Bethel Tech

Coming from a professional background in carpentry, with a bachelors degree in music, I had absolutely zero knowledge or experience in anything related to technology. Starting from the ground up in design fundamentals as a UI/UX student, I was exposed to how good design related to good design principles. 

Then through a series of events, I had the opportunity to double-down on schooling and re-enroll in the Full Stack program Bethel Tech offered in order to help round out my skillset and give my designs the teeth it needed to be competitive. 

Finally after 18 months, with both UI/UX design and Full Stack under my belt, I landed my first job interview with a VP of a tech company significantly invested in AI. That led into my technical interview the next day, thus subsequently being offered a full-time role as a User Experience Developer in React. 

I completely shifted careers in my mid-thirties, married with three small kids. Over-doubling my salary in an entry level position, in a cutting edge field of Artificial Intelligence.

I owe every bit of gratitude to Bethel Tech!

I worked full time and entered the coding program at Bethel in March of 2019.
 spent from March till December 2019 working through the program along with a great community of students and instructors there to support me anytime i needed it. I graduated in December 2019 and was employed as a Software Developer in February 2020! 
Great curriculum! = School of Technology 
Great community! = Bethel
coding_bootcamp = Great community! + Great curriculum! 
print(coding_bootcamp)

A year ago, I wrote in my Bethel Tech application, "I'd like to use the knowledge gained from this program to solve world problems, ie. eradicate diseases." I was dreaming of something way beyond myself.

Today, two weeks after my graduation, I received the welcome letter from the CEO of Seattle Children's Hospital. In it, he wrote, "You are now part of a world-class team on a mission: to prevent, treat and ultimately eliminate pediatric disease."

Right now, I sit in utter awe and thanksgiving.

Bethel Tech Data Science program not only equipped me with the skillset to obtain a job that fulfilled my dreams, I believe the greatest asset I’ve gained is a transformed mind.

Bethel Tech operates with intelligence, wisdom, and a golden heart. It is not hard to realize that the entire staff fiercely believes in us. And the student community they build is one that lasts. Every time I think this program can’t possibly get any better, they outdo themselves! It was through this program where I received the key to conquer my goliath: a life-long fear of driving.

I believe God chooses to partner with Bethel Tech to carry out His divine purposes in this generation. If you decide to do this program, it is not a matter of landing a job, but a matter of stepping into the job of your dreams.

I graduated from Bethel Tech December 2018. The skills I learned in this program have helped me in my job now and changed my perspective when it comes to the beautiful world of technology. This is not the usual school of technology you'd find, what makes Bethel Tech so unique is the foundation of faith that it's built on. It's the heart of the school that tugged on my dreams to come back alive. Now, with everything I've learned and applied, I'm seeing my dreams come true in my career. I feel so prepared to take any task that seems impossible because if everything I learned in my program! When I began the program I was in between beginner to intermediate knowledge of coding and computer language. Starting off the course, it's amazing because no matter where you stand in coding knowledge, they start you off with basics before you set on to do the language you applied for. My favorite part of being in this online school was the ability to connect with people from around the country and the amount of accountability and help I had. The coursework is challenging not impossible. Its repetition helped the information stay in my brain which helped me apply it easier. There are practice activities and assignments. While working on assignments your building your professional portfolio and have something to walk away with that employers will see and love! The instructors I worked with were part of WozU and were great at pushing you to seek the information on your own, but we're always willing to help. The workshops and endless resources helped and I was able to pass every assignment! Thank you to the amazing staff, pastors and mentors! I wouldn't be where I am now if it wasn't for all of you dreaming big! I recommend this school to anyone who is looking to run after seeing God move in technology and seeing your dreams come to life. Big or small! 

As the only faith-based coding boot camp, Bethel School of Technology teaches you to apply the biblical principles of a strong work ethic, honesty, character, and integrity to your job as a programmer. These are all skills that every employer wants. The coursework is up to date and cutting edge, reflecting what is actually being used in the industry right now.  The support you get from staff and fellow students alike are amazing!  The retention rate is high, and over 80% of grads get hired within 120 days of graduation. I cannot recommend this school enough!  It has my full endorsement. 

Bethel Tech is an awesome boot camp! I was brand new to technology before I started and through the courses I now feel confident in my skills as a developer. The best part about Bethel Tech is that you  are not just number but they treat you as a real person and work hard to ensure you feel community with fellow students and teachers throughout the program. They also go above and beyond in making sure you have the support you need to succeed in the program and beyond. I now have an amazing remote job using the skills I learned as a student making a dramatic amount more than I would have had o not joined the school. 

