Tech Elevator

I found Tech Elevator Detroit through a relative who took the program in Pittsburgh during the summer of 2019.  I had just graduated college with degrees in physics and music performance, but I didn't know what to do or how to get a job with them.

After my relative showed me the Tech Elevator program, I signed up for the winter of 2020 to take the 14-week course.  Truth be told, I nearly waited to take the course until the summer of 2020, but with encouragement from the instructors I managed to take the assessment, interview, receive a spot in the winter course, and complete all of the prework in a matter of a week.  Although I wouldn't recommend waiting that late to start the prework, know that the instructors at the Detroit campus helped me to navigate and complete all of the material before it was due to at least give myself one day to relax before starting class the following day.  

In my physics work, I had done some data analysis before, but nothing more.  Now, I am able to create interactive websites and small projects in Java that I never thought I would have been able to before.  Comparing the work I did for the prework to the final project I completed, I would never have though I would have made such huge improvements and strides in my learning and application of skills.

While Tech Elevator is a software development bootcamp on paper, the Pathway program they offer was also the biggest boost I could have gotten to start my career in IT.  Not only did the program help me formulate a stunning resume and LinkedIn profile, but they also worked to bring in companies from around the community to showcase their work and also arranged both mock AND actual interviews for us with them.

As a result of the help I received from the instructors and coaches from Tech Elevator, I am now working at Perficient Consulting as a technical consultant when less than a year ago I was still in college finishing my tenure there.  Tech Elevator boasts that their employed graduates receive on average a $54,000 salary as their base pay, and I can attest that I never thought I would be able to negotiate for a salary higher than that in my 20's!

If you would like to ask me any questions regarding the program, please don't hesitate to reach out to me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-c-germaine/ .

I cannot do a deep and honest comparison against Tech Elevator and other coding bootcamps because I didn't attend other bootcamps. However, what I can say is that prior to attending Tech Elevator in Columbus, Ohio I was living in North Carolina and had done months, yes MONTHS of research into dozens of coding bootcamps. I was already in the process of collecting stats on grad school programs and their various metrics such as acceptance rates, investment of time,, placement rates, cost, perceived value from employers, and so on. I even went as far as taking the GRE (Graduate Record Examination a $160 6 hour exam). That's how close I was to going to grad school to pursue a master's vs. going to a coding bootcamp.

But like I said, I already had a ton of stats on grad schools, and some call it providence, others serendipity however one day I ran across a coding bootcamp ad. I checked it out and was highly impressed by the placement rates. They were higher than the average placement rates of grad schools. I then began a rigorous study of all the best coding bootcamps, in person and on line, and settled on 4. Tech Elevator was one of the four. That was in April of 2019. And now here I am today, less than a year later (I wouldn't even be HALF WAY done with a masters program by now if I had gone that route) full fledged, full stack software engineer at JP Morgan in their Asset and Wealth Management Division. Indeed contributing code and making a difference.

You may be thinking, "Oh well you were a college graduate of course you'd be successful." Do not be so quick to judge. My family came to America when I was 5 from Nicaragua. As a consequence I didn't speak English and had learning difficulties. I failed Kindergarten and had to take ESL throughout elementary school. Eventually I would drop out of high school after the 10th grade. But obviously I eventually got my GED and realized education was the way of the future. I only mentioned this to show I'm not particularly bright or intelligent, I just put in the effort. And that's all you need to be successful here. Effort is free.

Give Tech Elevator a thorough, thoughtful and careful review. Their instructors, Steve, Andrew, John and Brian are incredible people and equally incredible teachers. They will challenge you, push you, and set you up for success. And Tech Elevator provides, bar none, the best recruitment ecosystem and team to support you. 

