About
About
CareerFoundry is an online bootcamp that offers flexibly paced programs for career changers in web development, UX design, UI design, and data analytics. Headquartered in Berlin but with a global student base, CareerFoundry has provided tech education since 2013. CareerFoundry combines the flexibility of online learning with the guidance of mentors and tutors through their dual mentorship model, training students to become job-ready in four to 12 month or their money back.
All programs cover the in-demand job skills required as well as real-world tools employed by professionals in the field. The 7-month Web Development Program explores HTML, CSS, JavaScript, API building, server-side development, test-driven development, progressive web apps, native app development, and more and covers how and when to use industry-standard tools including Atom, GitHub, Node, React, Angular, Vue, and Bootstrap and more. The 10-month UX Design Course explores the entire UX design process including user research and testing, rapid prototyping, iterative design, interaction design, responsive design, and visual design, and covers the tools Balsamiq, Sketch, Figma, InVision and more. The 6-month UI Design Program explores responsive design, visual design principles, designing for different platforms, wireframing, mockups, prototyping, testing, and UX design. It covers the tools Sketch, Adobe XD, InVision, Balsamiq, Figma and more. The 9-month Data Analytics Program explores statistical analysis and testing, data visualisation, data querying, predictive analysis and covers the programming language Python and tools Excel, TableauTableu, PostgreSQL and more.
All students will graduate with projects they can show to potential employers to ensure they land their first job. Web development students will create a simple portfolio website and a variety of apps, including a native app as well as a NoSQL database-driven React app complete with its own API. UX Design students work on three complete apps for their portfolio, choosing from various project options. UI Design students build a marketable portfolio that includes the UI for eight projects. Data analytics students work on six projects, covering designing and producing visualizations, dashboards, reports, presentations, and more.
Students have access to a dedicated Career Specialist who provides tailored coaching for job hunting and interviewing. Graduates of the program who do not land a job within six months of graduating are eligible for a full refund.
No previous experience is required to apply for the programs. Students should have access to a computer and an internet connection, and an interest in the topic they are planning to study. Students apply via the CareerFoundry website by connecting with an advisor who can talk through their options. Students will need to pay a deposit to secure their place, then complete the required pre-work before the program commences.
Recent CareerFoundry Reviews: Rating 4.57
Recent CareerFoundry News
- Tutor Spotlight: Angie Huetteman of CareerFoundry
- Meet Kasia: From Dancer to Developer with CareerFoundry
- Anja Lena’s Journey to UX Design with CareerFoundry
Courses
Courses
Data Analytics Program
ApplyStart Date Rolling Start Date Cost $6,900 Class size 25 Location Online In this program, you'll learn all the job skills, tools, and processes you need to break into your new career as a data analyst—with a job guarantee to boot. You’ll receive individualized mentorship through our dual mentorship model that pairs you with not one but two data professionals to support, advise, and give feedback throughout the program. The program is 100% online and flexibly-paced, and our curriculum is expert-authored and built entirely in-house, providing a rigorous, project-based, and adaptive learning experience. The full journey is split into three parts: Intro to Data Analytics, Data Immersion, and Job Preparation. This setup ensures you start out with the basics, and finish as an expert in data analytics with a professional portfolio with real-world projects to set you apart in the job market. You’ll also have a solid approach to your job search, and the ongoing support of our Career Services Team as you apply for jobs and prepare for interviews as a qualified data analyst.Financing
Deposit N/A Financing Full tuition available through our partner Skills FundTuition Plans Contact us at olivia@careerfoundry.com for tuition plans and pricing in Euros and Pounds. Refund / Guarantee Two week trial period—cancel and receive a full refund. Job guarantee available for eligible applicants. Scholarship Contact us at olivia@careerfoundry.com to learn about scholarships offered. Getting in
Minimum Skill Level None—suitable for complete beginners Prep Work None required Placement Test No Interview No
Frontend Development for Designers Course
