Tech Elevator

 After enjoying a successful 13-year career in customer service and sales, I decided to pursue my interest in programming and enroll in Tech Elevator. BEST DECISION EVER! Besides offering the opportunity to get a jump start in the tech industry by offering a comprehensive curriculum, they also provide expert guidance on resume building and interview training.

If you are on the fence about attending a coding bootcamp or trying to teach yourself how to code, I highly recommend Tech Elevator. I just cannot say enough good things about the curriculum, the instructors and the support staff.  

I was an accounting college dropout who wanted to career pivot to software development.  After 2 years of teaching myself, I sought an opportunity at a boot camp and found  Tech Elevator.  After getting accepted, I had some nerves.  It is intensive and only 14 weeks.  During my time I met many instructors who were extremely helpful and always willing to meet if they were available.  The pathway program is really what set this apart.  Talking with students from other boot camps, nothing offers the career help that I received.  I could not recommend Tech Elevator enough!

I've taken IT courses off and on for about 17 years. The 14 weeks spent at Tech Elevator better prepared me for the real world than any of my dozens of previous instructors or the three random colleges I have attended in different states.

Group lessons and projects are incredibly valuable. Learning agile methodology from the beginning is an excellent skill to pick up and, and the remote learning environment is well suited to the current IT trends in a pandemic-gripped world.

The variety of coding languages, assignments, and challenges are crafted perfectly to help understand the daily lessons and really pull the knowledge all together. Especially when you take the time to utilize all of the given resources and put in some additional research of your own.

The Pathway Program helped me craft the version of my professional self that I've never been more proud of. My resume reads the best it ever has, my LinkedIn profile has given me access to effectively promoting myself to contacts all around the world, I nailed every interview I have taken since graduation, and I'm on the verge of starting with a great company that I was connected with through this program. A superb accompaniment to the tech lessons!

My time at Tech Elevator was a very demanding but ultimately rewarding experience. We had three 4-week modules to introduce us to different aspects of web development, and then a two week final capstone group project to create an app with a team of 4 or 5. I left TE with a solid foundation to keep learning as I move through my new tech career and the confidence to know that I was capable of taking on big challenges and learning a lot of new material quickly.  Moreover, TE's emphasis on paired programming and the final group project means that I got really valuable exposure to what it's like to develop software as a team, which was incredible practice for my future career.

One of the biggest reasons I chose TE was because of their Career Pathway program, which walked me through creating my own unique elevator pitch, making and maintaining a LinkedIn profile, making and refining a tech resume, and interview skills (intro interview, tech interview, and behavioral interview). What was especially valuable was having mock interviews of every type with feedback afterwards. The Pathway program also brought in several employers a week so that we could learn about their companies and begin to build an idea of what kind of company we wanted to work for and make a wishlist of prospective employers.  Pathway culminated in two days of matchmaking interviews where we had 7-8 thirty minute interviews with employers looking to hire entry-level developers.  

I was one of the fortunate people who actually got notice of an intent to offer before I graduated! I'd done a matchmaking interview with my #1 pick, and they then moved forward with me in the interview process in my last two weeks of camp. I got an email from them the Friday that I was slated to graduate, asking to meet with me Monday to present a job offer. I graduated, met with them the next Monday, and then accepted my new job that Tuesday.  About a third of my class had offers before graduating, almost all of them from employers they'd met during matchmaking. And I know a lot more of us were in ongoing interviewing processes when we graduated.

I'd recommend TE to anyone who can truly dedicate themselves to the program for its 14 week time span. Like everything else in life, you get out of it what you put in.

If you're reading this review there's a good chance you're considering a career change and weighing your options. What coding bootcamp is the best option for me? Should I make a career change? What if I'm unsuccessful? These questions and more are all perfectly valid. I know I asked myself these questions off and on for two years, before finally taking the leap of faith. My only regret was not making the decision to join Tech Elevator sooner.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS
There's plenty of information about the curriculum online so I won't talk about that in detail. What I will say is that it will teach you enough of what you need to know to begin your career as a software developer in just 14 weeks, but you will only get out of it what you put into it. 

Read your textbook, especially the section you will be covering in lecture, the day before. It will help you understand and digest the lecture material. Pair programming is important, and a great way to learn, however, if you quickly rely on other classmates to solve problems you are having, you will only rob yourself of a valuable learning experience. Part of becoming a great developer is being able to work as a team in a collaborative environment, but equally important is experimenting, asking yourself questions, reading documentation, and applying what you've learned in the daily homework assignments. 

