Tech Elevator

I was hesitant. So very hesitant. If it's too good to be true, it likely isn't true. 

*Setting the scene*
I have a friend who is a Ruby developer and went to a coding bootcamp some time ago, and after finding out how he broke into tech, I was curious. Could I do one of these camps? Could I even get in? I researched, just as you guys are - on Course report, Youtube, Reddit, anywhere I could find info on these bootcamps. I knew that I needed an in-person learning experience because that's how I best learn. I was ready to move to California, Texas, NY - wherever I needed to go - to go to one of these bootcamps. If you're investing this much money into something, make sure that you are in the most ideal situation possible because you will try to find excuses when it's not working out like you think it should be.

Only two of the several dozens bootcamps I reached out to were doing in-person learning... DevMountain in Iowa (Or Idaho I can't remember), and Tech Elevator in Cincinnati, Ohio. Since I'm local to Lexington, KY (roughly 50 minutes to Cincy) it was a no-brainer that Tech Elevator was my best choice. However, still being cautious, I reached out to people on LinkedIn from both bootcamps. Both had good things to say, but Tech Elevator's feedback was so overwhelmingly positive that I was even more skeptical. Is there some type of affiliate program - where alumni get paid to bring in new people? There has to be, because I am asking questions to the alumni that would list out some of the cons. The only con was - "It's really challenging." Well, I had gathered that much. 

After reaching out to the administration about the affiliate program, they confirmed they do have one. Well crap. I knew it was ruse. Too good to be true. I say how much do they get paid? "$50 if someone makes it to like week 6 of the program." $50? That's it? Well, maybe I'm just the nicest person In the world, but I'm not going to lie to a stranger to convince them to spend $16,000 for $50. So that made me think the responses I was getting were a lot more genuine.

I commit. I take the aptitude test, pass somehow, and get accepted. Awesome.  I put in my two weeks at my job in preparation, and with two days left on my notice - they switch back from in-person, to purely remote because of the local covid numbers.
Crap man. I researched bootcamps for so long with the goal of finding in-person learning *in a pandemic* only to be set back again. Given, I don't have a job in two days... so I say - "Let's do the thing."

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What a whirlwind of 14 weeks. Blood (okay probably not), sweat, tears - it was tough. There were some character defining moments in this bootcamp. I was googling "Jobs in tech that don't require coding" in like week 4. But the support that I received from the instructors, the tech elevator staff, and my classmates was ~exceptional~ 

Maybe I got lucky with my cohort, but I've made friendships that will last a lifetime, we were up till 1-2am some nights finishing our homework, and dissecting the code. There was never a moment where one of our classmates left another one out to dry. We were a team, and always showed gratitude when our classmates helped one another.

I watched classmates of mine with no technical experience struggle to open up folders at the start of the cohort - only to get jobs paying twice as much as what they've ever made, right after graduation. 

The learning experience and the job that I received after bootcamp.. If I could have seen into the future, I would have paid twice as much to have the outcome that I had. 
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Improvements? 

Honestly I feel like I'm nit-picking but - potentially having a professor that solely worked weekends would be great. Our professors were always readily available for us during the weekend, but I always felt guilty messaging them. Like I know this guy is just wanting to watch the Bengals play in peace, and I'm asking him to help more than he already does. So having someone where their sole purpose is to be available on the weekends would be ideal.  

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Truly elevated. *ba-dum-tsk*

In all seriousness, I cannot recommend Tech Elevator enough (specifically the Cincy campus, but I'm sure their other campuses are great too). If anyone needs any other questions - feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drew-atkins

It's funny to think that not so long ago I was on Course Report looking at reviews about Tech Elevator and other boot camps. It is hard to believe that someone can change their career in such a short amount of time but I am a testament that it is possible. Prior to Tech Elevator, I was a restoration ecologist for an environmental non-profit. I needed a big change and was interested in coding and Technology. The combination of TE's curriculum, highly qualified staff, the Represent Tech Scholarship, and the Pathway Program (what truly sets this boot camp apart) was what made me pick this boot camp over the other ones.

As a student everything met my expectations and many times exceeded them. The curriculum is well designed with consistent learning materials that are well written with clear examples. The combination of readings from the textbook, lecture, and exercises gives you a great opportunity to learn a lot and learn it quickly. Yes, the pacing of this boot camp is intense and will be very challenging at times, but I found it to be very fun and engaging. Part of that is how TE presents the material to you and the support you receive and give from fellow students. I did some courses on Javascript some months prior to starting the boot camp, it is not necessary but I found that I was way more prepared and familiar with the material which made the learning curve a little bit more manageable. Recommended but not needed.

