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Tech Elevator offers both full-time and part-time coding bootcamps that prepare students for a career as a software developer, starting with an Aptitude Test. Throughout the bootcamp, students learn Java, HTML, CSS, SQL, API, and JavaScript. The full-time bootcamp runs for 14 weeks, Monday through Friday, 9-4:30 pm, and the part-time bootcamp runs for 30-weeks with a mix of independent study, live lectures and small-group programming. Both programs have a low student-to-instructor ratio to ensure the best supportive environment for participants. Tech Elevator’s instruction is delivered in-person at campuses located in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Pittsburgh. Tech Elevator offers students beyond its core markets, and throughout the U.S., class options through its National Live Remote program.
Tech Elevator’s career-readiness Pathway Program is responsible for high placement outcomes and includes personalized coaching sessions, interview practice, 12 months of placement support post-graduation, and alumni and mentor networking. Tech Elevator also offers its students and alumni direct connections to employers through employer showcases and interviewing events.
Person 0, John (this is programming, get used to starting at 0): John cares deeply about programming. He cares even more deeply about educating students. 30+ years of programming have transformed his mind into a technical problem-solving machine. He deftly identifies and corrects bugs in your code, all while explaining in plain English the mistake you’ve made. He is warm, and frequently states that his goal is to correct and educate students without “making them cry.”
John will p...
Person 0, John (this is programming, get used to starting at 0): John cares deeply about programming. He cares even more deeply about educating students. 30+ years of programming have transformed his mind into a technical problem-solving machine. He deftly identifies and corrects bugs in your code, all while explaining in plain English the mistake you’ve made. He is warm, and frequently states that his goal is to correct and educate students without “making them cry.”
John will patiently work with you day and night. He is available almost every evening and virtually every weekend. Which is good because you will need to put in the hours to understand this material. John could have secured a private sector position for significantly more pay, but he loves educating and it shows.
John will be one of the most compassionate, caring, well informed educators you’ve ever encountered.
(the same sentiment applies to every instructor at TE)
Person 1, Ben: Ben is a well-connected former recruiter who is responsible for employing fifty people every three months. During mock interviews and the resume refining process, his criticisms will come from a sincere desire to see you succeed. He is a corporate cupid and a tremendous advocate. He’ll take the time to learn what you enjoy and do his best to find the right recruiters and companies for you. You want this man in your corner.
Person 2, Jane: Jane is a fictional representation of what, in my view, are the majority of students at Tech Elevator. Jane has little to no programming experience. She didn’t finish college, but she has several years of solid work experience. She’s smart, scrappy and willing to hustle.
She starts the program with unbridled enthusiasm, bolstered by her successful completion of the prework in JS and HTML. The world is her oyster.
About three weeks into the program she has to take up meditation at regular intervals because the ambitious course load is starting to wear on her sanity. That’s ok, the moment will pass.
Jane will frequently feel that she is inadequate, and she will question her ability to program. It seems like everyone else is learning this so much faster than she is. They aren’t, but that’s ok, the moment will pass.
Jane will, at one point, feel so stressed out that she’ll consider quitting TE and begging her former employer to take her back. She won’t because she’s smart. She knows the moment will pass.
During her first technical interview she has a full-fledged nervous breakdown. Her mind is filled with every dumb thing she’s ever done, she’s convinced she can’t do this. That’s ok, the moment will pass.
A month after graduating from the program she has had several interviews. Some were disastrous, some were near misses. She is terrified that she has made a huge investment for nothing. That’s ok, the moment will pass.
Two months after finishing the program her patience pays off as she finds a position that is a perfect fit for her skillset. Turns out, her dream job wasn’t with company A doing job 1. Instead it was with company B doing job 6. She rejoices, and yea, the world rejoices with her.
Person 3, Jack: there will be someone like Jack in your cohort. Jack has convinced himself that he can’t do this. He rejects the notion adopted by Salman Khan that “You can learn anything.” His ability to thrive and improve is diminished and he is unhappy with the results. In his view, everyone else is responsible for his inability to perform.
