Tech Elevator

I was enrolled in the Tech Elevator Java bootcamp during the 1st quarter of 2021 and it was the best career decision I ever made. I was previously a recruiter and felt that I was at a plateau in my career, so I decided to take the plunge and explore a long-time interest of mine, software development. It was a fast-moving and efficient, challenging, yet manageable bootcamp. There was never a time when I can look back and say I was bored during the course or had my doubts. A lot of this can be attributed to the smart, willing and attentive teachers, coaches and staff. The support we received throughout was unmatched. We were also exposed to many employers during the cohort and got a lot of 1:1 career coaching, which is crucial to finding a quality job as an entry-level software developer in today's market. Overall, I am very satisfied with the curriculum at Tech Elevator, the people I met, and the opportunities that I was able to attain. I start the next chapter of my career in August at PayPal. This accomplishment would not have been possible without attending Tech Elevator. I highly recommend this for anyone who is looking to jumpstart their career as a software developer. 

I loved my time at Tech Elevator. They really prepared me for getting, and succeeding at a great job! Everyone there is dedicated to that purpose, they want to see you succeed. They are not only willing to go the extra mile, but ten! Everyone is so cheerful and friendly and helpful!

Specifically at the Pittsburgh campus, Tom is always willing to go over a topic with you again to help you understand it. Jacob is always ready to help, and cheer you up. The other Tom also helps you stand out by giving you a quick intro into Selenium. Stephen and Ellen are so encouraging! They will cheer you on the whole way! Beth goes out of her way to help everyone. Walt's extra classes are also great, especially the one on regular expressions!

I cannot believe how fast 14 weeks went and how much I learned. Not only that, but when I started my new job, I had the tools and the know-how to learn some new topics we did not have a chance to cover at Tech Elevator. But because I had such a good foundation, I was able to quickly learn the new material.

I would definitely go again. And if there is ever a Tech Elevator++ for mobile development, I know where I am going. :)

Prior to Tech Elevator I was stuck in a job solely because I needed to pay my bills and student loans. I was unhappy, overworked, and stressed about my situation. Taking the leap into a new career can be intimidating, but for me it was the best decision I could’ve made. Now, I’m happily employed, making more money than my previous job, stressed less, and most importantly excited about my career. 
Tech Elevator will give you the tools needed to succeed, but it’s up to you to make the most of your coaching. You can’t just “show up” everyday and expect to get through. With that said I felt the instructors truly cared about the students, and if you are struggling someone will take the time to help you. Steve C. was my instructor and I can’t say enough good things about him. He always made time to help us on homework, projects, or just following up on a lecture question. 
Something I wasn’t expecting about Tech Elevator was how much they put into the job search. It was refreshing to have a learning institution actually care about their students finding a great job afterward. Their job placement numbers are amazingly high for a reason. It’s because they push you everyday to better yourself, your resume, your LinkedIn, etc. Tech Elevator also sets up many interview opportunities and makes finding a career much more streamlined. I had a job within a week of graduation. 
It’s not easy, but if you have the drive to get through Tech Elevator you can change your life just like I did. Easily the best career decision I’ve ever made! 

After years of taking online coding tutorials, I decided that I wanted to do a career-change and become a software developer.  Tech Elevator provided me with the technical knowledge I needed and the interview preparation was fantastic.  They were able to get me interviews with several software development companies in the area and I was able to get hired for a software development job before graduating.  I have now been a software developer for 6 months and have Tech Elevator to thank for it.

Before Tech Elevator, I was working in the mental health field for a few years after spending 6 years getting a BA and MS degree. After spending some time in this field, I learned that it wasn't for me. This was extremely distressing because of the time and money I had poured into it. I honestly felt so stuck... but I knew I needed to make a change. I spent several months doing research and self-exploration on what I wanted to do next. I found software development as a career path and it seemed really aligned with my personality and natural talents. I learned that you don't necessarily need a traditional degree to become a developer so this actually felt attainable for me. I tried to self-teach for about a year but kept failing. I struggled to be consistent and balance a full-time job and learning these new skills. I am definitely the type of person who thrives with a community and structure, so I started researching bootcamps. I immediately found that the coding bootcamp market was very saturated and felt stressed about which one to choose. It was really important to me that I would become skilled enough to obtain a job after spending a decent amount of money on a program like this.

I came across Tech Elevator on course report and realized that their programs were the most highly rated programs due to their exceptional instructors who have several years of industry experience as well as the Pathway Program. Pathway is a career readiness program that helped equip me with knowledge about the Tech industry I would have never known on my own. We learned how to market ourselves, articulate our career narratives in compelling ways, and valuable interviewing skills. On many weeks we go the chance to speak to professionals in the industry who work in companies in our area. This was super helpful because being new to the field, I had no idea where I wanted to apply or what to look for in a company. Caitie and Allison helped connect us to several companies and even set each student up with several interviews on week 11 of the program. About the instruction and coding - it was so fun!!! I was challenged everyday and felt my brain expanding in the best way. Don't get me wrong - I was exhausted but I really loved the skills I gained. Rich is an awesome instructor who helped make programming concepts really click for me. He has a clear way of explaining concepts to beginners and is very patient and willing to explain in a new way if you're having trouble getting it. Through class time, group/ individual projects, and office hours I had immensely increased my understanding compared to when I was trying to learn by myself with only online resources.  Overall, the entire team at Tech Elevator was very invested in our success. They would reach out to check in, plan fun events to help us avoid burn out, and responded to slack messages at any time of the evening to help us out.

