Tech Elevator

Short Version:

If you want to pursue a career in software development/programming, Tech Elevator is a great place to help you reach that goal. It’s not cheap (no bootcamp really is) and it’s not easy (harder than any semester I experienced in university), but if you put in the effort, you will succeed. At the start of the course, I had very little technical experience.  By the end of the course I had 3 job offers. For the first time in my life, I was able to choose where I wanted to work. I didn’t just have to take whichever job was offered to me. Now I’m working for a great company and I have a career that has a lot of growth opportunity. I mentioned that the course is expensive, but my annual salary increased by more than the cost of the tuition.  Everyone’s situation is different, but chances are that it won’t take you very long to break even.

Long Version:

First off, I’ll tell you a little about myself (Skip to the next paragraph if you don’t care about me…it’s fine…I get it.) in hopes that you’ll see that you don’t need to be a computer whiz with a technical background to be successful in the bootcamp or to break into this career field. I took 2 years of Computer Aided Drafting courses in high school, so I was comfortable with technology but I didn’t know anything about programming. I went on to college where I earned a bachelor’s degree in business. After graduation, I spent a few years as a Transportation Manager. After doing the same thing for a while, I reached a point where I got the urge to learn something new, so I enrolled in a Web Development course at a community college. I really enjoyed it, so I started looking at ways to make a career out of it but all of the educational routes looked like they would take 2-4 years since I was a business major and didn’t have many of the pre-requisites. I didn’t have the time to start college all over. That’s when I learned about coding/programming/dev bootcamps. I’m from Cleveland, so I was really surprised when I found that there were multiple bootcamps in the area. I visited Tech Elevator and another bootcamp in the area and came to the conclusion that Tech Elevator was the best fit for me.  The deciding factors for me were the instructor and the focus on developing the soft skills needed to land a job (no matter how much I hated the soft skills…I knew that it was a weak point for me that I wanted/needed to work on).

Now let’s talk about the bootcamp.  First of all, I think it’s really important to visit a bootcamp in-person so you can actually meet the people that will be teaching you and guiding you through this change in your career and to see the space where you’re going to be learning. You’re going to spend a lot of time in this facility with these people. With that being said, I felt very fortunate to be taught by an instructor that was so knowledgeable and experienced (lookin’ at you David Wintrich). There was also great support from Josh, Craig, Terry, Andria, Anthony, and Carol. The facilities and equipment provided at the Cleveland campus were great and I’m sure that quality will be continued in Columbus.

The course itself was great. We would start the day with a quick quiz so that the instructor could get an idea of our grasp on the previous day’s material.  After reviewing the quiz, we would review anything else anybody had questions about, whether it was from the day before or 3 weeks ago. After reviewing, we would typically have lecture until lunch time.  After lunch we would have hands-on work for the rest of the day. Sometimes we would work on our own, but we usually had a partner and did a lot of pair-programming (“Pair programming” is a practice where two programmers sit next to each other and work on code.  The “driver” does the typing and the “navigator” watches over the code as it’s typed.  The two programmers bounce ideas off of each other and they frequently switch roles.) Along with the hands-on work, you’ll often be assigned reading. Sometimes you’ll finish your work by 4:30 or 5:00pm, but you should really expect to put in more hours at night and on the weekends. The course was broken up into “modules” that were a few weeks long. After each module, we would complete a “mini-capstone” project where we would have a chance to build a small application that would encompass the material from that module and any previous modules.  This was a good build up to the final capstone project which we got to work on for the final 2 weeks of the course before presenting them to our peers and families at the graduation ceremony.

I went to what I consider to be an academically strong university before I attended Tech Elevator. I’m not saying that to toot my own horn, but rather I want to give a baseline to others who have already attended a university. This program required more time and effort than any semester I ever experienced during my undergrad studies. They say that this program is like “drinking from a fire hose”.  Sometimes it’s going to make you feel like you got hit by the fire truck after you’ve had your little drink. If you’re like me, you’re going to be uncomfortable, but it really is a good test of mental toughness. It shows you how much you can really do when you push yourself to the limit.

