Tech Elevator

Attending Tech Elevator's Cleveland Campus was one of the most rewarding professional decisions I have made. My decision to change careers came later than most students who attend Tech Elevator. I was twelve years into a career making decent money, but I was unhappy and didn't see a positive road ahead. Once I made the choice to change careers I began researching coding bootcamps in the area. I gathered information and attended multiple open houses at different schools. From the very beginning, Tech Elevator stood out as a very well run program with a great deal of success accomplishing its goal of training students and helping them find a job. 
Being older, and later in my professional life than most students, I had a healthy dose of Imposter Syndrome as my cohort started in September. In addition, coming from an industry that focuses on trusting people's actions over their words I was skeptical of whether the things the staff was telling me were actually as good as they said they were. From the very first day, the staff and instructors blew me away with how much they believed in what they do. And it was infectious. They made it impossible not to believe in them. From my .Net instructor, Josh, answering every one of my countless questions with an unmistakable passion for his industry, to the Pathways Director, Kelly, demonstrating her unbelievable talent to polish a student's professional profile and prepare them to shine in an interview the entire program set me up for success. Add in the always available one-on-one tutoring sessions with Craig, the amazing Java instructor, Frank, doing one-on-one whiteboarding practice, and the curriculum developers/instructors Joe and Dan always answering questions and you can't help but come out of this program as a strong junior developer ready for a long career in tech. Every staff member contributed in some way to making my experience at Tech Elevator amazing. 
The Tech Elevator program is intense, and learning to code is not all rainbows and unicorns, but if you've made the decision to change your life and your career, you cannot go wrong with Tech Elevator. I loved every minute I was in class (yes, even the none rainbows and unicorns minutes). I still love the friendships I created and I love the fact that in less than a month from graduation I have a new job as a software developer working with a handful of the very same friends I shared my Tech Elevator experience with. I changed my whole life for the better with Tech Elevator. 

 

I really enjoyed my time at Tech Elevator and learned so much. When I started at Tech Elevator I was in a somewhat unique position, I had done some programming classes in college and knew that I wanted a career as a software developer and that I was capable. For a lot of the students at Tech Elevator it was much more of a "leap of faith" as they had come from all walks of life and decided to try to learn programming for the first time ever. What amazed me was Tech Elevator made capable and successful programmers out of everyone. The students that I had seen struggle tremendously in the beggining left Tech Elevator with so many new skills and many have already gotten themself jobs as junior developers (with the help of Kelly, Marty and the amazing people behind the Pathway Program). Keep in mind this is still less than one month after graduation, but it seems a lot of my fellow students have found jobs already. 

I think that if I could give some advice to someone wondering if they should do the bootcamp I would reccomend trying out freecodecamps HTML, CSS, or JavaScript course, or any other online programming course of your choice. It will become clear very quickly if you like it or hate it, and if you like it then I cannot reccomend Tech Elevator enough. 

As someone who had done some post-secondary programming classes I was VERY IMPRESSED with how relevant the technologies and skills were that we were taught. The skills that you learn at Tech Elevator are EXACTLY the ones that companies are wanting Junior Developers to have. There is individual tutoring available (included in the price of your tuition) that is very nice to have for those who struggle on a certain subject. 

I was in the .NET cohort in Cleveland and my instructor Josh was the best instructor I have had in my academic career, hands down. There were many times he explained a subject that I had another instructor try to teach me before (that hadn't quite clicked) and I had that "it finally makes sense now" moment. He would ELI5 (explain something to us like were 5 years old) and then explain it at a higher level, and then connect the dots inbetween to the point where I felt confident in my understanding after each day. Josh was a great instructor but was also a fantastic mentor to all of his students. He met individually with us all constantly to talk about our side projects, how we were feeling about the cohort, our job search, and much more. He was always there to provide valuable guidance and was truly a great mentor to me. 