Attending Tech Elevator was the best career choice I ever made. I had been an attorney for about 5 years, and was feeling stagnant and dissatisfied. I became interested in software development through some friends, and started doing basic coding tutorials and web-based projects for fun. I found myself much more interested in those projects than in my work, and on the advice of some family and friends, decided to make the career switch. After researching schools in Cleveland, I landed on Tech Elevator based on its reviews and reputation. It certainly lived up to the hype! The instructors were knowledgeable and helpful, and the career support team was completely dedicated to making sure everyone put their best foot forward. The pace of the course was tough at times, but never overwhelming. And, in the moments where I did feel like I was falling behind, there was always someone to turn to ( an instructor, a TA, a fellow student, or even another staff member) who could get me past the point I was hung up on. In the end, I had an offer at my dream job shortly before graduation, and was working in the field a few weeks later. My advice to anyone considering Tech Elevator would be that, as long as you are willing to put the work in, it is a wonderful experience and THE best way to kick off a career in software development.

Short VersionAttending Tech Elevator is the best decision I could have made for my career, and it could be yours too! Read my long version below for more details, and feel free to reach out on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyledthomas/ if you have any questions for me!
 

Long Version

Attending the Tech Elevator Coding Bootcamp was the best investment of time and money I have made for my career. Because of this program, I was able to transition to a career that allows me to challenge myself, continually learn new skills and technologies, and work with some of the most intelligent and hard-working people I have ever met. I wake up genuinely excited every day to go to work and build software that makes a difference in people’s lives. I could not have gotten to this point without Tech Elevator. What makes this bootcamp so unique is what I think of as the “3 Ps”: Process, Preparation, and People. ProcessOver the course of 14 weeks, I learned more than I thought was possible in such a brief time frame. You don’t need to walk in with much experience in programming, but some exposure does help due to the fast pace of the curriculum. We started off by learning the basics of programming (“if else” statements, loops, object-oriented programming, file reading/writing, etc.) in .NET/C#. Next, we moved on to data security and relational database development and querying using SQL. After that, we started learning about client-side programming, covering topics such as HTML, CSS, MVC, and networks (servers, hosting, and requests and responses). The last module focused on JavaScript, the Vue.js front-end framework, and APIs. Tech Elevator has chosen relevant technologies based on input from local employers to ensure they are up-to-date with what companies are actually using for their software development. While graduates may not end up working in the exact same technology stack that the curriculum teaches, the program does an excellent job of teaching students to teach themselves new technologies that they may use after they start their jobs. In general, the days tend to follow a similar pattern. A morning lecture starts off with a brief review of what was learned the day before and and the instructor answers any questions the students have, followed by a short online quiz to make sure everyone understands the main concepts of the previous day’s lecture. The instructor views the results immediately, and takes a few minutes to reinforce any concepts that the class may have struggled with on the quiz. After review is over, the instructor launches into the next topic. After teaching new information, the instructor will typically walk through a code example of what was just taught and encourage students to code along to reinforce their learning. After lecture ends, most students will take a lunch break, then get started on their assignments if there is not a Pathway event scheduled that afternoon (more on the Pathway program in the next section). Most days, there is at least one individual or pair-programming assignment (sometimes both). Some students are able to finish assignments within an hour or two, and some take longer. You are welcome to stay on campus for as long as you like, but everyone in my class was usually done and headed home by 5:00 PM. At the end of each of the first three modules, students complete a mini-capstone project with a partner over the course of several days. During mini-capstone project days, there are no lectures so that students are free to spend their entire days working on the assignment. Teams are given a list of “user stories” (actions that the end user of the software should be able to perform), and then are turned loose to use all they have learned so far to complete their objectives. These were the times when I experienced the most technical growth during the program because while the daily assignments are fairly specific in how to solve a problem, capstones leave the planning up to the student, forcing them to think through how they will implement all the functions before they start to write the code. In addition, each team sits down with their instructor after completing each capstone for a code review, in which instructors will ask students to justify programming decisions, provide constructive feedback, and discuss what the students did well. It can seem overwhelming to think about the sheer volume of information that is yet to be covered while in the beginning or middle of the curriculum. My best advice is to take the program one day at a time and trust the process. It works. PreparationWhile I think that Tech Elevator does an exceptional job of teaching students the technical skills they need to secure jobs in development, teaching programming is a minimum requirement for any coding bootcamp. Where Tech Elevator really begins to elevate itself above the competition is in its resources for career preparation. Through workshops, individual mentoring, and networking