Be prepared to put in long hours. You're making an investment in yourself. Strive to complete all homework assignments on time, and earn yourself that "3." A 3 is the highest grade you can earn on an assignment. Occasionally, you will be given optional tasks that have no grade, complete them anyway. This is a great way to help solidify what you've learned. Generally, I dedicated the hours of 9am-8pm to learning (M-F), Saturday I'd spend the majority of the day finishing up a review assignment, reading for Monday's lecture, or working on a side project/tutorial. 

Which brings me to my next point. Don't just make this a career, make it a hobby. Find a passion project and begin working on it. When it comes time to interview, employers appreciate if you have a project you can elaborate on.

Speak up in class and participate in lecture. Ask questions, have an open dialogue with your instructor, ask them to elaborate more if you need clarification. Your instructor is there to see you succeed, and no one will judge you. Chances are if you're thinking of the question, someone else in your class is wondering the same thing.

Don't compare yourself to others. People learn at different paces, and there might be an area you struggle in, but you will also find an area you excel in. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.

Participate in Pathway events and do everything you're asked of by your Pathway Program Director. This is key to getting set up with a professional resume catered to your new career field, landing interviews, doing well on those interviews, and receiving job offers. After all, you're not just here to learn. You're here to begin a new career. 

In these Pathway events, employers will come in to discuss their company, their culture, their mission, and offer advice. Pay attention to these employers as many of them will return for matchmaking, and you'll have a chance to select the ones you'd like to interview with. In my experience there were 10 employers who came out for matchmaking. I was able to choose 4, and met with 5.

Some people will receive job offers before graduation, some people will receive offers soon after graduation, and others within a couple months. Everyone is different and what's important is to not lose hope, you will hear this over and over again, but "trust the process." In my case I was sent a coding challenge from a matchmaking employer. From there I was scheduled a series of interviews on one day that ran from 8:30am - Noon, and received a job offer the following day. 

I graduated from Tech Elevator on April 16 and had a conditional offer of employment the morning of April 21st for a full-time developer position. If you want to make a change in your life then take initiative and make a difference. If you're considering that career change, then deep down you already know what you want to do. It's okay to be afraid, but there's a reason why over 94% of tech elevator graduates find employment in the industry within 6 months (more like less than 3 months), the program works. All you have to do is put in the time and effort.

4 months ago I graduated from OSU with a degree in biology.  I realized that I didn't want to pursue a career in research or medicine so I started exploring my options. I was instantly drawn to coding, and I started researching bootcamps in the Columbus area around November. 

That's when a friend recommended Tech Elevator to me. He knew someone that went through the program and landed an amazing developer job, so I decided to check it out. I read countless reviews on Course Report about Tech Elevator and thought there was no way what people were saying is true, it can't be this awesome.

TRUST ME, IT IS THAT AWESOME. 

When I was deciding whether to join the cohort in January I spoke to Maddy Miller, the admissions coordinator, and she was insanely kind and helpful while working with me throughout the admissions process. She connected me to numerous funding resources as well as scholarships which was very helpful. I also interviewed with and spoke to Vinny Sanfillipo, the director of the Columbus campus, who is a super upbeat, highly energetic, and positive guy. 

Once I was enrolled in the cohort I had to quit my job and get started on the prework on the laptop Tech Elevator provides for you. For 2-3 weeks before the cohort start date, I worked on the prework and got to know some of my classmates.

Once the cohort actually started, I can't say enough good things. The structure of having lecture 9am-1pm Monday-Friday and working on exercises/reviewing material for the rest of the day was extremely helpful. My instructor, Steve Carmichael, kept class engaging, fun, and knew how to explain concepts to people with little to no programming experience. Steve as well as my TA, Kevin Toes, were always quick to help students with any issues they are having with homework or concepts from class at any time of the day.

Outside of class, the Pathway Program was extremely helpful. The biggest event they put on is around week 10-11 of the cohort called Matchmaking. Various employers come in to have first round interviews with students. I believe in my cohort the average number of interviews set up per student was 6,-7. Through matchmaking I was able to land multiple second and third rounds interviews, and ended up taking a job offer from one of the companies 3 weeks before the cohort even ended!

Overall, Tech Elevator was the best decision I have ever made. The people are so welcoming, encouraging, and positive, the content learned lined up well with industry demands, and the pathway program connected me to my first job in software development! I can't wait to see where my career in software development goes and I am forever grateful for Tech Elevator.

Awesome program that prepared me to get a job in 13 weeks

This program was 14 weeks long and while I wished we could've learned more in that time, I think Tech Elevator did a great job of teaching me the skills I needed to get started in a software developer role upon graduation. 

