I had a Bachelors in Computer Science and was struggling to find a tech job for years. Through Tech Elevator I brought my tech skills up to date and, more importantly, taught me how to market myself to employers. Additionally, Tech Elevator has built up a network of hiring partners that you won't find at a college. I now make $65K / year, which is a lot better than the $30K I was making at Walmart.

I had been bouncing from job to dead-end job before I decided to go back to school for programming. I initially thought I’d have to go back to college for a bachelor or associate degree in computer science and was pretty bummed at the thought of someone my age (30) waiting 4 more years to start a real career. Fortunately, I heard about this boot camp. 

14 weeks later I was hired as a consultant at a local firm here in Cincinnati, making more money and doing work that actually fulfilled and excited me. 

I highly recommend this program for anyone who was never quite able to excel in traditional learning paths, or anyone seeking to quickly update their programming skills. Staff is HIGHLY competent and attentive, and gave me more than I needed to succeed. 

I had a great experience as a student at Tech Elevator. Without them, I wouldn't have a job as a software developer, which hands down is the reason to do it. It's not cheap and it was *really* hard work, but I feel that it was worth every cent and every minute.

I was in the .NET class, and feel that was the best fit for me. My teacher was fantastic - he was very knowledgable and cared deeply about our success.

Beyond the actual return on investment aspect: It was fun! I now have a group of nerdy friends, and who doesn't want that?

Overall, Tech Elevator has been the best decision I have made regarding my personal career in my entire life up until this point. That might sound like hyperbole, but it's not. I had a minor amount of coding experience prior to attending. I made a few websites, tried developing some games, and was delivering pizzas to make ends meet.

Going to Tech Elevator was one heck of a grind. They aren't joking when they say that you have to give up whatever you're doing for 14 weeks and apply yourself fully. And if you do apply yourself, you'll get what you paid for, and then some. 

Don't have coding experience? Don't worry about it. The classroom instruction is hands-on, personal, and goes step-by-step to ensure that you understand what you need to understand (learning how to ask good questions goes a long way, too). Don't have a college degree? Don't worry about that either. I didn't, and I succeeded regardless through hard work. Don't have discipline and the drive to better yourself every day? Well... maybe then you should look elsewhere. This program is the prime example of the addage "hard work pays off." 

This program gets you ready for what the IT field will throw at you. You'll go from nodding along at meet-ups feeling deep over your head to asking meaningful questions in just a few weeks. If you pay attention and take good notes, technical interviews and whiteboarding are cake. Chris, Aaron, and David are brilliant instructors, and they turn the most abstract concepts into something comprehensible and manageable.

If someone had told me that I would be a full-stack developer today one year ago, I would have probably told them they were talking crazy. "Who, me? I'm just a pizza guy who thinks Java and Javascript are the same thing!" But now, the sky's the limit. If you apply yourself, you'll make it. No doubt about it.

And while the lectures teach you how to code, the Pathway Program teach you how to be a business professional. If you feel out of place during professional interviews, they'll iron that out of you as hard as you'll be ironing your shirts after having over ten interviews in three days during their Matchmaking event. The Pathway program goes over all the essential things you will need such as working with recruiters, building your personal brand, buffing out your resume, and more. Jessica Hall, you're a life-saver. The networking offered is top notch as well, with companies coming in to showcase themselves twice a week.

All in all, I couldn't recommend this program enough to someone looking to get into coding either as a new career, or as a career change. If you're reading all these reviews, you probably have what it takes. Go apply! 

Deciding to change careers is the scariest thing in the world, especially when you have two young children and a mortgage to pay. I knew it was time to make a pivot in my life and Tech Elevator was there when I needed it the most. I had reached the peak in my previous career in the event industry and although it was fun while I was younger, now with a young family and no room to grow professionally I was in rut and needed a change. 

I knew it was time in my life for a career change and I knew I wanted to enter the technology sector but didn't know how without going back to school full-time. I already had a degree with student loans and couldn't afford to go back to school full-time for 2-4 years. Enter Tech Elevator.

Tech Elevator's, 14-week program, along with Skills Fund financing, was perfect for launching me into a new, challenging and rewarding career. 

I checked out other coding bootcamps but when I came across Tech Elevator and their staff, I knew I was in the right hands. Everything at Tech Elevator is top notch. From their facilities and classrooms, to the instructors and every staff member. Everyone and everything there are geared to prepare you for a job as a software/web developer. 

Let's start with the facilities... The classrooms are very well set up for a fun learning environment. The classes are small enough where everyone gets personal attention and no one is left behind. The "garage", meeting space and kitchen are all top notch, very welcoming and conducive to learning. No detail goes unnoticed and it was a real pleasure going to school every day. 