ApplyStart Date Rolling Start Date Cost $2,000 Class size 25 Location Online This course covers the most important frontend development skills in a no-nonsense, streamlined approach and will walk you through the entire development process for creating a simple yet functional portfolio site to showcase your creative work. By the end of the course, you’ll not only know how to code with HTML and CSS, but how to debug and use JavaScript to add interactivity to a website, as well. Perhaps most importantly, you’ll also be able to speak the language of “code,” endowing you with the ability to communicate any technical issues you notice within the designs of a website or application. This will enable you to effectively collaborate with developers and coordinate cross-team projects throughout your career—an essential part of any design role. We’ll pair you with a web development professional to support, advise, and give individualized feedback and mentoring from day one. The course is 100% online and flexibly-paced, and our curriculum is expert-authored and built entirely in-house. The learning experience this provides is rigorous, project-based, and adaptive—designed to empower you to acquire all the skills you’ll need to take your current job to the next level. *This course is appropriate for qualified designers, or can be selected as a third-module specialization of our UX or UI Design Programs.Financing
Deposit N/A Tuition Plans 2 monthly instalments or an upfront fee. Contact us at olivia@careerfoundry.com for pricing in Euros and Pounds. Refund / Guarantee Two week trial period—cancel and receive a full refund. Getting in
Minimum Skill Level Students must have basic UX design experience. Prep Work None required Placement Test No Interview No
Intro to Data Analytics Course
ApplyStart Date Rolling Start Date Cost $690 Class size 25 Location Online In this course, you’ll learn everything you need to gain a solid understanding of key data analysis skills, processes, and principles. It’s the perfect solution for those brand-new to the subject and a great way to see whether data analysis is the right career for you. You’ll receive individualized mentorship through our dual mentorship model that pairs you with not one but two data professionals to support, advise, and give feedback throughout the course. Work on a real-world project and learn about the essential deliverables employers and teams need as you build an end-to-end analysis for your course project. The course is 100% online and flexibly-paced, and our curriculum is expert-authored and built entirely in-house. The learning experience this provides is rigorous, project-based, and adaptive—designed to empower you to acquire all the skills you’ll need to take your current job to the next level, and how to use and analyze data to make better decisions. *The Intro to Data Course constitutes the first module of the full Data Analytics Program. You can choose to continue to the full program on completion of the course.Financing
Deposit N/A Tuition Plans Upfront payments only. Contact us at olivia@careerfoundry.com for pricing in EUR, GBP, CAD and AUD. Refund / Guarantee Two week trial period—cancel and receive a full refund. Getting in
Minimum Skill Level None—suitable for complete beginners Prep Work None required Placement Test No Interview No
Intro to Frontend Development Course
ApplyStart Date Rolling Start Date Cost $690 Class size 25 Location Online In this course, you’ll learn the fundamental frontend development languages (HTML and CSS); and apply core web development skills. It’s the perfect solution for those brand-new to the subject and a great way to see whether web development is the right career for you. You’ll receive individualized mentorship through our dual mentorship model that pairs you with not one but two data professionals to support, advise, and give feedback throughout the course. Work on a real-world project and learn about the essential deliverables employers and teams need as you build a portfolio site coded from scratch using HTML and CSS, (uploaded to GitHub) for your course project. The course is 100% online and flexibly-paced, and our curriculum is expert-authored and built entirely in-house. The learning experience this provides is rigorous, project-based, and adaptive—designed to empower you to acquire all the skills you’ll need to take your current job to the next level. *The Intro to Frontend Development Course constitutes the first module of the full Full Stack Web Development Program. You can choose to continue to the full program on completion of the Intro to Frontend Development course.Financing
Deposit N/A Tuition Plans Upfront payments only. Contact us at olivia@careerfoundry.com for pricing in EUR, GBP, CAD and AUD. Refund / Guarantee Two week trial period—cancel and receive a full refund. Getting in
Minimum Skill Level None—suitable for complete beginners Prep Work None required Placement Test No Interview No
Intro to UI Design Course
ApplyStart Date Rolling Start Date Cost $690 Class size 25 Location Online In this course, you’ll learn how to build a design from the ground up, exploring the basics of design tools as you progress through the course. It’s the perfect solution for those brand-new to the subject and a great way to see whether UI design is the right career for you. You’ll receive individualized mentorship through our dual mentorship model that pairs you with not one but two data professionals to support, advise, and give feedback throughout the course. Work on a real-world project and learn about the essential deliverables employers and teams need as you recreate screens for an app for your course project to ensure that you’ve mastered an industry-standard design tool and have experience designing an app from the ground up. The course is 100% online and flexibly-paced, and our curriculum is expert-authored and built entirely in-house. The learning experience this provides is rigorous, project-based, and adaptive—designed to empower you to acquire all the skills you’ll need to take your current job to the next level. *The Intro to UI Design Course constitutes the first module of the full UI Design Program. You can choose to continue to the full program on completion of the Intro to UI Design course.Financing