A great benefit of the program was all of the career assistance that was provided.  Each week we had an employer come in to speak to us about their company and we frequently had guest speakers talking to us about topics ranging from LinkedIn profiles to emotional intelligence. The biggest benefit to me was the technical interview practice and the Employer Matchmaking event. The technical interview practice starts with a mock technical interview with one of the instructors and then moves on to a mock technical interview with a volunteer from a local tech company. The reason this was so great for me is that I felt like I flopped on this mock interview, but it was ok cause you’re being given a safe place to fail and the person interviewing you will give you a lot of feedback. After that practice interview, I pretty much knew what I needed to focus on and I felt so much more comfortable. I know that it helped me because I had nothing but positive feedback from all of my real technical interviews. The Employer Matchmaking event was a day where 20+ employers came in and held 30-minute interviews all day. I had 9 one-on-one interviews in a day and while it was kind of scary at first, I had a lot of fun and ultimately met my future employer (we’re doing great, thanks for asking).

Here’s the part you are probably most concerned about… I ended up with 3 job offers (2 before the bootcamp even ended).  I actually had to end the interview process with another company and I had pretty much stopped applying for jobs after I received my first offer (I’m not suggesting you do the same, I’m just saying I wasn’t struggling to find people that wanted to give me a shot). One of my offers came from a company outside of Tech Elevator’s hiring network and the company wasn’t even aware of the bootcamp, so I think that’s a pretty good indicator that I was equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to land a job. Another interesting point is that although I was in the Java cohort, I ended up taking a C#/.NET job.  So you’re going to learn the language for the course you enroll in, but that won’t necessarily pigeon hole you into that language because you’re going to learn the principles of Object Oriented Programming and you’re going to “learn how to learn” programming languages. You’re not just buying a fast-pass to a job though…you’re going to have to put a lot of blood, sweat, and coffee into this.

I realize this is a lot of information and that some of it might sound intimidating, but if you put in the work and you really WANT to do this, everything will be just fine.

My Advice:

Do everything. Read every page you’re assigned to read. Complete every project. Keep up with the work… you don’t want to fall behind. When you get stuck on something, set a limit for how long you will spin your wheels before asking for help. You’ll learn a lot by trying to figure out problems on your own, but there’s no point in spending 4 hours on one little problem. Take advantage of being surrounded by really smart people. Stick around or meet up after class with classmates to do work together. Do your own work, then compare with your classmate and talk to them about how/why they solved the problem the way they did. Give yourself some time to relax. The class material is important, but kicking ass on the ping pong table is also important. Enjoy the experience, because you probably won’t ever do anything like this again!

Fourteen weeks of intense instruction at Tech Elevator led me to a great opportunity as a web developer in the industry. After 18 years, this was a risky move on my part, but to gain a marketable skill that allowed me to pivot into a new industry, it was the right one.

The experience David Wintrich brings to his instruction, along with an experienced staff, and a space that fosters collaboration and learning, for those who choose to venture through this boot camp, the tools for success are available and present. 

The boot camp model isn't easy. But, Tech Elevator is structured for each student to get out of the program, what you put into it.

If you trust the process, focus, work hard, ask questions, and work together, then Tech Elevator will help you gain that marketable skill that will get you a great job in the industry. 

You can read more about my story here: https://www.coursereport.com/blog/alumni-spotlight-chris-andrikanich-of-tech-elevator

Over the several years I worked as a scientist for a large corporation, I grew increasingly dissatisfied with my job, largely because I was doing more administrative work than problem solving.  After beginning to learn a little programming on my own, I read about Tech Elevator in the newspaper and attended an open house; I then talked with alumni and spoke with people in the tech industry about Tech Elevator.  I decided that a Tech Elevator bootcamp would be an economical, pragmatic way to learn an in-demand skill and find a fulfilling career.

