MAX Technical Training

I completed the Max Technical Training boot camp in Fall 2018. I choose Max for several reasons:

• Experienced instructors who update the curriculum each boot camp to stay current on tech.
• Ability to gain experience working on the full stack of software development
• Cost
• Convenience (for me)
• Its long-standing presence in the tech community.
• Career support for landing a job in the tech space.

Local boot camps all have career counselors that work with recruiting companies, the need for developers is so great. Though, finding a entry-level software developer position is tough without prior experience.

It took me four months to land my first software developer job with the support of the career counselor Max Technical Training.

I had worked in radio most of my life. I found myself unemployed, unsure what to do next. I decided to attend MAX's full-stack Java bootcamp. It was one of the best decisions of my life. 

The instructors at MAX were very knowledgeable and personable. They were always willing to help anyone understand any topics that were causing them problems. Their dedication certainly extended well beyond the classroom.  

Their staff was relentless in connecting us with potential employers. They wanted to make sure that everyone got a job. 

I will also make it clear - it was a lot of work. But, it got me a job. I now work as a full-stack Java developer making more money than I have ever made in my life. The world of radio will just have to get along without me. 

I am very glad I made the decision to attend MAX. 

Cincy Code IT/MAX Technical Training is a great place to learn coding. The whole staff is awesome, knowledgeable, fun, energetic and want you to succeed. The program is well setup and always adapting to get better. I attended Java bootcamp in 2017 and really enjoyed the program. The small class structure is really helpful to get you over the many hump, hurdles you will encounter. You will learn to work in pairs or group and learn how to code effectively.

If you are looking for a change into the IT field, or need new skills, this is a great program and I highly  recommend it.

Last year, Oct 2017, I decided to make a career change after 10 years as a business analyst in healthcare. I had prior experience as an Oracle developer as well.  I knew I wanted to not only get back into programming, but also to 
learn full-stack Java development, to be more well-rounded as a developer. I found the Java Developer Full-Stack Bootcamp offered by Cincy Code IT at MAX Technical Training.  I knew I probably would have to quit my job to take the bootcamp, which was a huge decision to leave a good paying job! Turned out, I was able to work parttime evenings and weekends at my then-current job, and still take the bootcamp during the day. This made for very long days because the in-class learning, assignments and exercises were quite intense.  For me, the hands-on learning was the best part, plus having the ability to ask questions of the instructors.  And, I am very glad that I decided to take the
bootcamp! I recommend that you stay on top of the reading (chapter a day), read ahead if possible. Do all, or as many of the book and in class exercises, as possible. And keep asking questions until you get it!

Speaking of instructors, my instructor for Java was Sean Blessing. Sean provided great insights into what it was like to be a Java developer, plus as a hiring manager, such as what he looked for when he hired a developer. He 
genuinely cared for his students, and was available for extra help if needed.  Also, Greg Doud was our instructor for the front-end technologies, such as HTML and Angular.  Greg was also very interested in helping students 
understand the concepts; plus he kept us on our toes with the daily assignments. 

After graduation from the bootcamp, I left my previous job and took a new position as an integration developer with a new company. This was due in large part to the help and recommendations from Lisa Slutsky and Dave Dziak. Both 
Lisa and Dave helped prepare me for the interview process. Also, the last several weeks of the bootcamp, Lisa thoroughly prepared students for landing an IT position, such as resume writing help, learning how to build your social
media presence, and networking.  Lisa offered great encouragement and was available for any questions I had about the position and company for the interview.  

I definitely recommend Cincy Code IT and the Java bootcamp. It was a great experience for me! Good luck!

If you are looking for a shortcut to the traditional four-year college degree to get into software development then this is the class for you. I chose to switch careers from law to software development because there is ample opportunity in the software field and the .Net Boot Camp at Max/Cincy Code IT was definitely the way to go. The course teaches you the basics and fundamentals of a score of cutting-edge tools and languages and will springboard you into a software development career path in a much faster and, more importantly, much cheaper way than a traditional four-year degree.

Don't let the cost of the boot camp scare you off as this was one of the best cost/benefit decisions I've made in my entire life. After switching from a career in law to a career in software development I bumped up my annual salary by 50% and scored great benefits!

From start to finish the class, staff, and school was top rate. The instructor, Greg Doud, has over 30 years in the business and is always available as needed for both programming and career advice. Additionally, the career advisor/coach, Lisa Slutsky, has thousands of contacts in the greater Cincinnati area and was amazing during everyone's job search after the class was over.

