Skillcrush

I was a stay home mom with great ideas but outdated skills or at least that's how I felt when it came to looking for a job that was going to fulfill all my creative needs.  All the posting out there were requiring a skills I didn't have, using fancy terms that drove me away and discouraged me.  Then I accidently stumbled on Skillcrush Visual Design Blueprint right before my European vacation that I was going on with my 5 years old son.  I was immediately attracted to their promising offerings..."Learn how to code and get a high paying job" Wow it even rimes!  I have never taken any online courses just to be clear, so I told myself "Why not, what you have to loose?!"  So I enrolled in Visual Design Blueprint witch fit's in my Visual Artist background( drawing, sketching, illustrating). After all they were promising that the class are for total newbies and it will take about an hour a day.  Well it was PERFECT for me!  Although some lessons took me longer than hour... 😕 maybe because I was over thinking it or maybe because I was on Vacation😊 but every part of it is well planned and was packed only with the most important needed information.  I loved their Video tutorials with Randle (hope I spelled it correct)  Even though I had to pause them about 1000 times and watch them over and over again.  Hey I'm proficient in Photoshop and Illustrator this is not only a geek territory anymore... I'm in! 😄 They boosted my creativity, encouraged me and gave me plenty of resources to freelance at.  I would do it all over again!

I'm probably in the older than the typical learner "crowd". With Skillcrush, the pace of the learning and variety of ways to learn is actually helping to push me ahead.

The instructional videos are short, sweet, and funny clips you can watch when you have the time. The hands-on practice sessions are challenging and fun. When I have a question, I can participate in an online group where students and instructors can pitch in, or I can email an instructor directly.

Each day I receive an email from the instructor and a list of tasks. As I complete a task, the screen visually records my progress. Further, Skillcrush provides a lot of bonuses like online resources, coaching for job search, thoughtful enthusiasm and encouragement that makes you feel that you can do this!  

If you want to start a new chapter like myself this is the place to start.

This is a great course. You are able to proceed at your own pace.  The lessons are very straight forward and to the point.  If you want to learn how to code, this is the place to learn it.  The instructors know how to code and know how to teach others how to code.  Knowing how to code and knowing how to teach it are two different things and something that I was worried about signing up for a coding course.  Skillcrush knows how to do both of these and I highly recommend it to anyone that wants to learn how to code. Worth every penny.   

For several months, I wanted to take their Web Designer Blueprint but I was also just starting my online marketing business so time and money were tight. In August, I finally signed up and started taking the first module (Design). It was awesome. Just the right amount of material was given during each day's lesson so I could spend about an hour learning/practicing, and then move on with the rest of my work day.

Everyone was super helpful and friendly. My instructor, William, was very prompt in answering questions and it was great chatting with him and other classmates during Office Hours (Google Hangouts). I've moved onto second section of the Blueprint, (Coding) and am finding it really enjoyable. I highly recommend them. Their courses are top notch!

I was really intimidated about learning how to code.  Having tried a few free courses online, I knew I needed a more structured program with a complete end game, that's what Skillcrush is.

The staff is very helpful and responsive, even more so than I've seen in some in-person settings.  

As I work through the program I realize coding is not as hard as it seemed, and the challenge to master different sections is really invigorating.

I highly recommend this course to anyone who is just getting started and isn't sure where to go or what to do.  If you're serious about learning to code- this is the best bang for your buck. 

So I didn't know anything...that may be a bit harsh, but when it came to Ruby it is more than fair. After just two weeks I can easily say that this class is far exceeding my expectations.

Everyday you get to learn a little more in bite-sized chunks that lead to more and more knowledge.  The progression and the lessons make sense without a giant leap that will leave you confused, but if you do their is more than enough help to get you back on track.  The exercises will make you think and once you've completed them you can give a huge sigh and pat yourself on the back that you did it...you actually programmed something (other than the DVR).  

I love the daily emails, and the encouragement...you aren't in this alone and both Adda (and Max) let you know this.  Max even responded on a Sunday...you really can't beat that!

If you are thinking about learning Ruby / Rails then you really do owe it to yourself to give this a shot.

Bottom line:  I can't tell you what to do, but I am extremely happy that I signed up for Skillcrush and would do it again!

I debated on starting this course for about a year before I took the $400 plunge and I'm so glad I did. I read books on HTML & CSS and web design and those were helpful, but I wasn't able to practice very well on my own. This course broke all of that important information down for me, gave me structured lessons and helped me build a portfolio I was really proud of! I'm also super excited about landing a JOB when I was just halfway through the course! Taking the initiative to learn these skills on my own was enough to impress my interviewer and now I'll get to keep developing these skills. I plan to take the Wordpress Development Course next! 

I had already received a diploma in Web Design from an online college but had HUGE gaps in my skills and no freelance training. Skillcrush has great little morsels of knowledge every day that are never too much to learn at a time. Easy to follow instruction with a really personal feel that I have not had with any online learning before. The school forums and freelance knowledge of the instructors are helping develop the confidence and the skills that I will need to actually get hired.

I cannot express to you how valuable Skillcrush has been to me as a resource. I signed up for THREE blueprints when I found out I was losing my job a month ago. I am about halfway through now. I'm in Front End Developer, Wordpress Developer and Visual Design. And once I get through these courses, I will be ready to start freelancing. I'm actually hoping to pick up my first project as soon as next week!

In addition to the courses, Skillcrush creates a wealth of resources in the form of blog posts, Ultimate Guides and webinars. Let me tell you, if you want to get into freelancing, you have to WATCH THE WEBINARS !!! (and those are free!) The Skillcrush community is awesome and supportive, and seeing all these women who have learned these skills and paved their way to success will show you that you can do it too!

Get the hard skills in the Blueprints. And learn how to run a business or land a job by listening to those who've done it. You can't lose. :)

I absolutely loved this blueprint. Feedback was constructive and very useful, and the instructors really kept up with each posted assignment in the Google Group. The software-learning lessons were actually fairly useful refreshers, and I loved how each project tied in with the other. This blueprint made for some very strong portfolio pieces, and I'm very excited to show potential employers the work I've done! I definitely recommend this course for anyone trying to concentrate on branding and identity design.

The instructors are super friendly and make it easy/comfortable to ask questions. Interacting with other students was also incredibly valuable. 5 stars!