Jigsaw Labs

I was in the  Programming For Data Science class.  The course schedule was part-time (nights and weekends), which was a major reason I signed up. 

  The course is a great place to start if you are interested in data science. If you can't access and manipulate data, you can't be a data scientist. The curriculum is an intro to all the basics in programming one would need to produce and manipulate data sets. This is exactly what I needed to get started in this field. 
  Jeff, the instructor, is engaging during class and generous with his time. He was willing to stay after class for questions and very responsive to email. It's obvious that he cares about his students. 
  The only downside to this class is that the pace is very fast (meaning lots of topics over a short period of time). Overall, I would recommend this class to anyone that wants to get started in data science. You will pick up a lot of great information and meet a great teacher.   

Jigsaw Labs does a great job in preparing you to be a data engineer. The first portion of the course involves going through software engineering covering back end development. Starting out with going through some basic fundamentals of coding involving arrays, dictionaries, functions, and tests. Everything builds on itself starting from day one ensuring that one is able to gain continued practice and exposure to the concepts in different formats. From there it goes into learning about codebase navigation and implementation. Ensuring that you know how to setup a codebase for a project, and are able to navigate a codebase and make changes to the code. Afterwards, it takes you through SQL, OOP, and system design to fully bring together the construction of backend tasks and logic as a software engineer. 

This all takes up the first half of the course. After getting through this, things begin getting interesting. Students are matched up with various companies for an internship that runs in parallel to the course for the remainder of the program. With this you get live practice and opportunities in a professional setting along with mentorship from the company you're working with and the jigsaw team of instructors. This opportunity gives the chance to practice things such as stand-ups, organization of job needs and demands and more important soft skills that contribute to the ability of one to become a strong and effective software and/or data engineer. All of this is in addition to the technical skills being learned and practiced from the opportunity. This portion of the class involves at least 6 hours with that time coming from dedicated in class time with myself and many other of my classmates choosing to put in more time outside of class hours. 

While this is taking place, we begin going through devops, cloud, analysis, and other current in demand data engineering tools(the curriculum is continuously updated to remain relevant). In my cohort we covered docker and learned how to work with it and then based on the response of the job market, terraform was included in the following cohort and made available to those of us from previous cohorts. AWS is the cloud provider of choice and we work with it and learn how to use parts of its ecosystem such as EC2, S3, Lambda, Glue, Athena, Redshift as part of constructing a data pipeline. We also work with leading/emerging technologies in the industry such as Airflow and Prefect for workflow orchestration, DBT, DuckDB, and more. Afterwards we worked with tableau to practice presenting our findings for our target audience in a concise way that delivers our message through things such as dashboards.

Last but not least, we get to part of what truly helps distinguish this bootcamp. The job support and preparation is amazing. As we begin nearing the end of our formal classes and instructions DSA and leetcode practice is incorporated. This is for both python and sql. Additionally, reviewing and gaining understanding of the core key concepts we've covered throughout the course, how they function, and how to use/incorporate it in an appropriate way in a live setting is covered. This helps prep for conceptual and higher level questions that test understanding. From there, training and prep for answering interview questions is done.

When the course officially 'ends' a continuation of interview prep and content review is done. This helps ensure we are able to maintain and continue growing our skills that we've learned over the previous 6-7 months. Additionally, the team of instructors meets with you to help curate a tailored plan to find a job based on your experience and interests. At this point, some people continue on with their internships, some get offered more permanent roles, some find new internships, while some just continue to practice. All this takes place while applying for jobs. Help is provided on that front with slack channels, groups, and more that can help us network and expose us to opportunities that we might have previously missed. 

When I was applying for a job, I was given help with things such as resume construction, mock interviews, conferences and more. Overall, I'll repeat the process and recommend the program to others. The content is top notch, the instruction is first class, and the opportunities one has available afterwards speaks volumes. It can be a lot of work to keep up and ensure you're doing your best and properly learning the content, especially if you're new to coding. Even though I had experience I still learned a lot from the course and had to put in my share of hours as well. However, it's well worth it because of the skill-set you come out with. Nothing is a guarantee. However, I can say with strong confidence that if one puts in a strong effort into the course you'll come out with something that will help move you down your career path.

I came into the course with very little technical background besides a BA in economics. This made the backend engineering portion pretty challenging which required a lot of outside hours (for me personally). However, this foundational work made learning new technologies later in the course much easier. I loved this course because it taught us how to think and investigate problems like engineers. What are the inputs and what outputs do we want? What does the error message say? Did you read the documentation closely enough? Can you break down this data concept to a 10 year old? The instructors encourage an atmosphere of curiosity that makes learning fun and frankly a lot easier.

