Springboard

Completing a couple well thought-out projects is really valuable, especially for someone who doesn't have any work experience in data science. Doing these types of projects would have been very difficult on my own. Additionally, having a mentor to consult with every step of the way provided reassurance more than once. You always knew you had help if you got stuck. Lastly, I really enjoyed the community aspect of the course. It provided a forum for Q/A, and often my question had already been asked by another student, so I was able to get an answer immediately. This was great for those moments when you're stuck on an assignment and don't want to wait for your mentor's email or call.

Advice for those considering the course:

1. Keep a steady pace. Plan out in advance how much you will work on the course each day.

2. Work hard on all the assignments, but especially the projects. What you put in is what you get out.

I took Springboards UX Career Track course. I initially intended to complete it in 6 months, but after some setbacks, it ended up taking about two months longer. During that time Springboard's support team was able to extend my course end date with no issues. Overall, the course material was very informative. The content is presented in a variety of ways, articles, videos, short assignments, long assignments, to support different types of learning. I also thought the main projects, Capstone, and Industry Design Project prepared me for a job in this field. The capstone project gives you a detailed overview of each method, and step, of the UX process, and the IDP had me directly working with a real company to solve an actual problem that they have. I would recommend this course from Springboard to anyone who wants to get into UX Design and be successful at it!

The Springboard Data Science Career Track course provides more resources than I expected.  These include the weekly calls with a professional for mentoring, career calls to talk about aspects of applying and making contacts and refining a resume and LinkedIn profile, mock interviews that were a great motivation to prepare for, and individuals who can review projects and code.  I was impressed by the number of resources and their quality.  My mentor helped me understand a solid strategy for making contacts with individuals at companies for referrals.  Another resource is the free access to DataCamp during and after the course, which is effective at teaching concepts and code.  The main suggestion I would make to improve the course is providing supplemental resources to deepen knowledge of a topic if one wanted to increase understanding.  Overall, I feel that I advanced a lot from studying the course materials but, of course, expect that I will need to study independently to be effective in my new job.

I'm so thankful I enrolled in this bootcamp.  The curriculum was very comprehensive, delving into statistical concepts, data wrangling, and Python with machine learning applications (and more).  The mini projects and 2 capstone reports really allowed me to hone my Python and analytical skills.  Moreover, the career support and the mentor support were invaluable. Having weekly calls with my mentor  really helped in terms of direction for my projects and with any miscellaneous curriculum questions.  Interviewing skills and networking is part of the curriculum, so you're set up for success from the beginning.  I was able to get a Data Science job (albeit with prior data experience) after 3 months of the the bootcamp; the portfolio I've created through Springboard was a major asset in my interviewing process.

I started out on the Digital Marketing Career Track only to land a job half way through the course so they allowed me to finish the program within the Professional Track.  This alone speakes volumes to the flexibility and support the program brings to bear.  I have over 10 years B2B Email Marketing and Website management experience, but it was dated (early 2000s). Thus, I was looking for a way to upgrade my skill set and also use real-world experiences.  For example, I was able to partner with a local Family Law Practice that was just getting off the ground and use their business as my main project to build demand generation and other Digital Marketing tactics around using real dollars.  It was awesome to see how the curriculum, and great support from an industry specific mentor melded well together to allow me to build and execute a Digital Marketing Plan for the law firm.  I then also had practical experience to apply elsewhere and demonstrate to employers I had some level of expertise in some of the newer Digital Marketing areas I lacked from my past positions.

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.