlessly asking him questions about our course AND personal projects/endeavors.  Pete set me up for success.  The TAs were phenomenal.  No matter how chaotic it got in our class, Dustin, Kelsey and Lisa were there to put out the fires.

Career Services:
Keegan was our career counselor.  Around a month into the program, I scheduled meetings with Keegan at least once a week.  From resume reviews, to technical mock interviews, to fun tech conversations.  Keegan was there, and his advice and insight is INVALUABLE.  I can't emphasize enough about how important Keegan's services are.  Keegan set me up for success.

PDX Code Guild:
Sheri, the CEO was so amazing to work with.  My secret is that I came to the Code Guild twice.  I asked Sheri about the Code Guild in 2020, attended the introduction classes, and I couldn't continue due to other circumstances.  In February of 2022, over a year later, I called Sheri again and not only did she welcome me with open arms, BUT SHE REMEMBERED ME.  She cares about her students, and there's nothing that's more important than that.

I took the Intro to Python class at PDX Code Guild. In a really short time, I felt very familiarized with this coding language -- of course, you can't learn EVERYTHING in two weeks, but I felt the instructors set a very healthy foundation of how to navigate problem solving and troubleshooting on your own. My favorite part of the course was how supportive it feels right from the start, the instructors are open to questions and confusions at every juncture and are at the ready to offer help whenever you're stuck. The class is structured in such a way that you get a quick lecture to understand the terminology and concepts, and then given exercises to put them into practice. There's a lot of independence you can have with the material, developing your own method to resolve the problem. The instructors help you to solve these problems while still considering your style and approach to it. I loved my experience at the school and highly recommend PDX Code Guild to people looking to learn an approachable coding language in a friendly and supportive environment.

As with anything in life, what you put in is what you get out. Learning to be a programmer is no exception. I attended PDX Code Guild, worked hard, and now have a job that I love.

Most of my classmates love code guild and still frequently go there for meetups. If you work hard and are honest with yourself on what you need to improve on you will flourish at code guild. I have seen many people do this: Those that are successful have used programming to augment their passions, interests, or past careers. Those that I have seen fail were focused on making money, or their heart wasn't in it.

So my advice to anyone reading this. Go for it. I had been struggling through online tutorials and books for months. This was a great foundation, when I got to boot camp I was able to take my ability to the next level. There are certain things that the instructors who had been working in the industry can teach you, that books just can't.

One of the best things about PDX Code Guild is the instructors. To whoever saying the good one left: The idea that one person can make or break a school is just silly. There are plenty of instructors here who are available to help. It is true that each of them have different strengths. What you learn will be in some way influenced by their specialization. They have all been working in the industry so if they can't answer a specific question for you, they can refer you to someone who can. This is one of the reasons I chose PDX Code Guild. The instructors have industry experience. Other schools often hire TA's who were graduates of the same school. And they are kind of generalists. I feel very fortunate to have learned from someone who was an excellent JavaScript programmer. I have had much more luck getting work as someone specialized than if I had gone to another school to learn a bit of everything.

Realistically many of you reading this are probably wondering what the post graduate job hunt is like. There is no magic job tree for junior programmers. I got rejected close to 20 times before I even got a phone interview. But if you keep learning and stay persistent it's entirely doable for anyone.  I had a job within a week of graduation and significantly increased my income. This was coming from a business career which definitely helped, but regardless of your background you can earn a livable wage with the skills you start learning here.

As for Job Assistance. There's no official placement program or internships, but here's why that's a great thing: The instructors work in the industry. They are not just TA's who are graduates themselves. They have industry connections with companies and recruiters. If you prove yourself to them by working hard and doing the extra credit they introduce you to recruiters and companies. You will have no problem finding a job within a couple of months from graduation. The key is, you have to put the work in, nothing is handed to you. But that's true with everything life.

tl;dr: If you want to learn programming. Code Guild is a great place to do that. It ended up being one of the best decisions I've made.

