Tech Elevator

At 35 I was looking for a change in my career.  I knew I had the heart and intelligence to be a Software Developer, but I wanted to have some training before starting down a whole new road.  Tech Elevator is an excellent choice, both for its educational experience, and its job search support.  Steve Carmichael was my instructor, with Kevin Teos as our Academic Fellow.  Steve guided us through OOP, APIs, and application design.  Both Steve and Kevin were available to help us after class with questions, and we usually used some class time for review.  The material is difficult, and the course is fast-paced, so it is meant for students who can commit the time and effort.  There are options for financial assistance, and Maddy Miller did a fantastic job as my advocate as I pursued my options.  Katie Moore and Vinny Sanfillippo helped me regularly with questions and check-ins related to job searching and highlighting my best qualities.  I will also say here, if you are serious about finding a new career in Tech, your best options are listening to what they say and buy in completely.  

I found what I was looking for in Tech Elevator, and I hope you will, too!

If you are looking for a career switch into IT, you are at the right place!
This was not for the faint of heart. The program was very intense and fast-paced, and sometimes overwhelming, but the entire TE team was super supportive and invested in the students. I never imagined I could learn so much in 14 weeks. Steve Carmichael was my instructor, and he was awesome! He kept the lectures fun, even when the material got really difficult. He knew when to push us, and when to give the pep talk. The Pathway Program was a big help for me, as I came from a field where the job seeking process is completely different from a standard interview. I had Katie Moore as my main Pathway director, and she was extremely helpful and knowledgeable to all the questions I had. 

One of the perks in Tech Elevator is its connection with hiring partners. Throughout the cohort, different companies came and talked about their mission, culture and answered our questions. In week 11 and 12, students had the chance to select which companies they would like to interview with, and TE would help set up those initial interviews. I know some of my classmates received an offer before graduation, and I just received mine as well - a week and half after!
Last but definitely not least, I got to meet so many wonderful people of all backgrounds throughout this journey. This was the best decision I have made in my life, and I recommend Tech Elevator 100% to anyone who is considering that career switch! 

You get out what you put in to Tech Elevator. The whole team is dedicated to helping you start a new career in the tech field, and the support doesn't end when you graduate. It's fast paced and intense, but if it wasn't, they probably wouldn't call it bootcamp. Making connections with staff and fellow classmates is a fun experience as well. I accepted a job offer during the final week of the program, with a significant jump in income compared to my previous workplace. I should also mention I do not have any sort of degree---something I was worried about prior to starting, but if I can land a job without, anyone can (provided they put in the work).

I put all my eggs into the Tech Elevator "basket", and it really paid off. Scholarship opportunities do exist, though they seem to be distributed unevenly by which campus you plan on attending, and I was fortunate to get one. The bootcamp was really fast-paced and intense. I was stressed out a lot, but I pushed through. Happy to say that with two weeks left in the bootcamp, I accepted a job offer making significantly more than I was pre-Tech Elevator. I ended up with two offers in total and withdrew from the final round of interviews with two other companies. I think about half of my cohort will have an offer in hand on graduation day, but staff will support and coach you post-graduation for six months while you look.

I don't have too much to say about Tech Elevator besides that they're the real deal. Their stellar instructors who will be available until late hours to help with capstone projects, their pathway program which truly preps you to be star interviewer and just the culture of being surrounded by peers and facility who want this for you as much as you do.
I stared my journey with computer science 7 years ago and I at points tried to give up because completing 4 year degree didn't seem possible for me. I took the plunge and applied to Tech Elevator's National Live Remote Cohort in January of this year. Just today I accepted an offer with a base salary over double anything I have ever made in my life to work for my dream company in my dream field. 
I remember reading these reviews 6 months ago with starry eyes barely daring to dream this could be possible, but Tech Elevator helped make it possible.
If you're willing to risk it on a full time boot camp to get into the field of your dreams then Tech Elevator is the program you should trust. 