opportunities, this program excels at preparing students for the job market. Each Tech Elevator campus has Pathway Directors, full-time staff members who are dedicated to preparing students for the job market. They lead workshops on resume writing and refining, interviewing, networking, comparing different types of work environments (like a startup vs. a large enterprise corporation), different types of work arrangements (like permanent employment at a company vs. working as a contractor), salary negotiation, and job application strategies, among other areas. They also sit down with each student individually several times throughout the cohort to advise them on resume edits, companies to apply to based on students’ interests, and anything else that will help students succeed in the job search. Pathway Directors bring in community members to assist with career preparation as well. The staff organizes panels of volunteers to share experiences and advice. Just a few of the panels that were the most impactful to me consisted of Tech Elevator alumni sharing their perspective on working after graduating from a bootcamp, senior developers sharing their experiences on how they were able to advance in their careers, and HR professionals sharing tips on how to best navigate relationships with recruiters. Pathway Directors also plan Employer Showcases, in which local employers will present information about working at their companies and answer students’ questions. Interviewing can be a daunting step in the application process, and Pathway Directors ensure the students are prepared by requiring students to complete several rounds of mock interviews. Community recruiters conduct mock interviews that simulate first-round general HR interviews and behavioral-based interviews. Instructors and volunteer developers in the community conduct mock technical interviews that consists of both answering technical questions and white-boarding solutions. Every cohort has a large Matchmaking Event, in which employers come to Tech Elevator so each student has the opportunity to have a first-round interview with seven or eight companies over the course of two days. Matchmaking is the pinnacle of the Pathway Program, and was one of the most exciting events of the cohort. When students begin to receive job offers, Pathway Directors are there to help navigate job offers and give negotiation advice. If students are having a hard time securing an offer, the staff does a great job of encouraging them to keep trying, no matter how hard it gets. While other bootcamps might end their career preparation services after the program ends, Tech Elevator takes pride in working with every student until they land a job. The staff even helps out with alumni who need advice on advancing to more senior jobs long after they have graduated from Tech Elevator. I felt extremely well-prepared to begin working in development after Tech Elevator thanks to the strong curriculum. However, it was the Pathway Program that helped me to land my first development role. The knowledge I gathered from the panels and workshops helped me to know where to focus my application efforts and how to tailor my applications to those employers, and the mock interviews gave me the confidence to excel in my interviews. PeopleTech Elevator has a fantastic curriculum, and the Pathway Program really begins to differentiate it from other bootcamps. However, the people are what distinguish Tech Elevator as a superior bootcamp – specifically, the staff. Completing this program will introduce you to some of the most incredible people you have ever met. Between the time I applied and when I started, the admissions coordinators were my main points of contact. They were extremely helpful and patient with me every step of the way through the admissions process, even when I was taking up a lot of their time with questions. I already explained a lot of what the Pathway Directors do in the previous section, but Tech Elevator really does an fantastic job of choosing them based on their passion for helping students to develop their soft skills and their ability to communicate. Many of them are former recruiters or HR professionals, so their perspective is invaluable to students. The Tech Elevator instructors are the staff who interact most frequently with the students, and definitely had the biggest impact on me. All the instructors are very experienced senior developers who have spent years honing their programming and communication skills. They all could be working very high-paying senior developer jobs, but they choose to spend their hours helping people transition into junior developer roles. Andrew Frank is a wealth of knowledge, and was always our favorite to go to with individual questions because of his awesome communication skills. I count John Fulton among the teachers who have impacted me most in life, which is telling since he knew me for the shortest amount of time of all the teachers I’ve ever had. The passion he has for teaching is unparalleled. I would recommend the .NET/C# path simply to develop a relationship with him. All the staff are incredible, and the Campus Director Katie Detore is the glue who holds it all together. She works tirelessly to keep the campus running, grow the network of community partners, and develop a relationship with each and every student in every cohort. She is always trying to think of ways to improve the Tech Elevator experience, and consistently meets with students to solicit their feedback. Without her, things would not operate as seamlessly as they do. Tech Elevator does a great job of teaching programming and preparing students for interviews, but I know that the relationships with the staff members will last me for my entire career. ConclusionIf you have made it to the end of this review, you can see how passionate I am about my experience at Tech Elevator. I would not be the person I am today if it wasn’t attending this bootcamp. If you are thinking about this program but aren’t quite sure if it’s a smart decision because of the time and financial commitment, I hope this review alleviates your hesitation. If you would like to ask me any additional questions, please feel free to reach out on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyledthomas/