I guess I should mention that if you plan on getting good value out of the program it is going to take hard work, and if you are planning on "half-assing" it then this program is not for you. It's hard work but if you are determined then I promise Tech Elevator will make a great programmer out of you. 

Something I didn't expect is I made so many great friends and valuable connections during my time at Tech Elevator. You are really treated like a sort of family there. I was lucky and really liked everyone in my class so I made great friendships there, but also the staff are so friendly and genuinely there to support you always in your continued success as a programmer. I really feel comfortable reaching out to my previous instructors and really any staff at Tech Elevator if I need help with anything job related or programming related in the future.

TLDR: If you like programming or are interested in programming then JUST DO IT! It was an amazing experience that I got so much value out of. I can't say enough good things about all the staff and my experience at Tech Elevator.

 

Why Tech Elevator? Last year, I decided to sign up for Tech Elevator's Spring Java Cohort. It has been the best career decision I have ever made. Here's a breakdown on why: Cost: Tech Elevator has a great ROI Immediately, upon graduating Tech Elevator, my salary improved by $20,000, and over the next 3 years, I'm looking to jump another $20,000. Considering the cost of Tech Elevator, I will easily make my money back in a year. The Future of Programming: Start learning NOW The tech field is on the verge of making major advancements that will disrupt every industry across the globe. Over the next 5-10 years, self-driving cars, quantum computers, virtual reality, and a host of other advancements will permanently change our transportation, production, economic, and entertainment landscapes. The question is no longer "will it arrive". The question is "will I be ready when it arrives". Start learning the basics now, so you will be ready when the advanced stuff shows up. Java vs. C#: Little difference, both excellent One of the best ways to start getting ready is by learning Java or C#. It doesn't really matter which one you learn. They are very very similar with slight differences in syntax, libraries, and supported IDE's. I took the Java course, but got hired at a C# company, and at this point I barely notice the differences. Overall, C# might be easier and Cleveland companies are looking for C#, however, C# was basically copied from Java and companies will definitely hire Java grads. The important part is that these languages are the backbone of full-stack development, especially in the corporate world, and provide you a strong understanding of how programming works. IMO they are probably the best entry level languages b/c their structure helps you avoid learning bad habits that you might otherwise pickup in languages like javascript or python. Tech Elevator Experience: Very professional, excellent preparation I had a fantastic experience at Tech Elevator. The instructors were fun, but very professional and dedicated to us as the students. The focus is always on preparing us for the workforce, and teaching us high-value content. The pacing is fast, but incremental so that each section builds on what you just learned. I have used a large amount of what I learned in my new job. On a higher level of abstraction they provide you with an understanding of the fundamental principles of programming, so that you are ready to learn and grow with the field. The instructors use concrete examples to help you start thinking the way a programmer thinks. Through Tech Elevator's training, I have felt confident to discuss coding with my coworkers, business contacts, and team architects. Benefits of Bootcamp vs. Pure Self-Teaching: Networking, Quality, and Trust The tech field can be confusing to get into, and getting the first job is the hardest part. That is why Tech Elevator is so valuable. Tech Elevator is trusted by companies to provide solid, knowledgeable candidates who bring a variety of skills from diverse backgrounds. That trust plays a huge part in getting a job in the first 6 months. Once you have your first job, the next 3 years will see your salary value jump significantly. You are also joining a class of future developers who you can jumpstart your professional network with as well. My class was full of great people I still connect with, including a few who got hired at the same place with me. It's also important to get the right training. By receiving training from professional instructors, I was able to get immediate feedback and avoid a lot of pitfalls in my development and understanding of programming. This saved a lot of wasted time. It also provided accountability to keep me focused on advancing my knowledge. The environment is full of passionate people who understand the challenges you face and who share the desire to discover and learn. I can't state enough how important that encouragement and energy is to creating a new career. Should You Join? Tech Elevator is fast-paced and there is a lot of energy required to succeed. If you don't have an inner drive and motivation, then this is probably not for you. It can be scary and financially risky to change careers, especially if you have a family. In the short-term this could be prohibitive. However, if you know that you want to get into the tech field, there is seriously no better way to start off then joining Tech Elevator. Great training, solid ROI, passionate staff and instructors, and fantastic industry to join, make Tech Elevator an excellent choice.