The Pathway Program helps hone in on how to best present yourself to land that job. Yes, technical skills are important but being able to "sell" yourself effectively is half of the battle. They help you develop your elevator pitch, resume, and countless other important aspects of your applications. Additionally, TE helps connect you with their large network of hiring partners. I truly believe that the Pathway Program is the biggest reason why I received an offer. 

If you love to code and want to make a big change in your life then TE is a high-quality choice. I will be starting my first position as a Junior Software Engineer in February and I have TE to thank for that. It will be a challenging couple of weeks, but if you focus, put in the hard work, and never give up, you'll be rewarded for it and hey you'll have lots of fun and meet great people too.

I remember being in the shoes you are in right now, i.e., debating on whether or not you should apply to Tech Elevator, quit your job, and spend 3 and a 1/2 months essentially learning how to converse in a foreign language like a native of that language.  I remember the doubts that kept creeping in:  I'm not good enough, I'm going to fail miserably and let myself and my loved ones down, I'm too old to switch careers, this is a young person's game, I'm going to waste all that tuition money, etc.  So, how did I pierce through all of that and ultimately make the decision to attend Tech Elevator, and what was my experience like?

Whenever doubt crept in, I kept reminding myself that I'm capable, that I'm worth it, that my loved ones believe in me, that there was still something missing in my career that I needed to change, and most importantly that not trying is far worse than trying and failing.  And I'm incredibly happy that I made the decision.

I will be honest in this review and tell you that it's very challenging.  There is a lot of work to do, a lot of exercises to complete, a lot of concepts to understand, a lot of hitting a wall and pulling your hair out trying to figure out why your test is failing or your code is not compiling.  You will have late nights, and you will have to get out of your comfort zone and work with other classmates on homework, paired-programming exercises, and capstone projects.  You will have to accept that there may be times when you need to ask for help.  But I'm telling you that it's all worth it.  It is a crucible through which you enter as someone that you and your loved ones are very familiar with, and you come out a different, changed, better person.  You will find out that you are a lot stronger, braver, and smarter than you think you are.  You will realize quickly that your fear of looking stupid is the same fear that everyone else has.  You will realize that others want to see you succeed as much as you do, and as a result will help you, and you will in turn help them.

The instructors are amazing, the graduate assistants are amazing, the Pathway program is amazing, the curriculum is amazing.  It's all amazing.  And if you're worried about having to work remotely like I was (due to COVID), I can attest that it was actually more comfortable and just as effective, if not more.  They have mastered leveraging existing technology to make the student experience enjoyable, easy, and totally conducive to achieving success.

Take it from me, a 41 year-old former teacher, with a lifelong cache of self-doubt and self-criticism and enough imposter syndrome to fill a psychology textbook.  I made the choice to apply, then I made the choice to attend after being accepted, then I made the choice to wake up everyday and give it 100%, then I made the choice to stick with it through all of the doubt, and so on and so on.  I made a series of choices and just kept making them, until I got an actual job as a software developer in the industry, just before graduating from the program.  And choosing Tech Elevator is a choice I can't recommend enough.  It will change your life.
Pros and consThe technology they use made it easy to learn and work with classmates remotely.  The instructors taught us everything we needed to know and did so incredibly effectively.  The graduate assistant and instructors were available throughout the day for help when you need it.  The curriculum was great.  The Pathway program was absolutely critical and was a huge reason why I was able to get a job in the industry.  There are many pros, too many to count.
It's not cheap.  However, for what you get, I think it's a steal.  If you can secure funding (loan, savings, income share agreement, etc), then it's not so bad, especially since there are many loans that have very reasonable terms and conditions.

Making the decision to join a coding bootcamp is incredibly nerve-racking. For most of the students I enrolled with, they were making a huge career change and taking a giant leap of faith. Including me.

That being said everything about the Tech Elevator program went above and beyond anything I could've ever expected. It honestly was the best decision I have made in my life. If you are someone that knows coding is your future, then I would 10,000% recommend Tech Elevator as the school that will get you to that future.

