A Work Culture I Didn't Think Was Possible - Anonymous employee Codesmith Employee Review

-Our current CEO Alina, is an incredible person to work for. She's innovative, highly empathetic, and never stops working. Truly a phenomenal leader. She believes in transparency among the stuff and has a level of integrity in her work that I really admire. She's very kind, her door is always open, but she's also not afraid to make difficult to decisions and have tough conversations. -As someone who works closely with students from the time they send in their first application to the time they graduate and start getting jobs, it's incredibly fulfilling work. It's truly amazing to see the growth that people are capable of with the right amount of time and effort - especially in an industry where there's a lot of noise surrounding whether or not going into tech is a good idea. -The culture among the students and staff is very special. I have such love and respect for my coworkers who continually go above and beyond for both the students and one another. I look forward to the interactions I have with the students as well. The program is intense and can be tough on students but our meetings are generally a lot of fun and very meaningful. -Strong benefits package and an education stipend that I take full advantage of. 401-k match, dental, vision, etc. -This is a company that is so innovative and forward thinking. The past year has not come without its challenges as tech and the job market have shifted so much. It's been really cool to be a part of the company's journey to adapt with all of those shifts as well. Things like what kind of updates to the curriculum do we make (particularly surrounding AI)? What new programs should we offer? What kind of new workshops do we put together? How can we better prepare students to test in and support them after the program? It all moves quite quickly and, while it's not always easy, it's very exciting.

-Finding work life balance can be tricky as the company builds a new program and continues to iterate on the ones we already have. I personally work across several teams and find that the ability to ask for help and advocate for myself has become an increasingly important skill. Luckily, my team and the powers that be have my back. -The recent attacks on Reddit have been tough on the company. The moderator responsible for it has stepped down but the damage has been done and we're working hard to rebuild our reputation since. -As someone responsible for overseeing the community, helping people study to test in, and conducting most of the technical interviews for prospective students, there's a lot of time spent working with people who seem like worthy candidates, but then back out at the last minute. That's really frustrating and feels like a waste of time and resources.

There is a great energy and atmosphere in the company, people are genuinely happy to work at Codesmith, and there is no ego involved. The mission of the company is an inspiring one and instructors, students, and senior team members clearly all believe in the drive to help people into tech roles. The CEO is brilliant and provides lots of space and encouragement for the growth of individual team members, and trust for new projects to be implemented. The company is great with flexible working and supports a range of lifestyles which has engendered a lot of positivity with team members and brings the best out in everyone.

Really don't have anything bad to say, everyone is lovely to work alongside and the job is rewarding and the pay is great—I highly recommend Codesmith to anyone considering joining.