Tech Elevator

Overall Experience:

Phenomenal.  Everyone at Tech Elevator cares about your success and progression in your transition into a new industry.  Couldn't have asked for a better group of individuals to help guide us down this daunting (but rewarding) path.

Instructors:  

I attended the first Philadelphia cohort (Cohort[0]).  My instructors, Rich and Andrew, were awesome.  Both had loads of experience in the industry, and they were more than willing to share it.  While we, unfortunately, went 100% remote about halfway through the cohort, the instructors' were never phased by it & were just as helpful and instructive as they were when everything was done in person.  I was, admittedly, probably one of the more annoying members of any cohort that they've had to date -- sending messages at all hours of the night -- and while they would perhaps make fun of me on occasion for it (in good humor), they were typically always happy to provide a prompt response, regardless of the hour.  I am grateful for their time & willingness to oblige my oft-absurd requests. 

The instructors that Tech Elevator hires are amazing -- Rich and Andrew among them, as well as Walt and Andy, who kept us engaged with lectures & developmental projects once the cohort completed. 

Curriculum:

This section contains my only gripe with the program.  And, granted, like all of us who have attended Tech Elevator, I am relatively new to the industry -- there's a good chance that I have no idea what I'm talking about. 

Throughout the bootcamp, in modules 3 and 4, two of the major topics that we covered were Spring and Vue.  Both of these seem to be used somewhat infrequently in the industry, from what I've gathered (or, at least among companies in local Philadelphia job listings).  While Spring is quite common, we learned what I might call a basic/legacy version of Spring, whereas many companies nowadays use Spring Boot.  Moreover, while Vue is a popular JavaScript framework, many companies tend to prefer Angular or React over Vue.  Having said that, working with the version of Spring that we did provided an outstanding foundation for the MVC framework, and Vue is very similar to Angular/React and other front-end frameworks & was a blast to work with.  So, even while I may have been slightly disappointed in that respect (mostly in hindsight), the information was still incredibly valuable & certainly didn't harm my job prospects any.

On that note:  It sounds as though Tech Elevator has transitioned into teaching Spring Boot, and Angular/React are as easy to pick up on as ever via other resources.  This industry requires a LOT of self-learning and gumption -- there's a 99.9% chance that your post-Tech Elevator job will require you to learn something new.  Odds are, if you're accepted to Tech Elevator, you're already the type of person to embrace that learning curve! 

Pathway & Job Assistance:

The Pathway team is awesome.  Caitie, the Philadelphia cohort's Pathway Director, is an inspiring individual & works harder than just about anyone that I've ever met.  She was there virtually 24/7 to ensure that we were taken care of & on top of things in regards to the non-technical aspects of the industry and concomitant job hunt -- occasionally to a "what the hell?" degree (e.g. she will actually message you at 11:45 on a Sunday night if you haven't submitted something that's due on that Sunday at midnight, which was a common deadline for Pathway stuff).  It's easy to disregard the Pathway side of things with all of the technical information shoved into your head, but it's truly all to your benefit, and she was incredibly helpful throughout.

The rest of the team was incredibly helpful as well.  They'll take care of anything from interview & resume preparation to raw pre-interview hype-up sessions.  Could not have asked for anything more here.  The Pathway Program is one of the primary reasons that I signed up for Tech Elevator, and it was even better than expected. 

COVID-19:

While, as mentioned, I enrolled & completed the program amid the outset of COVID, this did not seem to remotely dissuade the Pathway team nor the Instructional team.  Everything proceeded as smoothly as it possibly could have.  Unfortunately, COVID did have the adverse effect of deterring a number of hiring partners & companies that Tech Elevator had lined up for Tech Elevator's "Matchmaking" sessions.  Our program only had 4 companies in total attend, while it seems that the norm for Tech Elevator's past bootcamps is 10+ companies, or in some locations, 20+ companies (with very direct connections).  The majority of my cohort, as well as the most recent cohort, which was done completely remotely, seems to have received and/or accepted offers, so I wouldn't let the COVID situation detract from your desire to attend an online-based bootcamp -- be it via Tech Elevator or another program. 

It was tough under the circumstances, but again, things went about as smoothly as possible.  I would expect that things will be remote through at least the end of the year (2020), but sincerely, I wouldn't let that fact dissuade you from considering this career transition; in fact, the current job market may even be more of an inspiration to do so -- much of the technical industry needs individuals to support all of the remote-based applications running nowadays!