It's hard to put into words how much I appreciate what Tech Elevator has done for my career. This program completely changed life. I was working in a low paying, dead end job in Human Resources when I decided to put my life on hold for 14 weeks and make a complete career change by attending the bootcamp in Pittsburgh. I'm so glad that I did. Even before the bootcamp started, the Director and Administrator were so helpful in getting me set up with the tools I'd need to be successful in the program. The instructors were so informative and you can tell they really want you to succeed. This program is fast-paced and extremely intense. You have to want to be there and keep the end goal in mind as you work through each long day. Putting in the hours that it takes to learn the material each day is key because the next day will add on to what you just learned. The instructors make sure that you know they are there to help you each step of the way and will sit with you until you are confident in moving forward.

Outside of the coursework, you will attend events for your Pathway Program that are just as important as the course material itself. This was a huge factor in my decision to attend Tech Elevator over other bootcamps because they show you just how much they want you to succeed in your new career by literally setting up interviews to get you a job. Companies will come in and give presentations about their daily work and what types of positions they have available. This allowed me to decide what industry I wanted to go into (I had no clue when I first started the bootcamp) and my Pathway Director really took the time to get to know exactly what I was looking for. I ended up with a job BEFORE graduating from Tech Elevator and I really don't think that would not have been possible without the pathway program.

If you're thinking about attending Tech Elevator and you have the drive to make a real change in your life, don't hesitate, do it. This program is incredible and the people you will meet along the way are even better.

A decision as momentous as dropping your life for a few months and starting over is not one anyone should take lightly. With that being said, there is no place other than Tech Elevator that I would have ever even considered doing this. I write this review about four months out of the program and well into a wonderful job as a full stack developer.

I was quite nervous when I came in to meet with Katie and Ben. At this point, the reputation of this institution precedes it. Any small amount of research will quickly reveal the accolades this place merits. My apprehension was instantly erased upon coming face to face with the people who were going to help me guide my future the way I wanted it to go.

This program is no small challenge. People from all walks of life and the broadest of skill ranges came into this program and left with what they needed to be what they wanted.

The work is rigorous. You will need to turn off the noise on other portions of your life as best as you can. You will struggle. You will persevere. One thing you never will do is free-fall. A feeling most of us probably feel leading up to applying to this program. The support network and interpersonal relations make TE what it is. Work your ass off and you WILL attain your goals.

Nothing but love. Thank you to the Pathway staff, the technical instructors, and my fellow students. From top to bottom, this will change your life if you let it.

 

What is the program like?
14 weeks long, 3 hours of technical instruction each day in the morning, several hours of professional development / career-related instruction per week, daily programming assignments (sometimes solo, sometimes pair programming, sometimes both), several “mini-capstones” throughout the program followed by a larger final capstone project at the very end.

The workload is intense. For me, it was a minimum of 60 hours a week, frequently more, including a lot of evening and weekend hours working on assignments, reading supplemental materials, or crafting professional resources like my resume and LinkedIn. I thought this was a major strong point of the program. You need to learn enough material to make yourself an asset to a tech company, and the only way to do that in three months is to really immerse yourself in the material, go beyond the bare minimum when studying and doing assignments, and taking the initiative to learn as much as possible. Tech Elevator definitely encourages and facilitates this.

Another plus of Tech Elevator is that there is a lot of comradery between students, creating a really supportive environment where bonds are formed quickly. It was fun to form a new group of friends and to enter the industry as software professionals at the same time as them. Moreover, the collaborative nature of software development in the real world was stressed to us, and having a close group of fellow students was a great introduction to learning how to design and implement software as a member of a team.

