Launch School helped me switch careers and changed my life! After spending 1 year and 7 months going through the Core and Capstone program, I am now making more than 3 times my previous salary while working completely from home with tons of flexibility.

I felt lost. I was about to turn 40 years old, and I was not fully satisfied with my current job, but I had no idea what else I could do for work. A friend of mine pointed me in Launch School’s direction, and I immediately recognized what a special opportunity it was.

Here are some of the things that I found really set Launch School apart from many of the other options out there:

• They provide a free trial portion of their program
• The Core curriculum is self-paced and can fit around your schedule
• You can leave any time if its not a good fit (there's no entrapment)
• They are transparent about how long the program will take (1200-1800 hours)
• They are upfront about how rigorous and demanding the program is
• They focus on helping you develop the skills that will allow you to excel in this field
• The Capstone experience helps you skip entry-level jobs and accelerates your career trajectory immensely

Free Trial

The first part of the curriculum is available for free to try out with no obligations, and that made it very easy to “test the waters.” During this prep course, I was able to judge both whether I thought I would enjoy coding as a new career path and also whether I thought their teaching style would be a good fit for me.

Self Paced

Once I decided this was the path I wanted to be on, I started working on the material at my own pace, while I continued working. I also have a small family which made it imperative that I could fit studying in around other important things in my life, so the self-paced and asynchronous structure was perfect for me.

No Entrapment

In addition to the free trial to test out the program, once you begin core and beyond, you can quit at any time if you don't feel like it's a good fit any more. Many other coding programs demand a significant money upfront with no way to get out of their program if you find later on that their teaching style isn't a good match for you. Launch school has a low monthly subscription that you can end at any time (or pause if life gets crazy), which puts the student in complete control and offers little risk - especially compared to the others!

Long, but effective

I knew going in that this was going to be a long process, and Launch School doesn’t try to sell anyone on the idea that they can have all the skills necessary to start a software engineering in just a couple of months. In fact, quite the opposite. They go to great lengths to make it clear that habits don’t just form instantly - they require significant time. This was refreshingly honest compared to many other pitches out there. Seriously - how do you “get good” at anything in life? It takes time.

Rigorous, but effective

The program is challenging. Launch School has high standards in order to make sure you are adequately developing the skills you need to be successful. It does the student a disservice if they are not learning material deeply enough to engrain it, which is why completing each course is such an accomplishment. When you pass a course you can be sure that you’ve learned those topics very well and feel confident moving on.

Developing the right skills

Launch School takes an iterative approach to its curriculum, especially its Capstone program. They are in constant communication with graduates to find out what they are encountering in the field and make adjustments to stay current. This is really important in a field that seems to be ever-changing. This, coupled with the focus on learning the fundamentals deeply ensures that when you do begin your career - you are ready.

Capstone

I know that everyone’s situation is different, and I was very fortunate to have life circumstances that allowed me to participate in Capstone. I feel as if the Capstone program accelerates your career by allowing you to start your career at a mid-level or senior-level position instead of at an entry-level position. To me, it’s the equivalent of helping you “play out your rookie contract” right from the beginning. This means that not only do you increase your earnings out of the gate, but also, your life-long earnings are likely to be significantly higher as well.

After graduating from the Capstone program I accepted a job at an awesome company, with people that I really enjoy working with, working remotely with flexible hours, and making a salary I never even dreamed of.

I’m incredibly grateful for Launch School and for my friend who suggested them!