My only two honest criticisms is the mock technical interviews could be harder (but please note for entry level, many companies weigh your behavioral responses infinitely more than what you already happen to know technically. I did not even have a proper technical interview or coding challenge for the position I accepted.) and while the remote campus is convenient, your employment outcome is heavily impacted by where you live. If you do the remote campus please meter your expectations for employment outcomes based on the tech market where you live and if you are open to relocation. 
This is not magic or a get rich quick scheme. Everyone with these stellar outcomes worked incredibly hard and had aptitude that employers could recognize. 

Background:
 I have a degree in Computer Science and Engineering and also worked as a software engineer in Accenture, India for 5 years (2007 - 2012) in a very cool technology called SAP PI. I came to the US on a dependent visa in 2012 which meant I had no eligibility to work here. I also had some personal reasons to take a break at the same time so it kind of worked. I finally got my work permit in Dec 2017 and I tried to get back into the same technology but found it very hard owing to the gap I had and also because SAP PI had advanced so much in those years. For a while, I kept trying in the same domain but finally decided to switch paths. I applied for Business Analyst and Testing roles but still had no luck. I heard of TE but having been a stay at home mom for 9 years, I felt under confident to go back to coding. But I also knew I had to do something hard if I wanted to change my life.

Early days:
My coding background definitely helped me get through the overwhelming curriculum. I also had two kids ( K and 3rd grade doing cyber school) to manage. If you are new to tech, you have to start preparing in advance to be most successful. New topics are learnt everyday and there is homework ( academic and pathway) to be done on weekends as well so knowledge of some topics in advance would make things less stressful.

Curriculum, Instructor and class mates:
The curriculum is brilliant - it would essentially teach you to solve problems so that you can navigate even if you end up in a different technology. My instructor Walt was the epitome of patience, knowledge and a gentle nurturer - being his student was life changing. Now I know how great teacher look like!  All of my classmates were amazing in their attitude, willingness to learn and help others and the desire to succeed in life. I have picked up so many things in addition to tech-know-how from this course! 

Pathway:
I realized why I couldn't crack my previous interviews after all the lessons we were taught in Pathway! I was doing it all wrong! Stephen and Ellen genuinely cares for the students and puts in so much effort perfecting our pitches, resume, LinkedIn etc. They really make you ready by week 10 so that you know how to answer STAR questions and put your best foot forward. Honestly, I can't recommend this course enough!

This boot camp is just mind blowing for its curriculum, the amazing and dedicated staff and the outstanding people you will get to meet! Go for it!

As someone nervous about switching career paths entirely, Tech Elevator really helped me thrive on my new journey. I felt like the information learned at Tech Elevator is extremely relevant to the current development world and the way in which the material was introduced was very digestible for someone with little to no programming background. The most evident attribute made clear to me throughout the whole program is that Tech Elevator is passionate about having their graduates succeed. They want you to find a job ASAP after their program and they help you to get there by providing whatever resources they can. If you invest 100% into the program you will get every benefit out of it and they will help you achieve those goals. The staff is absolutely excellent. The instructors are extremely knowledgeable, the pathway directors are a wealth of support and the entire team clearly wants you to succeed. The remote setting was still very engaging and well structured and the networking opportunities are invaluable. I took another bootcamp upon landing my first job and it became evident to me how much better the Tech Elevator environment and instructors were from that bad experience. The only slight negative for me personally was that being located on the West Coast, the Tech Elevator network has not quite expanded as much to my area. They are really established in the mid-west and have excellent connections there. However, they are branching out and with the shift to a more remote/online work environment, opportunities are easier to find all over the country. 

 If you are seriously considering a shift into the development world you should absolutely apply to Tech Elevator, I know I'm glad I did.

For several years I had been interested in learning how to code, and I was introduced to Tech Elevator by a childhoold friend who was the then Campus Director. She called me to see if my current employer would be interested in hiring junior devs, however that department wasn't in Cincinnati. In any case, she was able to give me great insight on the program, and I trusted her since we went way back. When circumstances finally aligned I applied and was accepted (I actually applied twice and was accepted twice, but timing didn't line up the first time). 

I can't say enough good things about the training. I felt they did a really great job even though we were still in the midst of the pandemic and everything was remote.

