SV Academy Reviews
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Anonymous
SDR65
SV Academy is a game-changer if you are looking to sharpen your SDR skills or if you are at an entry level. looking for a new career path. -
Anonymous
SDR
This was a good experience overall. They help you revise your resume and learn more about what it takes to become an SDR in the tech industry. Looking forward to the next step on how they can help me find a job. -
Anonymous
My Experience at SV Academy
At 300 hours long it all goes by in a blur! The best school to attend to break into a new field of an SDR. Well worth it. -
Anonymous
Depends on luck - I was lucky.
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I went from serving in a restaurant (despite having a college degree) earning $25K/year to being offered a $10K/3-month internship, then finally being offered a $75K/year position. However, I also saw that many of my classmates did not experience this lucrative of a route.
We all worked studiously and networked diligently during our time at SV. Our instructors are accessible, knowledgable, and honestly great teachers because they listen to students and answer questions thoughtfully. Even with all that, maybe only half the cohort were offered internships.
And half of those who *did* get internships did not want to continue full-time with the company they interned at and/or the company did not offer full-time roles to these people. If you don't land that full-time position, you have to apply for a certain # of jobs each month for 6 months, as well as actively networking and having informational interviews with people in your interested field. Otherwise, you don't get your money back. That seems kind of stressful, and I'm glad I didn't fall into going that route.
I honestly feel like it was a gamble. When I first applied, it seemed like everything was going to be in the bag. But now that I have my full-time role, I feel like I was just super-duper lucky. I got a great internship, a fun work environment/community that liked me back enough to offer me full-time, a salary I can't complain about -- but keep in mind, this is not the story of every SV alum. -
Anonymous
SV Academy Glad I Made the Choice
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The SV Academy fellowship program was a great experience, although going into it I didn't quite know what to expect. I have tried so many different things in the past to try and get my career off the ground but nothing really stuck. Either I couldn't find a job or I wasn't supported, I found the SV Academy to be different though, and was sure to do my due diligence before getting started.
What I loved the most about the program was the instructors and that these leaders were people that actually went through the program and could provide real knowledge and experiences with us. The workshops were upbeat and informative and structured around the community which the academy highly values.
I found the program to be rigorous but all necessary to prepare us for the next step which was interviewing and starting a job. Throughout the interviewing process I really felt prepared and confident based on what we learned and the guidance we were given.
Going through the program is one experience but the connections and learning don't stop once you graduate, and that goes back to what I was saying earlier about community. I suppose you can say it's what you make of it and what you want to get out of it. If you want to break into tech and get into a field that is in demand, I think the SV Academy is a great place to start.
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Anonymous
SDR
Excellent course! Super friendly and honest people! -
Anonymous
SV Academy Launched my Career in Tech
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Prior to joining SV Academy, I was on the law school path. I wanted to take one big risk and pivot into tech before committing to law school. Looking back on it, it was the best career move I've ever made.
The curriculum and instructors are top notch and have a ton of industry experience. The job support after completing the curriculum was like no other. SV Academy made the job search easy and help me get my foot in the door by interviewing with amazing companies.
I started off as an SDR and in ~2 years post program I am now a manager within my organizations customer success department. I would not have been able to do this if it weren't for the opportunity that SV Academy gave me.