The instruction and curriculum would be worth it alone, but what really sends it over the top is the internship and career support afterwards. The internship makes you apply your skills in real world problems. It's one thing to do leet-code problems and build personal projects, it's another to actually deliver technical work in a professional environment. I thought the career seeking resources were also top notch with a personal, and constantly evolving approach to finding the best position for you. I was fortunate to be able to treat this course as a full time endeavor which also allowed a near full time experience with the internship. If you have some to a lot of technical background you might not need to, but that was my experience. 

This is not an easy course. The work is hard, the hours are long, (Sundays are killer), and you're brain will need to be in a good place to handle the constant stream of new concepts and ideas. But, that consistent required effort yields results in a relatively short amount of time. I just accepted a role to build data connectors for a non-profit and eventually stand up its own data warehouse. This wouldn't have been possible without Jigsaw!

Jigsaw labs is a great bootcamp to take for people breaking into the data engineering field. In this bootcamp you will receive the support you need to understand the different course material along with career help and advice to secure a job. Before starting this bootcamp, my background was in financial analytics building dashboards in Tableau. During the course we meet online every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for 3hrs and Sunday for 8hrs with a 1hr lunch break and every class we are paired with another classmate to work on material together or alone. Jeff and the other Instructors will occasionally jump in to help out and answer any questions you have about the material you are working on. This is pretty helpful in understanding the concepts or if you get stuck. The 1st part of the course (first 3 months) focuses on practicing problems related to Python, SQL, object orientation programing, Flask, Transactional databases and ETL process. We are given many different problems to really help solidify our skills in these areas. I found this to be helpful as a refresher to Python and SQL but I would definitely recommend practicing and taking some sort of Python and SQL course before this bootcamp. I took a free Python course through YouTube and did some practice problems on Leetcode and Codingbat.  OOP, Flask and ETL ect. builds off of Python and having a better understanding to start can really help throughout the course. It also helps when you start interviewing for the technical part of job interviews. However, I found more of my job interviews had more SQL related questions vs Python. The 2nd part of the course focuses more on Data Engineering tools that include, cloud computing, extensions of ETL and ELT (Fivetran, Analytical databases) data process and orchestration tools ect. Along with working on this material you will also work on an internship to get professional experience. You will have some time in class to get help and work on your internship work (Part of Sunday and Wednesday). I wanted to get as much time in the internship as I found the internship experience to be pretty important and did learn a lot in a relatively short amount of time but it was also intense. The experience however really depends on which internship you get. I switched from full time to part time at this point to get more time to work on the internship and after experiencing it, it would be hard to get as much experience from the internship as possible while taking classes and working a full-time job. However, you can choose the number of hours you want to put in the internship to better fit your schedule. The 3rd part of the course focuses on career development. You will work on a personal project, open-source project and/or other project while looking/ interviewing for jobs. I found I learned so much new things about job searching that I didn’t know about before this and I had 3 professional jobs previously. This part of the course is super useful and its knowledge that you gain and can use for future job searching. I got really good advices and feedback from all the instructors about job searching/ interviews and really appreciate everyone’s help! I also feel this is not information you typically get from a college setting and really appreciate how this bootcamp provides information and well prepares you for job hunting and gives advices during the interview process.  This bootcamp courses definitely helps prepare you well knowledge wise, just be prepared to work hard during the process. It further builds you up by providing you the opportunity to gain real professional experience through an internship and then lastly have you work on an open-source project or working on a project in a professional setting while giving you advice on how to find jobs. While on the way to finding jobs you will also receive advice and support from different instructors.  I also really enjoy how we are paired with another classmate during every class. It really gives you the experience of pair programming and you also create genuine connections with all the classmates you are paired with. You can also feel there is so much dedication and knowledge put into this bootcamp as well. With ever changing new in demand DE technology, there’s a need for updated learning material. Jeff is always adapting and adding new relevant course material in real-time in order to better prepare you. Also, even if the material is not listed you can just ask and there’s most likely some sort of material. The course, lecture and readings/lessons are also clear and well organized which helped when you’re going through and learning new material. I also didn’t know what to expect going in but this bootcamp exceeded my expectations on so many different things and every person you meet whether it’s the instructors or your classmates are really knowledgable, nice and willing to help. So, if you are trying to choose between taking this DE bootcamp or not, this is definitely a great option and if you work hard and do your part, you won’t regret it! 

Jigsaw-labs changed my life for the better, I hope it changes you the same way too.