Another amazing aspect of Tech Elevator is their mission to diversify the tech industry. I applied and received the Represent Tech Scholarship which covered 85% of my tuition. I graduate tomorrow and I just accepted a job offer. I am super grateful that I made this choice. If you have made the decision to start or pivot your career towards software development and think a bootcamp is the right decision for you, I would 100% recommend Tech Elevator! If you identify as any of the following: Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, or Native American/American Indian, Female, Transgender, Non-Binary, I would highly recommend checking out the scholarship (https://www.techelevator.com/represent-tech-scholarship). 

I was part of Remote Cohort 0 (TE's first remote program) in Java. My main worry before the program was that learning with a for-profit company meant that the coursework and instruction would be more aligned with profit than participants' best interests. Once I started, I was happy to find out that the program was intentional and fully developed in all the important ways: instruction, coursework, unstructured learning, career activities, etc. Even the course textbook was incredibly detailed, and I still refer to it sometimes now as a full-time developer. Our instructor Andy was a phenomenal instructor and a talented developer. I’ve now been working as a developer for around six months, and I can say that TE provided me a great foundation for modern, full-stack web application development. 

I am writing this in hoping that someone who is like me Pre-Tech Elevator will find and read it. I was extremely nervous to make such a leap as to go into debt and switch careers at the same time, but I am so thankful that I did. Tech Elevator was a fun experience (a difficult one but fun), I learned so much, and I feel fully prepared to start my new job as a Junior Developer. The best advice is advice I received from former students, you will get out of it what you put in, and so when I joined Tech Elevator, I put everything I could into it. The program has paid off, and I start my new career as a Junior Developer in a couple of weeks. Also, I went to the Cincinnati Ohio campus, so I would strongly recommend this campus.

I went into this bootcamp with some previous programming knowledge that I had taught myself through various online resources and books. While this gave me a good understanding of programming basics, I was still unclear of how these technologies worked in the real world on a large scale. Tech Elevator's course did an excellent job of not only teaching me improved coding skills, but gave me the context of these technologies in the real world. Throughout the course, I worked with fellow students on projects that were very relevant to real world experience. In addition to this, their Pathway program provided me with plenty of support to go confidently into job interviews. Interview practice, resume building, and networking with local companies was all provided and proved to be arguably even more helpful than the technical side. After landing my first job in less than 3 months after graduating, I can say that it was definitely worth it. I would highly recommend it to anyone that is out there trying to go the self-taught route and feeling stuck!

I was a college student enrolled at a traditional university. My studies focused mainly in Computer Science and Mathematics, the path that many successful technology professionals have walked on before. However due to COVID,  my learning experience was shifted into a virtual environment where I had little to no interaction with my professors. Only emails of upcoming due dates for assignments and tests, not even including real software development. This certainly made me think if I was spending $25,000 a year for a piece of paper--acquired without passion or motivation--really worth my time and little money.

That is what got me interested in Tech Elevator. A program that included all that I wanted to learn about and more. Surely, working remotely wasn't preferred, but the people at TE are truly on your side until the end. You form close bonds with classmates and instructors, all by staying safely at home. You learn new material everyday, applying what you learned the previous day and honing in your skills. Working on capstones with paired-programming/Agile methodology, learning about teamwork, building passion, and being reliable is all part of the process; an unspoken but arguably some of the most important life skills that you can attain as a newfound Software Developer.

In short, if you're considering Tech Elevator--do it! Take it from someone who thought it was impossible, who now works at a Fortune 500 company. TE definitely made my dream into a reality.

Tech Elevator has truly been the best decision I have ever made in terms of career path. From the admissions and interview process at the beginning, to graduating 3 months later and landing a job soon after, every step of the way the people at Tech Elevator (Philadelphia campus for me) were welcoming and supportive of each student. Great teacher, great program, and a great staff. Can’t suggest it enough to those looking to make a career change. Trust the process! If you put in the work, it will pay off.

I graduated from Tech Elevator Bootcamp in 2020, and was offered a job by one of the hiring partners. 
I was one of those people who didn’t believe that this kind of change is possible, we tend to undersell ourselves... 
Absolutely everybody in a boot camp, from Lecturers to Pathway Directors to Coordinators have your best interest in mind. They are so genuine, honest and helpful. They work with you personally through every challenge, they care about how you feel, support you, and try to make you better every step along the way.
It would be foolish to say that it was easy, but if you are determined to start a new career and looking for a knowledgeable, supportive team of professionals, I would definitely advice to take a look into Tech Elevator.