I just receently graduated from PDXCode Guild after taking the Intro to Python course in May and then the 12 week Full Stack Devops class. I want to say that it was the most rewarding thing that I have done in a long time and it was also the hardest thing I have ever done because coding is not a trivial task. That is why you go to this school. Everyone there that I met talked a lot about that. Everyone was also very supportive and positive. My instructor had years of coding experience and knows Javascript especially well. I was very glad that I took the Intro to Python course first because I really wanted to know if I could hack it. It is an accelerated bootcamp so yes you are moving at a fast pace. I recommend taking an Intro class to see if you can handle that. Because I finished that I felt confident enough to take the 12 week course. I learned so much. I would never have made as much progress as I have or got as much done or so much support, encouragement, instruction plus meaningful curriculum as I did without this school. The CEO is also a great person to work with and she wants you to succeed as badly as you do. Class sizes are small. The environment is great. I was in the lower building which I love. I had 4 people in my class plus a couple TA's to assist. We had several guest speakers come in which was enlightening also. We were pointed to good tools to learn with. All things that are important when you are first starting out. It was a great experience. 

I want to write as honest a review I can about my experience.  For anonymity, I will say that I finished the class in 2015.  

Positives: 
Class size is small. For me it was 8 people. During my time there, average class size hovered around 8-12 students. This makes interactive instruction possible, and really allows you to get to know your classmates well. 

The school is licensed by the State of Oregon. This means that you may qualify for job retraining grants and other state and federal funding sources. You do need to research this, however. Code Guild staff may help you identify sources of funding, but it's up to you to do the legwork if you want to avoid paying full price. Being licensed is also for peace of mind: if for whatever reason the school closes, chances are good that you can get your money back. 

After 12 weeks, you will learn all the basics of computer programming and full-stack web development.

Negatives:
The quality of your education is determined by your instructor. Look at other reviews and it's apparent who you want to be teaching you. Whether or not you will be taught by this person is based on scheduling and luck. My class was taught by a first-time instructor who really knew Python and the backend of things. Javascript and frontend, not so much. In fact, our Javascript education consisted of two weeks of online tutorials and asking your neighbor for help. Not so much value for money there. I have heard from other students about instructors who showed signs of burn-out and disinterest. My personal experience with my instructor was that, about three weeks away from the end of term, he began interviewing for industry positions and "checked out" for a bit. Fortunately, this coincided with the personal capstone project time, so not a lot of instruction was scheduled for this portion anyway. 

There is also the chance that you will be taught by an instructor who themselves just graduated from the PDX Code Guild. At this point in time (Feb 2016), there are recent graduates of the bootcamp teaching classes. While I personally know these instructors and can attest to their intelligence and overall competence at programming, I think it's something to be aware of. You can certainly learn the basics from them, but you will miss out on advanced concepts or years of industry experience. Of course, you are welcome to disagree with me.

Neutral observations:
Like any code school, you will hear all the success stories, and not hear about the not-so-successful ones.  You will be told how you can come with zero experience and leave as a qualified junior software engineer. However, it should not come as a surprise that some of these successful folks may already have a computer or other STEM backgrounds. A recent superstar from the last graduating class had a math degree, for example, and other students had previous careers in software testing or frontend web development. Some already had exposure or training in other languages such as MATLAB, PERL, PHP, or C++.  

If you're coming into this program with absolutely zero experience, you may be frustrated at having to learn absolutely everything from the ground up, while some of your classmates seem to know everything already. I had exactly one semester of computer science training about ten years ago and there were a couple of moments where I felt absolutely lost in this class.

After graduation, it's not uncommon for students to take up to 6 months to review the course material, build up a portfolio, network, attend meetups, learn more specific frameworks and languages based on their interests and intended area of specialization, and then finally be hired.  

Summary:
Code Guild will teach you all the basics. Being job-ready largely depends on your prior background and your willingness to take more time off following graduation to really hone your skills. Remember, you are competing against graduates of other code schools, and more are graduating every 12 weeks or so. Be aware of who your instructor is and what his or her background is prior to enrolling in the class.

To be fair I've been told that our class was the worst one is this program's history.  I loved my classmates but we had a horrible instructor who was fired with three weeks left in the course.  Our instruction was uneven at best and negligent at worst.  We had a curriculum that was often glossed over or ignored completely by our instructor.  Our instructor knew close to nothing about CSS, HTML, JavaScript or SQL but taught all topics.

Having said all of this I know that there have been much stronger classes with better instruction and there is now a head instructor who has created a more structured curriculum.