My classmates came from a variety of backgrounds, levels of education, and professional experience; Tech Elevator is designed to meet anyone with the aptitude and desire to become a programmer where they are and help them succeed.  The instructors break down technical concepts into essential components that can be easily digested by all.  Daily quizzes, daily coding exercises, and frequent one-on-one check-ins help the instructors quickly identify if the class as a whole or an individual student is understanding the material.  If you need additional help, a roaming instructor is available for study sessions.  The curriculum builds upon itself, so each project gives you a chance to practice and solidify previous topics.  The instructors, all of whom are accomplished software developers, are respectful, passionate about mentoring, enthusiastic about their craft, and available to answer questions at nearly all hours of the day or night.

The other half of Tech Elevator is the Pathway Program, which consists of soft skills development and career coaching; I think this program really sets Tech Elevator apart from other bootcamps.  The Pathway Program helps you craft the narrative about why you want to get into software development and what transferrable skills your past experiences give you; with this narrative in hand, the Pathway Program takes you through a series of workshops that help you write your resume, build your digital presence (e.g. LinkedIn), practice interviewing (both technical and non-technical interviews), and make meaningful connections with industry insiders.  Several workshops focused on the soft skills that are valued in the tech industry; while technical skills are important, good communication and team dynamics are just as valuable.  The Matchmaking event, when dozens of employers come in to interview students, is a highlight of the program; I had several follow-up interviews that resulted from this event and ultimately accepted a job offer from a company I “met” through Matchmaking.

The bootcamp is challenging but rewarding - you will get out what you put in.  I learned a new technical skill set, improved my soft skills, expanded my professional network, and even made some good friends along the way.  I started at my new company a week after finishing at Tech Elevator and am now several weeks into my new career; I can attest that Tech Elevator prepared me well and I hit the ground running.  I encourage you to explore Tech Elevator as your next step!

Prior to attending Tech Elevator, I had a largely unfulfilling job in sales, while working extra hours in restaurants on the weekends. I had an undergraduate degree from a local university, but didn't seem to be on a career path that I could be excited about. 
I, like a lot of people probably reading this, kept coming across articles about programming and what a valuable skill-set it was. So, in my spare time after work, I started learning about the field of software development and programming. 
After researching and learning some basic concepts over time, I began considering the field as a potential career match. And while I was excited at the prospect of one day getting a job in tech, I still thought it was a little far-fetched, and at the very least, far off.
Yet, through the serendipitous ways of the internet, I came across an advertisement for Tech Elevator, and my interest (much like yours I surmise) was piqued. After interviewing on-site for over two hours, and with a healthy dose of cautious skepticism, I was pretty much sold.

I received a call within two days notifying me of my acceptance, and after about a week's consideration, I was ready to take the plunge. 

I'd also like to note that the interview was, as intended, persuasive, but at no point was it sugar-coated to seem as though the process wouldn't be immensely challenging. And it certainly lived up to that. 

Coming from a non-technical background, you will have to work harder in your spare time to keep up with the core concepts that other students may have already been exposed to. But you won't be alone. And, most importantly, you won't be without resources. From Craig, the 30+ year programming vet who's always willing to help outside of class and sprinkle in stories of the good 'ol days (or dark ages) of programming, to Josh and David, both of whom possess keen understandings of their subject matter, and how to explain high-level concepts to non-CS-degree'd folk; you won't be learning alone. 

You'll learn more acronyms than I knew could be composed from the English alphabet, and you will go through periods of self-doubt, but once you find that you have the ability to meet challengesand adapt to solving the problems you face, you will quickly understand why so many people enjoy this career.

I've now landed a job at a major local software company and can't wait to see what the future holds. So, if you are genuinely infatuated with computer programming and IT, and you believe you would enjoy a demanding, fulfilling career in the field, there is no better option than Tech Elevator. It truly can change your life for the better.
 

Going to Tech Elevator was one of the best experiences I have ever had, and was a very wise choice. I was in the food service industry and really wanted to do something greater for work, I heard about Tech Elevator on the radio and after visiting I was sold. I started my bootcamp May 16th and recently graduated in mid-August.