Deposit N/A Tuition Plans Upfront payments only. Contact us at olivia@careerfoundry.com for pricing in EUR, GBP, CAD and AUD. Refund / Guarantee Two week trial period—cancel and receive a full refund. Getting in
Minimum Skill Level None—suitable for complete beginners Prep Work None required Placement Test No Interview No
Intro to UX Design Course
ApplyStart Date Rolling Start Date Cost $690 Class size 25 Location Online In this course, you’ll learn about every phase of the UX design process, gain an understanding of the industry as a whole, and discover how UXers think. It’s the perfect solution for those brand-new to the subject and a great way to see whether UX design is the right career for you. You’ll receive individualized mentorship through our dual mentorship model that pairs you with not one but two UX design professionals to support, advise, and give feedback throughout the course. Work on a real-world project and learn about the essential deliverables employers and teams need as you build an app for your course project. The course is 100% online and flexibly-paced, and our curriculum is expert-authored and built entirely in-house. The learning experience this provides is rigorous, project-based, and adaptive—designed to empower you to acquire all the skills you’ll need to take your current job to the next level, and how to use UX design to make better decisions. *The Intro to UX Design Course constitutes the first module of the full UX Design Program. You can choose to continue to the full program on completion of the Intro to UX Design course.Financing
Deposit N/A Tuition Plans Upfront payments only. Contact us at olivia@careerfoundry.com for pricing in EUR, GBP, CAD and AUD. Refund / Guarantee Two week trial period—cancel and receive a full refund. Getting in
Minimum Skill Level None—suitable for complete beginners Prep Work None required Placement Test No Interview No
UI Design Program
ApplyStart Date Rolling Start Date Cost $6,900 Class size 25 Location Online In this program, you’ll learn all the job skills, tools, and processes you need to break into your new career as a UI designer—with a job guarantee to boot. You’ll receive individualized mentorship through our dual mentorship model that pairs you with not one but two UI professionals to support, advise, and give feedback throughout the program. The program is 100% online and flexibly-paced, and our curriculum is expert-authored and built entirely in-house, providing a rigorous, project-based, and adaptive learning experience. The full journey is split into four parts: Intro to UI Design, UI Immersion, your choice of one specialization (Frontend Development for Designers, or Voice User Interface Design), and Job Preparation. This setup ensures you start out with the basics, and finish as an expert in UI Design with specialized knowledge and a professional portfolio with real-world projects to set you apart in the job market. You’ll also have a solid approach to your job search, and the ongoing support of our Career Services Team as you apply for jobs and prepare for interviews as a qualified UI designer.Financing
Deposit N/A Financing Financing available via Skills FundTuition Plans Contact us at olivia@careerfoundry.com for tuition plans and pricing in Euros and Pounds. Refund / Guarantee Two week trial period—cancel and receive a full refund. Job guarantee available for eligible applicants. Scholarship Contact us at olivia@careerfoundry.com to learn about scholarships offered. Getting in
Minimum Skill Level None required Prep Work None required Placement Test No Interview No
UI for UX Designers Course
ApplyStart Date Rolling Start Date Cost $2,000 Class size 25 Location Online Built in collaboration with design leader, InVision, this fast-track course takes you through the process of designing the user interface of a responsive app from scratch to include in your design portfolio. By the end of the course, you’ll have mastered the theory behind beautiful UI design, and have the hands-on, technical skills needed to apply it to your own projects. With your combined knowledge of UX and UI, you’ll know how to please and effectively communicate to your users through every screen you design, and have the polished UI for a fully responsive app to prove it! We’ll pair you with a UI professional to support, advise, and give individualized feedback and mentoring from day one. The course is 100% online and flexibly-paced, and our curriculum is expert-authored and built entirely in-house. The learning experience this provides is rigorous, project-based, and adaptive—designed to empower you to acquire all the skills you’ll need to take your current job to the next level. *This course is appropriate for qualified designers, or can be selected as a third-module specialization of our UX Design Program.Financing
Deposit N/A Tuition Plans 2 monthly instalments or an upfront fee. Contact us at olivia@careerfoundry.com for pricing in Euros and Pounds. Refund / Guarantee Two week trial period—cancel and receive a full refund. Getting in
Minimum Skill Level Students must basic have UX design experience. Prep Work None required Placement Test No Interview No