After graduation the pandemic was still going and I felt like I was slugging through the hiring process without much success. However, I met regularly with my Pathway Director who helped me continue to tweak my resume, update my LinkedIn and offer her expertise with my job hunt. She also continued to match me with prospective employers when the opportunity would arise. And, finally it happened. I got an offer about 5 months after graduation. 

I come from a sales background, and I understand the importance of delivering on the expectations that I would set for new customers. Tech Elevator certainly delivered on the expectations they set.

Finally, I know people from my class who still haven't gotten a job in tech. They make up that small percentage of people who it doesn't happen for in six months, but I feel pretty confortable in saying that it isn't for a lack of effort on Tech Elevator's part. Tech Elevator has the curriculum and the support to help people transition in to tech; all that is required from you is effort!

last 4-5 years I was trying to join the coding world - never had proper training -- after that, the best decision I took is to join Tech Elevator. They just didn't teach me coding but the way it's used in real-life jobs.  Perfect course structure in Covid timing -- I was doing National Live Remote - but I never felt that it's an online course - from Sococo to slack - my instructor Andy Chong Sam is always there for us even late at late evening. I also like to thank Margaret Green for covering all my needs. Besides learning, I also had great advice on job preparation from Peggy. And after graduation now I got an offer and I will join there in June 2021. It's like dream come true and thank Tech Elevator for that.

I'm pleased to say that two weeks after graduating from Tech Elevator in April 2021 I was offered and accepted a job testing the software for the infotainment systems in vehicles at Honda R&D Marysville. If it weren't for Tech Elevator I would never have had this opportunity. My family and I could not be happier with my decision. If you're considering attending Tech Elevator but have some questions, keep reading to see what I thought of my experience. Spoiler-alert: It was the best decision I've ever made for my career.

Throughout my adult life I was in and out of college, never really knowing what I wanted to do. I failed time and time again pursuing a degree so I decided to put that on hold and advance my career in the food service industry. I learned a lot, and earned a living wage, but I wanted more for myself and my family. I wanted options in what career I could pursue, and what companies I could apply to. I wanted to challenge myself to complete something difficult, but worthwhile. So after 14 years serving food and managing restaurants I decided to take a complete 180 and move into the tech industry, and that started at Tech Elevator.

I had a few options to choose from for coding bootcamps, but I landed on Tech Elevator for a few reasons. For one, the graduation and job placement rates were impressive (and yes, they are accurate). Being a father of 3 meant I needed to find a good job fast after graduation, and Tech Elevator provided that through their unique pathway program. Starting in the application process to Tech Elevator, before you even attend your first lecture, you meet with a pathway director to discuss your goals and see if the bootcamp is a good fit for you. Throughout the program you are given hands-on help with writing your resume, crafting your elevator pitch (a 45 second mini-speech on who you are and what you bring to the table for prospective companies), and building your LinkedIn profile. You also get to meet future employers in group settings, and in real, one-on-one interviews. I had 7 interviews before the program was over, and I know many of my classmates had job offers even before graduation, it's not uncommon! To top it all off, they will support you officially for up to 6 months after you graduate (but unofficially for as long as you need their help).

Another reason I chose Tech Elevator is because their name is respected in the tech industry. Almost every single employer I talked with said that they keep coming back to Tech Elevator because they've hired high quality candidates from their graduate pool in the past. Simply being a graduate of Tech Elevator will help you get your foot in the door because employers know that it takes a person who is driven to learn and succeed to complete the bootcamp, and at the end of the day that's what matters in the tech industry.

One fear I had going into it was if I could even finish the bootcamp. My track record with school hadn't been great, and this was an entirely new industry for me. Fortunately, the curriculum has been masterfully built. You learn a lot of content at break-neck speed, but every concept builds on what you've learned so far. It just works. Not to mention the instructors are all experts in the field.

The last thing I want to say is that what blew me away most, besides the amazing pathway program, and the phenomenal curriculum, was the dedication of the staff at Tech Elevator. Everyone from the administrators, to the directors, to the instructors and their assistants were available whenever you needed them (even most nights and weekends!) to help you with anything. It could be help with a coding assignment, or even if you just need an ear to talk to when you're feeling overwhelmed. The program is indeed hard, but the support available and offered to you is out of this world.