Location:

In Philadelphia, in non-COVID times, the campus is located in the heat of Center City -- an awesome area with a ton to do nearby.  If you're able to attend in person, you will surely spend a lot of good time with classmates & TE team members around the city. 

Recommendations / Tips:

Study up on your path of choice (Java / C#) beforehand if you can!  It is absolutely not necessary, but if you have the time to get comfortable with basic OOP & data structure concepts, you will have a major leg up on most of the class on Day 1.  If you're able to delve into any SQL/relational DB stuff as well, you'll likely feel very comfortable through the first half of the cohort.  Anything beyond that (MVC, client-side programming, etc) is setting you up to kill the course.  An understanding of basic HTML/CSS will definitely help along the way, which many enter the program with some familiarity with (and is also required to learn in the pre-work), but you'll pick those up regardless. 

None of that is to say that it won't be worth the steep cost & time commitment -- because it absolutely will be.  That said, you can set yourself up with a very comfortable foundation for the material you'll learn by covering some of the technologies/languages mentioned above on websites like Pluralsight or Treehouse (which require a $25/mo subscription, approx -- I used Treehouse to start, as Pluralsight is a bit faster paced), or free websites like FreeCodeCamp.  This is in addition to the pre-work that Tech Elevator requires of you.

I would also recommend checking out websites like CodingBat to start working with data structures (you may need to review some of the aforementioned websites' material before you jump in here) -- and moving on to websites like HackerRank and LeetCode when you're more comfortable with those structures.  While this may not be something you need to keep up with once you're hired to a position, it is very common to encounter "coding challenges" during interviews (especially in the remote world that we're currently occupying, it's increasingly common to have pre-employment screenings via company-specific HackerRank assessments, for example), which are largely based on knowledge of these data structures and basic programming concepts (e.g. loops & conditionals).

Again, absolutely none of this is necessary -- most of my cohort started off with no technical experience whatsoever (some with varying levels of front-end and back-end knowledge), but in my experience, preparing ahead of time was a huge help.

Harvard's CS50 course is something that I would also 100% recommend checking out if you have the time, as it'll set you up with an amazing foundation of Computer Science concepts (e.g. data structures, memory allocation, algorithmic complexity, etc) that will carry over through Tech Elevator and beyond.

Final Thoughts:

Tech Elevator is a wonderful program that has changed the course of every graduate's life.  It is certainly not easy, but I wouldn't describe it as "the hardest thing that I've ever had to do," as many reviewers have.  Granted, I can see where they're coming from -- this program is no joke, and you will have your work cut out for you & then some.  Expect many 12+ hour days, especially during your final capstone!  

Technical interviews aren't meant for leisure -- the program will not guarantee you a job, and you'll have to be diligent in ensuring that you know your shit.  That said, you'll have every opportunity to learn everything that you need to know to immediately embark on a new & rewarding career!  Embrace the challenge, enjoy it insofar as you can, and you'll resurface from the deluge just fine -- if not in a better position than you could have ever hoped for :)

This bootcamp was incredible. I decided to do a midlife career change from Social Services into IT. All of the college programs I looked at would have taken at least 2 years to complete while working full time. This bootcamp was able to pack in all that knowledge into 14 weeks, and I'm now a survey programmer for a marketing research company. It took me a little bit to find the right position for me, but Tech Elevator offers a ton of career support/advice/assistance. The bootcamp itself was very intensive, and built upon the previous day's knowledge with a new task/lesson for the next day. There is a quiz every morning, and a new assignment almost every afternoon.

If you aren't motivated, this bootcamp is not for you. But if you are motivated, and will not accept failure from yourself, this is the way to go. I applied to this school I believe on a Tuesday, was accepted by the next day, and started the following Monday. I had to walk away from my career within the matter of a few days (as there was only one slot left in the upcoming class), so failure was not an option for me. Like they say, this bootcamp is like drinking water from a fire hose, so make sure you're up to the challenge.  I'm glad I drank water from the fire hose, because I'm now in a great place in my career, and I couldn't have done it without Tech Elevator.

I have nothing but good things to say about my Tech Elevator experience.  The staff are friendly, hardworking people who do everything in their power to help you succeed, they are more than happy to give you extra help if you are having a hard time.  The curriculum was well thought out and well paced.  The professional development portion of the bootcamp was incredible - getting the first job is always the hardest and they made that process so much easier for us.  I feel lucky to have found Tech Elevator to help me in my career change, I don't think any other bootcamp would have compared. 

