Avocademy

Avocademy Foundations:
I have a background in psychology and employment coaching, not design, so I wasn't sure an 8 week program would be able to give me everything I needed to gain hands on knowledge in UX/UI Design. The Foundations program ended up being a fantastic investment in my career! I loved that the program provided a variety of learning methods such as videos and articles, then had each student create a unique project during which we gained hands on experience for each module. Foundations also introduced me to UX Research and UX Writing - two fields I wasn't familiar with. I ended up finishing Foundations after 10 weeks because I needed a little more time while I did a part time job. No big deal - there was no charge for taking longer to complete the bootcamp. 
Positives: 

• One-on-one mentor sessions to go over anything you're stuck on. 
• Real feedback, not just a pat on the back to keep you going through the modules. Sometimes I had to correct and resubmit assignments if they weren't quite meeting modern design standards. This was a good thing as it made me a better designer. 
• Connection to other students. The program primarily uses Slack for communication and using that, I was able to make some great connections with other students going into the same field to build a support network. 

Negative: 

• Every assignment needed to be reviewed by a mentor which could take a day or two. Then if you had to make changes and resubmit for approval, that would add another day or two to finishing that module and moving on. Sometime you can go on and start reading and learning in the next module, but you're not supposed to start working on the next assignment until the previous one is approved. Can be a little frustrating to wait for approval and feel like you're falling behind in the program. Then again, getting real mentor feedback on my assignments is what helped me become a better designer. 

Career Jumpstart:
After finishing Foundations, I wasn't sure it would be worth it for me to go on to complete the Career Jumpstart program, especially since that would mean paying $5k for it. I've been a career counselor for the past 10 years so didn't feel I needed the career assistance and I have some contacts with local business owners who would have allowed me to work on their websites/apps as client projects.  --- I'm SO GLAD I decided to complete the Career Jumpstart program. While I know how to create a great resume and LinkedIn profile, the type of resume of Design is totally different than what I use for other employment. I also would have gotten totally stuck trying to build a streamlined portfolio. Mainly, the thing I would have missed out on the most would have been collaborating with other designers and leading a team project where I got to communicate with the clients and my team. I also really appreciated the daily calls where students can talk about what's going on in our job search process and learn how to get more traction. 
After finishing my project and getting my resume and portfolio reviewed by mentors, I started job searching and landed a UX Writer role for over $90k within 11 days of starting my job search. 
If you're thinking about doing a bootcamp, definitely talk to students from a variety of bootcamps AND look at their LinkedIn profiles and portfolios. I received accolades from many recruiters for having a "modern" and "sleek" portfolio that showed the actual user experience design process. I wouldn't have been able to create such a great portfolio without the Career Jumpstart Program. I'm so glad I decided to do the program! The $5k was definitely worth it since it I'm now going to make $25k more than I ever have in previous jobs.  Read less

I started career jumpstart at the beginning of March where I got to practice my UX skills with different team members and work on several projects for real clients. The Career Jumpstart program is full of support from peers and mentors who are there for you if you need something or have questions related to UX and entry jobs. I landed a job within 2 months of searching and never felt more confident while interviewing different recruiters and hiring managers. The way the program is structured makes it easy for anyone to succeed and land a job as long as you complete all the tasks and put in your own effort. Overall, loved the program and it truly changed my life. I am super grateful for everyone I met and worked with!  Read less

Avocademy is an 8-week hands-on Boot camp that prepares you for the UX/UI world. Taking this boot camp was one of the best decisions I ever made. Making a career change was scary but after completing this boot camp I feel confident in the skills I have acquired.  Read less

Avocademy was literally life changing for me. Over the span of five months, I completed the UX/UI foundations course, joined Career Jumpstart, and found a six figure job as an experience designer. Sure, you can learn UX/UI online on your own or from any other bootcamp, but Avocademy is special because of its active community, unlimited access to mentorship, real world projects, and guides to help at every single point through the job application process. I would highly recommend Avocademy to anyone interested in becoming a designer and I feel so incredibly grateful and happy that I found Avocademy. Read less

I learned so much about UX design from Avocademy! The lessons were very informative and helpful, and I could work at my own pace. The mentors were very helpful and encouraging, and they were always willing to meet to give feedback and advice when needed. As a teacher transitioning into UX, I completed the course during the school year and felt the workload was very manageable. The fact that it didn't cost $15,000 to learn UX design was great, and I would recommend Avocademy to anyone looking for a UX design bootcamp!  Read less

Amazing boot camp! I was surprised at how good this community was to me. I graduated from university with an IT degree where I mostly learned how to do code. I ended up disliking it a lot so I was looking for another option that's when I found Avocademy by scrolling around on Facebook it came up to me as an ad. Since I was searching for something design related and IT-related I ran into UX design.  I loved how the modules were set up and the mentorship is probably the strongest thing about this boot camp. Not only did this boot camp seem affordable to me it was also a program I was never pressured to join. I took my time before I decided to join Avocademy and I definitely don't regret it! They want to you see be successful you're not another number to them you will feel welcomed from day one! Read less

Avocademy has been one of the best investments I've ever made and I only found out about UX Design in September of 2021.