How about the instructors and staff? The instructors, Josh, Frank and Craig, have been doing this a long time and get personal satisfaction from helping you learn and succeed. Every instructor is available after class for private tutoring sessions and is super helpful with any questions or problems you may have. They have all been in the industry and really know what they are teaching. They even tailor and change up the curriculum on the fly to fit the needs in the industry you will be entering. Even though, Kelly, the Pathway Director's main focus is to help you land a job she is always there to chat or just vent if you need to. Every staff member, including the Campus Director, Marty, and even the marketing team will do whatever they can to help you get a job as well. It really is a team effort at Tech Elevator and it shows. Although Tech Elevator does everything they can to help you get a job, ultimately it is up to you get a job and if you follow Tech Elevator's Pathway program and process you will be successful. If you put in the work, I can attest it will pay off. 

I enrolled at Tech Elevator in September of 2018 and graduated in December 2018. I was in Josh's .Net class and am so glad I put in the work, stuck with it and never gave up or said I couldn't do it. I was there every day putting in the work and getting extra tutoring sessions in because I had to get a job as I had a family depending on me. Every instructor and staff member helped me along the way and was always there when/if I needed them.

There are two parts to Tech Elevator and they are both equally important. One is the curriculum and what you are learning in the classroom. The other is the Pathway Program (this is what really sets Tech Elevator above the competition). The Pathway program is all about giving you the tools and soft skills to help you land your first job in the technology field but also to help you have a long and successful career if you continue to use those skills. From resume building, to Employer Showcases all the way to Matchmaking, The Pathway Program is the crown jewel in Tech Elevator's hat. Every facet of the Pathway Program helped me and I didn't miss one Pathway event or task but ultimately the Matchmaking event that Tech Elevator holds at the end of the program is what helped me land me my dream job. Matchmaking lets you get face time with employers in the area that are actively hiring and lets you escape the resume hole. After Matchmaking, I received a call back for a second in person interview at the company’s HQ and after that and another phone interview I got a job offer! All my hard for paid off and I had a signed job offer a week before graduating Tech Elevator.

I'm currently a couple weeks into my new job and career and couldn't be happier. I'm at a great company with all the perks, I have an awesome manager, team and a bright future ahead of me. I wouldn't be where I am today without Tech Elevator and am so glad I took the plunge!

If you decide to go to Tech Elevator just remember this.. You will get out of it what you put into it. Put in the work, trust the process and you will be successful!

Going to Tech Elevator was the best decision I've ever made. Starting off I was told "You get out what you put in.", and while that's true, 14 weeks is not a long time to dedicate to elevating your future. The boot camp is stressful, difficult, and exhausting, but it wouldn't be so rewarding if it wasn't. Everyone on campus is amazing, and will do everything they can to assist in reaching your goals. That being said, don't come in expecting them to just get you a job. You need to put the time and work in. It's hard work, but so worth it! Before Tech Elevator, I was working multiple jobs just to make ends meet, but through their matchmaking I secured a great job before I even graduated. I recommend this boot camp to anyone who is looking to get into the tech industry. I tried learning this on my own through udemy, freecodecamp, etc, but the instructors at Tech Elevator helped make it so much easier to learn.

Between the instructors, and the Pathway Program, I believe anyone who is motivated to go through this program will be successful. They teach you everything you need to know from the technical side of things to improving your soft skills. On top of everything I learned, I've made some friendships that will likely last a lifetime. I have nothing bad to say about this program, and if you're looking to go into a coding bootcamp I can't stress enough how great Tech Elevator is. 

TLDR: Tech Elevator is an amazing opportunity for anyone willing to put the work in. Their staff cares about every single student, and will do whatever they can to help you reach your career goals. If you're looking to elevate your life, and get into the tech industry, there is no better option than Tech Elevator.

I recently graduated from Cohort [0] in Pittsburgh and I do not believe that I am exaggerating when I say that the Tech Elevator program is absolutely superb!  I had worked in IT for most of my professional career, but I found that my skill set was very outdated and after a hiatus from the industry I decided to attend the TE program as a means of retooling my skillset.  Due to my past experience, I had a perspective that was a little different than the average student.  I already knew what the IT world was like and therefore I had a better idea of what to expect when I showed up for the first day of class.  As a result, I was able to really appreciate the immense value of all of the various components that had been skillfully organized into the curriculum.  Both the technical instructors and career counselors (a.k.a. Pathway Program counselors) were highly skilled, very fun and deeply dedicated.  The two-pronged approach that Tech Elevator employs to both teach the technical skills and then to guide individuals into appropriate job opportunities is a distinguishing characteristic that, in my opinion, really separates them from their competitors.  All in all, the overall experience was wonderful and the end result has been nothing short of life changing.  I would highly, highly recommend TE to anyone who is seriously considering a career in IT but who needs some help getting there.