 Finally, but maybe most importantly, Tech Elevator has a professional development and career prep program called the Pathway Program that runs concurrently with the technical coursework. The Pathway Program guided us through how create professional materials that check the exact boxes that tech recruiters and hiring managers are looking for, provided interview prep and practice including mock interviews with actual local tech recruiters, brought employers on-site to chat about what its like to work at their company, and culminated in an event that was essentially speed-dating but for job interviews. A full day of 30 minute interviews with local tech companies actively hiring junior developers. If you’re anything like me, the hardest part of the job search is just getting a foot in the door and landing that initial phone screen – Matchmaking skips you right past this process and sets you up with a number of face to face interviews.

Is Tech Elevator worth it?
Go to an open house, talk to to the instructors, take some introductory coding courses, read about what a career in software is like. If everything sounds good, you enjoy learning, and you’re prepared to fully commit yourself to school for 3 months, Tech Elevator is absolutely worth it. Easily the best career decision I’ve made.

From matchmaking alone, I landed 7 2nd round interviews and 3 job offers. My salary increased by 43% relative to my previous job, and my career options moving forward are the best I’ve ever had.

It is a LOT of work, but if you know you’re up for the challenge and want to move into a career in software, I 100% recommend it.

My prior experience with jobs was basically only sales and being a substitute teacher. I always wanted to get in the tech field and I was so desperate, I would have done anything! I just never had an opportunity to explore it. I kept recieving emails back from companies saying I dont have enough experience and because I couldn't even get in the door, I will never have tech experience. I then came across Tech Elevator which at first glipse seemed suspicious. "Really? Change my career in 14 weeks? Yea Right!". But I kept thinking about it and could not stop but wonder what this could do for me.

I knew that if I was going to do this, I would never give up because this could be my life changing moment. I applied and got in. This opportunity was extremely difficult but I invested everything into it and it paid off. I was getting there at 8 A.M. and not leaving sometimes until 10 P.M. In the end, I knew what I put in is what I am going to get out. The staff there is amazing and they do not get enough credit. This was one of my hardest and best decisions of my career and of my life. I now have a career in tech!

Thank you Tech Elevator!!!

3 Things you should ask before considering this program:

1. Am I ready to change my life in 14 weeks (or less!)?
2. Can I commit to learning as much as I can from this program?
3. Do I enjoy being surrounded by people with a passion for learning and uplifting others?

​I answered yes to all three, and here's my experience:

I learned about Tech Elevator just a few weeks after learning some basic JavaScript and utilizing online tools such as freecodecamp.org. Even though I'd read their great reviews online and even heard from associates of former graduates, I was hesitant to join a program off the beaten path of attending a 4 year institution coming from the hospitality industry, but after visiting an open house event and speaking with the instructors, I was convinced that Tech Elevator was not only the smart choice for someone like me, it was the best choice.

The staff at Tech Elevator are genuine and supportive no matter what their role or daily interaction with you. Kelly, the Pathway Program Director was such an integral part of my education and preparation for entering the field of software development despite not helping me write one line of code. She worked tirelessly with me as well as 35 other students in my cohort to craft clean, polished, and professional LinkedIn profiles and resumes that highlighted our experiences and new skills. 

I was in the .NET class of Cohort 8. Our instructor Josh was literally the best teacher I have ever had. He explains all of the concepts in a way that makes you feel like you knew them all along. Everytime I stepped into his classroom, the energy and dedication he put into each of his lessons motivated me to learn more.

This was by no means an easy 14 weeks. At times I was unsure I was going to learn enough to get a job after graduation. With lots of help from Marty, the campus director, Kelly, and the instructors, I honed my skills and recieved a job offer after the first round of Matchmaking interviews. 

I'm so grateful for all the help and support I recieved at Tech Elevator and I highly recommend anyone who's interested in a career in software development or even software in general to attend.  