Making a career change at 35 was a very scary choice. After years of juggling multiple part-time jobs in education and the restaurant industry, I had worked my way up to a project coordinator role at a well respected university. My job was really good. I had a steady schedule, health benefits, great co-workers, and work I believed in. But for me, something was still missing. I wasn’t being challenged or pushed to my full potential, which ultimately left me feeling unfulfilled. 
It felt a little crazy to walk away from a steady career and quit my job to attend a bootcamp. I agonized over the decision for months, comparing different options. I researched the heck out of Tech Elevator, just like you’re doing now! I was skeptical of all the positive reviews, and wary of it being a scam. I’m here to add my voice and story to the others posted here and tell you that it’s true. All of it. 
Tech Elevator’s program is extremely well structured. The education focuses on core software development concepts, coupled with practical real-world skills needed on the job such as how to work with a team together on the same code using github. By the time you graduate you literally have all the skills you need to create a web application. The career readiness program preps you for success in your job hunt through mock interviews, resume critiques, and networking and public speaking skills. And finally, TE brings in several companies for an event they call “Matchmaking”, giving you six 20-minute interviews with local companies.
I can’t stress enough how important and valuable Matchmaking is. If you’ve ever experienced the nightmare which is applying for a job, you know how difficult it is to get someone to even LOOK at your resume, let alone call you in for an initial interview. Tech Elevator gives you face-to-face interviews with companies who are eager to hire junior developers. Several of them have hired TE grads in the past and are so happy with the quality of those employees that they can’t wait to hire more. My six interviews led to four onsite interviews, which led to three job offers, all $15-20k more than I was making at my old job.
Lastly, I just have to talk about the instructors and staff at Tech Elevator. They are all so dedicated to your success and they truly believe in you. This program is really hard. You will be pushed to the limits of what you’re capable of achieving. I personally struggled a lot the first couple of weeks, but the instructors were available until late in the day to answer my questions. They reassured me that it was okay to struggle and never made me feel bad for asking them questions - and oh boy, I asked a LOT of questions! They really stuck with me until the concepts finally clicked, and I’m grateful that they put so much time into making sure my foundation was completely solid before moving on to more complex topics. 
As you can tell from this novel I’ve written, I am so passionate about Tech Elevator. It was the best decision I’ve ever made, and if you’re considering enrolling, DO IT. This program gives you everything you need to start a career as a software developer, you just have to want it. So if you have that drive, you will come out of this program with a new career.

Prior to enrolling at Tech Elevator I had no formal coding experience. I had been working mostly in customer service without a degree. I had created some small personal projects and websites so I knew coding was something that interested me, but getting a 4 year computer science degree wasn’t practical for me. After reading the glowing reviews from alumni I decided to attend an open house at the Detroit location of Tech Elevator and after hearing about their mission and path for students I knew this was the bootcamp for me. One thing that really sets Tech Elevator apart from other bootcamps is their Pathway Program. After all, you don’t just need technical skills to get a job! Throughout the program I leaned how to write a technical resume, how to use LinkedIn effectively and how to ace behavioral and technical interviews. Additionally, I was able to make many connections in the tech industry during the showcase and matchmaking events, which lead to me getting my first job in tech before I even graduated. Make no mistake, the program isn’t easy! Every day I was learning and implementing new coding skills so having a strong work ethic and ability to commit yourself totally to the program for 14 weeks is fundamental for success. However, the staff was always there to support me along the way. Anytime I needed help understanding a concept, practicing my whiteboarding skills, or assistance with my job hunt my instructors were always more than willing to help me. Throughout my 14 weeks at Tech Elevator my coding skills grew more than I could have possibly imagined. I gained the soft skills and confidence to truly sell myself in an interview, and now have a career as a Junior Developer in the eSports industry. All together, attending Tech Elevator was the best choice I could have made for myself and my career. I was able to more than double my income and improve my life significantly thanks to the hard work I put in and the staff and instructors at Tech Elevator. 