The course and staff are five-star all the way. If you are weighing which school in the area to go to then you can't go wrong choosing Max/Cincy Code IT boot camps! Their connections and reputation, after having been around for over 20 years in the greater Cincinnati area, make them a cut above the rest and WILL help you in maximizing your cost/benefit for the class now and down the road in your career.

In 4 months, I was able to change the industry I was working in and scored a job making $20,000 more than I did at my previous job.

Earlier this year, I was working in the financial industry in Utah as a project manager and building programs in Microsoft Access and Excel. While I was finding success in my previous role, I knew that there was something better out there. This is when we moved to Cincinnati.

Looking for a fresh start, I looked at multiple bootcamp programs. I knew the Cincy Code IT was the right program for me because they have been successfully placing graduates with over 50 different companies for a number of years. Lisa Slutsky made the application process seamless and gave me easy instructions to secure financing for my education. She even noted what kind of company I wanted to work for and would loop me in if opportunities came up that fit my wants.

Greg Doud, who has over 30 years of experience in the industry, was a brilliant instructor. While I did have some professional coding experience, Greg helped me grasp concepts that had previously given me issue. Greg did an excellent job of demonstrating how the concepts we learned are executed in real life. The concepts were not theoretical, they were practical skills that all tied together to create our capstone project. Greg even made himself available before class and after class where he answered any other questions that I had. In Greg, I found not only an instructor, but a friend and mentor.

I was excited that we learned cutting edge technologies with the newest versions of each software. Many employers were surprised by the breadth of subjects that we had been taught. Also, my old laptop at home was having a hard time running these programs, so Cincy Code IT lent me one for the rest of the program for free!

After graduating the program, Lisa went way out of her way to introduce me to contacts and to send my resume to companies that fit my interests. While I did send out resumes on my own, I was pleasantly surprised by how effective Lisa was in connecting me with decision makers at companies. Lisa works more than a job, she truly cares about her students and helps them find success in their life. I only found the job that I have because of her.

In summary, you will find high calliber instruction and Cincy Code IT with the most recent technologies. You will also find a staff that listens to you, and will go out of their way to help you find your next step in your career. Now I just have to figure out what to do with this extra money.

Thank you Cincy Code IT for changing my life. I am so much happier in my new career!

To those who are considering a bootcamp in the Cincinnati area,

I would expect due diligence from anyone considering a career shift into software development. Do not take my word for it, visit these places and ask the hard questions. In my experience MAX Technical Training was forthright and transparent about their program. I was told that enduring the bootcamp would not be easy. They were right.  I was also told that if I gave it my all, I would be prepared for a new career in software development. Again, they were right. MAX has an all star staff who truly care about the success of their bootcampers. Never have I felt so welcome and supported in an educational setting. In fact, I am two months into my new career and continue to feel supported by my teachers, mentors and peers. While the bootcamp was, to say the least.. hard, it was also extremely gratifying. 

Possibly the most important aspect of the program is the relevance to current business needs. I walked into my new position able to provide value on day one. MAX thoroughly examines the Cincinnati market to cater to business needs. Everything they teach you will be useful.

If you are a hard worker who enjoys puzzles and plays nice in the sandbox take a look at MAX. Then when you have completed the bootcamp have Lisa connect us so I can give you a referal.

For anyone seriously considering a career in software development, Cincy Code IT and MAX Technical Training is the place to begin your journey.  In order to provide proper perspective for my review, I would like to make it know prior to entering this Bootcamp, my only experience with computers was using Microsoft Office during my military career.  

I served almost 17 years in the military when a career-ending injury presented me with a difficult decision; how do I start a new career after only knowing military service since I was 19 years old?  I had heard great reviews about Cincy Code IT from my brother who attended the Java Full Stack Bootcamp and I decided it was worth investigating. 

I was immediately impressed by the staff's commitment to seeing their students succeed in the course and providing them with professional skill workshops needed to help find jobs, ace interviews and advance their careers.

Dave Dziak, Bootcamp Advocate, previously worked as a technical recruiter and his first-hand industry knowledge was invaluable in helping me make the decision to attend the Bootcamp as well as provide the skills needed to be successful during technical interviews.  

The .Net course was taught by Greg Doud who has over 30 years of experience in software development and was an amazing teacher. He tirelessly dedicated his personal time to ensure students understood the material and his passion for teaching made class fun. Coming in with zero programming experience, I was grateful and blessed to have him as a teacher.

One of the most valuable and enjoyable parts of the Bootcamp was working with the Career Manager Lisa Slutsky, aka "Job Mom". Lisa goes above and beyond to help students fine-tune resumes, provide professional guidance and utilize her extensive professional contacts to find great jobs with great organizations. Her personal commitment to helping students start their careers is reason alone to attend this Bootcamp.  

