Helio Training

I've started attending part time helio course in September of 2017 and i'm scheduled to complete the course at the end of January 2018. Before i go into details about the bootcamp let me tell you one thing. Any bootcamp you attend will teach you a lot but the majority of what you learn will be on your own in some coffee shop or at home. Your study time alone is where it all clicks and starts to make sense. This bootcamp has given me more direction on what to learn rather than teaching me everything i know. I wouldn't have attained the level of knowledge i have now without the push from helio but like i said a lot of what i know i learned when i was alone and studying. I only say that cause i see a lot of people posting reviews with complains that they didn't learn anything. It impossible for anyone to teach the volume of information to complete competency in the time period of the course. You have to put the work in if you want to be successful. So back to helio. The course focuses heavily on React (a front end javascript framework) you learn very little html and css in the beginning but the course starts out slow so you have time to focus on those languages and kind of grow your knowledge of them. It also focuses a lot on the back end and some great technologies to be used there. After a while it starts to pick up and you have to take a lot in, in a short amount of time. But the instructor (Tyler) was very informative and helpful and the mentors were very competent and helpful as well. We finished the curriculum about two months into the course and we have been working on our projects since and will present them during the last week of the bootcamp. All except a few classmates were roughly on the same level, a few below, a few above the average skill level. I was able to receive a web dev job halfway through the course and i owe part of that to helio. To sum it up helio has been amazing and taught me a lot but it more gave me a guide of what to teach myself and how. If you're looking to have everything taught to you look into a four year CS degree. But if you want to learn everything quickly understand that you need to work harder than you every have before. Helio has been amazing to me and i would recommend it to anyone thinking about pursuing a web development career. 

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I participated in the full-time 'immersive' class at Helio and found the class to be very beneficial in jump-starting my new career as a developer. The course is structured well and includes some of the latest technologies to get you started quickly in the industry. The syllabus is always being considered and revised to keep up to date with the demands of the market, which you can take advantage of up to a year after you graduate.

The instructors at Helio are knowledgeable and cover more than just the how-to of coding, they also spend time discussing career services, how to write your resume for a job in tech, and even assist with mock-interviews.

I would definitely recommend Helio to anyone interested in learning how to be a developer.  

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I just graduated from the Full Time, Full Stack class. I didn't know anything about computers and was worried about not being able to get a job or learn what I needed to know. Halfway through the class I started to fall behind but didn't really know how far and others were falling so I thought I wasted my money. I thought about quitting but didn't have the money for any other learning so I stuck it out. I am pleased to say that I am happy for sticking it out, while I still need to learn a lot more. I was able to make a pretty good project and in that hands on experience, I learned a ton and it gave me a good idea of what to learn next. Helio allows you to come back to learn whatever they are teaching and I have been coming back three times a week since my class ended. I also got a job in the industry. I plan to attend the next cohort during the JavaScript lessons to better grasp the language. While Helio is not perfect, one thing they have proven to me is that they truly care that you are successful in getting your foot in the door, and if you don't feel you're ready they will continue to help you.       

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This is an AWESOME course and would definitely recommend it! I met with multiple bootcamps and did my research for months before deciding to attend Helio and am glad I did. I came into this course with no prior knowledge of javascript and very little knowledge about html and css. There is a lot of material covered right from day one, which should be expected since it is a 13 week full stack web development course. It is not an easy course and goes at a fast pace so putting in extra hours after class happens daily. 

The instructor is extremely knowledgeable about web development, can answer any question and is wiling to help whenever needed. The best part about Helio is they have teachers who have been in the industry so they don’t just teach you what you need to know, they also show you best practices and what you are going to experience in industry. Their curriculum covers all the latest and greatest javascript so you don’t learn old practices and soon-to-be outdated syntax, which other bootcamps I looked at did not do that.

As far as career services go they have a full time person who works with Neumont students and Helio students to help with resumes, linkedin, job searching and anything you could ask for as far as finding a new job and they are very helpful. 

Overall it has been a challenging, fun and worthwhile experience and I would recommend it to anyone willing to put in the work! 

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I entered this course with backgrounds in HTML, CSS, some JavaScript, PHP, a few other scripting languages.  I left this course with a much more firm understanding of Node.js, MongoDB, Hosting, and Angular.js.  Overall, this was a great class and the pricing was reasonable.  Also, I found the instructors to be extremely knowledgable as they've proven themselves in industry.  Helio's administration was equally accommadating -this ranged from Career Services help, parking validations, expectation/requirements setting, and lastly, weekly feedback checks with students.  I would recommend Helio Training to others interested in learning these technologies from a Full Stack Perspective.  