UX Design Program
ApplyStart Date Rolling Start Date Cost $6,900 Class size 25 Location Online In this program you’ll learn all the job skills, tools, and processes you need to break into your new career as a UX designer—with a job guarantee to boot. You’ll receive individualized mentorship through our dual mentorship model that pairs you with not one but two UX professionals to support, advise, and give feedback throughout the program. The program is 100% online and flexibly-paced, and our curriculum is expert-authored and built entirely in-house, providing a rigorous, project-based, and adaptive learning experience. The full journey is split into four parts: Intro to UX Design, UX Immersion, your choice of one specialization (User Interface Design for UX Designers, Frontend Development for Designers, or Voice User Interface Design), and Job Preparation. This setup ensures you start out with the basics, and finish as an expert in UX with specialized knowledge and a professional portfolio of real-world projects to set you apart in the job market. You’ll also have a solid approach to your job search, and the ongoing support of our Career Services Team as you apply for jobs and prepare for interviews as a qualified UX designer.Financing
Deposit N/A Financing Financing available via Skills FundTuition Plans 10 monthly instalments or an upfront fee. Contact us at olivia@careerfoundry.com for pricing in Euros and Pounds. Refund / Guarantee Two week trial period—cancel and receive a full refund. Job guarantee available for eligible applicants. Scholarship Contact us at olivia@careerfoundry.com to get a $500 scholarship. Getting in
Minimum Skill Level None—suitable for complete beginners Prep Work None required Placement Test No Interview No
Voice User Interface Design Course
ApplyStart Date Rolling Start Date Cost $2,000 Class size 25 Location Online Built in collaboration with the pioneer in voice design, Amazon Alexa, our comprehensive course in Voice User Interface Design walks you through the process of designing for voice user interfaces and shows you where and how it differs from designing for visual interfaces. You’ll use what you already know about topics like creating user personas, prototyping, and usability testing to develop three skills for Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant. We’ll pair you with a VUI professional to support, advise, and give individualized feedback and mentoring from day one. The course is 100% online and flexibly-paced, and our curriculum is expert-authored and built entirely in-house. The learning experience this provides is rigorous, project-based, and adaptive—designed to empower you to acquire all the skills you’ll need to take your current job to the next level. *This course is appropriate for qualified designers, or can be selected as a third-module specialization of our UX or UI Design Programs.Financing
Deposit N/A Tuition Plans 2 monthly instalments or an upfront fee. Contact us at olivia@careerfoundry.com for pricing in Euros and Pounds. Refund / Guarantee Two week trial period—cancel and receive a full refund. Getting in
Minimum Skill Level Students must have basic UX design experience. Prep Work None required Placement Test No Interview No
Web Development Program
ApplyAngularJS, MongoDB, HTML, Git, JavaScript, jQuery, CSS, React.js, Algorithms, Node.js, Front End, Scrum, MVC, Agile, REST, SQL
OnlinePart Time15 Hours/week28 WeeksStart Date Rolling Start Date Cost $6,900 Class size 25 Location Online In this program, you’ll learn all the job skills, tools, and processes you need to break into your new career as a web developer—with a job guarantee to boot. You’ll receive individualized mentorship through our dual mentorship model that pairs you with not one but two web development professionals to support, advise, and give feedback throughout the program. The program is 100% online and flexibly-paced, and our curriculum is expert-authored and built entirely in-house, providing a rigorous, project-based, and adaptive learning experience. The full journey is split into three four parts: Intro to Frontend Development, Full-Stack Immersion, and Job Preparation. This setup ensures you start out with the basics, and finish as an expert in web development with specialized knowledge and a professional portfolio with real-world projects to set you apart in the job market. You’ll also have a solid approach to your job search, and the ongoing support of our Career Services Team as you apply for jobs and prepare for interviews as a qualified web developer.Financing
Deposit N/A Financing Financing available via SkillsFundTuition Plans 7 monthly instalments or an upfront fee. Contact us at olivia@careerfoundry.com for pricing in Euros and Pounds. Refund / Guarantee Two week trial period—cancel and receive a full refund. Job guarantee available for eligible applicants. Scholarship Contact us at olivia@careerfoundry.com to get a $500 scholarship. Getting in
Minimum Skill Level None—suitable for complete beginners Prep Work None required Placement Test No Interview No
Reviews
CareerFoundry Reviews
- CareerFoundry changes my life.- 9/16/2020Bara'a AbuHussein • UX Designer • Graduate • Course: UX Design Program • Campus: Online • Verified via LinkedIn
Back in October 2017, I have the opportunity to join the User Experience Design course at CareerFoundry, completed the course in June 2018, and immediately I got my first UX role in July 2018.
