Tech Elevator

Greetings,

So you're considering a coding bootcamp? I was in your shoes not long ago. I chose Tech Elevator's coding bootcamp in Columbus, OH. I was part of their Jan-April 2017 .Net cohort. Let me tell you a little about my experience.

The decision to attend Tech Elevator was not one that I made lightly. The cost of the program and the time commitment were the largest hurdles I had to consider and clear before attending. I am so glad I made the sacrifices necessary. I was resolute that I would not only participate but I would put all of myself into the 14 week program. It required all of that--and sometimes a little more. Tech Elevator did a good job of letting me know what to expect and the fast pace at which things are taught. A little joke we had was that it would be 14 weeks of drinking from a fire hose. IT WAS.

That is not said to scare you away, so much the opposite! It was an intensive, exhaustive 14 weeks but I was able to learn at an accelerated pace unparalleled by any other education I have had. In my eyes the difference between Tech Elevator and other bootcamps are twofold.

First, the team assembled to assist you along the way are unlike any others in their field. The instructors are a deep pools of programming knowledge and the epitome of what a mentor should be. If I had one word to describe the instructors it would be Invested. They are wholly invested in your success.

The second differentiator that sets Tech Elevator apart is the Pathway Program. This is the career prep portion of the coding bootcamp. It is a streamlined series of events that is planned with precision and ensures that if you are putting in the effort that is advised you will be prepared to launch a career in the tech industry before graduation. Take the Pathway Program seriously and it will pay dividends.

By graduation I had multiple offers from reputable companies within Columbus, Ohio. Thanks to Tech Elevator I was well versed in programming and (equally as important) I could confidently communicate the knowledge I had learned. On the day of graduation I accepted one of the offers I had received. Today (5/1/2017) was my first day as a Software Engineer. I owe everyone at Tech Elevator a substantial debt of gratitude. The program prepared me for a successful career in the tech industry and has drastically changed the trajectory of my life.

I highly recommend Tech Elevator.

When I read the reviews about techElevator they seemed completely fake. How come no one is unhappy? No complaints? Did their relatives review them?? 

Now I'm going to give another glowing review and you can wonder about this one as well...

TechElevator promises hard work, fast pace, and huge time commitment-  and delivers big time. I hardly had time to breath. Said goodbye to my friends and family.  Instead, I went to all sorts of tech-related meetups. And learned to be a full stack java developer. And had a blast. AND found a job!

The program was interesting challenging and engaging, but we were guided through it all. The mock interviews I had prepared me for the "real thing" and I learned how to brand my skills and my experience. The pathways program manager is an amazing individual who truly cares about you as a person and how you can get the best possible outcome for yourself.

Now I'm a believer...

Although my journey to becoming a software developer was a twisty road, I knew as soon as I started coding that I had finally found the job for me! Debugging complex code is more fun than anything I’ve ever done as work before! I have been a Massage Therapist, a Truck Driver, and a Customer Service Rep. Though I have a B.A. in Communications, I never found the career I wanted until I came to Tech Elevator.

Every member of the staff at Tech Elevator is invested in helping you succeed as a developer, but they also are invested in you as a whole person. Josh, the lead instructor for .NET/C#, is the most gifted educator I have come across, and believe me, with my varied background, I have had quite a few! His ability to figure out exactly what each individual needs to hear or see in order to understand a concept is unbelievable. But his dedication to looking at each student as an individual with his/her own learning style and individual strengths, is what made it enjoyable to stuff our brains full of knowledge and logic each day.

Craig, another instructor who is available for one-on-one sessions, is one of the most patient teachers I have come across, and spending time in his office was always enlightening even when the material was frustrating.  Tiffany, the head of the Pathway Program, was there to help me with my least favorite part of Tech Elevator – the resume and networking. She was encouraging and supportive, but also made sure I worked my butt off to get in touch with the people who would eventually become my employers!

Every single staff member was there to help boost my confidence after receiving a rejection. I had 5 separate people call me aside to talk to me about how I was going to do even better next time and to tell me that I had the skills I needed – it was time to “put my oar in” and keep on applying and networking. These lovely people helped me find a job that puts a smile on my face just about every day.

After a few rejections along the way, and a LOT of help from Tiffany and the rest of the team, I was amazed to find myself with not only one, but TWO job offers on the same day! I was able to choose the job that was right for me, and I have been happily heading downtown to my job as an entry-level Software Engineer for about a month.

Tech Elevator prepared me well for my work. It was an exhausting and challenging 14 weeks, but they exposed me to most of the tools I use every day now. I learned to debug in Visual Studio, use source control with Git, and talk to databases with SQL Server Management Studio.  I also had a good overview of web programming including Javascript and using the MVC framework in .NET. I feel confident that with a little more time, I will be a valuable member of my team at my new job. Tech Elevator’s amazing staff and awesome curriculum, along with some of the skills I learned along my twisty path, helped me find the fun career I always wanted!

 

Tech Elevator was absolutely a critical turning point for me. After a layoff and being uninterested in pursuing my previous career path I knew I needed to do something different, something more fulfilling and rewarding. I came across Tech Elevator and the rest is history.

I went from absolutely no previous experience in technology( I come from an arts background) to landing my first job in tech prior to graduation. The work was hard and at times I wanted to quit but the staff, instructors, and my classmates were very helpful and encouraging. I have 5 children ( 6 month old twins at the time) but with the proper support system I learned programming and was able to create a really cool web based application along two other students. Not only this, but the professional development aspect, which is a part of the program is really want helps you land a job. They are extremely committed to creating opportunity for the people of the program in every way possible.