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I've never written a review that was less than positive for any company - but feel like my experience might be helpful when someone is considering which bootcamp to attend. 

I did not have a good experience with Helio - and count the $5k I used to take the first class a loss. 

For context: I took the full -Stack web development after hours course in 2019 (It's taken me awhile to get up the nerve to post a review) 

Here are some of the main issues that kind ruined the experience for me: 

1.CURRICULUM:  While the teacher was nice - there was very little structure around curriculum. It seemed like he just showed up and started talking. I had to miss the first week due to being out of the country, but according to the curriculum, the first week was covering HTML basics so I took an online course to make sure I could hit the ground running. When I arrived on the first day, however, Javascript was being covered, and it looked like they were pretty far along. I spent the first 3 hour class completely lost. 

2. ENROLLMENT: I did my research when looking at companies, and Helio's after hours class was a candidate, but I didn't commit until I talked to the enrollment counselor. Looking back, I feel mislead by what was told to me that tipped me off in the direction of going with Helio. He stated that there was a set curriculum for each course that all instructors follow (not the case for my class) and that Helio was connected with an "adult learning" company so the pedagogy would work well for those working full time and taking the class after hours. There are so many online courses for free, but I wanted a structured environment where I could work with others. 

3. KEY CARD: I was unable to get into the building for the class for three weeks. This was very frustrating and had resorted to waiting outside the front doors of the building hoping someone would let me in before the class began. I emailed (and have copies of all the emails mentioned) to ask for a key card after the instructor and the instructors assistant were unable to provide one after two weeks. I was told it was going to come soon, and still waited another week for access to the building. It's a small but rather crucial thing to be able to get to the classroom, and I didn't appreciate feeling like it was a bit of a wild goose chase to get in. 

4. OVERPROMISING and UNDERDELIVERING: While I could tell that all the students in the class were working hard - there was a dramatic and very clear difference between what was being taught and where the class was at. I was told over and over again that this was normal and expected, but it got to a point that, when told to 'work with a partner' the room fell silent because no-one knew how to do what was being asked. After I called and talked with the leadership at Helio several times, a person was sent into the classroom to ask how it was going (with the instructor gone). The feeling in the room was palpably tense and there was ALOT that people had to say, none of it positive. The Person sent in did a great job hearing all the comments, but then NOTHING changed in the actual class. Really disappointing. On the outset, it was expected that everyone do 20 hours a week outside of class (which I know not everyone did, But even when I DID put in all that extra time, it was impossible to keep up) I feel like Helio should either decrease what they are promising students will learn, or standardize the lessons so every class learns the same things and they get a better sense for pacing. There were also different "homework assignments" being given by the assistant and the instructor and there didn't seem to be any way to figure out which ones do do. 

5. PRESSURE to INVEST MORE: From the beginning, I was asked to sign up (and pay for) two classes. The after Hours 1 and 2 together are 10K. I chose to take the first class (5K) and see if it worked for me before investing more. When I was unhappy with my experience, I was told several times that I could "Retake" the class for free. That was reassuring, as I thought I could just deal with a crappy situation first time around, and take the class again in the fall. 


6. DECEPTION about REPEAT POLICY: However, when I asked to repeat the class halfway through the first one (knowing I would need the chance to revisit the curriculum before moving onto advanced material) I was told I had to pay for the second class (ANOTHER 5k) before I was allowed to take the first one over again. I have IN WRITING from the people at Helio that this was NOT in the fine print. However, on the phone it was a different story and by this point I was so thoroughly frustrated with the company I didn't know if I wanted to spent any more time interacting with them. 

From the beginning, I was clear and consistent in my communication with Helio, and I feel that I didn't receive clarity or consistency in return. I made multiple calls and probably spoke with every person on the team at some point (first to get my key card for the building, then when classmates started dropping out of the class because of curriculum mismatch, I spoke with several people in the company). 

After I was told I couldn't retake the class (which is one of their big selling points, at least when I enrolled) I asked for a refund and was denied (also another selling point.)

I would recommend Helio continue what they are trying to do, but clean up their act with how they treat students/customers. I would ask for integrity in what they promise and suggest that anyone looking to take a bootcamp consider what I've experienced. I know that many learning programs have their pro's and con's (that's actually my line of work, structuring and administering educational material) and even with a wide berth, this company failed to deliver. 

