CFG degree

[btwin]

Has anyone completed the CFG degree? Considering putting in an application for the next cohort and having a bit of a wobble about the time commitment 😵‍💫

That's the Code First Girls "degree", should have put that in the title!

Do you mean the 16 week course here:

codefirstgirls.com?

Applications opening at the end of February?

I know nothing about it, I’m afraid, but a completely free course that claims to be intensive is certainly worth serious consideration. How much time is it supposed to require per day / week?

I dont know any thing about it other than you commit to a taking a job.if you do it. I can see this will really suit some people, but may be restrictive to others. Ie not sure how will paid, located or flexible the end jobs are.

It says Mon - Thu from 6.30pm till 8.30pm, which would be manageable with planning around bedtimes.

It doesn't give any indication about how much time is typically spent on project work/reading etc

I have completed one of their introductory courses but that was just one night a week and the project work was easily managed

Maybe contact them direct to ask about project time commitment? Maybe ask if you can contact any graduates?

I don't get family friendly vibes from the website, but it looks like you apply for and get accepted on a job before you take the course so you can check it's viable for you. It's worth checking what happens if you complete/start the course and don't take the job, or leave after a small amount of time. Do you become liable for the fees? Basically check the small print! For example you may be bound to take a job even if it relocates in region, which could make the commute/childcare unviable.

It does sound like a great opportunity for those "who identify as women or non binary" in certain circumstances, but even the name "code first girls" suggests it's primarily targeted at a younger demographic. Still no harm in investigating further and seeing if it will work for you. It looks like a foot in the door of a coding career.

Hi @btwin sorry if this is too late to be helpful, but I did the CFG degree last year and am now working in tech as a result. Happy to answer any questions.

I had a positive experience overall, I learned a lot and it connected me with a coding job at my new company which I am really enjoying so far. Choice of sponsoring company is very important though as other women on the course I know had less good outcomes. I can go into more detail about this if you want.

The time commitment is fairly high, mainly because it takes up four evenings a week, then you'll probably need a couple of hours at the weekend to complete the homework and review your notes. It ramps up a bit towards the end as you complete a group project and prepare for the final assessment. I found it intense but manageable. If you enjoyed and got on with the material from the intro course you'll be absolutely fine.

CFG can be a little disorganised which can sometimes be frustrating but overall I would definitely recommend it, it's a great opportunity to get some really valuable skills for free and get your foot in the door with some great companies.

Good luck if you do apply, happy to chat some more!

Hi @basilpesto please could you elaborate and give more information about choosing a sponsoring company? Thank you so much!

Hi @strawberre

The places on the course are mostly sponsored by companies (except some candidates are just CFG sponsored so not linked to a company.) If you can be sponsored its much better as you are likely to get a role on completing the course, but this can vary depending on the company.

I was lucky that my company guaranteed me a role on successful completion of the course, but others were only given opportunities to apply for roles - that can be fine if they are ringfenced and you are supported to apply but some people didn't hear much from their company and didn't get a job at the end of it. So I would have a careful look at what the companies are offering when you choose. Also have a proper think about the roles on offer and what you would be most interested in doing as they can be quite different. And definitely have a look at the company's Glassdoor page to see if you like tbe sound of their culture or if there are any red flags.

Hope this is helpful and let me know if you have any other questions!

I've been considering doing this for a while now, I really want to move into tech but my experience with these sorts of companies so far hasn't been great (feel majorly ripped off by a course I signed up to, over £1400 down the drain). The CFG degree sounds amazing but because I've been burned before I'm having major "too good to be true" vibes.

I always wonder how many people who sign up for these things are genuine beginners, literally never seen HTML etc code never mind written it. I know another degree course I looked into hounded me for weeks trying to get me to sign up, they had some free courses and a lot of them had people who already seemed very experienced. When I asked one of the sales team who called why people like that were on the free beginner/taster courses if they already knew how to do it(or in some cases had already been working in tech for years) I was told they were paying for the industry connections.

CFG looks more promising in that it has actual companies listed rather than a vague job guarantee but I'm wondering whether there are genuine jobs at the end of it and if there are what are the working conditions? Also what happens if you fail or drop out? I selected the open apply (as there were no locations listed near me) and passed the tech assessment, but I'm really new to coding, what if I can't cut it because I don't have a lot of experience?

I've done a couple of their MOOCs and am currently enrolled on one of their 8 week intro courses. I'd love to do the degree to help me move into a data role, but having to accept a job from the sponsoring company puts me off. I'm assuming it would be very entry level and would mean having to take a pay cut from my current role which is not data related but does have opportunities to move gradually in that direction.

Hi @camelCase sorry to hear you've been ripped off before :( so many scammers out there.

My experience of the CFG degree was that it was really worthwhile and did allow me to transition into tech, which I am enjoying now.

It is a genuine free opportunity, I think the catch is that it can feel a little disorganised at times, and the instructors are not professional teachers, but people working in tech who are teaching in their spare time. So, it can feel a little scrappier than a professional bootcamp probably would be, but I think you get out what you put in - it does cover a good range of material and provides a useful structure and I learned a lot.

They're not looking for people who are absolute beginners, you need to have seen/done a little bit of coding before, but only to the level of one of their free intro courses, so you could start with one of those before progressing to the degree. If you've passed the tech assessment you will be fine though, they do cover the languages used from scratch, but it moves quite fast, so if you get through I would spend a bit of time between now and then practicing basic Python/SQL or Javascript (depending on which strand you are doing.)