CareerFoundry course helped me to find myself and my passion, also the course curriculum is fully rich, appropriately comprehensive, and self-paced, and supported with an abundance of resources for every step along the way which helped me to build my skills and guiding me to work in a career which I really love.
CareerFoundry community is a great supportive place with a positive and encouraging learning philosophy, during the course you will be surrounded by a well trained and professional team including mentors, tutors, student advisors, and the whole team who work to help you step by step to reach a professional level and prepare you for the job, also there is a welcoming community on Slack where it's easy to reach out and connect with other students.
As a previous student and a UX tutor now at CareerFoundry, I extremely believe the UX course with CareerFoundry is the right choice for you and your future and will help you to find your passion.
If you are considering to make a difference, and create a positive impact on your life, I highly recommend CareerFoundry.👍
I can't be more grateful for being part of this great community.
Bara'a
- One of the best decisions I have ever made- 9/14/2020Kira • Student • Course: UX Designer • Campus: Online • Verified via LinkedInBack in November of 2019, I realized that my current profession is not for me. So I started doing a research on how to use my base education divert to more exciting profession. After much research and countless phone conversations with bootcamps. I decided to proceed with CF.
The course is structured as the following:
1. Intro to UX where you learn to create a sketch prototype. This also acts as the stepping stone for the next section.
2. UX Design immersion. This is where you learn the meat of UX Design, from lo-fi to final polished product design
3. Cherry on top where you get to specialize in one of the following: Voice Design, Web Development & UI Design
We have a tutor, mentor and career advisor.
1. Tutor: Works with you to ensure that your assignments are in line with product development. Sometimes, I wish the mentors could be little tough on the students to nudge them more. I prefer someone little bit tough to get more out of me, but that's just my personal preference.
2. Mentor: This is where I talk to my mentor about my product and walk through my rationale on why I choose certain design decisions. I'd highly suggest getting in regular contact with your mentors to showcase your progress. They usually have suggestions and/or questions.
3. Career Advisor: I haven't had much exposure with him as I'm still trying to finish the course.
Because of what I learned so far, I feel like I've made the best decision. I learned many new concepts and how to tinker with ideas to create an exciting product. In addition to the supports given to you by CF, you also have to be motivated to make the career transition and learn something new.
I cannot judge how other bootcamps are structured. But I've learned a lot from CF and ready to use my knowledge to venture out to a different career path.
- Mareike Heuer • Student • Course: Intro to Frontend Development Course • Campus: Online • Verified via LinkedInI want to leave my review for the "Introduction to Frontend Development course" , which is part of the Full-Stack Web Development Program. My experience so far has been awesome. What I enjoy about CareerFoundry is the fact that it's fully flexible, so you can manage your own time. I also appreciate the help I received from my tutor and mentor, who were able to give me insight into bad coding practices, industry knowledge, as well as helping me when I wasn't able to proceed on my own. Although the program is remote, there is a community of students who I can connect with on the Student Slack Channel, where there are not only web development specific task-help channels, but also career advisors, who always give you helpful tips. I recommend CareerFoundry to anyone who is looking for a flexible schedule and a community of support :)
- UX Design Intro Course- 8/27/2020Valerie • Student • Course: Intro to UX Design Course • Campus: Online • Verified via LinkedInI am writing this review of the 4 week Intro to UX Design Course. I have had an amazing experience so far. I love the mentorship and guidance that CareerFoundry provides. I am glad that they started offering an intro course so that students can decide whether or not they are interested before continuing on to the full immersion courses. Based on my experience in the intro course, I am deciding to continue on to the immersion course as I feel it will be well worth it.
- Full Stack Web Development Path Review- 8/22/2020Mark • Graduate • Course: Web Development Program • Campus: Online • Verified via LinkedInAfter doing plenty of research around the various bootcamps (and deciding that giving up my job wasn't an option) I went for the CareerFoundry Full Stack Web Development Course.
My main reasons for choosing the course were:- It was remote and self-paced - This meant I could work it around my full time job.
- The reviews I could find of the Web Development course were good.
- The price made it an affordable option (at the time it was £2500 although I believe this has now increased).
- The material focused on JavaScript and a MERN (MongoDB, Express, React, Node.js) stack which is a up-to-date approach.
- You are given a tutor and mentor throughout the course who both work in tech, you also get a career coach when you complete the course.
- The Job Guarantee was transparent. Many bootcamps offer a 'job guarantee' but the CareerFoundry one felt like it was written to reassure students of the effectiveness of the course rather than providing so many hoops to jump through no-one would ever qualify for a refund!
