I'm coming up on graduation in 6 days, and I can emphatically say this was a great decision.  Tech Elevator has a solid curriculum, taught by exceptional teachers, and is run by a passionate staff.  They all want you to succeed and are willing to put in the work if you are.  To be clear: it was a LOT of work and is not for everyone.  But if you are determined, willing to put in lots of effort, and eager to learn, this is the bootcamp for you.  They will give you technical skills AND networking skills.  I personally was very weak on the networking/interviewing side of things and chose TE partially because they build that into the curriculum.  Why that isn't the standard way of teaching in every field is beyond me...
I give 5 stars in each category unreservedly.  If you can make it through a bootcamp and want to start a career in software development, pick Tech Elevator.  It will give you all the tools you need to succeed.

 

This bootcamp worked for me. 

 

And by 'worked' I mean I am now working as a software engineer, about to have my 90 day review at a company and job that I love and it has only been 7 months since I started the program. Only 3 months after graduating, I am earning over double any of my previous salaries. 

 

Prior to starting Tech Elevator, I had dabbled in HTML and CSS and tried to teach myself more but it never worked. However, going in Tech Elevator does not require you to have any coding experience. They start from the ground up and build the fundamentals you need to think like and become a developer. Starting with either Java or C#, you learn the core concepts of object oriented programing and then move on to databases, APIs and end with some experience in front end technologies. 

 

Alongside the tech portion is the 'Pathway Program'. It is this side of TE (along with their excellent graduation and job placement rates) that originally drew me to this bootcamp. They have dedicated staff who help you craft your new tech forward resume, update your LinkedIn, and network with TE's hiring partners in your area. This help is INVAULABLE. You could be an amazing self taught programmer, but if you don’t know how to present yourself to possible employers you wont get very far. 

 

Added to this the instructors are incredible. They are impressively knowledgeable, passionate, and have real industry experience. One of my teachers told us that he wouldn't let us graduate if he could see himself hiring us to his own development team. So while it could just be a 'factory' where they push you through like some bootcamps, they are truly dedicated to the end result of you being an employable and competent programmer. 

 

But ultimately Tech Elevator is more than the sum of its parts. It becomes a community to help you through an intense program and into your career beyond. I built a network of peers and mentors that I know I can count on moving forward. My passion for this program makes me want to stay involved and mentor current students in turn and that is what makes Tech Elevator special. 

 

All sentiment aside, if you are able to dedicate yourself full time to a 14 week intensive bootcamp, Tech Elevator can turn you into a developer and help you get that job. Their numbers speak for themselves. 

 

Coming from a healthcare background with no coding experience and also a stay-at-home parent, the 14-week boot camp at Tech Elevator was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I couldn’t have made it through without the help of my classmates, instructors, and our pathway director. Everyone in my class was going through the same experience as I was and the TE staff is always there to help.

If you plan to do this make sure you are 100% committed to investing 14 weeks to learning. Tech Elevator will prepare you for a career in Tech in two ways, teach you everything you need to know to start out as a Junior Full Stack Developer and the Pathway Program will teach you how to land a job. The pathway program includes resume writing, creating a LinkedIn profile, mock behavioral and technical interviews with instructors and recruiters, and Match-Making events with reputable companies.

The support from the staff continues on even after you graduate through interview preparation, coding tutorials, reaching out to recruiters, out-of-state jobs, and a lot more. I met with our pathway director and instructors for interview practice every week until I was able to get a job. I am very grateful to the TE staff for their patience, encouragement, and support. 

I had heard about this program through a friend who was a huge advocate for them. I took the leap and could not be more ecstatic with the result. I have a background in education, and I was amazed by the caliber, knowledge, patience, and genuine warmth my instructors exuded. I have never had a better educational experience than this program. The support on the job hunt is also tremendous, the pathway directors always seemed genuinely invested in my personal hunt, and I felt like they were extremely available for help before and after the program. I have been pushing my friends to look at it, it was an incredible experience, even fully remote. In the end the job I found more than tripled the salary of my last job, it really probably is the best decision I've ever made.