I was in the .NET cohort and was taught by their lead .NET instructor, Josh Tucholski. Josh is extremely patient and is very knowledgeable about software development. The pace of the class was just right and it is very satisfying to leave everyday with more knowledge. Craig, who is on site just to help students, has over 30 years of professional development experience and is always very willing to help anyone who wants to understand the content better, or just wants to practice solving problems on the whiteboard.

I felt more than prepared to do technical interviews, and was able to answer any question that was thrown at me for junior development roles. The Pathway Program is great and they are always bringing employers into the space, which allows you to network and get first-hand accounts from people in the field. 

Tech Elevator would be a great choice for anyone, you will learn a large amount about software development that will leave you extremely prepared for the career that Tech Elevator will allow you to get after your 14 week program is over. You will make a lot of friends, have a lot of laughs, and ultimately be putting your life in a much happier place. The team, atmosphere, pace, and career prep at Tech Elevator is very unique and would be extremely hard to find anywhere else.

You’ve probably read countless reviews and stories involving people who have changed their careers and lives as a result of a coding boot camp. That wasn’t my case. My review is aimed primarily at those who may have a little background in IT but, for whatever reason, aren’t satisfied with where they are professionally. I worked for a Fortune 500 company for years on the database side and got “pigeonholed” into maintaining dead end proprietary applications.

 A personal injury sidelined me and I looked into Tech Elevator’s Java program while recovering. I had already had some of the standard self-exposure to the language ( books, online tutorials, community college courses etc.) but what appealed to me when I visited at an open house was the opportunity to learn relevant, real world practices in coding. If you think that things will be limited to “Hello World” and a calculator app, then you might want to sit down.   

I had already done some coding so I thought that most of it would be a piece of cake. WRONG! Throw out any preconceived notions that this will be “just another class”. You quickly learn advanced principles, proper techniques, how to apply them and most importantly, why. No need to fret, though, because the instruction is top notch and there is always support available when you struggle.

As for things not related to coding, the facilities were great and we had everything that we needed as far as laptops, software, books and other resources. I’d also like to stress that they went to great lengths to prepare you. This included having many professionals in the community come in and share experiences, answer questions and give advice. Invaluable.

Lastly, the payoff. At the end of the boot camp, I received multiple offers and actually chose to stop interviewing. I opted to work for an industry leader in healthcare involving data analytics for an increase in salary of more than $20K with potential through the roof.  

I apologize for the length of this (there’s still so much more I’d like to share) but if you’ve read this far, you owe it to yourself to at least attend an open house and get a feel firsthand. Best of luck to you.

I graduated from the .NET program in April 2016. I was previously working in advertising technology but knew that I'd need further education in order to pursue the more technical roles I was interested in. I attended an open house at Tech Elevator and was immediately sold. 

The staff at Tech Elevator is incredible. Every member of the team is knowledgeable, supportive, and committed to your success. The .NET instructor, Josh, has a teaching style that makes difficult concepts easy to understand while keeping class engaging and exciting. In addition to learning more than I ever have in a 3-month time span, I truly enjoyed coming to class every day, even when the material was frustrating. 

The Pathway Program provides career assistance through resume and interview workshops, employer networking events, and both technical and behavioral interview practice. I owe the two job offers I got before graduation to the Pathway Program and the team's willingness to go above and beyond to make sure I felt prepared for interviews.

I couldn't be happier with my time at Tech Elevator and would absolutely recommend the school. If you're curious, start with an open house.