Short version: Definitely worth it for me personally. I went from making teenage wages in the sevice industry to landing a software developer job. Plus, It only took 14-weeks of 50-60+ hour weeks to do it. Which was a ton of  work but realistically not a ton of actual time (14-weeks < 4-years for a degree). As people like to say "life changing".  So if you can carve out 14-weeks for Tech Elevator I would say go for it. Mind you, my experience may not be yours.

background: I had an Associates degree before Tech Elevator and had worked as a production/graphic designer for the better part of a decade before Tech Elevator. I moved to Pittsburgh and was unable to find work in my previous industry and fell back on the world of food service to keep myself afloat. 

Instructors: Tom and Andrew were both really great. Both have many years of real world programming know-how under their belts and their areas of expertise were very complimentary of each other. They were a very well-balanced tag-team. The Hawk and Animal of the bootcamp world. Even now I can hear Tom's dulcet tones explaining "for each loops" and "ternary operators" to the class. Andrew's tech/computer-science asides are great if you want to learn more about the theory behind what you are learning in class and come in very handy during job interviews.

Pathway Program/Office: This is what made me decide to go to Tech Elevator. Caitie (the pathway program head) and Justin (Pittsburgh's Campus Director) open doors to future employers that you could never do on your own. I can't emphasize this enough. They do an amazing job of preparing you for the job market and giving you the connections to actually get a job. Listen to what they have to say and then do it. Also Marissa was a great help during the admission process as well as during the duration of the cohort.

To Students: Do what Caitie says. Ask questions when you are confused about anything. Don't quit when things seem very overwhelming. Take a break. Keep asking questions. Help out other Students, it'll help you learn too. Do what Caitie says. 

Summary: I got a software Developer job 2-weeks after graduation (most of my cohort had offers before the end of the cohort) so Tech Elevator definitely worked for me.

*caveat emptor: This isn't a knock on Tech Elevator per se but some companies want Bachelor Degrees regardless of their relevance to a job listing, so If you don't have a Bachelor's Degree you're out of luck. So if you are only armed with a High School Diploma or an Associates some doors even the pathway program can't open.

I was in a very unhappy place teaching third grade. I wanted out and Tech Elevator was the way. I learned about it though my husband who heard about it through work. We agreed to send me after much thought and discussion. Everyone I met Ben, Katie, kalyn, and Laura were all very nice and played a major part in why I chose to make this big move. I loved all of the instructors. They all worked around the clock to help in any way you needed. I learn best through watching, doing, and one on one teaching. I learned so many things that I have already used in my new job. Trying to teach myself online would have never worked.

The Pathway Program was in my opinion almost more valuable than the course work. The pathway team was fantastic they were always there to help. I had to the opportunity to meet so many great people. There are many opportunities you just need to take advantage of them. It was through these events that I made a connection with ended up in a job. I know some people I talked to don’t feel this way. It is all about what you put into the program. You will only get out what you put in. I went above and beyond to make sure I had a job in the end.

Now I have my dream job at JPMChase! I am happier than I have ever been. I owe it all to my hard work and Tech Elevator for helping me get there! 

I graduated August 2018 from the Java Cohort and i can’t say enough good things. Going in, I thought I knew more about coding than I actually did, so the program was very tough. And I also thought I was on-point with my resume and interview skills, which needed some help. The course feeds you info like a firehouse so was very challenging, but the instructors and staff are always willing to give you extra help and guidance after class or nights and weekends through the messaging app. If you put in the work, you will earn that reward. I learned everything i needed to get me started in a career as a Software Engineer, but I learned so much more about myself as a person. There were times that I felt I wouldn’t get to the finish line, but with help and encouragement from everyone (including classmates), I dug deep and stuck it out. The staff does a great job to get you there, but soft-skills aren’t spoon-fed. You have to work hard and figure some stuff out no your own and that makes it that much more rewarding. I’ve never done anything so difficult and I’ve never had any career experience more fulfilling. If you want to change your career, you can do that at Tech Elecator, but you will elevate your life in the process. Go for it. 

I recently graduated from Tech Elevator (Columbus) and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I’ve recently accepted a position as a Full Stack Web Engineer and for the first time I am going into a new career with confidence and one I am excited to experience. I always felt in my past experience in Operations Management that I wasn’t realizing my potential and not enjoying what I did as much as I could, and Tech Elevator has made it possible to achieve these things. I’ve had a lot of teachers and mentors over the years through my experience at OSU and in the business world, but everyone at Tech Elevator is the cream of the crop. The instructors I had in the program not only were able to deliver instruction that was concise and make difficult concepts easy to understand, but were also willing to spend time with you one on one at any point to help you realize a fuller understanding of the material. I expected their pathway program to help me gain some more confidence going into interviews, however one thing I did not expect was that it would give me more confidence in a multitude of aspects of my life. I also can’t say enough about how the networking of the program with business needs in our region helped in landing me a job. It was a somewhat excruciating process interviewing with 10 companies over 2 days, but it was one of the best experiences I could imagine when entering a new field. I have never been surrounded by people in my life that are as dedicated to developing talent to meet demand in a market as those at Tech Elevator. If you’re considering going to Tech Elevator, talk to Katie, John, or any of the staff for 5 minutes and I guarantee you will see how passionate they are about helping people realize their potential and you’ll sign up just like I did.

