Alchemy Code Lab

• Boot camp
• Computer training school
• Software company
• Software training institute
• Technical school

"Alchemy was the best decision I could have made for myself and my career. Through my time at Alchemy, I never felt like I was just another student they were trying to get through. I felt like I was seen as a whole person with a desire to become a software engineer and a life outside of bootcamp. There is so much support available, you just have to decide who you are the most comfortable talking to - from instructors to TA's to the founders, to the career services team, there are never a shortage of people who will go out of their way to show up so that you can learn and grow as a dev and a person. This is a small business, not a massive bootcamp company! This is definitely a path for those who want to invest in themselves - you get out what you put in, but you're never alone on that journey if don't want to be. The alumni network is pretty extensive as well and continues to be a community even after you graduate. A more personal note... As a trans person, I started this journey quite skeptical of all bootcamps. Understanding the cis, white, maleness that dominates the tech industry, I wasn't sure how welcoming any portion of tech would be for me. But when I looked at the Alchemy website, I was initially impressed with the scholarships available. It is obvious that the goal is to diversify the tech industry and show support where they can, so I took that as a good sign. When I spoke with the co-founder, Megan, in an information session, she continued the notion of welcoming BIPOC, trans, & gnc folks at Alchemy. I figured over time, this wouldn't hold. I'm quite skeptical about how welcoming and informed a place actually is, but that never actually happened here. I was impressed repeatedly and any small bump along the road was always addressed thoughtfully and with an emphasis on equity. My experience was that ruptures are few and far between and repairs are approached with the consideration they actually warrant."

"The Alchemy Community is really positive and supportive. If you are wondering if tech is for you, let me say: Yes. it is. Alchemy will give you the confidence and skills to believe it is too. They will not let you fall behind and my TA's were wonderful in guiding me and helping me grow. I've met some of my greatest friends here and I am honestly still meeting wonderful people even after graduating. Alchemy is worth taking the chance on. The professors are passionate about what they teach and about their student's success. The Career Services are kind and encouraging people who offer amazing advices and resume/cover letter help. Alchemy never lets you feel like you are on this journey alone."

"This was a very positive move for myself and my future. I'd first heard of Alchemy through a friend who went through the program in . During the early pandemic I lost my job and decided it was time to take my future career more into my hands. I saw coding as an increasingly in demand field and with pay that would lead to financial security for myself and my family. I looked at programs around the Portland area and surveyed friends in the tech world to see what they knew about local code school options. One friend told me not even to bother with a boot camp and to just teach myself. When I mentioned I was considering Alchemy they immediately stopped and said, well I have actually only ever heard good things about that program. Between that and my friend who had gone through the program previously my mind was made up. My informational interview with Megan was purely a formality (but I will admit it made me even more eager to start ASAP). Megan was very honest about time commitments, academic rigor, and job search following the program. If I wanted to make this transition, it was not going to be easy or brief. That was exactly what I wanted to hear. 6 months of coding and a portfolio with at least 4 projects to show to prospective employers gave me full confidence in the program. The program itself lived up to the hype. I won't lie and tell you it was always fun, or that I even felt like I was progressing each day. However, each week I felt like I was a stronger coder, reader of code, and critical thinker than the week before. Alchemy blended solo work and group work to create a nice measure of personal progress and learning to code and manage group dynamics. They also incorporated career services assignments throughout the course. This gave students dedicated time to work on things like resumes and researching both technical and behavioral interview questions. It also provided time to work with colleagues on our answers to those interview questions. My personal favorite during all of this was 1 on 1 meetings with the career service staff to tighten up my resume, craft my narrative of becoming a software developer, and gain confidence in talking professionally about my skills. Overall, I would highly recommend the program to those ready to make the leap. It has given me the tools to succeed in the tech world and enhance my ability to contribute to companies and provide me and my family financial security going forward."

"This program was good for about the first 2/3 weeks. Nothing ever happens to students who make false claims, disrupt the learning environment multiple times during lectures, and obviously copy and paste from alum github repos. Then came foundations 2 where multiple people where not at the required % to continue the course and they were still strung along in the program. These people have still to this day not grasped the core concepts of coding. They are completely a predatory school. I personally had some trouble in my personal life and they were willing to help work around my issues. But they only help when it is coinvent and/or benefits them."

"Alchemy Code Lab was probably one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. Prior to this, coding was something I was interested in but never really planned on pursuing. That was until one of my best friends took the program. Before coming to Alchemy, I already had a good impression because my friend had been trying to convince me to take it from when he was in the program up until the point when I finally said yes. I gained confidence in Alchemy’s ability to prepare people for tech careers when my friend got his first job where he was referred to by another Alchemy graduate, and after talking to Megan, my decision was made. If your only interest is to learn web development, then I would suggest much cheaper alternative resources like Khan Academy, Udemy, Codecademy, YouTube, etc. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of other resources that are much cheaper than Alchemy Code Lab that you can use to learn web development. Alchemy Code Lab isn’t just about teaching you web development, it’s about preparing you for a career in tech starting with web development. You’ll get tech industry-related experience with teamwork and communication, project planning and management, and best practices as well as career-related experience with networking, resume writing, interviewing, and salary negotiation. When you join Alchemy Code Lab, you won’t just be enrolling in a class, you’ll be joining a positive and supportive community that will support you during your time at Alchemy and will continue to do so long after you’re done with the program. While the cost of doing Alchemy Code Lab is obviously higher compared to other programs in the Portland area and keeping in mind that I can’t really compare the Alchemy program to other programs (because I didn’t have to take other programs), I would say that it’s totally worth it for the experience and the amount and quality of support you get from the staff. I would dare say that you can get your money’s worth just from having access to Shannon in Career Services but that wouldn’t be fair or right to Megan, Marty, Ryan, and the other staff members (I haven’t met the others) because they are all amazing and supportive. Shannon will help you with networking, interviewing, and negotiating salary. She will give you advice on your resume and even set you up with recruiters for positions that she thinks would be a good fit for you. Her goal isn’t just for you to get a job, it’s for you to get a job that you’re happy with and pays well. Marty and Ryan are veterans in the tech industry and are very up to date on the latest and most popular technologies. They always make sure that the curriculum they teach you is reflective of the demand in the job market. Megan is basically Alchemy’s mom. She’ll support you emotionally if you ever feel down, and she’ll also work with you to get financial aid. Before the pandemic when the classes were in-person, she made sure that the class environment was comfortable and gave out snacks everyday. I want to be clear, just doing the program isn’t going to guarantee you a job nor will it guarantee that you will be an amazing developer. You’ll have to put in the work to get results. However the work you put in at Alchemy will have amplified results with their support."