I found out about UX scrolling through TikTok and after doing some research for a couple of weeks, decided to commit a bit more. I wasn't ready to invest in Avocademy yet so I started Google's UX Design Certification. It is definitely very informative and useful but with peer review really being the only kind of feedback I was receiving, I knew I needed something that gave me access to individuals already knowledgable about UX. I completed the first three modules of Google's certification before deciding to invest in Avocademy two months later. 

I worked my way through the Foundations course from January 2022 through April 2022. The recommended timeline is ~2 months for this but as it always does, life happens and I took 2 extra months. My mentors worked with me on this (which I'm very grateful for) and helped make the transition to Career Jumpstart easier.

By far, the mentors and the quality of content in this course were my favorite things. You can tell the team genuinely wants you to succeed and there's a great feeling of community as you learn and progress alongside other budding designers. I think I've raved about Avocademy to at least 20 people at this point :D

The investment was under $1500, which was a major pro because during my research I found that many bootcamps ran upwards of $7000, and you have access to the modules even after you finish foundations in case you need to brush up on some things. There are also soooo many great resources outside of the Avocademy recommended in the course. Books, websites, articles, (probably podcasts too but I can't remember), it's amazing.

My two biggest complaints (because I wouldn't personally trust a review without any kind of cons)
- Not having the same mentor reviewing your work. There were a few times when I'd have to re-explain my project and justify my choices to different mentors and have someone find something wrong that another mentor didn't point out (though you could also argue that this is an upside)
- The turn-around time for assignments. This isn't really something that can be fixed much (maybe with more mentors?) because nobody can be working around the clock checking student work but there were times where there were 3-4 days between submitting an assignment and receiving feedback. For a lot of modules, you could work ahead while waiting for your work to be reviewed, but some (bigger deliverables) couldn't be started until you received feedback.

All that being said, I'm happy to have completed Foundations and happy to be in Career Jumpstart. Avocademy came in at a crucial point in my life when I've needed to make some big changes and pivot and they've made it much easier to do that. I'd definitely recommend it if you're on the fence! Read less

As a service industry worker post covid, I found  myself at a dead end office job in order to pay the bills. I graduated with a BFA in 2019 but was at a complete loss for entering the professional industry. 
What the heck was I going to do that involved creativity? Cue Avocademy popping up on my TikTok feed. As an artist by trade I was vaguely familiar with UX/UI design, and the further I looked into the more concrete I became about my decision. 
I honestly was very skeptical at first, but Avocademy offered everything I was looking for: Access to mentors and the opportunity to continue the advanced program for job placement assistance. The team was exceptional! I moved twice during the 8-week course and they graciously offered me an extension each time. I personally took closer to 12 weeks to finish foundations, but I felt supported at every phase. The mentor empathy & involvement was incredible! Feedback was always accompanied by additional knowledge of why it was made. The program itself is split into different modules and has tutorial videos, links & resources for every step of learning the design process. I was grateful to be able to work at my own pace, and by the end of it I graduated with a completed first protect and a portfolio! If you’re serious about switching careers, and can dedicate a few hours every week, this is THE course. I loved it so much I am currently enrolled in the second Career Jumpstart (CJ) course! Read less

After pursuing a master's degree during a pandemic, I was burnt out. I lost passion for what I was doing and really did not know where to go. That all changed from a TikTok I saw talking about Avocademy. Avocademy's wonderful Foundations program gave me the tools to succeed in the UX/UI field. I was able to learn at my own pace and find a new passion within the tech industry. The resources and support of mentors are what make this program unique. Creating my own project and connecting with other students gave me the confidence to continue on this journey in their Career Jumpstart program. I am loving every minute of it and I am incredibly thankful for them! As long as you put in the work you will see results! Read less

I have take other courses and done a lot of self research and avocademy is truly special. The course organizes the information in a way that makes it easy to understand and includes information I may not had watched on my own. Having the mentors help really made a difference , their feedback allows you to grow and notice details you may not have otherwise and the support from everyone around you really helps when you feel defeated . It is a great environment to learn and I am glad I found Avocademy . Read less

This program has been life-changing for me - I just accepted a job offer after ~3.5 months of the Career Jumpstart Program Overall. I spent a little over 2 months working on projects with designers across the country for REAL clients and then my job search lasted 41 days!