Last year I was stuck in a dead-end job, working in hospitality as a waiter in a little family restaurant. I was at a point where I was ready to dedicate myself to a career but I felt like I simply didn’t have the right piece of paper to get started working in a field that interested me. I had always loved tech and I wanted a job where I would be able to apply myself mentally but I felt like the only way to do that was to go massively in debt, going back to college to pursue a degree in a new field. Luckily, I wasn’t the only person who realized that there was a significant subsect of society that was underemployed but willing to put in the work to make something of themselves if they were given a chance.

Tech Elevator was the opportunity I didn’t know was out there but I was waiting for the whole time. From the industry professionals that are there way too late every day to stick around and answer your questions to the whole staff of the Pathway Program that also work way too late every day to help you build your resume and polish your interviewing skills, and of course all of the administrators who do the most important job of keeping the lights on and the pretzel bowls filled, the entire staff is dedicated to the single goal of helping you succeed in a challenging and rewarding industry.

But the final piece of the puzzle is you. You will have to work very hard to learn concepts they teach, and you will stay up late every night for 3 months creating some amazing projects and struggling with your peers to learn some difficult concepts. But, if you are willing to put in the time to learn how to code, you will have taken the first step to an extremely rewarding and fulfilling career with some of the best people you will ever meet.

I guess to sum up, all of this is to say if you are willing to put in the work, you have found a place that’s willing to work right alongside you and will be at least as excited as you are when you succeed.

I had zero experience in IT before joining Tech Elevator.  The instructors are attentive, professional and a pleasure to work with.  After class was over, the pathway team didn’t stop until every student was gainfully employed. I wholly recommend this program to those motivated to start a new career and dedicated enough to go for it.

Do yourself a favor. Enroll. Start learning basic concepts before you start the cohort. Get your brain blasted by the firehose of information for 14 weeks. Learn how to market yourself. Start your life changing career in tech. 

Seriously though, just do it. I cannot say enough about what Tech Elevator has done for me and my family. It was a huge risk for me, kind of all or nothing for what my situation was. I’m a Dad with two little kids, and college wasn’t working out with my life situation and my need to support other humans financially. I jumped in the deep end, learned to swim, and came out a better person, gainfully employed at a great company with the ability to support my family. 

Tech Elevator is the best decision I ever made.  I went from a dead-end industry to within two weeks of graduating from Tech Elevator making a salary 2.5x as much as I was making.

Everyone at Tech Elevator cares a lot about you, the instructors are incredible.  I'm convinced Brian never sleeps.  He'd be up until well past 11 answering questions in our chatroom, and be back in the morning to answer the dozens of questions I had come up with by then.  He even helped to walk me through a technical problem I had which was only tangentially related to class.  He was also seemingly unstumpable.  The longest he spent stumped by a question of mine was forty five minutes.

Running parallel to the coding instruction is the Pathway program, and here is where they stand out against the competition.  They spend many weeks preparing you to find a job; you learn interview skills, networking advice, and most importantly: They connect you with recruiters from dozens of companies face to face so that people get to know you.

One warning: it is intense.  Tech Elevator is 14 weeks in which time has no meaning.  You can't really focus on too many other things during the time and you get what you put into the program.  Those that stay late and work hard (in both the coding and pathway events) are the others that have jobs immediately after the cohort is done (and some before it's over.)

I highly recommend it for anyone who thinks they're interested in coding.  It gets your foot into the door of a wonderful industry.

When I graduated from Tech Elevator, I decided to wait and see how things turned out before writing this review.

I'm now eleven months post graduation, and here's where I'm at:  I've doubled my previous income, I have enviable benefits, and, for the first time in my life, I absolutely love what I do.  I get to code and solve puzzles every single day with a bunch of really smart people. On Sundays nights I no longer dread coming into work on Monday morning.  That's huge.

Admittedly, when our Tech Elevator cohort began, I was worried I wouldn't make it through.  In my early 40s, I was one of the oldest students in my class. I didn't know if I could keep up academically or on the job hunt.  However, on both fronts, my previous work and life experience ended up playing to my advantage.

Tech Elevator's program is challenging yet methodical, and they do an excellent job nurturing both coding skills the soft skills like elevator pitches and interviewing.  (And, whether you realize it or not, you're going to need those soft skills.)