Brief overview of coursework/curriculum:
Weeks 1-4 (module 1) we learned about object oriented programming using C# (or Java). Weeks 5-8 (module 2) we learned about SQL databases and API's. Weeks 9-12 (module 3) we learned html, css, javascript, and vue. Essentially, weeks 1-8 were backend focused and 9-12 were frontend focused.

At the end of each module, we had paired programming projects that utilized what we had been learning during that module. At the end of module 1, my partner and I built vending machine software, using what we had learned about object oriented programming. At the end of module 2, my partner and I built venmo-like software, utilizing our knowledge on object oriented programming, SQL databases, and API's/MVC software design pattern. At the end of module 3, weeks 13-14, we built a web application (as a group of 4 or 5 people) utilizing everything we had learned. My team built a web-app that would generate a random workout for a user, and would also allow trainers to add/edit/delete workouts in the database.

As far as technical skills go, Tech Elevator did a great job in helping me to build my programming knowledge, which made me feel confident when it came to doing technical interviews with potential employers.

This leads me into another aspect of the program which Tech Elevator calls the 'Pathway Program'. During the 14 weeks in the Tech Elevator program, I would have 1 or 2 (sometimes more) meetings with Tech Elevator's career coaches. They helped me to focus on building my elevator pitch, resume, and LinkedIn profile. We would consistently practice our elevator pitches, look over our resumes and LinkedIn profiles so that we felt comfortable speaking about our past and current experiences. We also had several behavioral and technical mock interviews, which really helped me to gage how interviews would go with potential employers. Additionally, because Tech Elevator has great relationships with local employers, we were able to do 30 minute interviews with several different (well known) employers as a part of Tech Elevator's Matchmaking Events (during weeks 12-14, I believe). I had interviews with seven different employers from the Matchmaking Events (I didn't have to seek out and apply anywhere, although Tech Elevator did recommend I do that on top of having these interviews). Luckily for me, I was offered a couple different developer positions during the Matchmaking Events and accepted a role as a Software Developer during my 13th week of the program! 

Overall, I feel that my experience attending Tech Elevator's 14 week program was well worth my investment in time and money. And now in my first role as a software developer, while I am experiencing 'imposter syndrome' a bit, I'm confident I will do well because Tech Elevator taught me the foundational skills I need and I now know how to learn new programming languages and concepts.

       Reading alumni reviews of Tech Elevator was one of many reasons (along with my friend’s advice, curriculum, job placement rate, length of the program, virtual tour and particularly, diverse experience of instructors in the tech industry) I chose it over other IT bootcamps. So, it’s only fair if I contribute.      Application process begins with an aptitude test, followed up by an interview and another aptitude test. The tests are based on logic and don’t require previous coding experience. Before classes begin Tech Elevator sends a few coding exercise recommendations such as start learning HTML, CSS, JavaScript focusing on concepts like if...then, loops, arrays. FreeCode and Codewars were listed as starting points. Cohort 7 (which is 8th) had 53-54 students (was debatable), 2 Java classes and 1 NET, 4 instructors and 2 academic fellows. Laptop with all needed installed software is provided.      It’s important to prepare financially and mentally for 3 fascinating and challenging months. There are quite a few financing options listed on the TE website, I used Hebrew Free Loan Association loan for a portion of tuition.    The whole program is divided into 3 Modules and at the end of each module it’s “capstone project” o’clock and it’s thrilling, because applying received knowledge into a real application is incredible and sometimes frustrating, too. In-between the capstones students are exposed to the new information every day about languages and frameworks such as Java, PostgreSQL, Spring Boot, JavaScript, Vu.js. I found ebook extremely helpful and logically structured. Along with coding skills education Tech Elevator introduces a Pathway program that assists  students in writing resumes, creating LinkedIn profile, interview preparation, matchmaking. Students are encouraged to collaborate on homework assignments and develop teamwork skills. It was great to work with so many intelligent individuals on different projects. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of networking events with other Tech Elevator campuses and representatives from various companies. My only complaint would be the fact that everything was remote, because TE campus looks so captivating, but I blame 2020.    I felt prepared going to job interviews, I accepted a job offer from AHN and soon it will be one month in my new role. Among some languages and frameworks I never used before are Angular, SQL Server and PHP. There is definitely a learning curve, but adsorbing a new coding language is so much easier now. A few more words about me… I have 11 years of work experience, mostly in customer service, in various companies, but I’ve always wanted more from my career. I made attempts to program on BASIC when I was 10, but it didn’t go too far. The same year my favorite video game was American McGee’s Alice on Windows, so maybe that was the reason. That was it with my software skills for a long time. I was using R, R Studio and Tableau shortly when I was getting my MBA. I was planning to get a job in Data/Business Analytics area. When pandemic started, all internships I was hoping for were delayed or cancelled and meanwhile I decided to build up my tech skills. But after tons of research I couldn’t decide if I should learn SQL or Python or something else and how. Even though getting into bootcamp just to know how to work with databases might seem extreme, but I've always been a type of person who enjoys learning new things and starting with fundamental principles would make the most sense for me, because it resonates with my experience of learning a new language: understanding the grammar is the first step, practicing building sentences and memorizing new words is the second one. Needless to mention that my perception about programming completely changed. I made it my career, not an additional expertise. Problem-solving skills and desire to get things accomplished are able to get you very far.      And last, but not least, I want to thank amazing, knowledgeable and caring instructors for continuous 12-weeks brain torture and along with campus director, Pathway director, admission coordinator and academic fellows for their time and incredible support through the program. I felt that each of them was interested in my success and was willing to help me grow. They are constantly encouraging students to reach out and ask questions and/or just vent about the intensity of the program. They are also willing to enhance learning experience, so they frequently ask your opinion about the process and are investing in improving it. They continue to support you after the graduation day for up to 6 months and are doing everything they can to help you land a job. Big shoutout to Tom, Tom, Beth, Walt, Jennifer, Ellen, Stephen, Marissa, Jacob, Eric! I wouldn’t do it without you!