At the end of the day it wasn't a risk at all, instead it was a smooth pivot into what is now my dream career. -
Anonymous
Customer Success Manager(2021)
Pros:
Mentorship
Guidance
Professional Development
Job/ Internship advice
Cons:
More guest speakers
Career Coaching
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Anonymous
starting my education at SV Academy
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For a long time, I wanted to change my career path to the more moneyed sales sphere. After the long research, I decided to enjoy the SV Academy Tech Sales course. I filled in the application form on the website, which actually consisted of only three paragraphs: my name, my mail, and my education. After that, I received an email from the company. They asked me to write some kind of motivation letter - to answer the question "Why do you think SV Academy will help you ramp up your tech sales career?". I almost wrote a poem about my motivation, my skills ad how they will improve through the education in SV Academy. In a couple of weeks, I received a letter, which confirmed that I was chosen to participate in a new cohort. I am already looking forward to starting my education at SV Academy. -
Anonymous
Tech Sales Fellowship Program
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My situation was a bit complicated since I found a sales position within a week or so of graduating from the program but due to unfortunate personal circumstances, I had to leave my job less than a month in and take some time off. While the program itself was a great experience that left me feeling prepared for a position in tech sales, the support for fellows who already started working was not the best. Within my group, I think only 2 (not including myself) out of around 6 or 7 people continued the biweekly meetings. The "pay nothing until you're consistently making at least 45k a year" also became a lot more complicated than it should have been, as they keep hounding me for payments still even after I proved that my income has fallen below that line... Not sure if that is directly because of SV Academy or due to Stride (the payment service they use), but either way it was very stressful since I already had complicated personal matters to deal with. -
Anonymous
Horribly and Gender discrimination
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They are sending false advertisement on the internet that Tech sales companies are desperate to hire.vI got rejected 3 times to these so called tech sales schools(Fuel sales Academy as well). Yet, I went to one of the best NY Colleges, work as a salesman for Spectrum and successfully sold products, and recently just got hired to a great sales company. They (my new hire company) even gave me 20,000 starting, yet this school rejected me, and wanted $10,00. This is so ironic in so many ways, that I am throwing the gender-bias discrimination card on them for being on their high horse. I got something better than this school can possibly offer me. It's ridiculous what this school (Or better yet, Tech sales school) did. It's not even a fortune 500 company. They're crazy! -
Anonymous
CS Program
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The folks running SV Academy really care about their graduates' success, and it shows in how willing they are to help during and after your time in the program. However, the CS program isn't well-refined yet and there were a lot of issues with accessing information on important sites such as Gainsight. Many of our classes in the final two weeks were unexpectedly cancelled, and very few of us were given the opportunity to apply for internships let alone interview at those companies. This was a big surprise to me and my fellow students!
I learned a great deal at SVA and I believe it's headed in the right direction. The CS program is still in its beginning stages and it shows in how the classes are taught. I hope that SVA will find more companies to partner with that have an interest in hiring its Customer Success Program alumni! -
Anonymous
Online 4 weeks program
I attended for 1 week and was removed for no reason. Well I don't advise anyone to pursue this program, there are better ones out there than being a sales person -
Anonymous
Amazing Experience
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SV Academy was an amazing experience and helped me land my dream job within a month of graduating from the program. They really give you a full rundown of what it takes to be a successful SDR. The instructors all have sales experience and are really effective communicators on teaching the program and relaying core values of empathy, grit, and leadership. You are also provided with an internship where you get to be a real live SDR and get some hands-on experience through the program. The program is very fast-paced, but the curriculum is second to none! -
Anonymous
SV Academy - Truly Life Changing
Great Instructors, Mentors, Coaches, and just an amazing network with lots of opportunities to grow and find the right roles for you. Everyone at SVA really does care about your success and will help you along the way. You will be prepared for your SDR work and interviews by the time you finish the course. Truly amazing! Lots of hard work, but well worth it! -
Anonymous
SV Academy Sales Development Fellowship Review
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Overall it was a great program. I learned a lot and was well-prepared for interviews. I didn't receive enough support for applying to partner companies, which offer much better compensation and perks than non-partner companies. Change constantly happens so the issues present in my job interview period as a Fellow at the time are likely not there anymore or at least are a lot less of an issue now than when I was interviewing for jobs. No program is perfect, and I am really happy with the results! -
Anonymous
Great Opportunity
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Take the jump. DO it. I was extremely skeptical of the program in the beginning, yet after reading all the reviews and reaching out to past fellows I knew this was an amazing opportunity that I couldn't pass up. I had no tech background (or nearly any sales) and it's almost impossible to get into the competitive tech sales world with no experience. SVA gives you the tools and connections to succeed in your career and life. Not only will you get a job out of this experience, your leaving with an entire network, ongoing support, new friends, etc. The number of recruiters that are going to be reaching out to you is almost even overwhelming, Even if you don't think sales is 100% for you, many of the graduates start out as SDRs and then transfer over to customer success, sales engineering, and other roles. I cannot imagine where I would be if I hadn't done this course and honestly it seems too good to be true, but it's not. All the coaches, instructors, staff want you to succeed and they are going to be there for you every step of the way.