I would still appreciate a refund.  Read less

I am writing this review one year after attending Helio Training. Many of the reviews that have been written on this bootcamp seem to come from people who have recently gotten out or are still attenting. I wanted to give this review to describe the challenges, the ups and downs, pros and cons, and how Helio prepared or underprepared me for the real world in web development. 

To start off, I will say that you will not and cannot learn full stack in 13-14 weeks. It is simply impossible, no matter how many hours you spend coding, the concepts will be difficult and will take a lot of time, repetition, building up and burning down projects. With that being said, I believe Helio did not transition the concepts well and I, as a student could not grasp the concepts of Javascript very well. Since it is fast paced, and goes through fullstack, the structure itself is flawed, and leads to confusion, many gaps in knowledge, and lack in competency as a developer. I believe it is professionally irresponsible for Helio to teach fullstack in 13 weeks, it may work better for them to just have a front end course or a back end course for students to choose from and extend it out to be atleast 4 months. 

In my current position, I am a front end developer, and have struggled in the role. Obviously, your first dev job is going to suck and it will have a lot of growing pains for you. From this experience alone, I have realize that Helio has inadequately trained me. Yes, it is important and essential for devs to continuously grow and learn and make this a lifestyle, however, it should be Helio's duty to teach us how to learn these things in a way where it is retainable, which they did not do unfortunately. What I learned from my current job is that it is essential to understand Javascript concepts, what functional programming is and why we use it. Many bootcamp grads do not have the competencies to answer this. At the end of my bootcamp, I could literally not answer concepts in regards to variables, scopes, closures, recursions, etc, you get the point. Helio also does not talk to you about how a dev oriented team operates, and that may throw you into a curveball as well. Its important to know and understand the agile process as well, but that can be learned at your first job. 

As for the career serive, it is and was helpful to me. I was able to get my resume fixed up, and had some connections made. I do wish however that the career services did more follow up and have more connections for grads to get onto. Perhaps, an apprenticeship approach may be better suited for Helio, because many of the grads are obviously under qualified for many of the jobs available in Utah and beyond. 

The instruction I recieved from Helio was disorganized. There was a curriculum laid out on paper, however it was not followed in those orders and became a bit disorganized. The classes were not started in a timely manner, and topics would pivot. The instructor was very smart and well versed in web development, but seemed to lack the passion and enthusiasm that could have really helped other students and myself. When building our projects, we were not given adequate guidance. I do wish that they could have done some group projects based on a concept we learned and build on top of those concepts in the later weeks so that the learning can be better solidifed. Projects are so important to presenting your knowledge to potential employers, so an improvement in that process should be a bigger priority for Helio.

After Helio and a year later, I realize that all the tools I need to learn are online. I spent a couple hundred dollars on codecademy and there are many paths in there to choose from ,I chose web development and data science path, and I actually have learned more from codecademy than Helio and it was $9,900.00 cheaper than Helio. So if you are considering changing careers and going into web dev, I would strongly suggest codecademy first, before considering a bootcamp.

So would I recommend Helio? They have amazing reviews, and mostly positive comments, but the positive comments are from people who come out fresh from the bootcamp,  I urge you to do more research and be more realistic. Finding a first dev job will suck, ALOT. Learning to code will take alot of time and energy, you will have to make a lifestyle change to get this information burned into your brain and Helio cannot teach you that. Can you learn these things on your own? Yes you can. Can you find a job on your own without a bootcamp? Yes you can. Can a bootcamp help? Depends. Helio and other bootcamps may add value because of the career service and people that may hold you accountable. You also work with people who are in the same boat as you. Helio also offers tuition reimbursement if you are not able to find a dev role in 6 months after graduation, however that comes with stipulations, so I would ask about that prior to joining. 

With all that being said, my final note is, just do your own research and come up with your own conclusion, ask many questions and don't feel pressured to join. It is your money at the end of the day and it is your life. 

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In my journey to learn how to code and implement these "ideas" we all have...Helio Training was the right choice! I wasn't sure where I wanted to begin my journey but I wanted to be certain the time I did allocate to this new endeavor was done the right way. 

I really enjoyed the classes from the beginning. Although, I can't emphasize how important the pre-work is to get done as you jump right into React after the initial week or two of HTML and CSS. 