For the sponsoring companies, some of them are offering tangible jobs, others are just sponsoring places, and others will give you the opportunity to apply for a role on completion. It's worth looking carefully at what each company is offering - it is usually detailed on the application page, and can vary quite a lot. The working conditions will also depend on the role offered, but you should be able to see job descriptions and look on the company's Glassdoor page and Linkedin to get an idea of what it would be like.

If you do open apply and end up being sponsored by CFG instead of a company, you will get the benefit of the course but are less likely to be offered a role at the end of it, so you would then have to job-hunt under your own steam. That could be good if you want to keep your options open, but I think people I know who were CFG sponsored didn't find that they got much support at the end of it, so it's better to be linked with a company from the start if you you want progress into a tech role directly. If not, you can use what you've learned on the course to continue your career switch.

Good luck, and happy to answer any other questions :)

Hi @evilharpy have a look at the details for each company on the application page, you'll see the types of roles on offer and sometimes the pay-scale. The roles vary quite a lot but I wouldn't say they are very entry level, I managed to make the transition without taking a large paycut. Also, not all sponsoring companies guarantee jobs, so you might not be locked in to accepting a role, depending on which sponsor you have.

Thank you @basilpesto that's all very useful to know, I think I will probably give it a miss for now then as I don't feel competent enough. I've been working through the full-stack pathway on codecademy and have found it really frustrating at times, particularly the react course as a lot of it is outdated and the way it is written doesn't always seem to make sense. I thought it was just me until I went on their forums and saw page after page of people with the same issues(especially over an app called Jammin).

I've been working through a full-stack course on udemy as well and it's honestly so much clearer, I've just started the react section on it and it all makes sense now, whereas up until now I had no real idea what I was doing, I was just following the instructions. I think I'll do a few more full-stack courses and then come back to CFG when I'm more able to keep up with a fast-paced lesson.

I've also completed the CFG degree and have been in tech now for over a year.

Like others have said, it's a brilliant opportunity and make sure you pick the company wisely. Some require a further interview after completing the CFG degree. Avoid!

You want one offering a permanent role at the end!

Any Qs - please ask

I'm in Data now btw!

I wouldn't rule yourself out if you're keen to do the course @camelCase , if you're at the level of working with React you'll definitely have the kind of basic programming knowledge that would stand you in good stead for the CFG degree. It's really just an understanding of basic concepts like functions, variables, loops etc that will help you during the course. They don't assume a lot of prior knowledge just those fundamentals which will help you with the material.

Hi @MrsBargain nice to see another grad. I'm in data as well! Glad it worked out for you too :)

Hey @basilpesto !

You've given some really good advice: the main thing is to get the sponsor right I think during the application.

You don't want to go through the whole process and then end up without a job!

Hi @basilpesto and @MrsBargain,

I'm currently in the middle of the CFG kick-start course on SQL and I'm considering applying for the CFGdegree. I have a few questions if you don't mind.
How would you know which company offers a place and which one only opportunity to interview? Would you still do the course without the job at the end? Are you still in touch with people who have done it? If yes, have they managed to secure a position eventually?
Also for the interview process, what was the interview with the hiring company like? Thanks in advance :)

@GenevieveTrompke

1. by reading the bios when you apple for each company. Some state you need to take further tests/interviews after the CFG degree. Some are also for internships rather than jobs. 2. no I wouldn’t do it without a job at the end 3. No, I didn’t know anyone on my cohort who was on it without a sponsored place. 4. Interview - 30 mins with 2 people from HR and 30 mins with 2 people who would be my manager and my managers manager. Interview was fine, relaxed, but that’s a reflection on the company. I was prepared for all the questions they asked as I had prepped like mad (STAR model was used a few times)

*apply

Well, I decided to just go for it and put in an application (after asking CFG a million questions lol). The video interview was so awkward, I went from thinking 60 seconds isn't enough time to say everything to finding myself only needing about 30 seconds for some questions.

I'm still not sure if I'm ready but I guess the only way to find out is to just do it if I'm lucky enough to be accepted. I didn't realise they only had 10% of places available vs the number of applicants, that makes sense though considering you are getting it for free and you get a job at the end of it (compared to a vague "job guarantee" that other places have).

@camelCase have you heard anything back yet?

Nothing at all but then they did say it could be anything up to a week before the course starts (so that would be the end of April/beginning of May), did you apply?

I'd passed the tech assessment, but I've been putting off the recorded interview as I've been unwell. The companies will be conducting their interview in the weeks between 17-28 April, so if we're succesful at this stage, we should hear before then.

I did apply but not to any particular company. I need to do my video interview today. The very thought of it makes me cringe, I'm so awkward on video!

If it helps you both with the interview the questions were exactly the same for me as on the sheet that came in the email (I think worded slightly differently but the same questions). So just have a good think about your answer, you can re-film if you're not happy (I didn't as I know the more I thought about it the more nervous I would get and would probably mess up). The question is on screen for you to read and then you click on the record button so it's not a big rush, read the question, think of your answer, hit record.

Like I said I didn't think 60 seconds was long enough to answer before starting but in the end some of the questions I barely needed 30 seconds (maybe I spoke too quickly lol). The hardest question for me was the one that was something like "how would you like to be remembered?"...uhm positively 😂(I did say some other stuff as well but yeah that one was super awkward!)