The Learning Platform & Content
As the course if fully remote you complete your bootcamp using CareerFoundry's online platform. This platform is easy to use and shows you goals (such as how many sections you need to complete each week). The majority of the lessons are text-based and are laid out really well, each one has a step-by-step task at the end and these seem to get less prescribed as time goes on requiring you to put some of your new skills to good use and learn all about problem solving too. Typically your tutor marks most your work and provides feedback and a pass/needs more work and your mentor marks the final project of each section...you also have Skype calls throughout with your mentor too.
The content as a whole is excellent and I found that I learnt a lot, there's also lots of 'if you'd like to learn more follow this...' links which enable you to go deeper. For me, the pace was spot-on and other than the Redux section which completely confused me I found the whole thing was explained and presented really well. The great thing about having a tutor is that when you get stuck you can reach out to them.
The Extras
The Full Stack Web Development course also offers some extras beyond the material of the course itself.- Mentor/Tutor - Both of these people are there to help you and already work in the industry. I ended up changing mentors halfway through but both were really good. My only piece of feedback for CareerFoundry would be that some more guidance for both students and mentors around what these calls should entail would be really helpful for making the most of them.
- Slack - CareerFoundry offer a Slack community for students past and present. I found that I didn't really use this as the majority of the discussions were around the UX/UI courses rather than Web Development but they were nice to have.
- Career Course - Halfway through your main course you gain access to the career course. This course talks you through things like telling your story as a career changer, helps you write a CV and cover letter, shares good places to apply for jobs, helps you create a good LinkedIn profile and offers some interview advice. As part of this course you have a mentor who offers feedback on your submissions and can tailor their advice when you start applying for roles. My career mentor was excellent and I certainly owe some of my success coming out the course to him.
Summary
Overall I would certainly recommend the CareerFoundry Full Stack Web Development course. The communication from CareerFoundry was great, the course content was really good and they constantly related the content and principals into the workplace which made you feel like you were preparing to put your coding into practice as you went along. I also felt like they didn't try and spoon-feed you everything but helped build your confidence in reading documentation, Googling and learning new things (skills that have really helped me as I've continued my learning after the course).
I recently completed my UX design course with Careerfoundry and, in my review I want to share the answer to the 5 critical questions that I was looking for before I enrolled in the course.
- Do I need a Background in design to do this course?
- Is this course worth such a significant investment of money?
- How’s the learning process?
- How’s the mentor and tutor supporting you?
- How they are helping with the job search, and how the job warranty works?
Do I need a Background in design to do this course?
Before enrolling in the UX design course with Careerfoundry I was able to complete a bachelor’s degree in Digital media, so I had a good foundation in design. However, I agree with Careerfoundry when they state on their website that you don’t need to have any background in design to do this course as they will teach you all the process from the beginning. The first part of the course is a very introductory project to allow you to get the foundation on UX design.
What I, personally, feel is required is, generally, a good knowledge of using the computer and software, even if they are not design related. You will need to be ready to learn all the software that you will need to use during this course on your own. Yes, you can ask for help or support from your tutor and mentor, but learning software is all about practicing by yourself. The good thing is that in most cases, once you become confident with a part of this software, all the rest will get easier to learn. What I feel is more important than a background in design, to complete this course successfully, is to have strong motivation, and the will power to keep going when you may feel frustrated on some task or won’t feel confident about your knowledge and skills.
Is this course worth such a significant investment of money?
When I had to decide how to study UX design one of my main concerns was whether I should do a UX design course in-person or online. By having in the end, decided to do an online course, mainly for the more flexibility and the overall cheaper price, for me then it was quite easy to choice Careerfoundry as it was the one that more than any other school convinced me about the overall quality of the course, and I have to say that I have not been disappointed with this. Many people have been asking me why I did not do a free or much cheaper online course. I probably could do it, and I believe that it is possible to start a successful career in UX design also with that type of course. However, I felt that the advantage of having a mentor and a tutor to support me, the warranty of an updated and quality proved curriculum, and the job warranty, have been fundamental in giving me the awareness that I was working in the right direction and, therefore, to keep me motivated until the end of my course. The fear that the course I would be doing may not have been enough to get in the UX job market, alongside the feeling that I could have wasted my time studying a course without many warranties, would most likely have stopped me in the process.
How’s the learning process?
Careerfoundry gives 10 months’ time maximum to complete the course. However, this timeframe is mostly indicated for those who want to do the course part-time while having another job. If you study full time and are very motivated, you can probably complete the course in half of this time.