Tech Elevator was a game changer for me. I knew that I wanted a career in IT, I just didn’t know where to start, since I was already 15 years into my career.  My ideal position was one where people were valued, there was freedom (and expectation) to constantly learn, upward mobility, and the ability (in the near future) to work from anywhere. I found out about TE through working in TechTown Detroit. For a time, I worked on the same floor as TE staff’s main office, and so I saw the instructors and directors frequently. I thought about taking the aptitude exam many times, but was settled in my career and didn’t see how I could take such a big step into something so unknown to me.  At the same time that I was becoming unsettled internally, we were informed that our contract was set to end within 2-3 months. Though unexpected, it was exactly the push that I needed.  From there it was a whirlwind; I discussed my plan with my husband and with his support (you will NEED a strong support system) I took  the aptitude exam. Jeff contacted me very soon after and I completed a full aptitude test and then interview process. You’ll hear it over and over again (thankfully) if you make it through the admission process, you deserve to be there and YOU CAN DO IT!!! Our instructors, Margaret and Andy (though different teaching styles) were amazing and went above and beyond every. single. day to make sure they were available every step of our technical journey. As you will hear during the interview process, it is a HARD 14 weeks, and you have to prepare yourself. There were just over 20 people in our cohort (cohort [1]), different circumstances, previous “lives”, knowledge  levels, different reasons for being there, but everyone earned their spot. One of the most important things I would suggest you take heed to, from Day 1 is to ask questions! There’s so much information coming so quickly, that it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Asking questions early can help to mitigate (not eliminate; this is hard)  being confused too often; this is the piece of advice I wish I’d followed sooner.   Thankfully, among teammates and instructors someone was ALWAYS willing and able to help. 
As important as the technical learning was, what TE also provides is the Job Pathway program. Nicole did a FANTASTIC job of adding structure and organization to the soft skills part of our program. She knew her stuff; creating an elevator pitch, resumés, preparing for interviews (behavioral as well as technical), follow up, keeping track of career progress. She was so on it! Jeff (along with Nicole) did a great job of keeping us motivated and focused on the end goal; finishing and moving on to a position that we love. Thanks to TE I was offered a position before graduation, and am now almost 6 months in, with a new career that I love. I am so thankful for what Tech Elevator offers in a program. There is sooooooo much to learn, TE was the perfect springboard. Best of luck!!!

I went to school and got a degree in kinesiology. After graduating, I found no use for my degree without further specialization. Unable to decide which direction to go, I worked in the restaurant industry. 

Finding myself over worked, under payed, and unappreciated, I had to make a change. A friend recommended a coding bootcamp which lead to me to start researching different schools in the area. I found that tech elevator was the best decision based on quantity and quality of content, experience level of instructors, and location (tech elevator is located in the tech town building and parking is provided).

I definitely made the right decision. Even though I had no coding experience, I was still given to tools to succeed and learn how to make functioning applications. While the program was intense and material was heavy, I felt it was still extremely doable and found myself with plenty of time to do side projects and have some free time on the weekends. 

The other positive thing about tech elevator is the pathway program which develops your soft skills and gives you the tools to get a job. It really bridges the gap between you and tech companies to help you land a job. It also teaches you the importance of working with a team, which is HUGE in tech! 

Even though we ended the program during the pandemic, the instructors worked very hard to connect us with companies and keep our skills sharp. While I ended up accepting a job from a company I met during in school, I am sure that my school would have connected me another company after graduation. 

If you’re a hard worker, like to solve problems, and motivated to make a change in your life, the cost of the program is well worth it. 

Deciding to do a bootcamp is terrifying. I had no connections and felt lost trying to figure out which schools were scams. I know that I spent months researching and reading reviews (like you are now) and thinking that getting a job as a software developer after just a few months was too good to be true. I’m pretty much just here to echo all of Tech Elevator’s other amazing reviews - they’re the real deal and the best decision I’ve ever made. After so much anxiety about not getting a job, I had multiple offers to choose from before I even graduated the program. I felt completely prepared for my position and the pathway program has given me invaluable career advice that I will use for the rest of my life. If you are willing to put in the hard work, you cannot go wrong here! Thank you so much to everyone at TE and to all my awesome classmates.

A quick summary of who I am before reading my review. I had a passion for technology coming out of high school and attempted to take some course in programming. Things didn't seem right at the time, so I came out of school with my Associates and shortly after I found myself doing full blown construction. The experience was great but I knew that fire for computers was still there. Then Tech Elevator came on my radar.