After finishing my foundations course with Avocademy, I enrolled in Career Jumpstart. The community of mentors and designers is incredible - they genuinely want everyone to succeed and break into tech. The staff and mentors are there for you every step of the way from reviewing assignments in a timely fashion to being available any time of day (morning or evening) for zoom meetings to talk about UX/UI, practice all kinds of interviews, and for anything else you need. I love that this program gave me the opportunity to work with real clients - this really gave me an advantage over students coming from other bootcamps and allowed me to land a job that wanted someone with 3+ years of experience. The whole experience is fun and upbeat as avocados are mentioned a lot, but also very informative and focused on real-life applications. I feel well prepared as I'm about to start my first full-time role as a product designer.  Read less

Career jumpstart was a little overwhelming at times, but a great experience overall. I was apprehensive to join after doing the UX/UI Foundations Bootcamp because I didn't have money to spare on much, but after learning more about it, the payment options and the process, I chose to dive straight in. Working in teams on real life projects helps learn SO much about the process and the "real-world" of UX. The unlimited mentorship was also an AMAZING bonus. Avocademy the most supportive atmosphere I've ever had the pleasure to be apart of. I can reach out to anyone or suggest something in the a general channel and will have people there to support, help or answer questions, fears, imposter syndrome, etc. I ended up landing my first UX job through this program and I can say with 100% certainty that joining Avocademy's programs is the best decision I've ever made in my life. Read less

I chose Avocademy because of the unlimited mentor access and job placement help and I was correct to do so! From the beginning, you have people in your corner to help with whatever you need. When I had trouble understanding something, there was always a mentor to answer questions or help me talk through things. And then they were there for every step of the job process in Career Jumpstart. They help you build your portfolio, write your resume, interview prep, and even negotiate. It was hard work, but I am so excited I did it.  
I'm thrilled I chose Avocademy for this experience. I made a 75% pay bump from my previous position in just 3 weeks of applying!  Read less

Avocademy is truly one of the best bootcamps out there. I am still mind blown at the amount of knowledge I have learned with this program. I went from knowing nothing about UX to working with real clients and bettering all my skills. I finished the first portion of the bootcamp in about 6 weeks and had so much mentorship throughout the course. I loved that I made connections with people taking the course with me but also with all the mentors that helped me and that work at this big tech companies. I am now in the second portion of the course and I have loved it so so much so far. I love to do UX and learn from others by working on all these projects. Really thankful for Maca and Alex for creating this course  Read less

 A great and affordable way to learn UX/UI design! I was able to complete the foundations course in about 10 weeks. I needed some extensions, and Student Success was so understanding about it. 10 weeks is pretty good considering that I had a full time job while completing the coursework. The actual coursework itself in my opinion was great! Everything is broken up into modules, and in each module there may be several activities to complete. The only thing that I can see being a potential issue for some people is the amount of reading. I recommend taking good notes on each article because they have very valuable information, but if this is not your learning style, don't worry because you have unlimited access to mentoring! The mentors are extremely helpful and you should definitely schedule frequent calls with them to make sure you're on track. Over all, the vibe was genuine. Maca (CEO) and the mentors clearly all want us to succeed, they go above and beyond to help us out. Throughout the entire duration of completing the coursework , I felt supported and hopeful for a better future. (I am a 20 year old college drop out) Avocademy does help students with job search in their Career Jumpstart program, however I marked job assistance "Not Applicable" because I haven't completed it yet and this review is specifically for the UX/UI foundations course.  Read less

This course is definitely worth it! For a while now, I've been wanting to switch careers and take a UX Design Bootcamp. However, all the other boot camps cost way more than what I could afford, until I found Avocademy. It was too good to be true. The Foundations course really goes into detail on how to create your first project. I enjoyed every aspect of the course from the videos to all the readings and applying everything that I learned to my project. You get unlimited mentorship which is something other boot camps don't offer. What is also great about this Bootcamp is being able to attend an online speaker talk that features various designers from other companies and they talk about their experiences as well as any tips and knowledge that they can share with the students. I highly reccommend this boot camp if you are struggling to find one.  Read less