Avocademy

I'm currently in Career Jumpstart after completing the UX/UI Foundations program and can easily attest that this has been a life changing experience for me.  Not going to lie, I was hesitant when finding the ad for Avocademy through social media because I wasn't sure how credible this program was.  However, what I wasn't hesitant about was getting out of a career I was miserable in before and wanting to explore a creative outlet of a job that I could see myself actually looking forward to having a future in.  The mentors are amazing, the breakdown of the modules are extremely helpful, and because of all this I've been able to easily retain all the information I've learned so far in the program.  Thank you Avocademy for giving me hope in my future career!

I am a 40yr old, working, single parent who went back to school to retrain myself and stay competitive.
I have experience in media and marketing and I was attracted by the UXUI Designer career path.
The Avocademy UXUI Foundations program markets itself as a UXUI certification course that will allow you to "become a designer in 15wks".
I paid, outright, $1,800 for the program, 90% of which consisted of links to third-party free content on youtube and free articles/blogs on the internet. I completed the program and received a certificate. Which, I could have learned all of it independently by myself. It was a completely gut-less program where students were essentially paying to teach themselves the material while helping Avocademy create the program and work-out “bugs” as we went along.  Upon "graduation" I was told that in order to be actually "career ready" I would need to complete the 6 month Avocademy Career Jumpstart program where I would work on "real world projects" that I could put on my portfolio in addition to my capstone project from my prior Foundations course. In addition and most important to me was the promise of career support and the guarantee of a job or the program would be free.
Prior to accessing the Jumpstart program students were required to either pay up front or sign an agreement to pay Avocademy $500 a month for 13months.
I signed paperwork to pay Avocademy after I completed the program because there was a job guarantee and I would be able to afford the payment in my new career.

The Career Jumpstart program was awful from onset. I did two (2) real world projects for Avocademy for free and received conflicting, subjective instruction from many different "mentors" and instructors. There were so many holes in the program and turnover with staff that the school had to admit that they were still working out kinks.

I never landed a job despite over a thousand applications. The job market is oversaturated and rapidly shrinking. However, Avocademy is saying that I still owe them $6,500 and are threatening to send me to a debt collector if I don't pay.

There is more but I don't know if I have the room for all the things that are wrong with this sham school.

This whole process was predatory, misleading and fraudulent but you don't have to take my word for it. Look them up on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/UX_Design/comments/x8hyvv/raw_honest_review_of_avocademy/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1

I’d love to speak on my journey.  My timeline of starting Avocademy in January of 2022, starting Career Jumpstarts in January 2023 to landing THE job July of 2023 is surely a much different (longer) experience than most lol… I had to learn on my own time while life was busy happening.  
Even though I took more time than I planned originally, I never quit, and Avocademy never quit on me!!  So now I’m working in a career that values my unique background unlike any employer I’ve known.  This was the big break I had been dreaming of!
As a neurodivergent artist being accustomed to Hollywood use and abuse…I don't know how I would have developed the business confidence or figured out how to get myself to 6 figs on my own. 

To Maca and the Mentors: Thank you SO MUCH for sharing your experiences, knowledge, and hand-holding me to the finish line!

I was a recent grad in May 2023. I loved how Avocademy was casual yet provided expert level knowledge. It didn’t feel too robotic in a sense where they treated me like a real person/student they’re mentoring. The mentors always gave me helpful feedback and were willing to ask all of my questions no matter how silly. There were some things that I wanted to offer as constructive criticism to Avocademy, but I noticed they already changed those things. I notice Avocademy is always adapting according to their student’s needs and to me they feel authentic

I was a teacher and needed a change. I completed Avocademy's Foundations UX/UI Design course and then decided to continue with the Career Jumpstart program. The combination was an incredibly valuable experience. The Foundations course was a lot of information to study and it was foundational information. The Career Jumpstart course was key to helping me gain real-world experience and build an impressive portfolio. I was very prepared for my web project manager job, which includes design work and project management. I am able to bring the most current industry standards to my new role. In both courses, there was unlimited access to mentors and people who were encouraging and offered feedback. It was hard to learn all the information and to put in the hours but it was worth it. 