In terms of curriculum and education, this Bootcamp has what you need for sure. I came out of it prepared for the majority of interviews and with many projects to demonstrate my work to potential employers. They don't get into high-level concepts like code efficiency however. Most employers I spoke to understood I would have a limited understanding of that, but some technical assessments had an efficiency variable to them that I always struggled with. There are certainly concepts that you need to research on your own to push your employability over the edge. One negative thing I will mention is that the instructors are gearing their expectations of you toward people with very little experience in technology. As someone with a technology background, I could have been pushed much harder, but instead, I was often assured that the work I was doing was difficult and time-consuming and to not push myself too hard. I'm sure that advice is much-needed for many Bootcamp students, but I think one major failing of the curriculum was not treating differently the students who were excelling, and sometimes I could feel stagnant. The best way to make up for this is to help others who are struggling a lot. It gives you confidence and a better overall understanding of the content while helping out your newfound friends. Teaching us to pair program and "mob" were invaluable, and I talked about my love for those styles of programming with many interviewers who were excited to see a team-player and someone who could easily fit into a team. 

I want to end by saying that by far the most valuable part of this bootcamp is the Pathway Program (Job-search assistance program). Tech Elevator has connections to an incredible amount of tech companies in their locale, and the support that I got after graduation was comprehensive and always available. I wouldn't have landed the job I did without being set up for success by the Pathway team. Not only do they help you prep your interview skills, resume, etc., but they will often land you direct interviews with employers whether or not you had formally applied there. The chances you get to prove yourself in interviews are numerous, and the Pathway team never stops providing those opportunities until you get a great offer. They even have connections to tons of hiring managers directly so they can help put on you on the right track when places are starting to hire or looking for something specific. I'm really happy with my choice to attend Tech Elevator. I'm confident I made the right choice in Bootcamp, and I have now received an offer to be a Software engineer with a credible company, sporting the best salary I've ever had. 

Tech Elevator is a wonderful program that allows you to grow close with your fellow students while developing both coding and behavioral soft skills.  The program is diverse in its curriculum and provides extensive assistance with job placement critical for junior developers new to the field.

Tech Elevator's fully remote program is incredibly accommodating, especially in these times of health concerns and increased social distancing. To ensure all students start with the necessary tools, Tech Elevator will send a laptop (and optional extra monitor) pre-loaded with all the necessary software that will be used for class. Should any issues arise, tech support is fast -- they understand that the bootcamp moves quickly through concepts and lessons, so tech issues, if they arise, are usually resolved within a week.

Though the description says the program lasts 14 weeks, there are about 2 weeks of pre-work to complete before classes even begin. For those jumping in with no coding experience, significant time should be devoted to the pre-work.

The first 2-3 weeks of classes cover basic concepts of coding as well as basic syntax and logical methods. Again, it's important to note that for those with no prior coding experience, devote your time to the bootcamp and utilize your study groups. These first few weeks are intense -- they don't use the word "bootcamp" lightly; IT IS A BOOTCAMP. Trust that if you can make it through the first 2 weeks, you will have what it takes to make it through the whole program.

The Pathway Program (Tech Elevator's career program) is only as valuable as the effort put in. Your career coach will meet individually and review your resume, LinkedIn, and elevator pitch in depth, often highlighting and fleshing out details that make one stand out from the rest. There are also events in which hiring managers come to showcase their companies and students are put fact-to-face with recruiters. Because of these events, it's not uncommon for some students to receive an offer even before graduating the program. Again, it should be emphasized that this Pathway Program is only as valuable as the effort put in.

Finally, after graduation, alumni still receive career support for up to six months to land that first coding job. Personally, it was about 10 days after graduation until I received my first offer.

To sum up, Tech Elevator is for those looking for a career change in tech, can afford the tuition, and most importantly, can afford to focus on classes/homework/projects full time for 16 weeks (including the 2 weeks of pre-work). It most definitely takes a lot of commitment, but if completed, the results are worth it.

I graduated from the summer 2020 Java cohort in August and had a great experience! My 14 weeks were fully remote due to COVID-19. While I was bummed to miss out on the in-person experience, I had no issues learning or interacting virtually with fellow students, instructors, and staff. My instructor was extremely knowledgeable, and took the time to try and understand my specific thought process before just giving me a one-size-fits-all answer. The coursework was challenging, but not to the point that it felt punishing. I learned all the skills I needed in order to land my first job as a developer. The gem of Tech Elevator is the Pathway program. I came to the cohort with what I thought was a STELLAR resume. Wrong. So wrong. The Pathway program is vital to landing a job. From resume revamping, to elevator pitches, to mock interviews - I felt so prepared and comfortable when it came time to actually interview for jobs I was interested in. At the end of the cohort, I ultimately accepted an offer from an employer I interviewed with as part of the match making process. I would (and do) recommend this program to anyone interested in a coding bootcamp. Wherever you land, please make sure there is some version of the Pathway program!!