Like the saying goes, you get out what you put in. I put in a lot of hard work and long hours to learn coding and how to build applications. At my job there is more learning and training, the journey never ends. None of the journey would be possible if I had not decided to take a risk, change directions, put my head down, work hard and if Tech Elevator did not have such an incredible program to help my achieve my goals. Thank you all so much, my future will be totally different than what it would have been! 

For anyone reading this review, like I did a few months ago, I realize they are very critical to making a decision. It's not a cookie cutter, walk in the park situation. You will WORK very hard to learn these concepts but in the end it's all worth it, I would gladly do it again.

 

The whole point of this program is simple, they teach you the skills needed to succeed as an application developer in the real world. Casey is an amazing instructor who never hesitates to take advantage of a teaching moment. You'll learn how to build a web app from front end to back end and everything in between. The course is very demanding but you will be rewarded with the skill set to succeed. 

The main selling point for Tech Elevator will be the job placement. Katie and the team will do wonders that will surprise you. They bring companies in to buy lunch for you just in hopes you will apply with their company. There's also a meeting every week about how to improve your career and manage it after the course and for years to come. They teach you how to be a professional in the workplace and what to expect when you get into your first job. 

Having started an education company in college I was very skeptical of anything in higher ed (especially for-profits). I knew a lot of the ins and outs of for-profit Universities having had some of them as my venture capitalist, so when I started looking into bootcamps in Columbus I did a lot of research and questioned everything. I knew there has been a lot of bad actors out there in the for-profit model, so I did my research and encourage you to as well. With the bootcamp concept being relatively new and the government generally being behind in regulations, inevitably there is going to be some pump dump quick profit players.  I went to several open houses, looked at LinkedIn profile success, talked with people, and even read reviews here. I knew it was important to go with the best of breed in the industry to truly learn, get the job support, and create the network needed to revamp my career. The last thing I wanted was to be one of the news stories about how I thought I would get a career and all I did was build up more debt.  

I found the best of breed of coding bootcamps in Tech Elevator. Their model depends on your success! If their students do not do well it hurts them long-term and you can sense that, so the motivation is aligned. Casey, Katie, and everyone else at Tech Elevator are awesome. I could not be happier. I now have a cybersecurity role where I work for AEP, Battelle, L brands, Huntington, Cardinal Health, Ohio Health, and Nationwide. I get to work for the best and brightest companies of Columbus now doing what I love. Tech Elevator changed my life and I could not have done it without them.

It was not easy, and honestly it can't be. There is a lot to learn no matter what you say. This is also why Tech Elevator won't accept just anyone with a check. They want their students to succeed and only select students they see the most potential in. I can guarantee you if this is what you truly are interested in and you have the drive, it is well worth the investment. The only downside was that I had to quit my job in order to do the bootcamp, but to be honest, I do not see how other models work if you are not truly immersed.
 

TechElevator was absolutely the right choice for me.  I did the full time remote program and it was exactly what I wanted! TE provided a laptop for the duration of the course, so you do not even need to own one yourself. The instructors were thorough, engaging and happy to answer any questions or go over a topic again if anyone needed help. The coursework was tough but fair. The pathway team (who help with the interviewing/job hunting side) were enthusiastic and always had open office hours as well for any extra questions. I made some great friends in my class as well, which is an extra bonus!

I would highly recommend this course to anyone looking to jumpstart their career in the tech industry. I struggle to find anything truly negative to say about my experience with them.

My decision to change careers after 3 decades of work was not easy on my family or myself, but I have no regrets now.  If you are the type of person that is not afraid of hard work, this program is well worth it.  Even though I had an hour commute, I highly recommend attending in-person versus online, as having access to real world hiring partners, the exceptional staff, and other students is invaluable.  The Tech Elevator staff clearly cares about their students, and went way above and beyond my expectations.  It is worth learning everything you can from the Pathway program, as well as the software portion.  Reading reviews and reaching out to alumni was what helped me make my decision, I hope to help others after my experience. 

Tech Elevator has been a remarkable journey of self-discovery and professional growth. I am immensely thankful for the dedicated instructors who guided me through every step of this transformative process. My confidence in full stack software development has soared, and I feel equipped with the skills and knowledge to thrive in the tech industry.
If you're considering a career change or seeking to upskill in software development, Tech Elevator is undeniably an amazing and transformative choice.

Thank you, Tech Elevator, for the profound impact you've had on my journey. The skills I've gained and the connections I've made are invaluable, and I eagerly anticipate the exciting opportunities that lie ahead in my newfound career path.

Tech Elevator in Pittsburgh has had a truly profound impact on my career and life. This coding bootcamp challenged me like never before, but the results were beyond rewarding.

Trust is a critical component of any learning experience, and despite occasional flaws in the curriculum that didn't always make sense, I ultimately learned to trust the process at Tech Elevator. Even when the program pivoted, it often proved to be a valuable learning experience.

While there were moments when I didn't completely agree with how things were run, I realized that Tech Elevator is ultimately a business with its own strategies and goals. Appreciating this perspective allowed me to focus on the valuable knowledge and skills I was gaining.

Pathway, Pathway, Pathway!!! One important lesson I took away from Tech Elevator is that technical skills alone aren't always enough for success. I didn't realize how much my soft skills would play a role in not only getting a job quickly but fast-tracking my career. 

The most astounding part of my experience at Tech Elevator was the incredible improvement in my income. Starting with a salary of 60k, I was able to secure a promotion within 10 months, and I am currently making over 100k. This rapid advancement is a testament to the effectiveness of the program and the opportunities it offers.

Overall, Tech Elevator Pittsburgh exceeded my expectations and deserves a five-star rating. The program's transformative nature, valuable networking opportunities, and significant career growth potential make it an outstanding choice. I strongly recommend researching and considering Tech Elevator for anyone looking to excel in the software development field.