The content of the program was fulfilling, and I came out of it knowing I could succeed in the industry. The instructors are readily available to go over anything you are learning in the curriculum. Most of everything I was asked in any technical interview was covered during the course. The 14 weeks are incredibly challenging and there isn't a day wasted. You will come out of it prepared for any junior level developer job. I would suggest doing a basic coding tutorial before day one. It will go along way in the first couple of weeks, which is where I saw a lot of people struggling the most.

Everyone from the pathway program worked incredibly hard to prepare me for my interviews, which in my opinion is where Tech Elevator really separates themselves from other bootcamps. You will give your elevator pitch multiple times to employers. You will also do many mock interviews with that will prepare you for any question that might be thrown your way. I have never been so prepared for any interview in my life, and I think that is the main reason I landed my current job. Also, shoutout to Peggy! She can answer any question about the job hunt that you could possibly think of.

I think if you are ready for the career change and can afford it, this is the bootcamp for you! It's worth it.

I feel like it was yesterday that I was pouring through the reviews on this site trying to decide whether or not to apply to Tech Elevator. I remember being encouraged by all the good reviews, but also skeptical. Believe them! In the process, I met a lot of alumni with the same feeling. Tech Elevator absolutely changed my life. I was working as a landscaper and farm hand prior to completing their course, and in three months landed a job as a Software Engineer. I think the most important thing to consider when making this decision is not whether they will deliver, but if you are ready to commit. If you are, do it! It is intense but in the best way. The instructors are great, they know how to explain things and are more than willing to help you whenever you get stuck or are confused. The material moves quickly, but it does build on itself and by the end, you will be amazed at what you can do! Also important to note, the pathway program is incredible. I have a four-year degree in Sustainable Agriculture and didn't get this level of career development help. It was great getting to know myself better, finding my strengths, and being able to build my confidence to feel comfortable in an interview. The only thing that will hold you back is if you are not ready to give 110% to the course and stick with it. Another plus is the fact that they have an extensive hiring partner network that you get to meet and build relationships with. Everyone who works there is so nice and wonderful and will go above and beyond to make sure that you get all the help you need to make this change. I really can't say enough good things about this course and honestly feel like crying when thinking about how much it opened up my potential in life. Thank you to the whole team at the Philadelphia campus!

Prior to enrolling in Tech Elevator, I was working in the healthcare industry and was looking for a more rewarding career field. I decided to join the bootcamp because it provides both technical knowledge offers career assistance. Now I am 6 months into my new position as a software developer, and I appreciate the foundation that Tech Elevator has given me. The curriculum provides the foundation for a successful entry into the dev field, I learned the basics of Java, it’s framework, and the key principles of OOP, how to construct and query databases, and the skills to create a complex website. 
My instructor Yoav and Pathway Director Caitie were extremely helpful during the bootcamp. Yoav did not hesitate to provide help and insights whenever I got stuck on a project, and I enjoyed his lectures. Caitie consistently provided resources and job opportunities. Their support continued after I graduated the bootcamp. During my job hunting period, they consistently checked in with me. After I landed a job and decided to further my education, they wrote two excellent letters of recommendation which helped my admission into a grad school program.
I’m glad I joined Tech Elevator, I’m very happy at my new job, Tech Elevator has prepared me well to be successful, as I’m excited about future opportunities.

Overview
After experiencing job uncertainty due to COVID-19, I knew it was time to make a change--to pursue a career that I not only enjoyed, but that could sustain me long-term both personally and financially.

"Coding" can mean so many things... it's front-end design and accessibility, data and analytics on the back-end, quality testing, project management and more. The possibilities are far and wide.

It might be hard to believe that making the switch into an entirely different career is possible in 14 weeks, but with this Tech Elevator team by your side, it IS! I'm graduating with a full-time position at my dream company (and still pinching myself to make sure it's true). The people at Tech Elevator are what make the difference, and ultimately they are the reason why I made the decision to attend this bootcamp over others. Their support is unparalleled, and you'll graduate with a deep professional network as well as technical and soft skills that will last you a lifetime.

Why Tech Elevator, as opposed to a different bootcamp?
As I’m sure you know, it’s incredibly difficult to decide which bootcamp to enroll in because seemingly every single one has glowing, 5-star reviews on Course Report. I was in an endless information funnel that wasn’t leading anywhere, and then it hit me: I’m local to Philadelphia, and my #1 priority is to land a job in tech. And so it only makes sense to choose a bootcamp with top industry connections in this area. Philly is a ripe tech market, and in this market, Tech Elevator has the right connections to set you up with a deep network. From day one, it's obvious that each member of the faculty & staff is extremely invested in your individual success rather than padding their statistics.