TLDR: If you do everything the program asks of you, I would be very surprised if you don't get a tech job within a month of graduation. If you skip exercises, don't bother going back to concepts you didn't understand, don't network, don't practice interviews/whiteboarding/elevator pitch, etc, you can still graduate, but you might not get your money's worth. But even then, you still have a good chance of getting a job.

You will get at least what you put into this program. People come into the program at all levels: some people come in with a wealth of coding experience but need some job help while others come in with no coding experience and are willing to take the plunge into the unknown. Regardless of where you're at, the program will 100% help you get a job if you're willing to put in the work. One previous response is absolutely correct in that you could be lazy and still graduate by stealing code or not finishing exercises or skipping interview practices or skipping over difficult concepts. But why would anyone want to drop more than 15 grand just to lie to themselves and their instructors? All you're doing is hurting yourself when it comes to do real interviews, and they're what actually matter. 

As far as the actual instruction, both the coursework and the instructors are excellent. I was honestly moved by the amount of time and effort the instructors are willing to put into their students. If you don't understand something, they will work with you until you do. If you have a good grasp on all the material covered, you shouldn't have too many problems getting through most technical interviews.

I found the most valuable part of Tech Elevator to be Pathways Program. The biggest and most important thing they do is help you network, especially the matchmaking days. Tech Elevator will give you the chance to have face-to-face time with ~8 companies and provide you with the contact information of ~30. Make use of this. I cannot stress this enough. One misconception is that you Matchmaking is all about the face-to-face time. While matching is without a doubt a huge advantage, you can still email companies you liked but didn't get matched with. I didn't even speak with the company I'm working for at Matchmaking--I just applied and emailed the contact person listed. That list of 30+ professional contact emails is probably worth a fortune in of itself. In addition to the networking, the opportunities for professional interview/whiteboarding feedback were invaluable and the constant work on my elevator pitch really helped me answer the quesion asked at every single interview I ever did: "Tell me a little bit about yourself."

Overall, I would recommend Tech Elevator to anyone willing to treat the program as a real job. As long as you can put in a ton of hours to understand concepts you don't get at first (or second or third or fourth) and make use of all the meetups, interview practices, and contact information provided, I'd be very surprised if you couldn't get a job within a couple weeks of graduation. Anyone with questions can feel free to find me on LinkedIn and I'd be happy to oblige.

Tech Elevator was an awesome experience.  In my time there I acquired the skills necessary to transition into a career as a developer.  I had a slight background in programming Java but had only worked as an IT specialist.  After reading the reviews online about Tech Elevator and hearing of their extremely high job placement rate I ended up leaving college and attending this boot camp on a whim.  It was definitely not a mistake.  I was fortunate enough to have a job offer a month before graduation after the first matchmaking event.

If you get accepted I HIGHLY recommend attending the next available cohort.  I was in the .NET class and I can say Josh is an amazing instructor.  He had a way of explaining things which made things clear and easy to follow.  That being said you will spend a lot of time coding over the course of the 3.5 months you are attending and it will be very challenging.   However if you work hard each and every day and have the drive to keep pushing yourself you will have no problem completing the program.  Don't be discouraged.  Although it's a lot of work it's also a lot of fun.  You will meet a lot of great connections, both students and employers / developers.

Kelly, the pathway director, will also pave the way for you to find a great career.  She works very diligently and honestly cares deeply for the students to pursue work in the IT field.  A HUGE part of their very impressive job placement rate is because of her hard work and dedication.   She will help you build an amazing resume / LinkedIn profile, set up mock interviews for you, or even just give you a pep talk if you need it.