Invest in your future. 

They trust you. And you trust the process.

They give the education you need to be in the tech market and be successful. 

They care about you and will be your family.

They are honest about everything. 

Before Tech Elevator, I was a math teacher in a middle school with a little coding experience. TE helped me to get my first professional full-time job in tech. It is an intense program. Be ready for it. Knowing at least a little programming fundamentals will put you in a good position in the process and helped you to pick up the things faster. 

I admired the Pathway(Career) Program, and it plays an essential role in your job interviews(prepares you for both technical and behavioral interview) and job searches(crafting your resume). Bringing companies in, having you learn about the top tech companies in the area, and giving you a chance to interview them face-to-face without wasting your time sending job applications everywhere is the big plus. 

Long story short, you will be satisfied. TE is the best! GO Java!

 

Tech Elevator is truly everything it claims to be. I came into this program with trepidation because I come from a completely non-technical background. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to keep up or that the risk I was taking wouldn’t pay off. It’s an incredibly difficult program, but if you are determined to succeed, you will. My instructor Brian, along with the rest of the instructional staff and the Pathway team, make your success their priority and they truly have your best interests at heart. Your fellow students will also define the experience, and the environment of support that is built from everyone wanting their peers to succeed is unlike any learning environment I’ve been a part of. You will put in a lot of work, and you will need to clear out all distractions and put life on hold for 3 months. Every single day you’ll be learning something new, and you’ll be putting yourself in a lot of uncomfortable (but rewarding) situations with plenty of mock interviews, public speaking drills, and pair/team coding projects. Every moment is worth it, and you’ll come out of the program as a completely different person if you let it happen. I received a job offer before graduation and I’m confident I’ve picked up both the technical knowledge and the soft skills necessary to carry me through this new career as I continue to learn and grow.

Before coming to Tech Elevator, I was working in the non-profit sector. I felt like I was reaching the ceiling of my career and wanted to pursue software development because of the opportunities, the creativity and the challenge. My opportunity finally came when my position was eliminated at my job and I decided to take the leap and apply to a bootcamp. I decided to go with Tech Eleveator and it was the best decision career decision I have made to date. 

I didn't have any experience coding, but my instructor Frank broke down the concepts so that I was able to understand them much more clearly. You will learn a lot in a very short time. You will be amazed by what you can do when it's all said and done.

The Pathway Program sets Tech Elevator apart from other bootcamps. They help you with your resume, LinkedIn profile, interview prep, and so much more. Valerie, the Pathway Director, is great! If you do what she says and trust the process, you will be on your way to a new career!

When I think back to the decision of choosing Tech Elevator, I remember feeling nervous. Worried. Excited. Skeptical. Lots of different feelings. I thought, "Fourteen weeks to change my life for the better? Double my salary? Take the next step in my life? This sounds way too good to be true. This sounds like something that I'd have to go back to school for at least 4 years for... What's the catch?" At the time, I was unhappy with my current job, my career status. I felt unfulfilled. I felt like I was capable of more. I knew I needed to do something, so when I discovered Tech Elevator, I did what most of you reading this are doing right now -- researching, scouring student reviews, looking into the graduation/placement statistics, etc. I was convinced, and I took the the chance.

That chance came to fruition on September 16, 2019. I had my first day of class. I was thrust into a new city, a new building, surrounded by so many new faces. It only took a day or two until some of those new faces became new friends. Our class clicked in a way that I've never experienced before. Not in elementary school, high school, college, a workplace, a sports team, anywhere else. Our class had this unity almost immediately. We all knew we were in this together. We all had each others' backs. We knew what the end goal was and we wanted to see each other make it through. That comradery was there the whole time. I'll be the first to admit that I needed help with the lessons, and I had a network of great people, great friends to lean on when I did. I'd ask my friend next to me, or my friend across the room...