Tech Elevator helped bridged the gap between where I was and where I wanted to be in a way I couldn't have done on my own.  I can't recommend it highly enough

Fans of retro video games or kids who grew up in the 80s (like me), should recoginize this headline as one of the opening scenes from The Legend of Zelda, where the hero Link is given his first sword before embarking on a wildly dangerous journey into unknown lands. Along the way Link's equipment is upgraded to include better swords, shields, bombs, boomerangs, bow and arrows, magic and potions. In the same way, a new Developer will start their programming journey with a limited tool belt. If you are seriously considering a career change into the tech field, please heed the advice we learned from our chunky pixelated 8-bit hero... Don't go alone. Go to Tech Elevator.

My education and experience prior to TE was in the construction industry where I've held titles such as Field Engineer, Purchasing Manager, and Project Manager. I began learning to code in my free time and made a few simple websites with HTML and CSS but when it came to creating dynamic, interactive web applications with JavaScript I hit a wall. This intro to development led me to two major conclusions, coding is hard, and it is especially difficult when you try to learn alone. 

I had kicked around the idea of a bootcamp for some time before getting serious about the decision.  My initial impression was I would have to go somewhere like New York, Chicago, or San Francisco to attend a "serious" dev bootcamp. I was excited to find a local program called Tech Elevator through a Google search, but my excitement was matched by a healthy level of skepticism. From the beginning I was more than impressed by Tech Elevator, the curriculum, and especially the talented, hard working people. I was lucky enough to have my entrance interview with CEO Anthony Hughes and it was the passion he displayed that sealed my decision to join the program. That same passion is shared by the instructors, the Pathway Program leaders, and all members of the organization.

The curriculum is designed to take you from zero coding experiene to job ready in 14 weeks. This is a monumental undertaking that will push you to your intellectual limits. The Pathway Program is an invalable addition to your technical skills that will boost your potential and interview techniques. You will work in close contact with dedicated career enhancing professionals, and leverage their relationships with local employers.

Currently I am working as an Apprentice Developer with an agile software development firm in Cincinnati.  I can say with confidence this opportunity would not have been available to me without the education and guidance I received from Tech Elevator. I enjoy the work I'm doing, and I'm thrilled to continue learning from some very talented individuals that love what they do. As an added benefit I've made some life-long friends in my fellow alumni and the good people of Tech Elevator.

If you are at all interested in a career in technology, or maybe you've been struggling in secret trying to learn on your own, my advice would be to go to an open house, ask questions, and see for yourself. This has been without a doubt the best experience of my career.  

I remember coming on some of these sites about a year and a half ago to learn some more about these coding bootcamps that I had been hearing about. For whatever reason I wasn't convinced and I decided to go back to school for another few years of traditional, slow-paced learning. I did the school thing for a semester and quickly realized the snail's pace at which we were learning wasn't as cool at 27 as it was when I was 20, so I decided to take the plunge and enroll at Tech Elevator instead. Now I have a developer job in a really hot field rather sitting in class for what would have been the beginning of my 3rd of 6 semesters.

The classes were really fast-paced, but somehow fun at the same time. You'll put in quite a few 12 hour days, but time almost never seemed to drag. As great as the classes and curriculum were, I actually think the Pathway Program sets Tech Elevator apart. If you don't feel comfortable with things such as resumes, interviewing, and all the other soft skills, you will by the end of the program. And I think we ended interviewing with about 15 companies by the time matchmaking was over, and that opportunity alone made the course worth it.

Most importantly, the job placement numbers have been awesome for my cohort. A few people from my cohort had legitimate, full-time offers before our capstones started and 10 of the 16 of us had jobs locked up by graduation day.

Enrolling in Tech Elevator was the second smartest thing I have ever done for myself. The first smartest thing was having 100% faith in their system (though some days this was a struggle!). The "drinking from a fire hose" concept of a boot camp really hits you in the face on week one day three and doesn't really let up. But, if you believe in yourself, do the work, and seek help/guidance/a shoulder to cry on from the instructors, staff, and other students, you WILL be successful. 

Not to scare anyone off, but for the average person (self-included) this boot camp is hard. I went to lecture every day from 9am-12pm (sometimes longer), had lunch, then worked on homework, both individually and in paired programming exercises with other students, until about 5pm (sometimes longer). Then I went home, had dinner, and started working on homework again until it was time to go to bed (sometimes longer). There was also quite a bit of weekend work. I was lucky to never fall behind on assignments using this method, but it was stressful at times. 

You learn so much at Tech Elevator. There will be certain material you get super-fast and others that you just....don't get at all. Luckily, there are instructors to help you along the way, and other students that probably "get" different things than you do. It's incredibly rewarding to help someone else learn a concept, and then have them return the favor to you later on. This brings me to the incredible sense of community I felt at Tech Elevator. Not just within my (.Net) class, but with the other (Java) students, instructors and staff!  We are all in this together and felt comfortable sharing tips, tricks, insights, successes, and failures (oh, there will be some good failures).