I can't say enough good things about Tech Elevator.  I came in with almost no experience and after 14 weeks accepted a job as a software engineer.  While I still have so much to learn I feel the curriculum was a great starting point.  The instructors are all great and always willing to help.  Even on weekends they will usually respond in minutes to any questions.  After graduating, I have reached out and they have responded quickly to my questions.  The program is also great in helping you get a job.  They will help you prepare for interviews and also bring in hiring companies to interview with.  While they do as much as they can to prepare you for a job, you won't just be handed a job.  If you do the bare minimum and just try to skate by the 14 weeks then getting a job might be more difficult than some of the other students.  I would make sure to try to do extra work on the side to set yourself apart.  This is a great program and I would recommend it highly, but don't expect it to be easy or that you will get a great job just because you made it through.  While you can easily get a great job, you better be prepared to dedicate all your time to this program for 14 weeks.

I came from a 10-year career in HR and had the opportunity to work at a few different tech companies, being either directly or indirectly involved in hiring software developers at three.

Long story short, I knew for a while that I wanted to move from HR into software development, but it wasn’t realistic for me to go back to school for another degree. Eventually, my family was relocated from Atlanta to Columbus and after struggling to find an HR job here that aligned with my experience and values, I came to the conclusion that Tech Elevator would be my ticket into software development.   

Like a lot of people, I did a ton of research and talked to former TE grads and ultimately decided to do it. The program is designed to set you up with the tools to graduate as a junior-level full stack developer and I feel I got exactly what I paid for in that respect. I started at zero and learned so much but truly, the thing that sets Tech Elevator apart from other bootcamps is the relationships they have forged with employers, which as I’ll explain below, wouldn’t be possible if the curriculum wasn’t legit. Those relationships aren’t just the result of marketing, they are built on the reputations of the students who graduate and get hired.

I applied to TE and was set to start mid-January this year when a family emergency pulled me out of state and a subsequent job offer in my old field came up that would allow me the extra time I needed in January to handle my stuff so I accepted it. I was already regretting my decision when my Director of Engineering told me how awesome the 3 guys he hired from Tech Elevator are (each had been in place for about 6 months) and that he’d absolutely look to TE for his junior developer needs going forward. Those were the final words I needed to hear, so I reached back out to the team to see if there was a seat left for me in cohort 5 and thankfully I got back in! If that director’s words weren’t enough, on my first day of class, I found out that one of Columbus’s large employers who also happens to have hired a large number TE grads over multiple cohorts was actually sending a group of their current employees to learn Java alongside us. That fact speaks for itself; employers believe in what they get from Tech Elevator.

In terms of my experience during the program, Brian was my instructor and is truly, truly awesome. He is so dedicated to his students, so supportive, really organized, incredibly smart, has a ton of work experience, and can figure out where you’re going wrong very easily. He’s also available way beyond class and office hours to help over TE’s internal messaging app. All of the instructors are around after class for office hours and are available to help all of the students, and will try to help you out even if they are teaching a different language. Everyone is so helpful and supportive and they all really care about your success.

The Campus Director and Pathway Program Director are a former HR professional and technical recruiter respectively and as a former HR professional myself, I can tell you that they both absolutely know what they are talking about when it comes to the elevator pitch’s structure and importance and the guidance they give on resumes and interviewing. The Pathway Program is spot on.  

During matchmaking I met with 9 companies and received offers from two before graduation. I believe I was really close to an offer from a third when I removed myself from the process after having accepted one of the offers I received. A fourth company I met with was interviewing for a future hiring class (as many large orgs do for junior roles), and judging by the reaction I got when I informed them I accepted an offer, I feel that I may have been a strong candidate for that future class as well. A fifth company is still in touch with me to keep our relationship warm as I gain experience (although I am super happy with where I ended up). In terms of the types of positions available, all 9 of the companies I interviewed with were hiring software developers, although the third company was leaning toward a database maintenance position for me, I think because they were looking for more of a heavy hitter for their developer role.

In summary, it was an awesome experience and very, very much worth the money. I feel great about what I have learned and I feel awesome about my new career and my new company. Thank you, Tech Elevator!