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Anonymous
SDR Fellowship
This was a great opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the Tech sales industry. I learned key tech tools like salesloft and i gained experience as an actual SDR. -
Anonymous
SV Academy Fellow
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Pros:
1. The instructors are amazing human beings who are extremely supportive!
2. The cohort members become a family to you.
3. The internship provides some really good hands-on experience.
Cons:
1. The internship is not long enough and not focused enough on results.
2. The part-time program needs more attention from staff; we felt a bit neglected at times.
3. There's too much theoretical material covered during the program. -
Anonymous
Challenging, but worth it
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SV Academy is legitimate. They provide 16 hours a week of online instruction, and you are expected to put in the rest of the effort to get assignments in on time, complete your personal branding materials, and practice interviews. With anything like this, what you put into the course is what you get out. 40 hours a week was not nearly enough for me, as I had no background in sales or tech. I worked about 12 hours a day and 4-8 hours each weekend to keep up. That being said, I have had a very positive interviewing experience and within 3 weeks of graduating, I landed a job that tripled my annual salary. The internship and interview practicing courses were incredibly beneficial. Overall, it's worth it. -
Anonymous
Sales Development Fellow
SV Academy helped prepare me for the demands of the SDR role in the tech industry. Their insightful instructors and rigorous curriculum instilled me with confidence and their guidance was an essential component of my job search. -
Anonymous
I got a job offer a month after graduation!
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SV Academy helped me secure a full-time offer with a leading startup company about a month after I graduated. The support I gained from their instructors helped me succeed in their rigorous sales training program. Also, their community and culture are unmatched! My fellow cohort members were highly engaged and instrumental in keeping me motivated. Their classroom assignments are extremely relevant to what you'll be doing daily as an SDR and I believe that the content I've learned will be useful throughout my sales career. -
Anonymous
The alumni & mentor networks are ⭐️
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The alumni and mentor networks are Amazzzzing. Everyone responded whenever I reached out to them. Beyond getting the typical on-the-job industry pro advice, they all have been super supportive during various stages of my job hunting phase. One alumni referred me into his company for interview, and coached me from the recruiter screen all the way to the final mock call round. A mentor reached out to his network to help spread the word of my job candidacy, which lead to hiring managers (plural!) reaching out to me to interview me.
Pros
Comprehensive program covering the major pillars of
- hard skills - core sales development competencies
- soft skills - EQ, growth mindset, interview skills & practices
- internship - at a tech SaaS company prospecting real leads
Cons
From my personal experience, super super tough for the 1-month program. I've never been pushed harder in my entire life. Maybe it's just me, I was averaging 5 hours of sleep a day during the SDR course. -
Anonymous
Worst fellowship application ever
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Haters. First they call you gathering all this information as to why you reaching out to them and why you interested in a career in sales. Yadayadayada. You can immediately tell how they “pick” people. Then some fake white girl asks you to email a sample email which their website fails to send. False advertising that you pay 0 until you land a job. They prefer you if you pay. Total scam scheme -
Anonymous
Business Development Fellow
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This company is literally built so that its fellows enter the tech industry and are successful upon entering. I was in a place in my career where I had built all these skills sets but desperately needed a career change; I committed to the program fully and it paid off. I just got hired at a solid tech company in New York City!!
My success is SVA's success, and that mentality shows through in the entirety of the program. They provide you with teachers, mentors, coaches, etc that are all committed to helping you every step of the way.
This experience has honestly changed my career and my life. I am so grateful for this avenue that the people at SVA have helped me pave for myself.
Applying to SV Academy was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
** This is a free program, thus it is highly selective and time intensive. You have to be committed to this. I managed to do it working two (relatively flexible) jobs. I had to make sure I managed my time. It was tough. PLAN ACCORDINGLY. This program is legitimate and thus requires your time.
