Springboard

As a working professional, I've learned that constant learning is essential for career success!  As such, I had a great experience with Springboard's data science courses and was expecting the same out of their business analytics course. I really enjoyed learning about the various concepts taught in the program: data modeling, dashboarding, customer life-time value among many others. Despite being familiar with the basics of these and other concepts (I have a Master's Degree in a program that covered these areas) I was very surprised at how much I didn't know and how much I learned through Springboard.

The course work is challenging and have applied it to my current work on various projects. However, the most valuable aspect of my experience with this program was the mentorship I received as I completed the course. My mentor was someone who provide some of the most valuable advise and guidance with respect to business analytics. Being a business analyst himself it was great to hear about this field from someone who has been working with these concepts at such an advanced level.

I summarize this review by saying that my expectations were exceeded, I learned a lot, and I was able to apply the concepts and advise I received in this course immediately to my work. I whole-heartedly recommend this course if you are interested in learning about (or learning more about) business analytics. Enjoy!

At first, I was a little nervous taking this course due to my limited background in this particular field, but I felt that it was a necessary component to add to my profile to help further my career. 
Following the introduction meeting, before the course started, the student advisors took time to answer any questions those starting the course had and did let us all know that this course was designed for those with limited experience in this field, which soothed my nerves. They also let us know that they (the student advisors) were there for any questions or concerns we may have had throughout the duration of the course, which was also very calming. 
When the course started, your mentor set up weekly Skype chats and you have your first introductory call with them, where you discuss your previous background, what it is you hope to gain from completing the course and ultimately, get to know them.
When starting the course, you are presented with a library of knowledge for Excel with readthroughs and instructional videos ranging from basics to more advanced functions which becomes very helpful as the course moves on. It was also great that you can revisit these lessons, any time you get stuck.
As you move forward into the case studies, you are given all the information needed. Extra material is provided that will help you specifically for the case you are working on complete with mock scenarios. What is required of you in each case study, is laid out in a way that is easy to follow and removes any guessing on your part.
Although I was told to make sure your mentor is right for you and you feel comfortable working with them, mine was very helpful and knowledgable. **Do make sure you feel this way, if not, speak to your student advisor** They are there to help and guide you, not give you the answers and your weekly calls are key to being successful. They will review your progress and give you revisions to make if needed.
Each case study I completed, focused on a different scenario (Forecasting, Root Cause Analysis, and Customer Segmentation) and really help me see the data I work with on a daily basis in a new light and made me think to myself, "I could be doing better at this" and as I was moving along in the course, I felt that my work had changed also, so I was taking what I learned and applying it immediately.
FInal thoughts: It is a great course if you are looking to expand your knowledge in this particular field. The material is easy to follow and you stand to learn a lot from it. 

I thought I'd wait awhile to review this course so I could let everything sink in and see how the post-school support was and job search. Let's start with the beginning though.

I did the 200 hour digital marketing career track program. I went into this program without any sort of degree in marketing to start and I realized it would make it harder to get a job and the site also says this.

Positive things:

In-Course Mentor

-You can meet every week via skype and talk about school, your projects or whatever. Its a great asset.

Career Coach

-Can be very helpful getting your resume setup, linkedin, and interview prep.

End Projects

I had to do several big end projects which were challenging. One was a business marketing proposal as my capstone project and the other was the Google Ad Grants $10k program. Both were good but the Google program was a bit frustrating as it matched me with a very difficult (if not impossible) to market company.  

Support

I'm going to put this in both categories and I'll explain why. In the positive section because the support from the school was great when it was great. I would frequently get e-mailed back very quickly from the school after I had questions. I'll explain more in the negative section later.

Negative Things:

The Course Itself

Quite frankly I was hoping for more customized material for the price I was paying every month ($400). Instead it's nearly all (there are a couple of sprinboard made videos you can watch) curated material from across the internet. I could have gone and read all of the same material on my own without paying for it. Would I have? I'm not sure, there is something about paying for material regardless of it being free that made me more invested in reading it. So on that end it worked out for me, but if you are disciplined enough you could find everything on your own.  

Career Coach

At one point after I was done with the program (you have 6 months of post-career support which is great) I tried to get in-touch with my coach for about a month with no luck. This didn't help as I had job applications and interviews going on. My support was fine during the program when I used it however. 

Support

For the first couple months it was very frustrating. I would have questions, but it would be a minimum of a day or longer before someone got back to me. Questions on a weekend, forget it, they are closed. On a holiday weekend, you are screwed for up to 3 days.  That peeved me greatly as It held me back many, many times in completing things. At the end however, and post-school, they stepped up their game and would respond very quickly to my questions (even way after hours) which I appreciated. I just wish that was there at the beginning. 

Other Students 

There were not a lot of fellow students in the marketing program so it was a bit frustrating trying to colloborate or even ask them questions (when I couldn't get a hold of support).  I would try posting in the forums but the forums are pretty silent. 

Getting a Job

I knew getting a job without a previous BA or AA would be hard. I'm still trying to get something, but it's a chore. I'm applying for the lowest of low marketing jobs and it's still difficult to even get a call back. I have gotten a few though. If you have a degree and are just taking this course to update your skills then you'll probably have a better chance. 

Was it worth it? Only time will tell. 

You can really tell how much work Springboard puts into developing their students- they made sure I was matched with a brilliant mentor, had on-demand mentor calls for extra support with plenty of availability, and they're even starting in-person meetups or recommending events/workshops to go to so it doesn't feel like a disconnected online experience.

It's totally worth the price and will give you the right skills and real insight to fuel your job search after completing the course. The coursework is not unmanageable if you're working full time and if it ever does get difficult, I've personally had a smooth experience reaching out to Springboard and working with them to find a plan and get things done.

Springboard was an excellent choice for a Ux bootcamp. Everything from the faculty, who were always so quick and prompt to answer any questions/ help out to the curriculum. 
The information was presented in a really clear format and was easy to follow.  The projects for each section were a great  way  for me to apply what I learned.  It was amazing to have a mentor that I spoke with on a weekly basis. This was so valuable, as I was able to get  feedback, insight into UX and help from a professional.  I think Springboard is an excellent choice for a bootcamp and has a lot to offer.

Prior to committing to Springboard's UX Career Track, I spoke to several different representatives and mentors from different programs to help me pick the most suitable one for me. While Springboard doesn't necessarily always have their own content for the curriculum, the articles, videos, and project briefs were very well-curated and the mentors I came into contact with were all very professional and helpful. 

I am not sure that this program is for everyone but that has nothing to do with Springboard: If you're not a self-driven perfectionist, doing an online course at this intensity could become very overwhelming. However, I do think the mentor program helps give students the extra kick they might need to stay on track. Thanks to my mentor, who later took on the role of a 'colleague' and a 'friend' in addition to a 'mentor', I had a great time discussing and debating my research and design decisions with her. I also loved the professional research presentation and portfolio walkthrough—I was matched with some amazing UX professionals who gave me invaluable feedback and assured me of my talent and abilities. 

The only con I can really think of is that the course is essentially designed in a linear fashion and students often do not look through future units when they're working on something already. However, with the industry project and several presentations and mock interviews in the latter part of the course, time allocation and planning can become tricky if students want to finish the course in a certain time frame (for me, it was 4 months) and didn't plan ahead enough. It would be wonderful if there was a more user-friendly check list that provided students with more information on what's coming up next (e.g. deliverables and interviews expected in the next two units).

I really loved this program and am proud of what I learned and compiled for my portfolio! I think three projects is the perfect number!