Full-Time Java Coding Bootcamp - Remote

The staff at Tech Elevator are amazing.  Our instructor had many years of relevant experience and made himself available to help when we needed it.  The course content was difficult and really pushed me past what I though my limits were.  The job placement portion was top notch also.  Throughout the cohort they had several high level people from major companies speak with us.  They also had technical and behavioral mock interviews with real companies, and help match making sessions to get us in front of companies that were hiring.  

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.

Before attending Tech Elevator, I was working as a server and in retail jobs. I never finished college and found myself in a loop of lower wage jobs and was considering going back to school, but my degree was in the arts and it didn’t seem like the most sustainable career route for me considering I had watched many of my friends graduate with BFA’s and even MFA degrees fall into the same spiral of customer service jobs. I wanted to enhance my career opportunities, but I did not want to get stuck in a dull job that would not allow me to be creative. I came across Tech Elevator via a friend who was attending and some online ads and thought I would look into it, so I attended an Open House in Detroit. The Open House was run by Margaret, one of the instructors and I really enjoyed it. It reminded me of being back in college classes and it was very engaging. I immediately knew that I had to look more into coding. (Side note, I had very minimal coding experience prior to this bootcamp aside from making my own Tumblr themes in high school, which I didn’t even know was coding at the time lol!) When I got home, I decided to look into some free coding resources online such as freecodecamp (I would highly recommend messing around on there if you are considering Tech Elevator) and SuperHi. Shortly after this, I decided to set up my admissions interview with Tech Elevator and anxiously awaited their response. A few weeks later I heard back from Jeff (the campus director) that I got in and I continued to self teach until the course pre work began. I attended the Summer 2020 cohort of Tech Elevator, so Coronavirus did cause our entire cohort to be remote. Initially, I was a bit nervous to start remotely, since there seems to often be a “human” aspect that is missing with online classes in my experience. I was very impressed with how Tech Elevator handled the remote learning experience. Lectures were live on Zoom and the instructors made themselves CONSTANTLY available for homework after class and would hang out in their zoom “classrooms” for extra help and study questions. Additionally, I feel like my cohort as a whole really took advantage of the resources available to study together (Zoom, Google Hangouts, Jitsi, etc). It was surprisingly very easy to build bonds and friendships with people and every day students would spend time hanging out after class in a Zoom working on homework and helping each other with questions or just shooting the breeze. The Pathway Program was a huge selling point to me when deciding on this bootcamp, especially considering my background was mostly in food service and not as much in professional career-type jobs. I found this part of the program equally as challenging as the coding, but also SO BENEFICIAL. Caitie, my Pathway Director put in a lot of extra time coaching me on interview prep especially and was always there to answer any questions I had about presenting myself to possible employers. I am now 6 weeks post graduation from this bootcamp and I already have a job! If you had told me this would be my reality a year ago, I would not have believed you. Tech Elevator has changed the course of my life for the better and exceeded my initial expectations by helping me get a Web Developer job so shortly after graduation and during a pandemic and down trodden economy nonetheless. If you have the opportunity to attend Tech Elevator DO IT! It’s 4 months of forcing yourself to learn sometimes difficult concepts everyday (often for 10+ hours a day), but if you commit those 4 months to the program, it WILL pay off. 

Tech Elevator was great all around. I had some coding experience coming in, but really it was just some classes I took in high school and college. Basically I could declare a variable and understood some basics like if statements and loops. But the school was really great with all students no matter what their skill level coming in. Andy and Margaret (the instructors) were always available to answer questions and help anyone who needed it. Plus the pathway program really helped prepare me to find a job. Matter of fact, when I got my offer, the recruiter had even told me how they've always had good experiences with Tech Elevator grads so it almost certainly increased my likelihood of getting picked.