I recently attended Avocademy's UX/UI Foundations program and had a great experience. The mentors provided a wealth of knowledge and experience that was invaluable. They gave us a deep dive into the fundamentals of UX/UI design and provided hands-on exercises to apply the concepts. The mentors were engaging and available for any questions or concerns. Overall, I gained a lot of information and skills and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to learn more about UX/UI design. I also joined the Career Jumpstart program which is going extremely well, you get so much help and support! I was apprehensive about doing a Bootcamp but honestly, my future now looks bright! 5 stars.

Avocademy was easy to follow. They give you all the tools, unlimited mentorship, and a community to help you through this. Although some mentors lacked experience, many were helpful and knew what they were talking about. YOU are responsible for your success in the course, they give you the tools, and it's up to you to use them and set the time to study independently. The pricing is incredible, and they are overall very flexible and want to help you. I appreciated how supported I felt through all the different aspects of the course. Changing industries and starting a new career is scary, and that was important to me to be part of a community that understood me. I successfully got a job as a UX Designer, and I couldn't have done it without Avocademy.  

I completed Avocademy's UX/UI foundations course in May 2023 and now I'm working through their Career Jumpstart program and I have enjoyed it all so far! Maca was very intentional in creating this program and has set up the foundations course in a way that makes you confident in your ability to transition into UX/UI. It was great to have mentors available to help throughout the process to answer any questions you have whether it be design related or to learn more about what the "day in the life of a UX/UI designer" looks like. Overall the foundation's course was very informative and gives you a great idea of what being a UX/UI designer is all about. 

Avocademy provided me with the necessary tools and support to embark on a successful career transition. Through my self-teaching efforts, I recognized the significance of having a structured learning environment and expert guidance to maintain my focus. Avocademy caters to a wide range of learning styles and boasts exceptional mentors who inspire and motivate you to reach your full potential. I acquired extensive knowledge about empathy and prioritizing the user's experience, as Avocademy guided me through the entire app design process with a user-centric approach. Each module and assignment offered the valuable opportunity to receive feedback from industry professionals, ensuring the development of my skills by learning from experienced individuals. Upon completing the program, I have a comprehensive portfolio showcasing a compelling case study, and I am eager to continue building upon the foundational skills provided by Avocademy. I wholeheartedly recommend Avocademy to anyone interested in making a career transition to the field of UX/UI design.

Career Jumpstart gave me all of the tools I needed to successfully find my first UX job. They give you real client projects that you can showcase in your portfolio. These project allowed me to get a better idea of what working with clients is like, managing deliverables and deadlines, and also gain the experience of leading your team! There are also so many resources available to help you succeed and mentors that are available to answer any questions you may have. I feel confident and excited to start my job and grow as a designer!

I had a stressful experience because of poor directions primarily. some mentors give contradicting feedback or feedback is given in the wrong order. you are committed to resubmitting your assignments until you receive an approval instead of a grade which becomes very toxic. in some cases, I had more design knowledge and experience than some of the mentors. the course does not acknowledge grey areas in design rules and the modules need major updating. I am glad for the experience but unfortunately you get what you pay for. Also I was rejected for career jumpstart because I was assertive throughout the course. If you take the ux/ui foundations, be prepared to waste time re-doing things that you could have done well in the first couple of tries if the instructions were better. I gave a ton of user experience feedback and recommendations to avocademy and I have no doubt in my mind that some of my advice was heeded.

With a lot of experiences in life, you get out what you put in. Career Jumpstart offers a lot of the resources you'll need to build a solid portfolio and to launch your job search. They hold daily calls, you can book mentor sessions easily, and the peer community is full of amazing people. That said, the program doesn't hand hold. One has to take accountability and initiative to make the best use out of all the resources CJ has to offer. Changing careers is not easy but Career Jumpstart and the people there kept me afloat all the way to my first job offer 8 months into the program! 
One more great part of the experience, they do their research on what helps job seekers communicate their strengths/values best. They make tweaks to their curriculum that address the evolving job market as necessary. Last thought, the only red/yellow flag in my book is that they don't share the percentage of students who get UX jobs after [X] amount of months applying.