Why a bootcamp, as opposed to grad school?
A bootcamp won't go into the nitty gritty of computer science, just a high-level view of career-ready skills that you're ready to apply as a junior developer. Graduate school will cost you more, but will engrain the skills and knowledge perhaps a bit deeper. If you want to make a quick, plug-and-play transition into a tech career, a bootcamp with good career connections (like TE) is the way to go.

Why tech?
For years, I was working in marketing with some pretty crazy deadlines/hours/workload--something that the tech industry is far from (I am now profusely apologized to if anyone messages me past 5 p.m.) Also, tech is just a better personality fit for me--it’s more than ok to be yourself, quirks & all.

What was the result? Job offers, etc.
I am now a software tester at a fashion e-commerce giant. It was my first job offer--and honestly my dream job so I didn’t really hesitate to accept it--but there were a lot of other great companies that I was talking to along the way that I was introduced to through matchmaking. I graduated with a full-time job lined up for me, making significantly more than I had been before the career switch.

Advice for potential new students

• Before you apply, make sure that you dabble in some coding to make sure you enjoy it at a fundamental level. You don't have to go crazy, just do a free trial of Codecademy, or try some materials on freeCodeCamp.

• Get ahead in the job search by prioritizing career seminars, of which TE offers many. Also, if you have the bandwidth, work on technical side projects to sharpen your skills.

• Value the relationships you have with instructors and staff from the start, as they would be happy to refer you for job opportunities (with the caveat that they will be honest, so strive to make a good impression!)

• Remind yourself that you can do hard things!!! And if it isn’t hard, seek out challenges so you can learn. The people in your class who seem like they’re getting it a lot ‘quicker’ than you have likely dabbled in coding before. No one is born knowing how to program (!!!), and the foundation of the tech industry is learning how to learn, and how to ask the right questions.
  
  

TL;DR
I had such a fantastic experience, met a group of wonderful people (classmates and instructors alike), and I was fast-tracked into my dream job. Tech Elevator was truly the best decision I've made in 2021.

If you told me back when I first graduated high school that I could attend a program for 14 weeks and immediately get into the software development field, I would have went back then instead of waiting until five years later. 

For the longest time, I wanted to go to college but I didn't want to have a large tuition. Originally I was looking at colleges that had insane prices and it just turned me off of the idea for a long time. I finally made (in a way) a New Year's resolution, that I was going to do something further in my life with education; whether it was college or something else. 

I had done research about bootcamps before, but I was never really one to like just reading reviews online (funny how I'm writing one now!). I am the type of person that really likes a personal reference. Around when the pandemic first started, I had a family member get into a coding bootcamp and had just recently got into a job and expressed nothing but good words about the program. That was the kick I needed to officially apply to Tech Elevator. With such a high graduation and job placement rate, I couldn't resist looking into it further.

The program itself has the coding and career development. 

As for the program, it is very fast paced, in a good way. That is the way that I like to learn, so I was able to adapt easily. It's what you would expect from a regular class. The difference, I think, is the staff. Anybody could teach you if they had a print out of the lesson. But the teachers are able to relate from previous job experiences, and give real world scenarios to help make a lesson make more sense. They also will take the time to help you as much as they can to make sure you understand the material, even outside of regular class hours. 

The career development involves helping you make an efficient resume, interviewing, and as well as a LinkedIn profile. The staff will not sleep until they bug you about typos, grammar, etc on your resume! They want to help make it look as good as possible for your future job post graduation, but also to help further down the line as well! When it comes to the interviewing, they help with both HR style interviews, and coding interviews.

All in all, best decision I have made with my life so far. I was thankful to receive a job offer before I even graduated and that can happen for others as well. If you have any questions, reach out to them or even to prior students, including me. Connect with me at https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-c-bradley-jr/.

If you had told me 6 months ago that after attending a coding bootcamp I'd have a job at a Fortune 20 company making 4x what I make now with a career outlook that is literally infinite -- I would have called you crazy.  I had always thought that a career in tech was so distant and unattainable because I didn't go to college for Computer Science, and when I tried to learn how to code on my own I just didn't have the willpower and time to really build a portfolio in order to get a job. I felt stuck, and back then I had no idea what was actually possible.  Luckily, I finally made the leap and signed up at Tech Elevator Cleveland.