The information and the technologies taught at Cincy Code IT are highly sought after and they do a great job of preparing you for a position as a junior developer. They teach new and in-demand technologies such as Angular and provide an opportunity to be certified as a Professional Scrum Master I before graduation.

If you are looking to take the next step in your development career or make a big career change like me, I could not think of a better place to start.  

Many many moons later I'm finally on the other side of the review. Yes, the one writing it! I just attended the May 18 .NET bootcamp and let me tell you, I was impressed. At first I think everyone in the class was thinking this was 14k? But let me tell you, it picked up quick and everyone learned a ton. Like all of you, I did tons of research on different types of studies to include self teaching, a 4 year degree and of course the thousands of boot camps. It wasn't easy to make up my mind, but I don't regret coming here for one second. Now with that said, let me tell you where I came from. I'm a vet, and so was nearly half of my cohort. We all came from mixed backgrounds of experience, some self tought, one prevously had a coding job and a few CS guys who gave up on the college fluff and wanted to get straight to employment. I was of the group who had a little self teaching prior to attending, but not much and honestly everyone in my class killed it! We had awesome instruction from a Sr Dev who discovered his true passion was teaching. (Greg....Thank you so much!!!! You were an awesome instructor and I can't thank you enough for all of your hard working, you truly made learning to solve problems both fun and rewarding.)

So you're all probably wondering why I sound so chippery, well a week before graduating I recived my first offer as a full stack developer. I'm beyond excited and I couldn't not have done it wouthout the support I received from both the staff and my fellow class mates. 

So what made me successful? --

I worked hard, stayed engaged and asked questions. I then spent a good 1-3 hours of time each night working on side projects/ topics that I may have strugged with. I never thought I was going to learn enough to build my own games, but honestly, you can do just about anything if you really pour your heart into it. I got tons of cool projects under my belt, built up my portfolio and now I'm confident that where ever I start my career I'll do just fine.

Now with all that being said, this boot camp is not for everyone!!! You have to be 100% honest with yourself and your family prior to attending. Chances are, if you dont get all of your priorities straight before coming here, you will struggle! Not to say Greg and others won't be there to help you, but it's ultimately up to you! If you put in the hard work I'm confident you will make it through and of course get our foot into that new career you're wanting so bad. 

If you're serious about attenind I highly recomend you download Visual Studio, go on youtube and watch a few coding tutorials and pick up some C#. I knew a little C# prior to attending, not much... And those who didn't struggled a bit more. Also, If you can't decide between JAVA and C# when you go on sites like indeed and look for jobs, there is an illusion that JAVA is the clear winner. I can assure you employeers have a much harder time finding qualified C# programmers than they do JAVA developers, because everyone and their mother knows JAVA. I'm certain you will be successful either way, but If I had to do it again, I'd pick C# again in a heart beat. PS, just I have another interview with General Atomics on Monday. 

So to sum everything up, work your tale off and immerse yourself in programming! If you attend Cincy Code IT, you will not regret it!

I have a background in Front-End Development and Technical Support.  When I worked for my previous employer, I supported their application from a technical aspect and found that the customer experience was lacking due to the development of the application.  When Dave Dziak contacted me about attending the .NET Development Boot Camp, I thought that I would take a leap of faith and transition to this career field, so that I could learn to make applications that would excite the end-user and make their experience rewarding.

I will admit, I was a bit scared at first, but I am a very determined individual and that was what stood out the most to Greg and Lisa.  Two and a half weeks after Graduation, I can say that I am employed full time by a company in Covington, KY and I am very eager and enthusiastic about what I offer to them.

To future readers, I encourage you to take the steps necessary to procure for yourself a rewarding and satisfying future in software programming.  The skills you enter the boot camp with will enable you to go just as far as your imagination will take you and the skills you will learn in the boot camp will provide a nourishing backdrop to dream the impossible into the possible.

Good luck and God Bless!!

After over 20 years as a legal assistant, I found myself not getting challenged any longer in my roles. Always having an interest in technology, I decided to start researching a possible career change. I found the Cincy Code IT program at MAX Technical Training and decided to apply to the .NET Boot Camp. During my first few weeks I was completely terrified and thought I may have made a horrible decision as I felt like I was taking a foreign language! My instructor, Greg Doud, kept insuring me that I would start understanding more and more. I was skeptical but determined! I am so glad I did not give up!! After completing the Boot Camp and with the assistance of MAX’s Greg Doud, Lisa Slutsky, and Sean Blessing, I landed a job immediately! Taking the Boot Camp was one of the hardest but most rewarding things I have ever done!! I’m so thankful for the program and for the great people at MAX!!!