Or... we could go to the instructors who would stay all afternoon if we had questions. Our technical instructors had our backs, they took joy in seeing us pick up these new skills. They're friendly, wonderful people and they brought our classes together and helped facilitate the learning experience. I'm currently a couple weeks into my new job and I've already had a couple conversations with my .NET instructor about how great everything has been so far, and he seems so genuinely excited for me. 

Our pathway instructors were equally on that same page. You could see it on their face every day how much they loved what they did, and how much joy they got out of seeing us succeed. It was apparent. Their positivity and encouragement was contagious. It takes a special kind of person to be able to manage a huge group of people, with various backgrounds, various social and technical skills, and be able to bring them together for a common goal and ultimately get us there. They celebrated with us in all of our victories, and picked us up when we were dealing with our struggles. And at the end of it all, they will do everything in their power to put you in position to get that job. They did it for me, they did it for my friends, and they'll do it for you too. They are amazing people.

I'll never forget the relationships that started thanks to being a part of this program. I'm so excited to see what happens to all of my friends I've made here. I graduated just a few short weeks ago and I've already told several people that going to Tech Elevator was one of the best things I ever did. That it was one of the greatest decisions I made in my life. It opened the door to a future with so much potential and opportunity. It gave me another chance.

If you're considering attending Tech Elevator because you want to make a change in your life, take the chance I took. You won't regret it.

Before coming to Tech Elevator I was working in automotive sales/costing. I was not very interested my work and knew I wanted to make a career change. I always had an interest in programming but was hesitant to leave my job and commit full time to a bootcamp with no guarantee I would have a job at the end. What changed my mind was all of the positive reviews and recommendations about Tech Elevator. 

Upon joining Tech Elevator it was clear all of these reviews were correct. Their instructors are excellent and love teaching new students. Also on top of the cohort instructors they have plenty of tutors and staff to make sure that all students understand the material and no one falls behind. But what really sets Tech Elevator apart from other places is their Pathway program. Their dedication to finding every student a job is incredible and they provide you with every skill you will need in your job search.

I was able to get an entry level developer position upon graduation and I owe all this to Tech Elevator's great instructors, pathway program, and their reputation in the area. When you join Tech Elevator, you become part of the tech community that helps each other not only in the bootcamp but for the rest of your career. I met a lot of the alumni while I was there who had changed careers like I had and could offer advice on how to handle the bootcamp as well as tips on finding a job and what it's like starting out when you switch into the tech field.

In summary, having completed a bootcamp I feel that anyone who attends and is willing to put in the work will find a new job and a more rewarding career. My only regret is that I did not make the decision to attend Tech Elevator earlier.

I was in the business world for several years before making the pivot into tech. After thoroughly researching as many Bootcamps that I could find, I took a chance on Tech Elevator. I chose Tech Elevator for a variety of reasons- I spoke with alumni, I toured the campus, a read online reviews, I scoured the internet for any other information that I could find and everything I found was a glowing review of the program.

Tech Elevator gives you the education you need to learn the fundamentals of coding while simultaneously giving you the tools you need to find a job in the field. Both of these are equally as important so it's paramount not to overlook that fact on your Bootcamp search. I would highly recommend Tech Elevator to anyone who is serious about doing a Coding Bootcamp. I say 'serious' because they will push you. They will challenge you. There will be times you may have to stay late or come in on a weekend to get an assignment done. You have to put in the effort. But at the end of the cohort, it will all be worth it because you will be prepared to be a software developer. AND you will have the interpersonal skills to find a job in the field. 

I went to Tech Elevator with absolutely no degree and no experience and I left with a career in tech! My biggest fear going into Tech Elevator was that I wouldn't be smart or good enough to succeed in what is advertised as such an intense environment but honestly, I think this program is exceptionally manageable for anyone as long as you understand that you get back what you put in and at times it can be a little overwhelming. At least from my experience, it never felt "impossible" or "unreachable" to complete what was assigned. I could always finish what I needed and have time to spare to keep up with my social life and hobbies.