Person 4, Alex: Alex is a fictional representation of a friendly, older-brother like figure who has a wealth of programming knowledge. He enrolled in Tech Elevator to take advantage of the corporate connections, not to learn the material. He could practically teach the course. He’s about six foot, six and has a face etched with smile lines. Be friends with Alex.
Person 5, Big Daddy Warbucks: Daddy Warbucks is a recruiter from that great company you’ve always wanted to work with. He or she will meet you during matchmaking, a company presentation, or an introduction from Ben.
Big Daddy Warbucks has a checklist of characteristics (s)he is looking for. For each company that list is different. A few examples:
Many traditional companies might have strong checks in place and they’ll only interview candidates with a bachelor’s degree. Many companies, perhaps startups, might eschew candidates who have jumped through the traditional hoops and received a degree, in favor of people who haven’t been molded by the system.
Some companies might be in search of a programmer who is familiar with Python, but they’ll take a chance on a Java programmer with grit.
For some companies, equal opportunity isn’t just a catch phrase, it’s part of the culture. They understand that diversity makes a company stronger. In a coin toss between the abilities of two candidates, they will pick the [insert disenfranchised minority here].
Some recruiters (Big Daddy Warbuckses (sp?)) will meet you and think “Wow! This candidate is incredible! I am so glad I came to this matchmaking event. If only I had a position for them.” six months later, a new position opens up. Big Daddy Warbucks picks up his/her gold-plated telephone, takes a big puff of his/her cigar and calls you from his/her perch on Mount Olympus. Congratulations! You are to be exalted!
In summary:
If you’re like me, you’ll waffle between being a Jane and a Jack. Do your best to be a Jane.
Tech Elevator is an outstanding institution. You will develop powerful cross-linguistic technical problem-solving abilities during your time here.
Can you start at Tech Elevator without having written a single line of code and go on to secure your dream job as a programmer? Absolutely.
Are you a more compelling candidate if you have extensive previous programming experience? a degree? worked in a programming adjacent field? Experience leading teams? Demonstrate strong interpersonal skills? Very physically attractive? Under 50?
Yeah, probably. Some people are better qualified than you, others are less qualified. Get over yourself.
Should you place your hopes and dreams on a single company, position, or sector?
No. Not only is that not realistic, it’s also unfair to you, the job seeker. Besides, you might find during the education and recruitment process that there is a job you’d never considered that’s more interesting. Or, like me, you might find that your dream job is a position where programming is a component of your job, rather than the sole focus of your job.
Can you learn this material on your own and forgo the bootcamp route? Maybe.
If you have the self-discipline, tenacity, and sheer intelligence to learn everything Tech Elevator teaches in three months BY YOURSELF, you shouldn’t be looking for a job. You should be starting your own company. So… Good luck!
Is the course worth $15.5k? Yes*
*this may not be the case if you don’t apply yourself, if you don’t show up, if you don’t put in the leg work to find a job, if you have a bad attitude, if you don’t network like a player. In short, if you kick against the pricks.
Advice to management:
You’re doing a great job teaching students and employing people. Far be it for me, a lowly graduate to advise you on your business practice and pricing. Just… Keep the main thing the main thing.
Suggestions on alternative revenue streams that will allow tuition to keep pace with inflation:
Programming for high school students.
Corporate sponsored cohorts (I believe this idea was being thrown around already.)
Corporate matchmaking for vetted mid-career professionals (Networkers gonna Network.)
A cheaper, self-paced, online version of the course (should be easy to whip up, right?)
Your smart folks, you’ll figure it out.
My experience with Tech Elevator was overwhelmingly positive. At any bootcamp there are 2 major aspects. The first is the instruction in terms of learning integral skills. The second is the professional opportunities that the bootcamp opens. Tech Elevator, in Cleveland Ohio, fulfills both of these criteria at a very high level, especially the second one.
I will not speak to the coursework or instructor very much excep to say that my Java teacher had an excellent command of th...
My experience with Tech Elevator was overwhelmingly positive. At any bootcamp there are 2 major aspects. The first is the instruction in terms of learning integral skills. The second is the professional opportunities that the bootcamp opens. Tech Elevator, in Cleveland Ohio, fulfills both of these criteria at a very high level, especially the second one.