It took me 2 years from hearing about coding bootcamps before I finally took the plunge into one. Despite having a college education, I had been stuck doing menial labor jobs, landscaping, cooking, and baking. This life grows old, and we all want to see our hard work blossom into rewards, so I decided to make a huge change into the IT field. I chose Tech Elevator over other bootcamps for a few reasons: 1) Length: Coming from a non-technical background, the extra couple weeks of learning was an invaluable both informational as well as allowing the knowledge to work its way into long term memory a little better. 2) Youth: This is a young program. I don't mean age, as my classes median age was in the mid 30's, rather that Tech Elevator is at least as passionate about giving us the tools to succeed as we are passionate about making our own lives better. 3) Staff: From Carol at the front desk to the instructors to the founders, everyone plays for the same team, and it's a winning one. Who doesn't want to be on that? These praises don't come at a price, the work is hard and at times frustrating. I am a grown man who now knows what it is like to want a hug because a computer bullied me today. You may question at time if you are following the right path, but if you stick it out and listen to what the instructors, mentors, recruiters, and even employers that are brought in, YOU WILL SUCCEED! Having no technical background and mere months of coding experience, I was inundated with recruiters and direct employers calling me. I had an offer from a great tech company on the West side that came from the employer showcase that Terry and Anthony work very hard on setting up. Within a week of graduation I was working full-time, with benefits, and can honestly say I have doubled my income from the previous year. As long as you know that you are worth investing in yourself, sign up ASAP and get your life moving in the right direction. If you read this far and have any questions, please pm me saying that we have worked together at Tech Elevator, and I will be more than happy to tell you more about my personal experience.

  This bootcamp is the REAL deal. I came into this with a diverse background from the military, operations management, and sales. Totally off the wall careers, but I realized technology was the driving interest in each. I had researched the bootcamp model for a few years and even tried to teach myself but the book was out of date. So via networking while trying to transition into software sales, I was introduced to Tech Elevator. I had no idea I was about to change my life in just 14-weeks, but it happened!   

  I attended an orientation and heard from the instructors about curriculum, and the CEO about how this place could change my life, but I think what blew me away was how up front they were about the amount of work that would be required of me and the energy that would need to be invested in order to achieve graduation. I took it as a challenge and went home thinking there was no better place to learn than a place where I am challenged. I had in front of me the very opportunity I had always wanted, and all I needed to do was pass a pre-assessment, and an interview. Sounds easy enough, but it wasn't. I didn’t sleep for almost three days until I finally found out I was accepted, and then I thought to myself "and so it begins!". 

  From day one there was never a shortage on communication of what to expect and the plethora of resources available to me in order to be successful, but after brushing them off thinking I had this in the bag I quickly learned my second week I needed way more help than those who came from technical backgrounds. I think the feeling of knowing I just paid a bunch of money for something, and the fear of failure kicked in and I quickly started reaching out to fellow students to have study sessions. From week 2 through week 8 a group of us would show up to the 24-hour space and just bounce our problems off each other. It wasn't until I started talking to the instructors about it that I felt like a crazy man for coming in at 6am when class didn’t start until 9am. Looking back now aside from the top-notch instructors, I would say going through this with 14 other people who were going through the same issues made this a lot easier for myself. This allowed me to maximize my time and learning through out the 14-weeks. 

  The instruction I received was hands on applicable knowledge designed to teach you how to learn versus being hand fed the information. David Wintrich was my Java instructor, and learning from someone so highly regarded in the community as well as the vast amounts of practical knowledge he possessed was a blessing. This allowed me to repeatedly bounce ideas or concepts off the man who had built a BILLION dollar processing application. Impressed? Well I am. Having David alongside Josh, and Craig allowed me to get a feel for how to approach problems that I would see in real world situations, and how to plug away at a problem researching and tinkering until I felt that feeling of victory once it worked. I think having access to the folks who have "been there and done that" allowed me to feel confident walking away and making an immediate impact day 1 at my new job. 

  The bootcamp opened a lot of doors for me because I lacked a college degree, and it also gave me credibility learning from some of the best folks in the area. I do not think I would have the opportunity / career trajectory had I not taken this step versus going back to college. The technical aspect along with the touch up on my resume / LinkedIn presence from the pathway events set me up for success. Hearing industry leaders read my information and offer insight was invaluable. As a result to taking a risky leap of faith and praying for sunshine, I have stepped into a Technical Consultant role with one of the Software Industries top companies. Without Tech Elevator I would probably still be at that same job I once hated, just because I lacked the motivation to give four years away to a college. Forever in debt to the folks at Tech elevator. 