There was nothing scarier than leaving a full time job with full benefits during Covid to try and change my career for the better. But it was one of the best decisions I’ve made. The course was intense yet very interesting. The instructors were always willing to take the time to help you out whether it be with homework, capstone projects, or even technical mock interviews. The pathway program was extremely helpful in getting an offer after graduating. The pathway directors were always there to help and lend an ear throughout the job search process. They definitely made it less stressful. I cannot thank everyone at Tech Elevator enough!

This is the real deal, folks! Attending this program was one of the best decisions I've ever made. It is run by people who genuinely care about helping you and will do everything they can to do so. TE has the curriculum down to a science. They know what you need to know and how to teach it. The lectures do a good job at covering concepts through ample explanation and examples. The homework is effective at drilling concepts so that they start to become automatic. Their textbook is a great resource and really helped me grasp the concept before learning it in class the next day. I had a phenomenal teacher who was incredibly knowledgable, patient, kind, and cultivated a great learning environment where asking questions was always encouraged. Additionally, there were two academic advisors that were always around if you needed help, more explanation, or anything else. There was never a shortage of support.

This program is really two-fold. The coding/technical education happens simultaneously with the professional skills education - the Pathway Program. This is one of the main reasons behind why I chose Tech Elevator. The Pathway Program prepared us for everything - how to make a killer resume and LinkedIn profile, how to talk to recruiters, how to interview, how to apply to jobs, and much more. It also hosts employer showcases, alumni events, and Q&A’s with professionals in the field. Then there's Matchmaking, a day towards the end of the program where you are set up with multiple back-to-back interviews with several companies looking to hire junior developers. 

I honestly don't have much in the way of criticisms of the program. It met and exceeded by very high expectations. One of the things that strikes me the most about this organization as a whole is how invested they are into your success. I always felt incredibly supported. By the way, that doesn’t end after the bootcamp ends - they are there to help you for up to six months afterwards with mock technical interviews, advice, and job leads. I felt very prepared going into my job interviews because of everything I learned there. And it paid off for me - by the time I graduated, I had already accepted a job offer.

It bears mentioning that this is not an easy endeavor. It's one of the most challenging things I've ever done. You won’t have a life while you’re doing this. I barely saw my fiancee, let alone my friends or family. It’s intense, and I was working 60+ hours a week for 14 weeks. You will lean hard on your love for coding to keep you going. You will be so exhausted by the end, but you’ll learn so much about yourself and meet so many awesome people. Trust me when I say IT’S WORTH IT!

When I made the decision to attend Tech Elevator as part of a larger personal re-skilling/career-shifting initiative, I had no way of knowing what to expect. My experience exceeded my expectations and was absolutely the right move at the right time. The program is run by a group of energetic, smart, and down-to-earth people, and I would recommend to anyone with the means and the desire to make this change to go for it. You will come out of it with a whole lot of hands-on experience doing what real developers do every day. On top of that, you’ll have “evidence” (projects) that you can show to future potential employers. It’s a rollercoaster of a 14-weeks, and you will be *lovingly* shoved out of your comfort zone for most of it, but the reward is so worth it, and it's so much more than a paycheck. The confidence that I and so many of my classmates built over the 14 weeks was so evident, and the network that all TE grads inevitably become a part of is enormous. 


