Pros
I cannot say enough positive things about my experience with Cook. I participated in the FastTrack bootcamp during the pandemic, so it was completely online and free. The bootcamp required a solid 40 hrs/week, and we learned Java, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, and some Angular. The bootcamp also focuses on communication skills and things like resume building, though these don’t take up much time or bandwidth. The bootcamp is 8 weeks of intensive training, and the people who really thrived in my cohort were those who were able to dedicate 40 hrs/week and who actively learned as much as they could. This is preparing you for the workforce, so it’s set up so that you can decide how much time/effort you put in. But you will absolutely not succeed in this if you aren’t fully committed to it. I had a job interview before the bootcamp ended, and was placed about 6 weeks into the course. I completed a 3 month contract with an awesome company (my position was totally remote) and recently accepted a full time offer from that company. My entire experience working with Cook Systems, from interviewing to FastTrack to working for them as a contractor, was 100% positive. Every person I interacted with was professional, kind, and unbelievably helpful and supportive. This bootcamp is *not* just for kids right out of college. In fact, those of us in my cohort who graduated and were placed in contracts were all 30+. If you’re serious about getting into the software development world, but are having trouble getting your first job, FastTrack is an amazing opportunity.
Cons
None. FastTrack opened the door to a career in software development for me.