Hope this Helps !

I always had an interest in software development, and before joining Tech Elevator I was interested in transitioning into a new career field. It was by chance that I stumbled upon an article on FreshWaterCleveland.com about Tech Elevator, and they happened to have an open house that evening that I attended.

From that first introduction all the way through graduation, I was extremely pleased with the experience. It is very apparent that every staff member is dedicated to making this the best possible experience for those who are looking to join the software field.

I chose to take the Java development track, and had David Wintrich as my instructor. Out of all the teachers that I have interacted with over the years, David is definitely one of my favorites. He is very easy going, really knows his stuff, and is committed to making sure his students are succeeding and getting the most out of their education. I really appreciated that he made himself available whenever I needed, even after hours. I feel the cirriculum left me well prepared to take on a new role as a software developer.

Outside of classroom instruction, Tech Elevator also helps its students sharpen their soft skills that help them succeed in finding a job and navigating their professional lives. They brought in relevant industry experts to help with things such as resume writing, networking, and interview practice. Tech Elevator has an extensive network of employers looking for tech talent, and held a job fair for students to interview with a wide variety of employers. I was offered a position from a company that attended. They will also help you pursue opportunities with companies that they don't have an existing relationship with if you have a particular company you are interested in.

Overall, I can safely say that attending Tech Elevator was one of the best decisions I have made in my professional life. I encourage anyone interested in a career in software development to apply.

I have nothing but good things to say about my time at Tech Elevator. The instructors are incredibly knowledgeable and are always willing to help students, either during or outside of classroom hours. The classroom and common room spaces are great. While challenging, the fourteen weeks flew by, and the instructors made sure they made class interesting and fun. 

The career assistance was out of this world. Tech Elevator brings in a ton of great companies to talk to students. They also set up interviews with companies for students. You even get mock interviews and technical interviews beforehand to practice. I got a job with a company that I'm really excited about because Tech Elevator brought them in. 

Before the class, I was skeptical about the bootcamp model. But Tech Elevator was unequivocally worth the time and financial investment. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. It was the best decision I've made for my career. 

My experience with Tech Elevator was overwhelmingly positive.  At any bootcamp there are 2 major aspects.  The first is the instruction in terms of learning integral skills.  The second is the professional opportunities that the bootcamp opens.  Tech Elevator, in Cleveland Ohio, fulfills both of these criteria at a very high level, especially the second one.

I will not speak to the coursework or instructor very much excep to say that my Java teacher had an excellent command of the material and was always available to help students.  On the other end, he was willing to provide more advanced assignments if a student needed challenged more.  However, in contrast to college, and traditional learning institutions, since there is no grading, it was up to the student to complete the work and challenge himself/herself.  This is the nature of the bootcamp model thugh.  You must have the interest and passion.  Tech Elevator, nor any other bootcamp, will instill this into a student.

But where Tech Elevator shines is in its ability to provide professional opportunties.  From day one they work with students in preparing forthe  job hunt.  A myriad of professionals are broulgh in to help with resumes, interviews and internet presence such as linkedin.  Further, they help the student to craft a narrative which connects thei previous career with their prospective software developer desires.

After the students resume, LinkedIn, and interview skills are evaluated by a multitude of recruiters and coaches, Tech Elevator is somehow able to bring many employers on site to actually interview students.  This is how I personally landed a job.  Tech Elevator brought over 20 employers who all were seeking entry level software developers to the spacd for a matchmaking event where they interviewed each studen for approxmately 30 minutes.  Beyond that amazing event, Tech Elevator's tirelessly working "career coach" and other staff with connections convinced prospective employers to either come to the learning space or make on site arrangements for interviews.

Like most things in life, you must put a lot of effort into Tech Elevator to get the desired outcome.  But they provide an excellent framework and concentrated direction for your efforts.  I am confident that if you are seeking a career in software development, then Tech Elevator will serve your purposes if you are willing to put forth the proper effort.