Before Tech Elevator, I have zero prior coding experience, but I was interested in making the career change to software development after having had the interest for a long time, but not acting on it.  I began doing research on coding bootcamps to determine if they were legitimate or not, and I heard mixed reviews.  What set Tech Elevator apart for me was the curriculum, their career services, and most importantly, their commitment to their students.

When I first started at Tech Elevator, I had no idea what to expect, but I was quickly overwhelmed by the avalanche of information that was dumped on me.  The experience is not for the faint of heart, but because of my drive to change my life and career, I embraced the challenge. 14 weeks later, I graduated, and was able to secure a position with an investment firm as an entry level developer using the tools and resources Tech Elevator provided.

If you are interested in a career in software development, I can't recommend Tech Elevator enough.  They will provide you with all the tools you need to succeed, however, it is your job to put the work in.  If you do, you will get the results you are looking for.  

I'm going to do a full breakdown below my review, because I wish someone had done that when I was researching Tech Elevator (TE). Here I'll just do a generic review: TE is incredible. Their process for admittance almost guarantees that if you are admitted, you're capable of completing the program. The instructors, pathway directors and anyone else you come into contact with are fully committed to your success. It's clear that it drives them from day one of the program. When you're in week 10 you'll think back to the questions you asked in week one and you'll be awed by how patient the instructors are, from start to finish. This is something you'll read over and over again, but it's true: the Pathway program is what separates TE. You can be the best developer in the world, but if you don't interview well, you're not going to get a job. This sentiment is important to remember, because when you start the program, most students (myself included) are so focused on learning code that the Pathway events tend to be an afterthought. This is fine for the first half of the cohort, but after that, your focus needs to shift. Which brings me to my "but..." part of the review: 

I was surprised to find that many fellow students had at least a bachelor's degree. I did not. I received and accepted a job offer two months after graduating, but I believe it would have been quicker for me if I had a degree. One issue with COVID is that less companies are hiring; so while you will be happy for your classmates that find jobs, in some cases you'll be going after the same job. In those cases, everything else being equal, if I was a company I'd choose the student who also had a degree. Something to keep in mind and a reason to push yourself harder, especially with regard to Pathway. Someone without a degree may get less interviews, so knocking those interviews out of the park is critical.

Overall going to TE was one of the best decisions I've ever made. The staff, fellow students, alumni and other partners (hiring and not hiring) are all amazing and all root for you to succeed. You come out of TE with a full blown starter kit for a tech career: technical skills, soft skills and a network. If you're thinking about doing it, do it - it was less work for me than the full time job that I left, and I got to learn new skills that I'm passionate about. The biggest determining factor for how the cohort will go for you is how quickly you "get it" - the instructors reference it early on, but some people can navigate the cohort successfully putting in 40 hours per week. Some need 60 hours per week. Some in between. The interesting thing is that you can struggle all cohort and feel like you're not getting it as fast as other people, and then it's possible to land a job immediately if you nail the interview, which is why Pathway is so critical. I cannot recommend Tech Elevator enough.



Below I will break down the cohort from my perspective to give a better idea of what you may be getting into (note: the curriculum can change, so this is just what I experienced in the Summer 2020 cohort). If you do the bootcamp, I would recommend coming back and reading this breakdown again once it starts:

It starts with attending a virtual (or in-person, without COVID) open house to learn a little about the program. From there you do a small assessment used to determine your aptitude for problem solving. If you pass that, next is a face to face interview, with a longer version of an aptitude test. If you pass those, you're in. Once accepted, you will be given some exercises to complete prior to the start of the cohort - the purpose for this is to make sure everyone starts the cohort on a level playing field (some people may have experience writing code, but most do not, so don't worry). These exercises just cover the basics. If you struggle with these, DO NOT worry - all of this is covered during the actual cohort. You will also get informed about the student book, which is a companion to the course. More on that below. You will also have a Google calendar shared with you for Pathway events and other miscellaneous events throughout the cohort.