With the last few weeks of the boot camp comes the added task of searching for employment. The Pathway Program does an amazing job of lining up employers that actually want to speak with and hire you, and then preparing you to ace those interviews. They held resume, elevator pitch, and linked in profile workshops, mock interview practice, panel discussions with industry leaders/professionals and so much more – all leading up to the Match Making interview events with real employers. I received tons of advice and feedback from Ben and Katie at the Columbus campus both in a group setting and individually. By following their guidance, I happily received an offer on the day of graduation! It was such a good offer that I cancelled the five other interviews I had set up for the following week.  

Tech Elevator was not only the smartest thing I have ever done for myself, but also the most challenging, fulfilling, and, at times, weirdly fun thing I have ever done for myself. I wouldn't trade my experience for anything and encourage you to learn more for yourself!

I had very little programming experience before starting the first cohort of Tech Elevator Cincinnati. By the end of the course I learned so much - from fundamental Java to front-end technologies. The career development portion of the course helped me with soft skills as well. I had several job offers within 2 weeks of graduating and I ended up accepting a high paying job (nearly doubling my salary). Tech Elevator is a huge financial and time commitment, but it is ultimately worth the investment.

I choose to go to a coding bootcamp because I had been living abroad for the last ten years and was afraid of how difficult it might be to find a good job when repatriating. I also wanted to switch careers from education to IT and the bootcamp model seemed like the fastest and most effective way to do this without having to spend years in school. I choose Tech Elevator because of its location in Cleveland and because of how well it was reviewed. I was really impressed with the focus they put on career and interview development and by how much better at responding they were than other bootcamps. I have to admit that as an educator with 10+ years of experience I was a little skeptical about how well I could really learn a new skill in 14 weeks, well a new language! In case you don’t keep reading let me tell you that the program far exceeded my expectation and I am in disbelief at how much I learned in 14 weeks, I truly did learn to code in this amount of time, I learned a whole new language! This model makes me re-think everything I thought I knew about education from my decade of experience. 
I think the most important thing to do at Tech Elevator is to drink the kool-aid early and often. I was wrong, they were right, every time, remember that and you will succeed. What seems like an impossible task daily, weekly and monthly is broken down into extremely difficult tasks that when put together make the impossible achievable by everyone, at least in my cohort(class) of 16 students. You will regularly think that this is impossible and they will regularly remind you that hundreds of other people have said that and that those hundreds of other people are now employed in well-paying jobs, I’m one of those hundreds. Just do what they say, all of it. Work hard, the entire 14 weeks and shut down as much of the rest of your life as possible and you will succeed. Also remember, you’re wrong, you can do it, they are NOT lying to you, the proof will be presented to you by the fact that so many alumni will come to speak to you and tell you that they did it and we alumni are not special or better than you, we just already finished, that’s all it takes, you will be employed as a software developer if you just listen. 
On that note about half way through I decided that I wanted to pivot yet again and do something in IT that was more customer related and less coding based, the staff at Tech Elevator supported me 100%, I still learned everything, I can still code well and I could still get employed as a software engineer but instead they helped me to find a job as a Technical Project Manager, they do and will always go above and beyond if you just tell them what you want, they will give you the tools you need to make it happen. I got my job offer a few weeks after graduation and I had several 2nd interviews(and third) already done or scheduled when I accepted it. My job offer came from a company that Tech Elevator set me up with at our matchmaking event(like speed dating for job interviewing). The job the company came to interview us for was different than the one I accepted but Tech Elevator also set that up for me and few other’s who wanted something more business oriented in Tech.
The instructors are some of the best I’ve had the pleasure of meeting in my life and keep in mind I was an educator. They are knowledgeable and friendly. They will teach, encourage, counsel, motivate and become your friends before you graduate. Tech Elevator has high standards for their instructors, I saw 20 candidates come and go before they hired one for their new program in Cincinnati while attending my cohort, you won’t be disappointed in them. For that matter, the support staff is top notch too, along with the management, everyone that works there is excellent. 
Just do it! You won’t regret it, Tech Elevator is the real deal, from start to finish and then even after they continue to support us as alumni. Do what they say, when they say it and you will succeed, it truly is that simple! 

I was in the .NET (C#) class in Columbus and I graduated Friday, December 1st, 2017.

I heard about Tech Elevator from my sister.  I was going to OSU at the time, working towards a Data Analytics degree, and had been feeling bogged down every step of the way.  I was a non-traditional student: 31 years old, transferred from Columbus State, and just getting to the point where I could APPLY to my major and get the reserved spots in the classes that I needed, was proving to be quite a nightmare.  I’d been back in school (part-time then full-time, mostly at CS) for almost 3 years.  And with the way things were going at OSU it looked like it would take another 3 years to get my degree.  I was feeling a little panicked, to tell you the truth, because I didn’t know if I had another 3 years in me.  I wanted a JOB already.  And so I went to a Tech Elevator open house, hoping against hope that this program would be the answer to my prayers, the Hail Mary pass to an actual CAREER, the final pivot in my working life that would deliver me from professional mediocrity/expendibility.