I'd like to share some specifics about my experience and why I think it deserves 5-stars across the board. First, though, I think it's important to note that after deciding in September 2019 that I would attend Tech Elevator starting in September 2020, I started a somewhat rigorous self-study routine that would culminate in building a few projects using React (a front-end framework for making reactive web-apps) and hundreds of hours of study over the course of that year under my belt. Prior to that, I had also taken a year's worth of computer science classes in college. I'm pretty sure I came in with relatively more experience than most. That being said, I had many classmates with no prior experience coding who found jobs before I did!


Instructors:

It was apparent very quickly that the instructors were highly capable, empathetic, and dedicated to seeing their students succeed.

I was in the Java class, and Brian was my instructor. There was never a moment where I felt he was unprepared, and that really showed with the number of examples he would use to introduce new concepts. He explained things clearly, and for those who learn best by doing, he would accommodate them as they coded along with the lesson, pausing often and making sure everyone was on the same page. He and our co-teacher, Rachelle, made themselves available M-F 9-5 for questions or Zoom debugging sessions, and I had quite a few long and incredibly thoughtful responses hit my inbox well after-hours. 

Instructors were great about providing emotional support as well, regardless of whether someone was that instructor’s student. There were events held that specifically addressed forming healthy habits with regards to stress, and from the get-go instructors made it a point to start the conversation about mental health. 

Curriculum:

The curriculum was developed in-house and incredibly well-rounded. It was information-dense, clear, concise, and freely available (notes and recorded lectures) for review. 

The curriculum was divided into four modules. Each module concludes with a capstone project, where you and teammate work together on a larger project that requires you to pull together everything you’ve learned in a particular module. Each capstone incorporates the previous modules’ concepts and technologies as well, so you’re not ever “done with one thing on to the next”.  

Each day starts with a lecture and then the rest of the day is spent either working on the daily homework or seeking out projects of your own. They repeatedly emphasized pushing yourself to code A LOT during the 14-week program. Along with this was the constant reminder that instructors would always be available to try and help you figure out what sort of side project might be interesting to you. I’ve learned how to program each component I would need to build a web app, and most importantly, I’ve learned how to adapt to new working environments, where I might not be familiar with certain technologies.

  Job Assistance:

Job assistance, provided by the "Pathway" program, was all-encompassing--it not only got you ready to apply to and interview for jobs, it was the bridge between you and the Tech Elevator business network . 

Through Pathway, you are given plenty of instruction to get you ready to sit down in front of someone and confidently tell them you’re a software developer. The goals were laid out before the first day of the cohort, and there were multiple checkpoints with feedback provided to help us craft our outward-facing presence. By about halfway through the program, I had completely revamped my LinkedIn, and I had a brand-new resume. I had also been through multiple mock-interviews, both behavioral and technical. All of this was leading up to an event towards the end of the program, “Matchmaking”. We spent two days having sometimes back-to-back interviews with companies, and all of this was arranged through reaching out to the vast network that Tech Elevator has built and continues to build. Business of all sizes from our local community conducted dozens of interviews with all of us soon-to-be bootcamp grads. Multiple people ended up with the jobs they have today because of those interviews, including myself! 

I think it's important to note here that most people did not end up with offers from Matchmaking, but we had been told over and over again that this would likely be the case, so nobody went into those interviews with the expectation that they would lead to a job directly. After matchmaking, you are ready to start applying to jobs, and with the support of the Pathway director(s) (which continues up to 6 months after graduation), the burden of finding work shifts more towards the student. That being said, I'm sure Ben and Vinny, my Pathway directors, would have sat down with me and made sure that I had everything I needed to competently search for and apply to jobs. 


The last thing I'd like to mention is the final capstone. Classes were divided into groups and given two weeks to complete the most ambitious project of the program. At the end, each team had a fully functional web application, and on the final day of the program an entire graduation presentation was arranged for each team to showcase our work to friends, family, and the larger community. It was a really wonderful final tying together of both the Pathway program and the general TE curriculum. 
I know I haven't shared any negative criticism, and that's because I never actually felt dissatisfied at any point during or after the program. I was definitely struck by how attentive and caring all of the instructors and staff were, and I am so grateful to have benefited from that. This was money well-spent, and I hope others can find the means to also make this step towards a future full of new opportunities!