I was able to create some connections with peers in the class where we continue to meet, learn, and work on projects together...I plan on continuing with the "shadowing" that's available for 12 months after you graduate from your class/cohort. 

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Our company hired some awesome Neumont grads a few years ago, so maybe I went into the class with unrealistically high expectations. As a whole, I've been very disappointed with my "boot camp" skills-upgrade experience.

First, a few things I liked. The instructors were nice guys, I liked the actual facility, and the course outline/syllabus is spot-on with what I was looking for.

My complaints. Despite the instructor being super nice, he really struggled to manage the classroom and cover the content in the syllabus. He definitely did not have the "deep industry experience" I was led to expect. This is false advertising, plain and simple. The instructor did not have significant industry experience, and struggled to explain some basic concepts. It was awkward and I felt a little bad for him.

Helio needs to figure out their classroom technology situation. This is such a fundamental part of their business, I'm surprised it hadn't been thought through. I used a Mac that I bought through them and it constantly had problems staying on their wireless network, crashing, and the display panel was damaged before I bought it. I let the instructor know about the problems and he said there wasn't much he could do to help me because he's "not a network or hardware guy". So I spent the majority of my classroom time without network/internet access. Rediculous.

Alot of time was spent talking about how great the Helio program is. It got really tacky. We were actually pushed to post lots of positive reviews on social media, and they basically told us what we should say in our posts (you'll notice the same recurring points in all the 5-star reviews...not a coincidence). If they spent more time developing a quality product, genuine good reviews would follow.

Finally, the area around their building is sketchy.  Lots of panhandlers and shady characters. After dark I felt totally unsafe walking near their offices. To the north it's pretty nice, but one block to the south is not safe at all after sundown.

If I could do it over again, I would avoid Helio.

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I just recently finished the Part-time Full-stack Web Development bootcamp with Helio.  It was a difficult but rewarding course.  I had very little coding experience prior to Helio and with an amazing instructor, mentors in the class, and all of the tools they gave me; I was able to grasp the concepts and execute a full stack web application.  I am confinent that I will be able to get a job.  The connection to Neumont University has been a huge advantage!  I would recommend this bootcamp to anyone who is serious about learning to code and wants a career.  My only caution would be that you better be ready to do the work. 

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This bootcamp has been great!  My instructors know the subject matter and I can have my questions answered anytime I ask.  Make no mistake - this bootcamp is hard and you absolutely have to put in the work.  But I'm finding my education at Helio to be extremely valuable.  When I see industry surveys and read web development articles, I can tell the Helio curriculum has been crafted to match up with the very best, current industry practices.

If you want to be a web developer, there is simply no substitute for practice.  Now that I practice coding so much, I'm able to ask very specific questions in class and this is also improving my ability to find answers online.  In fact, that is one of the key skills I've learned - how to find answers through online documentation, example code, and forums.

Overall, I rate this a great experience and I am confident I will be able to upgrade my employment based on my newly acquired skills and knowledge.  Helio is very willing to do everything possible to help me find a new job, so I'm not worried about that.  My advice to others is to come take a Helio bootcamp - but only if you are serious about working hard and practicing your coding.  If you put in the effort, it will totally worth it and you will certainly be rewarded!

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I started Helio Training with the hopes of becoming a web developer. I understood that the hard work, sacrifice and determination needed to complete the assignments and contribute to class work was going to be so much more than I imagined. So I studied, practiced coding and attended class everyday ( whether via Zoom or in class).

So far I don't feel like Helio is really worth it. It's part time instructor is incompetent. The course material has been rewritten a few times, and according to the syllabus there's no way we are going to get done in time to complete our projects. We've spent too much time in class talking about things that don't matter rather than working. I put in all this time studying and practicing and I get to class and it doesn't even matter because we're likely not going to focus on the material we're being paid to learn. Overall I feel like Helio just isn't quite there yet. Pass on this one and find yourself something better. 

 

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Helio Training bootcamps are not easy. You don't go from were I was to a full web developer in a couple months by taking it easy, but the instructors and staff are willing to do what ever they can to help you succeed. All you have to do is be willing to ask for help.

The curriculum is very different than other courses and requires a lot of personal work. They expect you to take your learning in your own hands and take the time to practice and ask for help if you don't understand. But if you struggle through it you end up not only knowing about code, but actually how to code, how you like to code, and which rescources you prefer to use. You come out of a Helio Training bootcamp not as a cookie cutter developer, but an professional with your own way of doing things. And you know how to find answers when you run into problems with your code.