 

What I feel isn't advertised nearly as much as it should be is the amazing staff that will support you through your change in careers (or in my case, the start to a new one!). The staff at Tech Elevator are some of the kindest most genuine people I've ever met and they really do care about finding you a job doing what you love doing. I honestly wouldn't trust anyone else with something as important as my career then these guys and gals. If you are interested in having a career in technology and are shopping around for bootcamps, look no further, this is the place to go.

A lot of bootcamps have very flashy websites, and they've all got inspiring stories and exciting rhetoric. What is less clear is how many of them are genuinely concerned about education, or how many have competent instructors, or how many are just VC-backed vampires looking to get your tuition and shove you out the door into a cold and unfeeling world. What first caught my eye about TE were their extremely high placement levels as reported through CIRR. They seemed to be substantially better than the numbers even some of the oldest San Francisco bootcamps were reporting, which I found extremely promising. Given that CIRR reports are externally audited, I had a reasonable degree of confidence that the statistics were accurate, but I must admit I was at least a bit skeptical. And beyond that, the big question: were they humans, or vampires?

In any event, I decided to apply and at least see what this place was like. I filled out a relatively straightforward online application that covered my background and motivations, and took an online aptitude test. Within a few days I was invited to the campus for an hour-long interview and a longer, more complex aptitude test. From the moment I walked in I felt comfortable. On a superficial level, the space is well-designed and feels friendly rather than sterile. More importantly, the staff I interacted with that day could not have been more courteous and engaging. Every person seemed genuinely concerned that I have a good experience, and Marty, the campus director who conducted my interview, set me at ease in what is fundamentally a stressful situation. We discussed my background and motivation at great length, and we both tried to get a good sense of whether I could thrive in the program. I left confident that Tech Elevator was run by people that genuinely cared about their students, and happily enough, I was admitted a few days later.

I enrolled in the Java cohort, one of two courses TE offers; the other covers .NET Core/C#. In my case, I had had some prior exposure to Java, which influenced my decision, but plenty of my classmates had no prior experience at all, I hasten to add, so don't let that limit you. We dove in on day one with the basic concepts of programming, and continued for four weeks, culminating in a multi-day pair-programming capstone project. The capstone gave us the opportunity to stretch our newly-acquired skills with a bit more autonomy and freedom than we were able to in our daily exercises and quizzes, but it's important to note that our instructor and several other staff members were always available for help and guidance. This basic pattern continued through three more modules covering SQL/data abstractions, Spring MVC server-side programming, and front-end (HTML/CSS/JS, RESTful APIs, and Vue.js). By the end of the program we had a very good understanding of the overall architectural principles of software, and enough knowledge of the details to actually implement them. Our teacher, Frank, had a fantastic sense of humor, immense technical knowledge, and most of all, cared deeply about our success.

The other half of the program, and something that would be easy to underestimate in one's excitement about learning exciting new technical skills, is Pathway. This, essentially, is a career-skills bootcamp interwoven through the program. Several times a week we had Pathway workshops covering every aspect of job-hunting from elevator pitches to resume best practices, LinkedIn to networking, interviewing to negotiation. They even gave us clear guidelines about clothes and grooming! Outside of the actual workshops, they helped us through multiple resume drafts and brought in endless companies to speak about their business and give us the opportunity to practice pitching ourselves. They even brought in outside interviewers to give us practice in both behavioral and technical interviews. I could go on forever, but I have to say that Val, our Pathway Director, was deeply, personally invested in each of us, and worked incredibly hard to prepare us to find jobs. Give it your all and your effort will not be in vain.

Near the end of the cohort came an incredible opportunity: Matchmaking. Essentially interview speed dating, TE brings in companies that are actively hiring for two days of interviews. I personally had nine interviews in total, and eventually got a job from one of them. Even if you don't find the right match (and plenty of my classmates found jobs from outside of Matchmaking), it's invaluable real-world practice. I can tell you from experience that by the end of the process almost all the anxiety had been removed purely through exposure.

Another thing I haven't mentioned yet: my classmates. I have never met a group of people that I got along with better, much less one that was so incredibly friendly, open, collaborative, and brilliant. Obviously they've all graduated now, but if my cohort is any indication, you can be confident that the admissions decision-makers know what they're looking for, and that if you're accepted, you're going to have a great time around hard-working, like-minded people, just as I did.

