Tech Elevator

Fans of retro video games or kids who grew up in the 80s (like me), should recognize this headline as one of the opening scenes from The Legend of Zelda, where the hero Link is given his first sword before embarking on a wildly dangerous journey into unknown lands. Along the way Link's equipment is upgraded to include better swords, shields, bombs, boomerangs, bow and arrows, magic and potions. In the same way, a new Developer will start their programming journey with a limited tool belt. If you are seriously considering a career change into the tech field, please heed the advice we learned from our chunky pixelated 8-bit hero... Don't go alone. Go to Tech Elevator.

My education and experience prior to TE was in the construction industry where I've held titles such as Field Engineer,...

I remember coming on some of these sites about a year and a half ago to learn some more about these coding bootcamps that I had been hearing about. For whatever reason I wasn't convinced and I decided to go back to school for another few years of traditional, slow-paced learning. I did the school thing for a semester and quickly realized the snail's pace at which we were learning wasn't as cool at 27 as it was when I was 20, so I decided to take the plunge and enroll at Tech Elevator instead. Now I have a developer job in a really hot field rather sitting in class for what would have been the beginning of my 3rd of 6 semesters.

The classes were really fast-paced, but somehow fun at the same time. You'll put in quite a few 12 hour days, but time almost never seemed to drag. As great a...

Enrolling in Tech Elevator was the second smartest thing I have ever done for myself. The first smartest thing was having 100% faith in their system (though some days this was a struggle!). The "drinking from a fire hose" concept of a boot camp really hits you in the face on week one day three and doesn't really let up. But, if you believe in yourself, do the work, and seek help/guidance/a shoulder to cry on from the instructors, staff, and other students, you WILL be successful.
Not to scare anyone off, but for the average person (self-included) this boot camp is hard. I went to lecture every day from 9am-12pm (sometimes longer), had lunch, then worked on homework, both individually and in paired programming exercises with other students, until about 5pm (sometimes longer). Then I we...

My previous work experience was working in restaurants, working as a maintenance man and every crappy job in-between. I’ve never really made enough money in my life to do more than just survive.
I grew up with very little hope that I would rise above ‘just barely getting by’; and what little hope I had, left a long time ago. Like most of my generation, I was told that college was the only option if you wanted to achieve any success in life. I could barely afford one semester, let alone a degree. Undeterred by my financial restrictions, I went to college and hoped to, somehow, make enough money in my life to pay off a Bachelors’ of Political Science degree. I lasted about a year. What I found at a traditional college was the primary purpose was not to gain information that would help y...

Tech Elevator was the catalyst I needed to get my career in software development started. I'd been dabbling with code in my spare time prior to attending the bootcamp, but didn't know how to transition from the Marketing department into the tech field. The rigorous coursework introduced me to all the components necessary to become a full-stack developer. It is a demanding program, and most-likely you will spend some late nights and weekends mastering the concepts they introduce. It is exciting to be learning something new every day and be able to put it into practice through lots of project work.

Aside from having an outstanding curriculum, Tech Elevator has top-notch people there to guide you every step of the way. The instructors have industry experience and can offer expert guida...

Tech Elevator was the catalyst I needed to get my career in software development started. I'd been dabbling with code in my spare time prior to attending the bootcamp, but didn't know how to transition from the Marketing department into the tech field. The rigorous coursework introduced me to all the components necessary to become a full-stack developer. It is a demanding program, and most-likely you will spend some late nights and weekends mastering the concepts they introduce. It is exciting to be learning something new every day and be able to put it into practice through lots of project work.

Aside from having an outstanding curriculum, Tech Elevator has top-notch people there to guide you every step of the way. The instructors have industry experience and can offer expert guida...

I graduated from the Java boot camp in Cleveland in Dec, 2017. I was previously working as a human resources specialist in the technology industry in Taiwan where I was born and lived my whole life. I always wanted to be a software engineer but it was unrealistic to give up my job and go back to school for another master’s degree. And honestly, I didn’t have the courage to change my career.

I learned about the program at Tech Elevator while planning my move to the U.S. I knew it was a great opportunity for me and I had to take a chance and take charge of my life. I joined the program right after I moved to the U.S. I have to tell you the course was hard, it will absolutely be harder than you think. But learning with motivated classmates who have the same goal as me was the most aston...

I had very little programming experience before starting the first cohort of Tech Elevator Cincinnati. By the end of the course I learned so much - from fundamental Java to front-end technologies. The career development portion of the course helped me with soft skills as well. I had several job offers within 2 weeks of graduating and I ended up accepting a high paying job (nearly doubling my salary). Tech Elevator is a huge financial and time commitment, but it is ultimately worth the investment.

Tl;dr:

I can't recommend this program enough to anyone who is seeking a career change into software development / IT. It is the best of the bootcamps in the Columbus area; the staff, teachers, and fellow students are wonderful. If you can get into this program, commit your life to it for 14 weeks, and put in the full effort needed to succeed, do it. It will pay off.

Long review:

When I entered college at Ohio State in 2007, I had no idea what I was doing, or even what engineering was. Fast-forward a bit, and I graduated with a degree that often makes the "Lowest Paid Majors" charts: Anthropology. (Side note: I highly recommend studying this eye-opening subject, but probably not as your major unless you have a solid career plan.)

Since college, I've worked in corporate custo...

After a 19 year career performing various roles in a factory I suddenly found myself without a job. While looking at my options for what to do next I found the perfect training program for me at Tech Elevator. I attended an open house and I knew immediately that this was what I wanted to do with my life. I have always had a knack for puzzles and problem solving and Tech Elevator allowed me to add a technological aspect to those skills.