Jigsaw-labs significantly helped me land a senior analytics engineer position in a quick time and under a tough job market. Jigsaw-labs made this possible by not only providing a comprehensive course structure that start by building a sound foundation of python and SQL through coaching and pair-programming, moving on to cover the modern data stack, best engineering, devOps practice. It is close to impossible for anyone using their part-time to master this scale of practical technical skillset within the same amount of time. Jigsaw-labs make it possible by meticulously session design and implementation that make sure you are gradually absorbing and internalizing the technical know-how, gaining momentum with coaches and peers, and constantly adapting best learning modalities like using chatGPT.
The build-in externship experience further improved my skillset, communication skills in a real-world working environment and built up meaningful projects that shines in my resume. You will learn the skills that frequently appear in the job description but really not easy to learn without a company setting running them on a daily basis. Through which, I learned and used agile project management tools, full-stack web development, as well as devOps practices (CI/CD, container orchestration, cloud management).
However, the best part of the program is the career service. The program is designed in a way that your personal goal is well aligned with the program. I got tailor-made resume and interview prep and advices for each step of the interview process, and more. On top of that the job leads that I received from the program were almost impossible to get if only by yourself. It is extremely helpful that the program work hard on turning a cold lead to a warm lead under unstable job market. 
Although as for any career program that your mileage may vary, I strongly recommend Jigsaw-labs for people who want to advance or change their career as either a junior personnel in the data/programming field or a senior in a certain domain field.

Why do most people participate in any type of career bootcamp? The belief that a bootcamp is a cost-effective, time-efficient means to obtain a job. At the end of the day, most of us are looking for a bootcamp because we want a job, or to switch careers, and we would like to do so in a way that is more affordable and takes less time than attending a traditional degree-granting institution.

What does this have to do with Jigsaw Labs? Jigsaw Labs is (1) affordable, as in cheaper than you would pay for a traditional degree and has flexible payment options, (2) time-efficient, in that it last 7 months (including an internship) rather than several years, and (3) a money-back guarantee if you do not receive a salary of at least $70,000 within 9 months of graduating the bootcamp.

What is the secret to Jigsaw Labs’ success? As noted in the title of this review, the instructor, Jeff Katz, is absolutely phenomenal, the curriculum is cutting-edge and constantly updated to reflect the latest industry and hiring trends, and there is an internship built into the program.

Let’s start with Jeff. A lawyer by training, Jeff’s true passion is software engineering, and his enthusiasm for software engineering and for teaching shines through. Jeff worked as a software engineer before joining Flatiron School and developing the data science curriculum from scratch, which is to say that Jeff has been in the trenches of not only working as a software engineer, but also developing and teaching curriculum ranging from web development, data science, backend engineering, data engineering and beyond. Not only is Jeff enthusiastic and knowledgeable, but he is also patient and has a way of breaking down and conveying what can often be complex material and concepts (certainly for people with no coding background) in ways that make everything easier to understand. Furthermore, Jeff’s commitment to his students is unwavering, and his guidance and support continue long after the official program is over. My cohort continued to meet with Jeff after the completion of the program and he would give us problems to work on and questions to answer that we were likely to encounter in interviews. Jeff is fantastic about identifying and sharing job opportunities with his students, and does so on a regular basis, even uncovering opportunities that are not posted on sites such as LinkedIn and Indeed. He is great about checking in with you to see how the job search process is going and offering advice along the way. I could go on and on about Jeff, but in summary, you would be hard pressed to find a better instructor.

Next, the curriculum is great. Jeff is in constant contact with his network of hiring managers across a variety of companies, so he always has his finger on the pulse of what the trends are in terms skills, technologies and tools, and importantly, what hiring managers are looking for in candidates and what is being asked and tested during interviews. Broadly, the curriculum covers backend engineering and data engineering, and the result is that students have been able to obtain jobs as data engineers, software engineers, analytics engineers and data scientists, among others.

The final differentiating factor is the built-in internship. Jeff goes to great lengths to identify and cultivate relationships with a wide variety of companies with which to connect his students, providing students with crucial real-world, hands-on experience working as engineers. This is a significant differentiator relative to other boot camps, particularly in this challenging market where hiring managers want proof that you are up to the task and can do the job. It’s great to go through a program and learn the material, but to actually utilize what you have learned in the context of a real company as opposed to only posting personal projects on GitHub is a real differentiator that can help you stand out from other candidates.

All this, and a money-back guarantee? It almost seems too good to be true, but the results speak for themselves. Look at all the five-star reviews and the job placement record, as well as the type of jobs students have obtained. In summary, with a phenomenal instructor, a cutting-edge curriculum and built-in internship, you have nothing to lose, and a great deal of knowledge, connections/network, work experience, and eventually, a job to gain.

 I am extremely grateful to Jeff Katz, and the rest at the staff over at Jigsaw labs, as thanks to their efforts I managed to obtain a job in data engineering even before the bootcamp ended! The course is everything as advertised. This is a data engineering bootcamp that ramps up and becomes fast-pace mid-way through. You will develop skills in programming languages such as: python, bash, sql. Learn fundamental programming paradigms relevant to data engineering such as: OLTP/OLAP structure, OOP programming, etc. Latest technologies such as: AWS Cloud, Fivetran, Snowflake, docker, etc. Overall I feel well prepared to face any technical challenge I would encounter throughout my career, and I have zero regrets about my time at Jigsaw Labs. 