The UX design program course is divided into 3 phases. The Fundamental course, which needs to be completed in the first months. The immersion course should be completed in 7 months, and the specialization course in 2 months. Overall what is most important is to stick within the 10 months time frame. But they are quite flexible in giving you an extension for serious and valid reasons.
Overall, you complete at least one different project for each of these phases. This means you will end up with at least 3 projects on your final portfolio, (click here to see the projects I did during my course) which is what matters at the end when it is time to apply for jobs. At the time of my enrollment, the specialization options were Web Development, Voice User Interface, and User Interface. My choice was the User Interface specialization.
How is the course in practice? The three different parts of the course are divided into achievements, where each achievement includes an average of 10 tasks to be completed. The fundamental course includes just one achievement, the immersion 6 achievements, and the UI specializations 2 achievements. Each task is estimated to require an average of 4/5 hours in total to be completed, but a few of them need more time. Each task usually consists of an initial reading that generally requires from 30 to 50 minutes. In support of each reading, you typically receive plenty of additional suggested resources if you wish to get deeper into the topic. After the reading, you have a straightforward quiz that needs to be done. Usually, it requires less than 5 minutes. Finally, you have to do your task for the topic. This can be anything from doing some user research, wireframing, or some exercise to help you understand the fundamentals of UX design. You will also get access to see three of the best tasks submitted by other students as an example, so you will have a more precise understanding of what is required to do in that specific task. Most of the tasks you will be doing will be part of the final project that you will include in your portfolio.
How’s the mentor and tutor supporting you?
For the fundamental and immersion part, you will receive support from a mentor and a tutor. During the specialization course, usually, you have just a mentor to support you.
The tutors are usually UX/UI designers with at least a couple of years of experience in the field, while the mentors are typically senior UX designers with plenty of experience.
How do they support you? The tutor is the one who will approve all of your tasks and will be ready to assist you in any problem you may face while working on your assignments. This will be done through chat only, where they are usually replying to all of your questions in a few hours.
With the mentor, however, the interactions are through video-chat. You have unlimited calls with the mentor, but I don’t think you will need more than once per week. I found myself also going through the course for two or three weeks without needing any call. The mentor will be the one that will approve the final task of each achievement and the one that should help you to orientate in the world of the UX design industry, sharing tips and advice for being successful in this field.
For my experience, during the fundamental and immersion part, I found my tutor to be very helpful with the feedback on my tasks and when I felt stuck with some problems. The video calls with the mentors are a precious time where you should try to grab as much information as you can; however, I found that to get the best out from them you need to be ready with lots of questions, as in some case, they may not show lots of initiative.
Other than the tutor and mentor, I found the Slack community created by Careerfoundry to be another great source of support. That is the ideal place to get connected with other students that perhaps are working on the same tasks as you. It is very helpful, especially when you may need feedback or collaborations with other people to complete the tasks.
How they are helping with the job search, and how the job warranty works?
One of the most fantastic things about this course is the job warranty. Honestly, this has been one of the critical elements in enabling me to decide to go for it. Careerfoundry promises to refund you the total amount of money you paid for the course if you won’t find an occupation within the next 6 months after finishing the course. This gives you the confidence that if they are ready to bet such amount of money on you, it means you will definitely acquire the skills you need to get a job in UX. This is also something that has kept me more motivated until the end of the course! However, I would invite everyone to carefully read the terms and conditions of the job warranty, as there are requirements that need to be met for this to happen. Also, let’s make something clear; Careerfoundry is not going to find you a job; they will just support you in the job hunting process. This starts with the job preparation course that you can begin once you are about half of the UX design program. The earlier you will start and complete the job preparation course, the sooner you will be able to begin to apply for jobs, so possibly even before you complete the UX design program. During this job preparation course, with the support of a career advisor, I have been learning exciting and helpful things such as how to identify a career strategy, processes of work and skills, how to create a professional cover letter and resume, how to create a network, and how to prepare for interviews. I felt this had helped me to build more confidence in myself, especially regarding the interview process, which is something I was at first quite scared about it. So, overall I found this job preparation course, which is compulsory just to keep the job warranty valid, to be helpful and essential for anyone new in the field and in need to build self-confidence to get a new job.
Course completed! How do I feel right now?