The overarching theme in all of this is that Tech Elevator has managed to bottle the unique magic of genuine humanity, what the Jesuits call cura personalis, or "care of the person." You are not a number to them, you are not a potential placement statistic, you are a person that they want to know and teach and help in any way possible. Everyone is available not just for technical help or career advice, but also for just plain encouragement and conversation (and sometimes ping-pong). I have rarely encountered this in any educational or professional organization, and I cannot tell you what a joy it was to find it here, and to find it so totally pervasive among everyone involved. The fact that I worked at a bookstore before Tech Elevator, and fourteen weeks later I'd received three job offers as a software engineer, is just gravy (OK, no, it's not just gravy, but you get my point). If you're ready to work hard, that's all you really need to know.

Tech Elevator was the best risk I took. I was very skeptical at first. There have been so many for profit school scams that have left people broke. When I learned about Tech Elevator I did a lot of research. I was trying to find the disgruntled mutterings of a scam. I could not find it. The fact that Tech Elevator voluntarily reports to a third party watchdog agency that monitors for profit schools was instrumental in making me realize it's legit.

Unlike other boot camps that train you up in the latest fad Tech Elevator gives you a core education in languages that have been part of the tech industry for decades. They give you a taste of all the components of a web based program. Learning Front end, back end, databases, and javascript gives you the ability to be a confident coder with a wide variety of job prospects.

There are no catches with this education. You don't owe them a percentage of your salary, no one is forcing me to write this as a condition of graduation. I won't lie it's hard work. You get what you put in. If you follow the process do the work, not just the coding but the career prep too, you'll have a job by graduation.

The student to teacher ratio was about 13 to one. There were instructors available after class for one on one tutoring. The instructors are not graduates of the boot camp, they have had long successful careers in coding before choosing to pay it forward and train the next generation. The investment and compassion of the teachers and career counselors was apparent. They care deeply that their students succeed. Nothing I've had experience with in colleges and universities comes close to the kind of career counselling you get here.

As someone with a master's degree in music I didn't think going back to school to re-skill myself was possible. The length of the boot camp and the success of student job placement made it seem possible that I could improve my life. I've never been in the position to consider several job offers and pick a career I want. I'm excited to start my new job just weeks after graduation.

 

Self context: Military Veteran, University Graduate, live 45 min from campus and have a 9 year old and 4 month baby at home (started bootcamp when she was 1month).

Plan on really dedicating yourself to this program if you want to succeed. Required hours are 9am to 4pm but It was not uncommon for me to be there from 8:30 to 6pm. 

Do not miss class. I was there everyday and still felt like I was 2 days behind because the pace of the course is very fast. Make sure you understand every concept before moving on to the next. Everything is compounding and you cant afford to move forward without laying the propper foundation.

Both instructors have 20+ years of experience ranging from IBM to Microsoft.

The Pathway program is not a job placer. They are a tool that is meant to train you to be the best version of yourself. Interview prep, Resume building, Self Advertising. You have to do 80% of the work including job searching. If you do they will open up oppertunities you couldnt even imagine. Before tech elevator I went 9 months without a job even though I have a tremendous amount of professional experience. Tech elevator put me infront of the right people and  iam now a fulltime app developer for the biggest IT department in Ohio.

Trust the process, never give up and never be afraid to ask questions. 

If your struggling to choose which language. .NET is a wonderful option, alot of the clevaland job space involves this language. Mike Morell is a wonderful instructor and I wouldnt have changed my choice.

This course is not for everyone. I will say that the people and relationships will last a life time. They truly want to elevate you.

 

Tech Elevator is/was one of the better decisions that I have made in my life. Their approach is catered to each student pending on the feedback of the student. In addition, the support given by the staff is at an exceptionally high level (especially Laura in the pathway program and John the .Net instructor) and does not simply end when you are finished with the cohort. I did not anticipate coming to such a fast paced bootcamp (14 weeks) would result in such a sense of community for those that you graduate with and the alumni that went prior. Highly recommend, changed the trajectory of my career.