Tech Elevator was a fantastic program. Words can't describe the experience and nor can Covid but it was still unforgettable. Walking in I was unsure I would be able to fit the professional profile with my background experience or that I would be able to learn and become a programmer in 14 weeks literally. The academic side and the flow of the program made things come easier. The experience and knowledge that the staff has is vast and incredible. Any time you were unsure of something teachers/faculty were always there with open doors begging for us to ask questions. The pathway program was truly an experience in itself. It really taught me how to present myself and to be confident in who I am and what I have to bring to the table. Everyday there were smiles and hair pulling but it was all so worth it. I wouldn't trade it for any other opportunity. 

If you have a true passion for programming and computers then Tech Elevator is where you belong. Don't doubt yourself or your abilities, and as a couple wise people once told me, "Trust the program" and you'll do wonderful.

Thank You Everyone who was a part of the experience and kudos to all of you! Best of wishes!

My Background: Before Tech Elevator, I graduated from Oakland University with a degree in Psychology and Criminal Justice. After college, I worked at a law firm for about a year with the intention of going to law school. However, after discovering through my work at the law firm that I wasn't as interested in the material as I thought I would be, I decided to start searching for a different route. Throughout my search, which included considering a career in psychiatry and in mortgage banking, the one field that consistently appeared in all my searching was technology. Eventually, I decided against grad school and started looking for ways to get into the field of technology.

Choosing Tech Elevator: Once I decided on technology, the next step was getting some education in relation to the tech field. I had never written a line of code in my life, so I knew I would need a program that would start with the basics. In addition to a program that started with the basics, I was also looking for a program that would cover a variety of topics throughout the curriculum, and Tech Elevator checked both those boxes.

Tech Elevator Curriculum: During my 14 weeks with Tech Elevator, we covered four different sections of material. The first section covered Java, the second section covered SQL, the third section covered Spring, and the fourth section covered JavaScript. This curriculum was perfect for someone who was just starting to code for the first time in their life. By covering a variety of topics, I was able to acquire a base of knowledge in both front end and back end development. That base of knowledge is something that has helped me tremendously in my days after Tech Elevator graduation.

Job Search: During the Tech Elevator curriculum, coding isn't the only subject you will learn about. The pathway program is a program designed to increase your effectiveness when it comes to searching and interviewing for jobs. From completely revamping your resume to guiding mock job interviews, this program will be equally beneficial to your experience as the coding aspect is. In addition to preparing you for the job search, this program also gives you a boost when it comes to the search itself. Throughout the program, you will have the opportunity to meet with all sorts of tech companies in your area. They will present details to you about their company, and you will then have the opportunity to ask them questions and even talk freely with them. This was extremely valuable as it led perfectly into the matchmaking events. These events are events held by Tech Elevator where tech companies from the area come in and interview the students for entry level jobs at their company. For me, one of the first companies I interviewed with at the matchmaking event was a company called Slalom. Eventually, Slalom hired me in as a Tech Enablement Analyst.

Employment: Since starting at Slalom, I have been able to build on the base of knowledge that Tech Elevator provided me. Without the knowledge of both the front and back end, I would have almost certainly taken much longer to pick things up at Slalom and begin developing actual applications. However, because Tech Elevator did provide me with that base, I was able to begin developing an application only a month after my first day.

Final Thoughts: Tech Elevator was a terrific decision for me and my career. If you are looking to find a way into the technology field, or even just to sharpen your tech skills, I can't recommend Tech Elevator enough. The staff was always available to help with any problem you might have, the curriculum covers both front and back end, and the pathway program is a huge help when it comes to actually getting into the field. Overall, Tech Elevator just checks all the boxes.

I had a fantastic experience with Tech Elevator that landed me a job offer two weeks before graduation! I came into the program with no software development experience but I had natural problem solving abilities that ensured I had what it took to be successful in this program. Tech Elevator provides you an entire team of instructors who can all explain the course material in multiple different ways to adapt to individual learning styles. They also provide you with a Pathway team who prepare you and guide you through the entire job search. 
Considering the program is only 14 weeks long, there is not enough time to cover concepts that won’t be useful on-the-job. As a result, Tech Elevator is no joke. It is very fast-moving with important content every day, contrary to standard college courses. Everything is presented in such a way that you don’t even realize that you just learned an entire month’s worth of college material in a single day. That said, I am so glad I didn’t waste time trying to teach myself all of this material because I never would have gained the level of understanding that I have after only 14 weeks.