I completed the course since just a few weeks ago from the moment I am writing this. Do I feel ready and prepared to get a job in UX design? The answer is yes. I feel I have an overview of the whole UX design process and a good knowledge of UI design in support of it. I have a proper portfolio that can show clearly what I have been learning during this course and can easily show my skills and competences to potential employers. I definitely would feel ready for a junior position as a UX/UI designer with the feeling that probably after some real work experience, I could aim to the upper level quite quickly. This doesn’t mean that I am confident that I will find a job in a short time, and I know that during the job hunting process I need to keep myself focused on improving myself and extending my portfolio. I heard lots of other students struggling, and for many, it took several months before they could get a job. I even heard someone that did not get the job within the 6 months and have been refunded for the total price of the course, so this can really happen. But from my experience talking with other students, most of the time, students can get in the job market within 6 months.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I am happy to have chosen to do this online Bootcamp with Careerfoundry. I felt that the quality of the course was high, and my expectation has been met. I think that despite courses like this are quite expensive if I ended up with a UX/UI design job within 6 months it would have definitely been worth the investment. If this won’t happen, I admit I would be quite disappointed. However, I would still get my money back, and I would yet have the knowledge and skills that I have been learning during the course.
Pros
- Job warranty
- Support from great tutor and mentor
- Easy to connect with other students on Slack community
- Final portfolio with 3 projects
- Flexibility to study part-time or full time
Cons
- Expensive
- Studying from home can feel alienating and lonely sometimes.
- You may get a refund from the job warranty but still not have a job.
If you think you want to study with Careerfoundry click here to get a 5% discount to any of their courses.
- Perfect place to transition careers- 7/17/2020Taylor Romney • Graphic Designer II • Student • Course: UI Design Program • Campus: Online • Verified via LinkedInCareerFoundry has helped pave the way for me to transition into a new career path. Their curriculum is appropriately comprehensive and self-paced, tuition is reasonable, and they provide an abundance of resources for every step along the way. I have no regrets and am so grateful I found them! They've also continued to stick to their job guarantee despite the COVID pandemic, which to me speaks volumes.
- Beginner Student- 7/16/2020Joanna • Student • Course: UX Designer • Campus: Online • Verified via LinkedInI am currently taking the UX intensive bootcamp that spans for 10 months. I am on the last achievements, working towards my portfolio, and I can tell you that it was well worth the price. I was a little hesitant at first, but the amount of information you can learn is crazy. This not only teaches you how to build a portfolio, but could also apply to creating a business and other aspects of your life. The tutor and mentor are so on point, and will answer my messages quickly when I am stuck. The people are so accommodating. You can tell that everyone there is super passionate about what they do, and this inspires me. I never learned completely online, and I find that I have been able to adapt really well with such a strong community!
- UX Design Program Review- 7/16/2020Christopher • Graduate • Course: UX Design Program • Campus: Online • Verified via LinkedInI just recently graduated from the UX design program and I had a great experience with CareerFoundry. Especially the tutor and mentor combination really helped and motivated me to stay on track with the course and answering all the questions I had to better understand UX design and its industry.
- Great mentoring and tutoring- 7/16/2020Nathalie • Graduate • Course: Intro to UX Design Course • Campus: Online • Verified via LinkedIn
I just finished the Introduction to UX Design course on CareerFoundry, overall a really fantastic course. What helped me the most were the detailed and encouraging feedbacks from my tutor as well as the opportunity to get two mentoring calls. I really enjoyed the course project too.
- Micha • Student • Course: UX Design Program • Campus: Online • Verified via LinkedInI have completed the Intro to UX Design course and I am currently doing Career Foundry's full UX Immersion.
I think CF provides great value for money compared to the other schools and I really love their positive and encouraging learning philosophy. The course is structured well, having you complete a piece of your project during each lesson.
Having a mentor to call and get feedback from is super helpful. As someone doing a career transitioning having this resource feels so valuable. Also there is a welcoming community on Slack where it's easy to reach out to the school, career counsellors, and other students for help.
Since it's a self paced course, you have to be disciplined enough to stick with it- you will get out how much you put in. But overall I can say that the school provides a lot of elements to helping you succeed which is great.
- Sreelatha Sabbavarapu • UX Designer • Student • Course: UX Designer • Campus: Online • Verified via LinkedInPerfect place to get into a different stream with zero knowledge in it. The Mentors, tutors, student advisors and the whole team helps to make us into a Pro from beginner. All are well trained and professionals. Great course structure levelling up from intro to end. I really enjoyed the course, learned a lot, improved thinking creative, boosts up the confidence.... everything. I really really satisfied with the careerFoundry and will definitely recommend people to take a course with the CareerFoundry. Thank you team for being with me and helping me all the time when needed.