   Jigsaw labs is great place to start a career in data engineering or data analytics.  You will receive a comprehensive introduction to the most relevant tools currently being used in the industry via a project based curriculum.  The content in this course is unique and is immediately applicable in the real world.  The course is generally administered via lectures, working out exercises in pairs, and coding projects coupled with a real world externship.  The subsequent job placement and interview preparation is also quite good and very effective.
  I was successful at a total career pivot after a significant amount of time being unemployed after completing the Jigsaw Labs program. I highly recommend this program for anyone seeking to augment their data skills or looking to start a new career.

Before I start off, I first want to say that this is my third bootcamp class within the last 7 years and jigsaw labs stands at the top in terms of quality and execution.  Jeff is a consummate instructor and he gave all of his students a high level of attention, knowledge of the information, and an uplifting attitude to help you succeed. The data engineering program is takes place on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 6:30pm - 9:30pm and 12pm - 9pm on Sundays. Spending this amount of hours in class accelerates your learning so I really appreciated the format. The scheduling of class also allowed to you to take care of your affairs outside of the class as well. Jeff used pair-programming, project-based assignments, and studying material  as different ways to teach you the data engineering principles. Jeff was very patient  when teaching and helping us through our assignments. Another factor that I enjoyed about the class was opportunity to get an internship. The internship helped us put the knowledge we learned into practice and it also served as a portfolio piece as well.  Aside from teaching the data engineering concepts Jeff was there for moral support when concepts weren't making sense. He made it easy to schedule a 1v1 and talk through the problem you are experiencing. I was able to land two internships (one paid) in conclusion I am looking forward to continued strides I will continue to make in the future. In conclusion, the program has been a life-changing experience. It has   certainly helped me grow as a professional and a person in general. If you are looking for a program that will ensure you learn the info, hold you accountable, and provide you will guidance for the future, JIGSAW LABS IS THE PROGRAM YOUR ARE SEEKING!

I chose this course because I was looking for a place that had live teaching online that was well structured pedagogically and I was not disappointed.  Jeff is a phenomenal teacher and I used to teach for years so I don't just say that for anybody.  My experience with the externship part of the course was a bit rocky but I also learned a ton of javascript and new tools from it that I will totally use in my next role.  
I also took the course while working a pretty intense full-time job for the entirety of the course and I was able to do it.  I often wished I had more time to explore the additional resources or work on things outside of class (if you have the option to go lighter on work to focus more on the course that is great!!) but it is not a requirement for you to be successful.  You can do this course and have a full-time job - the schedule is built for that to be possible.  
This is not an easy course, you have to be present and work through your mental hurdles. It is also a super supportive environment so if you are game to put in the work you will keep getting better. 
Honestly taking this course was one of the best decisions I have made in my life.  I have felt so challenged and also so rewarded.  The job offers I've received post-course have been awesome.  There are not a lot of women of color in this field and even though I was definitely in the minority in the class I really felt super supported and connected to the other folks in my cohort.  Jeff is very kind and understanding and he really knows how to teach so if you are looking for a program where someone is earnestly thinking about how to break things down into intensive exercises this is your course. 

It's obvious that Jeff’s passion is teaching. He puts in effort to adjust to and support his students and will dive into problems (such as debugging your code) for however long it takes. Jeff is a patient teacher and I never had any kind of friction with the way he taught; it was totally fluid for me.

What sold me on the legitimacy of the program was that Jeff weekly iterates on the curriculum to reflect the requirements of current job listings. He is really focused on the primary goal of forging as painless a path as possible for his students to go into a rewarding career. He tailors the curriculum to the real-time evolution of the industry, making sure he is teaching exactly what students need to know to become data engineers in the present day.   Externship experience is one of the main reasons why the Data Engineering Career Course is a fantastic bridge for professionals pivoting careers or recent graduates. Having a solid externship under your belt with a supporting data engineering team and building-block projects to complete not only gives industry experience but also gives many other benefits. For example, if you were in a bootcamp that did not provide an externship or one that did not vet companies properly, you would have a much less convincing case for getting hired. Being able to walk into an interview and talk in a detailed manner about some major projects that you helped build goes a long way.   As for value and return on investment, I will probably never make a better major ROI decision than completing this bootcamp. Not only is the price lower than other reputable bootcamps in New York, but the 'pay after you land a job' option meant that I was reaping the full benefits of the bootcamp before I even thought about the course payments.

Transitioning into working as a full-time data engineer only six months after starting the course, I can say Jigsaw Labs provided me a highly efficient skills-focused education that gave me a tooth to bite with in this competitive world. I am grateful for the hard work Jeff puts in and for finding Jigsaw Labs the way I did.