I was sold by the end of the presentation, probably about ⅓ of the way through, actually.  My sister works at a startup with developers that spoke highly of the program and that combined with the 3rd party verified stats of Tech Elevator graduates made me ready to go all in.  I had taken 2 computer science courses at OSU and so I knew I had the aptitude required and that probably made this a little less scary for me than most, but everything after the first 4 weeks of curriculum was brand-spanking new to me.  I knew about loops, and selection statements, and recursion, but I didn’t know jack squat about building a web application/doing anything useful.  And the vast majority of my classmates had zero coding experience, so don’t let that throw you.

Tech Elevator was a complete joy after my experience at OSU.  You’re in a small class, you get to know everyone, the teacher encourages questions and is always available to help you after the lecture.  That’s just the kind of environment I need to thrive.   Everyone’s attitude at Tech Elevator is: we are here to help you, please come and interupt me, helping students is our first priority.

Obviously, you cover a lot of material in the span of 14 weeks.. I definitely didn’t feel like I was struggling ALL the time (many days were quite relaxed), but there were definitely days (a couple times whole weeks) when I felt inadequate/ like I wasn’t mastering the material quickly enough.  And that’s hard to go through that, but if you keep at it, stuff will almost always, eventually, start to make sense. And then you can breathe again and feel like, OK, I can do this.  When you’re struggling, notice those feelings and tell yourself: “get used to it because this is the life of a developer.  If you’re comfortable, you’re not pushing yourself enough.”

Now this next part is very important: THE reason that you pick Tech Elevator (and I CANNOT stress this enough) is because of the Pathway Program.  That doesn’t mean that the Pathway Program was fun for me. You’ll never catch me saying that the Pathway Program was a complete and utter joy.  Resumes, interviews, writing up a LinkedIn blurb that is both honest and positive AND winning AND unique is not (and never will be) my idea of a good time. It’s a little less like torture for me now, but--- not by much.  But I NEEDED the Pathway Program all the more because I hate those things.  The staff give you very tangible to-do items, concrete specifications for those things, and deadlines (super important). They organize mock interviews (HR, behavioral, and technical) and guide you through the entire process of gaining employment, including assistance beyond graduation if you need it.  I can’t even describe how helpful all this is.  A couple weeks into the program I went to a Women in Tech meetup and met several graduates from another Columbus bootcamp.  They were 8 weeks out of graduation; 1 out of 5 of them had a job and the rest were still looking and I quickly ascertained from talking to them that they were out in the job market wilderness with no assistance from their program.  Hopefully everyone will end up with a good job but I’d put my money on a TE graduate every time because the extensive career assistance we receive.

So… where did I end up?  Well, I was very, very lucky.  Our graduation date was Dec 1st and the time of year made it pretty difficult to have a job offer by then.  Our employer matchmaking event was right before Thanksgiving and, consequently,  many employers moved a bit slowly to schedule follow ups and some weren’t going to be hiring til the new year.  I’m confident everyone will end up with a good job, but some won’t have that job locked down for a few weeks yet. I was, however, able to secure a position a week before our graduation date and I actually started on Dec 4th, the Monday after graduation.  I’m working at a start up where I am the 5th employee.  If I hadn’t landed this job I’m fairly confident I could have secured a position at Chase.  Chase typically hires a TON of people from Tech Elevator.  I’ve heard mixed things about working for Chase ranging from awesome/can’t imagine working anywhere else to people hating it.  I think it has to do largely with what team you end up on and the quality of your manager as a human being/mentor.  It’s a big place.  But you really just need that first entry-level job and then if you don’t like it you can move on after 2 years.  Anyways, the point is, I jumped at the start-up opportunity because I thought it offered the most opportunity for growth / learning.  It’s also kind of terrifying.  I’m expected to learn fast, largely on my own (here’s 26 hours of React/Redux video tutorials, GO!)  and be able to contribute/navigate/problem solve on a very short time scale.

But I’m excited.  And I’m grateful.  I was able to secure an excellent job as a junior developer making almost three times what I’ve ever made (most recently before this I worked in culinary and as a nanny) after just 14 weeks of training.  It’s kind of incredible.

RANDOM TIPS ( for if you end up enrolling)

-If you’re like me you will never feel like doing the Pathway Program tasks.  Do them anyways. Don't ever blow it off.  The coding curriculum is very important for once you’re working, obviously, but potential employers aren’t going to know who is kicking ass in the classroom. When it comes to getting job offers the people who have the most options are the ones who dedicate themselves to the Pathway Program.