I will not speak to the coursework or instructor very much excep to say that my Java teacher had an excellent command of the material and was always available to help students. On the other end, he was willing to provide more advanced assignments if a student needed challenged more. However, in contrast to college, and traditional learning institutions, since there is no grading, it was up to the student to complete the work and challenge himself/herself. This is the nature of the bootcamp model thugh. You must have the interest and passion. Tech Elevator, nor any other bootcamp, will instill this into a student.
But where Tech Elevator shines is in its ability to provide professional opportunties. From day one they work with students in preparing forthe job hunt. A myriad of professionals are broulgh in to help with resumes, interviews and internet presence such as linkedin. Further, they help the student to craft a narrative which connects thei previous career with their prospective software developer desires.
After the students resume, LinkedIn, and interview skills are evaluated by a multitude of recruiters and coaches, Tech Elevator is somehow able to bring many employers on site to actually interview students. This is how I personally landed a job. Tech Elevator brought over 20 employers who all were seeking entry level software developers to the spacd for a matchmaking event where they interviewed each studen for approxmately 30 minutes. Beyond that amazing event, Tech Elevator's tirelessly working "career coach" and other staff with connections convinced prospective employers to either come to the learning space or make on site arrangements for interviews.
Like most things in life, you must put a lot of effort into Tech Elevator to get the desired outcome. But they provide an excellent framework and concentrated direction for your efforts. I am confident that if you are seeking a career in software development, then Tech Elevator will serve your purposes if you are willing to put forth the proper effort.
A little about me. I did my undergrad in biology thinking I would go do some research. I was feeling uninspired, but still felt some pressure to make a decision about what to do. It's no doubt that I'm a procrastinator, so after a long time (about as long as this long essay) I decided I wanted to be a software developer. Once I had my mindset, it was no big deal. I joined Tech Elevator in August 2017 and, after graduating, I've been working happily ever after as software dev for almost 4 m...
A little about me. I did my undergrad in biology thinking I would go do some research. I was feeling uninspired, but still felt some pressure to make a decision about what to do. It's no doubt that I'm a procrastinator, so after a long time (about as long as this long essay) I decided I wanted to be a software developer. Once I had my mindset, it was no big deal. I joined Tech Elevator in August 2017 and, after graduating, I've been working happily ever after as software dev for almost 4 months.
Maybe a little about you. Are you passionate about technology and a career in software development? Maybe it inspires you to create something that's never existed before. Maybe it's one of the few fields you view yourself being challenged and inspired to learn everyday. Or maybe a career in software development provides a lucrative opportunity for a stable income and financial independence.
Software development checks all three goals for me, and yet when I started, I was intimidated by the mountains of knowledge that lay before me. I tried free code camp and other free resources. I read through MDN documentation and none of it seemed to make sense. I felt like I would have to drown myself in minute details before being able to write my own application.
Suddenly, I got a suggestion. Maybe if I was serious about breaking into this field I should attend a bootcamp. I remembered reading about bootcamps before, but I had my suspicions. What ultimately made me take the plunge was that I knew I really liked programming. I was determined to break my own path even if the bootcamp provided me nothing else but more time to learn.
I'll admit that I had just looked into one other bootcamp before calling Tech Elevator. Although I had made the cut there, it just didn't feel like my interviewers had any interest in me personally. In fact, I could immediately see a difference when I interviewed at Tech Elevator with Andria. I knew by her questions that she was actually interested in my success.
And I think that's an important thing to consider. If you are determined to go down the bootcamp route, allow yourself to be selected, but also be selective. In fact, the more exposure you can get the better. See if you can't talk to the instructors, current students, and past. Evaluating the people you'll be with for the next few lifetimes of your life is an important skill to hone. It'll also come in handy when evaluating companies that interview you.
The interview went well and I got selected for Tech Elevator. About a month before the program was about to start, I had a lot of doubts. Do I really need a bootcamp? What will my friends think about me if I don't get a job? Will my parents laugh at me? A real man does everything on his own right? Wrong. Sorry for the vulgar language, but I would tell whoever that guy was to get stuffed.