The first week introduces the basics of coding, either in C# or Java (I did C#). If you don't know which to pick, one nice tiebreaker could be going to LinkedIn and searching for "java developer" and ".NET developer" and seeing which has more open positions. Otherwise I would tell you .NET, but that's just me. You will have lecture from 9am to anywhere between 12pm-1pm, depending on what all needs to be covered that day. The morning starts with a review of the prior day, and a quiz for you to gauge where your understanding is (this quiz does NOT impact your actual grade, it's just so you and the instructor can see how you're doing). These quizzes were one of my favorite parts of the cohort because it allowed you test the knowledge that you just learned. After the quiz it's on to new material. For COVID, these lectures are in a classroom via Zoom and were recorded - however, I found taking notes the old fashioned way helped me retain the information. Why not type them? You will have a laptop and second monitor provided by TE if you need it (I used a TV for a second monitor). You'll want the lecture on one screen, where your instructor will be sharing their screen so that you can see what they're doing and how they're doing it. You'll also want to follow along with what they're doing on your screen at the same time, so that you can get used to doing what they're doing (and what you'll need to do for your homework). For me that meant handwriting notes in a notebook, which helps me retain information anyways. Other students typed notes. Some didn't take notes. Some followed along, some didn't. Following along AND taking notes helped me, and I generally picked up on things pretty quickly, so take that for what it's worth.

Once class ends, you'll have a homework assignment and you'll want to check your calendar - there will usually be a Pathway event at 3pm. The homework assignment can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 4 hours - depends how quickly you picked up the material and how quickly you work. Once I had an assignment that took several hours, I began working on them the minute the lecture ended. One thing they caution you against is spending too much time in front of a computer - taking breaks can be good - I preferred to get everything done and then not work on anything until the next day, but I also have a 2 year old who I wanted to spend time with in the evenings. That worked for me; for others, multiple breaks helped them get through it. You'll have to figure out what works for you, and if it's in-person that probably further changes the conversation.

Remember that student book? You should read the chapter tonight or tomorrow before class for what will be covered in tomorrow's class. It helps wrap your mind around some of the concepts. Tutorials also starting coming out, and for me a good habit was book the night before, tutorial before class, class, lunch, homework, Pathway, homework, done by 5pm on most days.

I was a part of Tech Elevator's first completely remote cohort in their Cincinnati location.  It was amazing to see how quickly they became adaptable to such an unforeseeable hurdle.  The instructors are caring, passionate, and always present for help.  The curriculum is presented very professionally and covers a diverse spread of relevant technologies.  The career guidance was incredibly thorough and help was always available.  After I graduated I had regular meetings with multiple staff members who continued to do everything in their power to get me employed and connected in the tech community.  My life changed after going to Tech Elevator.

When I was getting ready to register I was reading reviews here and thinking: "This sounds too good to be true". Boy was I wrong! Tech Elevator deserves this great reputation. Everyone that works at this bootcamp is thoughtful, passionate, knowledgeable and driven to help you succeed. Every. Single. Person!! 

First: The Pathway program was helping me improve my resume, online footprint, practice interviewing as well as the Pathway directors helping find us opportunities and bringing in wonderful companies that wanted to hire us! Vinny, Ben and Katie are the kind of people you need in your corner! They're constantly looking for new opportunities for us, even after the bootcamp is over. They're always there to help or offer advice. Sometimes even after hours! and They will be looking out for you from day 1! Pathway is underrated.

Second: My instructor Steve Carmichael, is probably the best instructor I could ask for!! his teaching style was thoughtful, fun, engaging and We all found ourselves looking forward to lecture every day! Steve would always make time for me when I had more questions. He also brings a wealth of experience in the field that he so generously shared with us. I came out of this bootcamp knowing how to code. But more importantly, due to his wisdom and experience, We all left the class knowing how to continue to grow in our careers and how to continue to excel even in our first, second and third roles. This type of mentorship and wisdom is an unexpected bonus that is priceless for anyone who wants to excel! Steve is a treasure!

Third: Other instructors like Matt, Brian, John, Margaret, Rachelle and Matty were always willing to help! Even if you're not in their class, they were there for you to help you get unstuck, practice technical interviews and make sure you feel confident and prepared! 

It is obvious that Tech Elevator focuses on hiring great people. I'm happy to report that Tech Elevator also focuses on admitting great people into the program! I left the bootcamp with a huge network of talented, passionate, inspiring and dedicated peers. We worked long nights together, helped each other understand difficult concepts and became friends along the way! 

If you're reading this, please understand that you will have to work hard. However, if you are willing to do the work, this team will help you succeed. Keep in mind this all happened during COVID-19 and the odds were stacked against us. This program was worth every penny.