The instructor was very willing to spend time outside of class to help me understand and execute difficult concepts. And all the instructors they hire are industy experts who have actually worked in the industry. No boot camp student teachers at Helio.

And while some bootcamps only provide career services and portfollio building for their part timers Helio does it for all their courses, even the online ones. 

Overall, a difficult but worthwile experience. 

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I'm reading all these reviews and I really don't understand where the negativity is coming from.  I'm learning a ton in my class and disagree with statements about how Helio represents Neumont or how instruction is not organized.  The teachers are clearly experts and they clearly care about our learning.  I love the personal approach and feel like everyone at Helio wants each of us to succeed.  We have feedback in the form of competencies that are marked off so we can see our progress.  The class is very fast paced but I wouldn't want it to slow down, there's so much to learn in a short time period so it has to be fast.  I would definitely recommend Helio to others. But only if you're serious and willing to spend the time on all the work. Like I said, it is very fast paced.

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I would recommend this bootcamp if you are looking for a challenge and really want to learn the full stack.  The instructors are absolute experts in the field, and it is great that they know some much.  The facilities are excellent and it is great to be downtown, with so much so close.  Helio exceeded my expectations.  I have to say that I observed that the most successful students in the first cohort were students that completed the assignment and spent time out of class practicing what was beeing taught.  This bootcamp is not for the faint of heart, or for someone who is not up for the challenge.  I would highly recommend if you are willing to work and be taught high-end full stack JavaScript.  The staff was very helpful and friendly.  I found that the career service help, resume building and seminars were also very helpful. I would recommend to anyone and everyone!

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I'm already a developer, but I've been stuck with old school projects for forever.  I'm finally working with a newer project so I took this class to brush up on angular and nodeJS. If you already know anything about coding, avoid Helios. The course was so basic that it was hardly worthwhile. Glad my employer paid for it, ha ha!

Not sure why they do this, but they were always talking about Neumont University and how Helios is the bootcamp version of it. It was confusing, like is Helio just a condensed version of Neumont or is it really for people like me who are just needing some skills updated? Honestly all their talk about Neumont just makes Neumont look bad.  Made it look like Helio was the kid brother trying super hard to measure up, lol.

I should mention that the instructors were great guys and knew a lot.  I think they were just given low quality junk to teach. Overall, my "bootcamp" (bootcamp? wut?) was just really disorganized and soooo painfully basic. I'd skip Helio and consider one of the many other options out there. 

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Have really enjoyed Helio. Very grateful that they put this program together. Was heavily looking at other camps, but am very pleased with my decision to try out the new program with Helio. Would definitely recommend.

Pros: The instructors' experience is invaluable. Many bootcamps focus on relevant, but older standards (Angular). The instructors at Helio have an incredible scope of cutting edge industry standards (Redux, Polymer, node.js API's, Docker Containers). They also teach the latest updates and the purpose behind the build for programs like Angular. There are pros and con to both styles, but entering the industry through Helio will make you incredibly valuable to a forward thinking employer.

Cons: The material covered is not as 'fun' as front end dev camps. It is like looking at the outside and inside of a car, or looking at the paint job vs the engine. Helio teaches how everything runs and how to make it run better so your employer can sleep at night. Not as flashy, but extremely valuable. Also not so much a con, but could be if expectations are wrong.

I personally recommend that applicants understand the scope of the course so they can set correct expectations. The focus of the course is not to teach how to make a website look good (front end), but how to make it run well. It focuses much more on website operation and interaction with API's and databases, and crafting testable code. Also expect to do research outside of class if you are new. You have to do the precourse work. I came in never having built a website and had to spend an hour or so a night going over the covered material.

Would definitely recommend to anyone with the dedication to learn difficult material. Incredibly rewarding to go from nothing to building website functions in just a few weeks.

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I've been to a couple other coding bootcamps in the area over the past 5 years, and I am not impressed with Helio. I feet like the teacher doesn't really want to be here, and (despite what their website says) definitely isn't passionate about coding. Seems really annoyed whenever someone in the class doesn't understand something. I agree with what's already been said about the weak learning materials as well.  On the positive side, the facility is nice and located close to where I work.

With so many other solid dev bootcamps in the SLC area, don't waste your time with Helio. It is a new program, but they are really struggling with the easy stuff.

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