The hardest thing I've ever had to do was move back in at my parents, quit my job, and take out a $15,500 loan to join a school I wasn't sure that could deliver on their promises. I had read so many mixed, and quite frankly mostly negative reviews and opinions, on coding bootcamps all across the internet, whether it was Reddit, blogs, or articles -- everyone had something terrible to say about them. Don't listen to these people, they are so, so so wrong. Whatever your financial situation is, education, or background, you can and should attend a high quality coding bootcamp like Tech Elevator! My boss now says they actually prefer hiring bootcampers as they have more applicable skills, work\professional experience, and can hit the ground running right away. 

The program at TE is incredibly thorough and gives you all the skills you will need to get a great job as a Software Engineer\Developer or other non coding-based tech role (Product Owner for instance). It is extremely difficult and will be one of the hardest things you've ever done, and I say that as someone who had prior coding knowledge and went to college and loves to learn, but it was still incredibly difficult! Don't worry if you don't have prior knowledge though, I saw many of my peers without coding experience make it through just like I did, you just have to believe in yourself and not give up and the staff at TE will do the rest to see you through!!

My instructor was one of my favorite instructors I've ever had. She was very experienced and could expound upon advanced concepts and had a wide breadth of knowledge across the entire software stack. Her teaching style was awesome, she made sure everyone was absorbing the knowledge and wouldn't let the quiet people in the back of the class get away without learning the material. She was also hilarious and made the entire process so fun and enjoyable.

The pathway program is an entirely different side of the whole experience that I completely overlooked and didn't pay much attention to prior to signing up, but that is so crucial to your success in finding a job. While they don't guarantee you get a job, they will honestly do every single thing in their power to make sure you get one, and as long as you put in the effort you will get a great job! I loved my pathway instructor\classes just as much as I loved my coding instructor\classes, and that is what sets TE apart from the rest from what I've heard from other people that have gone to similar bootcamps. TE delivers the entire package. Shoutout to Beth, Katie, and the rest of the TE staff. I owe you big time!!! <3

The most satisfying part of the entire experience was after graduating and getting my first job as a Software Engineer, I realized I could do absolutely ANYTHING I set my mind to. It was by far the hardest thing I've ever done, but I did it, and TE taught me that.

This is an intensive program with excellent instructors.  Tuition is very reasonable considering it also includes career coaching, resume assistance, and interview prep (behavioral and technical.) 

I recommend at least some self-paced study before committing to any program like this (Codecademy, Coursera, EdX, Free Code Camp, etc.)   You absolutely can jump in as a beginner, but your learning curve will be significantly less steep if you can get some fundamentals under your belt first. 

I was originally in Finance and found myself laid off due to the pandemic. I found myself desperately needing a career/industry switch, and I am so glad I found Tech Elevator. The 14-week process was paced perfectly for me as someone with not a lot of prior coding experience. It was intense at times and some nights were longer than others, but I never felt too overwhelmed due to the incredibly helpful staff that were willing to help me through whatever issue I was having. Not only do they teach you the fundamentals of software development, they also prepared me for interviews, overhauled my resume and put me in touch with people I would never have had the chance to speak with, and this all culminated with me landing an awesome job in the industry after I graduated! I will forever be grateful to Tech Elevator for the work they put in to make my transition from careers as smooth as possible. 100% would recommend! 

I am a housewife for six years because I am holding a F2/H4 Visa that cannot work in US legally. Last year I got my green card so I decided to restart my career. But it is really hard and I don't know how to start and where to start. Because my major is CS, so the only thing I can do is refresh my memory on how to code. I search for some courses on Udemy, Youtube as well as Codecademy, but it can only help my knowledge not my career very well.

Then I found Tech Elevator. I am hesitant firstly especially for the 90% job replacement. To be honest, I read almost every comment on the course report website. I am surprised by 95% positive comments. Then I joined the virtual open house and decided to enroll Tech Elevator.

Tech Elevator course is great. Walt is a very nice and patient teacher. His course is very clear and easy to understand. Moreover, the pathway program is excellent and because of that, it made me well prepared at week 11 (Match-making week). I would like to thank Ellen and Stephen who gave me extreme assistance in my job search. 

Finally, I want to say. If you really want to switch your career in Tech but felt no direction. Tech elevator is absolutely a good choice.