-Research the companies you interview with (maybe more importantly: research the industry, and then you’ll be able to ask intelligent questions about what sets THAT company apart from its competitors; this is especially important with the small companies and it’ll help you stand out).  

-Catch yourself whenever you feel resistance to change (“why do I have to do it THIS way when I already know how to handle it this other way”).  To be a good developer you have to ALWAYS be open to (or better yet, actively seek out) new/better/uncomfortable ways of doing things.  When we first started doing front end programming I felt a little bit like, what is this crap???  But you have to find a way to embrace it even when it feels very, very wrong.  If you don’t become a lifelong learner you will become obsolete in this industry very quickly.  If you’re not familliar with Carol Dweck and the term “growth mindset”  I suggest you google that sh** right now.  I was very much a “fixed” mindset person for many years and even now I must whisper “growth mindset” to myself about 10 times a day.

-if 10 people in your cohort all use the phrase “I want to leverage my skills in...” in their elevator pitches, for the love of God don’t be the 11th person!!!  It probably didn’t actually hurt them but you can bet someone like me will be out there cringing.

-Be professional and tailor your message to your audience. The way I’m telling my story here in this review is not how I told it at meet-ups and in interviews.

-It’s fine to want to make more money, that was a not-so-insignificant piece of my own inspiration starting out, but you have to find a way to connect to a deeper motivation, because nobody cares about your bills or that you want to be able to afford to drink kombucha everyday (guilty).  For me it was largely just wanting a job that wouldn’t bore the crap out of me within a few months.  Then I had to take that, shellac it with positive energy, and serve it as a I’m-crazy-passionate-about-Technology sandwich.  Sometimes that felt a little fake, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

-The TE staff will cover this but just for emphasis: work on your ability to solve problems with Google, stack overflow, tech documention sites, etc as soon and as often as possible.  The teachers are there to help but don’t run to them without spending at least 10 minutes trying to figure it out on your own.  My new boss specifically told me: do not bring me questions I can google and have the answer in 30 seconds.

In conclusion:  Tech Elevator isn't magic, you can't just show up and then expect to have a great job at the end.  No company will feel like they owe you after this.  Like everything else in life, it's up to you to put in the effort and guarantee your success.  That being said, it IS kind of magical that this college drop-out/former nanny was able to finally get a promising career started (and in such a short time).  There was a time in my life when I was convinced that I just didn’t have what it takes to succeed and that I was destined to be a failure and a disappointment within my high-achieving family.  It took a lot of leg work mentally and emotionally to get to a place where I was ready to make the most of an opportunity like Tech Elevator.  If you're in that place where you're ready to work hard and do what it takes Tech Elevator is absolutely a wise investment.

I had a great experience through Tech Elevator, the space and people are wonderful. I felt immersed in technology the whole 14 weeks. I felt well supported from a career coaching perspective and a technical one. Be prepared to work hard the whole 14 weeks and be ready to go beyond the minimum. When looking for jobs during the bootcamp the things that got the most attention where not things that where assigned or done as part of the "base" curriculum but were projects I took on while also learning the basics from the program. The bootcamp won't give you a senior level amount of software development experience but it will give you the skills to be confident and move forward with a junior level role in Columbus. They also provide and have the connections you get that first job.

For seven years I was a high school French teacher.  My brother knew I wasn’t happy in education and needed to make a change, so he suggested that I go through Tech Elevator’s bootcamp.  He has been a developer for as long as I can remember, so I took his advice and I’m glad I did.  The instructors in the Columbus campus are amazing!  The ones I’ve met from Cleveland seem great as well, but I never took classes with them.  Casey, John and Brian all three work tirelessly during those 14 weeks to make sure that you get your money’s worth out of every penny you pay in tuition.  I learned more there during those few months than I had in the previous several years as a teacher.  The hands-on approach and the amount of practical tasks they give you combine to make the learning rewarding and relevant.

The other side of the program, the Pathways Program is just as well-developed and staffed by the same calibre of people as the coding portion.  You build all these new skills, but without the Pathways Program I would have had no idea how to find a job that would let me apply them.  One of my questions was as basic as, “When I’m looking for job postings online, what job title do I look for?”  Katie is infinitely helpful and willing to give solid, experience-backed advice on any aspect of your job search.  The great thing about Tech Elevator is that everything they teach you applies to your first job out of the bootcamp just as well as your last job before you retire.  They teach you skills that will serve you well throughout your life.

We all know that teachers make no money, but after 14 weeks of training and no experience whatsoever I started out making $17,000 more a year than I did as a teacher with years of experience, a college degree, and additional coursework to get my license.  If you are interested in kick-starting your career or rebooting it like me, you can choose no better program than Tech Elevator.