Then the program started, and I'll be honest, I was pretty relaxed. I don't think everyone was, but for me, I was about to learn some really cool things and I was excited. There are two separate curriculums (that do overlap on some fundamentals): one for C# and one for Java. I was in the Java group and I made this choice by flipping a coin.
I actually don't think it matters which language you choose for the bootcamp, as you can work for a company that uses a completely different language (eg. I currently work in python). But for the long term, I think it does matter. It depends on the language your team/company will use, your personal coding style, and the level of interest you have in learning the dirty details of a language. The article here, https://www.learneroo.com/modules/12/nodes/94, explains something you might consider when choosing a language.
Anyway, once you're at the point of attending classes, at some point the days and weeks might seem to go by in a blur. If that ever happens, then its time to pause and slow things down. Don't become a zombie! It's important to have your own vision and take actions to make it a reality. You'll find that if you look, there are plenty of opportunities to 1) have your own side projects, 2) explore the tech community through meetups, and 3) hone in on what you love/hate about software development.
The bootcamp is really there to be a broad introduction of the field. The instructors are great and they will really leave you with a sense of how the different tools fit together to make a complex web application run. But they won't be with you forever (unless you develop an intimate friendship with them. Then maybe). You'll have to learn how to teach yourself, so seeing why the instructors chose what they chose to teach is also important. A lot of my first couple of months at my job were learning the tech stack and not getting bogged down in the details. The more detailed investigation of the tech stack will also happen, but it's better to schedule that later when you already have some xp under the belt.
Finally, a major advantage of Tech Elevator is the pathway program. All I will say is that listen to everything Kelly or ${currentPathwayDirector} tells you to do and implement it well. Don't question the status quo. Bow down in submission. It's the only way. I was always late to class, but never with my pathway program homework. It's important.
Anyway, thanks for reading! If you have any questions or would like to get in touch, feel free to send me an email at IAMNOTAROBOT010111@gmail.com.
Employed in-field | 70.0% |
Full-time employee | 45.0% |
Full-time apprenticeship, internship or contract position | 25.0% |
Short-term contract, part-time, or freelance | 0.0% |
Started a new company or venture after graduation | 0.0% |
Not seeking in-field employment | 0.0% |
Employed out-of-field | 0.0% |
Continuing to higher education | 0.0% |
Not seeking a job for health, family, or personal reasons | 0.0% |
Still seeking job in-field | 30.0% |
Could not contact | 0.0% |
How much does Tech Elevator cost?
Tech Elevator costs around $16,500.
What courses does Tech Elevator teach?
Tech Elevator offers courses like Full-Time Java Coding Bootcamp - In-person, Full-Time Java Coding Bootcamp - Remote, Full-Time .NET/C# Coding Bootcamp - In-person, Part-Time Java Coding Bootcamp - Remote.
Where does Tech Elevator have campuses?
Tech Elevator has in-person campuses in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Pittsburgh. Tech Elevator also has a remote classroom so students can learn online.
Is Tech Elevator worth it?
The data says yes! Tech Elevator reports a 93% graduation rate, a median salary of $65,000 and 88% of Tech Elevator alumni are employed. Tech Elevator hasn't shared alumni outcomes yet, but one way to determine if a bootcamp is worth it is by reading alumni reviews. 506 Tech Elevator alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Tech Elevator on Course Report - you should start there!
Is Tech Elevator legit?
We let alumni answer that question. 506 Tech Elevator alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Tech Elevator and rate their overall experience a 4.91 out of 5.
Does Tech Elevator offer scholarships or accept the GI Bill?
Yes, Tech Elevator accepts the GI Bill!
Can I read Tech Elevator reviews?
You can read 506 reviews of Tech Elevator on Course Report! Tech Elevator alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Tech Elevator and rate their overall experience a 4.91 out of 5.
Is Tech Elevator accredited?
Tech Elevator is licensed under the Ohio State Board of Career Colleges and Schools, Pennsylvania State Board of Private Licensed Schools and Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.
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