If I can do it balancing two jobs, I believe anyone who really wants this can as well. And the payoff is real. Manage your time and commit to the dream. -
Anonymous
Thank you SVA!!!
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SV Academy is just phenomenal. The program has changed so many people’s lives for the better, helping them kick start their careers in sales and the tech industry. Would highly recommend to anyone who is hungry to grow and willing to put in the hard work to be great.
The Curriculum:
SV Academy’s classroom training and internship program are designed by professionals who have been working in sales for years. It’s designed to groom the fellows to present themselves in the best way possible, improve their communication and writing skills, hone their time management skills, and learn about sales methodologies. It’s extremely immersive and you can get as much out of it as you put in. (BANT, PACE, AAA. You’ll know soon enough.😉)
The Experience:
Get ready to commit at least 20hours a week to this program. You will have weekly classroom sessions with your cohort. Each week you will have a different presenter, usually sales leaders from the industry who will speak about their experience and answer any questions you may have. You will also have to make time weekly to meet with your classmates to do Paired homework assignments, as well as meet with various coaches and mentors to help bolster your mindset and interview skills, among other things. You’ll finish the last leg of the classroom training with a three-week internship. Again, it’s extremely immersive and did I mention time management? Yeah. Get ready for your time management skills to get tested like no other. 80:20 for days.
After the classroom training, SVA has a designated team that is committed to finding you a job. This team is EXTREMELY valuable and very willing and available to help you land that job.
The Community:
If there is one valuable thing to take away from this fellowship (aside from getting a job), it’s definitely the community. Throughout the program and after, you have a team who is dedicated to helping you succeed, whether it be as a fellow in the fellowship program, or as a sales professional working in the industry. Imagine a community of hustlin’, successful sales people who are all available and willing to share their insights, knowledge, and wisdom. That’s what you’ll get when you join the SV Academy community.
My Story:
I was living in San Francisco and was looking for a way to break into tech. I found SVA and went through the program. It was probably the most demanding 3months of my life, but oh so worth it. I learned a lot about myself, learned a lot about the tech industry, learned a lot about how to succeed as a sales professional, and built a solid network to lean upon. After the classroom training, it took me about 6 weeks to land a job at a company that was the perfect fit for me. I can’t thank SVA enough for the positive impact it has made on my life. It was a lot of hard work but SVA will provide you with all the resources you need to succeed. You just gotta do it and make it happen!
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Anonymous
Fellow
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What they "teach" you (not much of anything, in actuality) is a joke and just a waste of time for everyone involved. The instructors are totally inept and unqualified -- you'll probably be taught by someone who just went through the bs program themself. The program is also quite discriminatory and the exact opposite of what they claim to be -- if you don't fit the mold of what they think tech companies want to see in SDR candidates, like you have a foreign accent or a disability, you're given the boot, without warning. SVA is run by con artists who couldn't care less about helping people...they only want their $10,000. What they say about how exclusive their program is and how everybody gets a job at the end are big lies. You'll regret going here.
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Anonymous
DO IT!!
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SV Academy opens up so many doors for individuals seeking to immerse themselves into the tech field but do not have the experience in the area. I myself, studied philosophy and anthropology in college and did not know which direction to take my career into. I did sales for a little bit and then found SV Academy, a 12 week program where they train you to be the best SDR out there, guaranteed. I am not going to lie to you, it is a lot of work but it is extremely rewarding. You meet weekly with your group or "cohort" for online classes, you are given a career coach that you meet with weekly as well, and are given weekly assignments/ homeworks some of which is group work. All of these things truly prepare you to be the best SDR you could be. You are also paired up with mentors in the tech industry, founders in the tech industry and are truly exposed to the tech world. Finally you are selected to participate in an internship with a tech company, for me it was Talend. You are now putting all of the skills you have learned to the test. You are making phone calls, sending out emails to potential prospects like you would be doing once you find a job as an SDR. Finally, once you have completed everything you get to the best part: the job application process. You get your own team that applies for you, you have an entire team that prepares you for each individual interview/company ensuring and setting you up for success. My only regret is not finding out about the fellowship sooner!