I had no background prior to enrolling to Bethel Tech. I was afraid and unsure if I could learn coding. But Bethel Tech proved me wrong. I was surrounded by a great support of current and alumni students who were always willing to help when I needed it. I had an assigned coding mentor, and spiritual mentor as well! I was getting mentored in coding and also mentored in my walk with God…absolutely amazing! After I graduated, I was once again surrounded by a great support from Career Services which help you become ready and prepare for job searching. Within 2 months of graduating, I got my first coding job as a software developer! Bethel Tech is the place to be to begin your journey in coding! 

Coming from a learn-on-the-go and minimal experience in the design field, Bethel Tech surpassed the work field in UI/UX Design. I was able to take all of the skills as I was learning, not even waiting until graduation, to impact the design field with current clients and elevate everything I was doing. This presented new opportunities and growth in ways I could never have imagined. I am beyond grateful for the continued support of the instructors and staff and the experience I had through this program. Nothing compares to it.

Bethel School of Technology, in my opinion, offers the perfect environment for all ranges of aspiring Technologist - from Beginner to Expert. The curriculum is designed to ensure a wholistic approach to preparing students for the "real world" - something that not very many other boot camps or indeed educational institutions do too well. Bethel Tech's emphasis on the development of one's character and technical skills is indeed a breadth of fresh air - producing the quality of leaders and professionals needed in a Tech-driven world. Being admitted to Bethel Tech was one of the proudest days of my life - more so being an alumni as I know that I remain an integral part of a rapidly growing family of tech enthusiast and revolutionaries. I cannot recommend Bethel School of Technology highly enough - it is indeed an experience I will forever be grateful for!

Pros include (but not limited to the following):
- Ideal course duration guaranteeing ample coverage and exposure to critical areas
- Readily and easily approachable Staff
- Great student body and community

Cons include:
This is more of a recommendation (as opposed to a con). I would love to see students given more real life/world challenges for their weekly and final projects. Perhaps, Bethel Tech could partner with organisations in identifying areas where they have challenges, and then pass those issues over to the student body/community to come up with solutions.

I took the Full-Stack course, so this is coming from that perspective.

This is a Christian coding bootcamp that is entirely online, and based out of Redding, California. I believe they are associated with the Bethel church and partnered with the Visible Music College in Tennessee.

The people are awesome and do their best to help you even if they don't always have the answer. They work to help you succeed in gaining new skills and starting new careers.

BOOTCAMP:

Starting the bootcamp, you have a choice of several different front-end and back-end web technologies and can mix-and-match your curriculum. I chose React for my front-end framework and Java for the backend.

I was then assigned an instructor and met with them along with several other students who (iirc) were studying the same technology once a week for an hour. Some were several modules ahead, and some were behind, meaning that we didn't all start at the exact same time and could offer help to and get help from our peers.

The curriculum was pretty well paced, was very relevant, and has been incredibly useful to me. To be critical, I feel as though some things that were focused on were either out-of-date ways of doing things or very advanced methods that aren't quite necessary and aren't common. I don't know which of the two yet. Another issue was that some of the materials weren't updated or were confusing/incorrect (especially during the assignment instructions), leading to some frustration. Overall, don't misunderstand, the curriculum was good and it was taught well. I highly recommend this bootcamp. Those were just my only two complaints.

There's also a Career Services team that starts to work with you a few months before your graduation. They work on interviewing skills, updating and overhauling your resume, and giving you tips on what interviewers want to see. They also host graduates and guest speakers a few times a month to speak about their journey in the workforce, give tips on interviewing in general or for specific companies (big names included), and have an AMA segment for the students watching.

I believe the Career Services team and the guest speakers are available to graduates as well, not just current students.

Lastly, the final project is a group project where you're assigned several teammates. You work on project management, team management, and development skills over a month to develop a final Full-Stack application. You also make a few friends along the way. :)

POST-BOOTCAMP:

During and after graduation, I spent about one month (iirc) applying to 42+ jobs and speaking with 20 recruiters. Only one company responded with a follow-up. But, by that point, I had received a job offer. This company reached out to me after receiving my resume from my Career Services instructor. Thanks to my CS instructors, I got an interview and a few follow-ups before I received a job offer and eventually took the job.