As much I liked learning Java, I liked learning Java with my classmates more. The group environment and teamwork was critical to my success in the program. Pair Programming with another student is where I learned the most about how to be a good programmer. You have to be able to listen to other ideas and collaborate with your partner. I often foun...

If you are reading all these five star reviews skeptically and asking "What's the catch? How much Kool-Aid did these people drink?" then I am writing this for you, because I too was skeptical. I had absolutely no coding experience and no sentiment that technology was my passion. I was full of doubt, but also certain I needed a skill that was valuable and in-demand after years of living in Los Angeles and trying futilely to break into the entertainment industry.

Prior to this, I actively avoided getting a full time job. I've worked previously as a delivery driver, server, video editor, fashion assistant, english teacher, petting zoo operator, and experimental medical subject. So whatever your story, don't feel out of place. Even if you took five years off to live in the jungle and stu...

I choose to go to a coding bootcamp because I had been living abroad for the last ten years and was afraid of how difficult it might be to find a good job when repatriating. I also wanted to switch careers from education to IT and the bootcamp model seemed like the fastest and most effective way to do this without having to spend years in school. I choose Tech Elevator because of its location in Cleveland and because of how well it was reviewed. I was really impressed with the focus they put on career and interview development and by how much better at responding they were than other bootcamps. I have to admit that as an educator with 10+ years of experience I was a little skeptical about how well I could really learn a new skill in 14 weeks, well a new language! In case you don’t kee...

I graduated from TechElevator, Cleveland in August 2017. I waited several months to write this review, because I wanted to have time to reflect on the experience including starting a career in software development.

Prior to TE (TechElevator), I was a Behavior Therapist, working with students with autism. I had very little experience with programming. However, I wanted to try something new and pursue my interest in technology. I went to a TE open house and liked that the staff were very genuine and passionate. From my experience at the open house and reading reviews about TE, I could tell this was a quality bootcamp. I looked at other bootcamps as well, but felt TE would give me the best chance of getting a job due to the pathway program.

Let me be clear that this bootcamp is CHAL...

Pros: great staff and instructors, they were there to help, motivate, and guide us whenever we needed during the 14 week boot-camp.
Cons: a lot of information coming in at all angles.

Coming from the world of debt collections I was stuck at a crossroads. For the longest time I have always enjoyed computer software and just never had any formal training. I was hesitant about Tech Elevator; its a lot of money and time, however no risk no reward, right? I did a lot of research looked up information online like this site, went to open houses, and then went out to the tech community. After doing the research, I came to the conclusion that Tech Elevator was the best place for me. They are heavily involved in the tech community, business, and the success of their students. They t...

At the beginning of 2017, I had been a professional video editor for nearly 7 years and the burn out was starting to kick in. In search for a new challenge and the hope of changing my career to something I was more excited about, I started to do my research. Having dabbled in coding in my free time, I knew I enjoyed it and thought it would be something I could pursue. I knew of bootcamps and after a few minutes on Google, I found Tech Elevator along with some upcoming open house dates. I attended an open house unsure of what to expect and left excited to get home and start my application.

As far as the technical side goes, Tech Elevator provided me with a top notch education on how to build full stack web applications. We learned every single step that goes into making a functional, ...

If you're reading these reviews and looking for answers to where you should take the next step in advancing your life and career, stay for a while, read these reviews, it will help with your decision!

All my life I felt that my calling was to become a teacher and to "mold the minds of tomorrow's leaders" or something like that. After graduating college and landing my first teaching job I was in love with my career, maybe blindsided by the fact that I had finally landed my "dream job". I loved everything about teaching and enjoyed getting up every morning to go to my school, but that faded quickly. I found myself enjoying the students, the parents, the other teachers but the bureaucratic red tape of education fed the want for more out of life.

I found myself looking to my initial p...

Tech Elevator is an amazing program. Based on the research I did beforehand, it seemed like the obvious best choice among coding bootcamps in Columbus, and it lived up to my expectations. My background is in education and prior to attending Tech Elevator I had almost no experience in coding. I had spent some time just experimenting with free online resources to see if I could do it, that’s it. The amount I’ve learned and the confidence I feel in my abilities after graduating is astronomical. In addition, I received multiple job offers from an awesome company before I even graduated! I honestly couldn’t believe it and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to go through the program.

The quality of instruction you receive at Tech Elevator is fantastic. The inst...

I had been wanting a change in my career as an educator for years--I had researched boot camps back when I lived in New York City and wrote them off as a long-gone dream, given the prohibitive cost, time without salary, and lack of financing options for the ones in NYC.

After an unbelievably difficult year professionally as a teacher here in Columbus, I explored Tech Elevator as a serious means to finally become the coder I dreamed of, making more money (and thereby escaping the exhaustion of working full-time as a classroom teacher and a bartender on the weekends).

After attending an open house of January 2016, I was impressed by their statistics around job placement, success rate, and the financing options available. I applied within a week or two and quickly after was accepted...

To say that Tech Elevator changed my life would be an understatement. I increased my salary by 41% in just 14-weeks and now have a new career as a Software Engineer. The program itself was challenging to say the least. However, I felt prepared, coached, mentored and confident with myself after the program was completed. I wish I made this decision earlier in my life. No where else can a 30+ year old go back to school and change their life just in 14-weeks.

Prior to Tech Elevator, I was a freelance Sound Engineer on blockbuster movies, documentaries and commercials. As rewarding and fulfilling as that job was, it was a hard unpredictable business that financially kept me on my toes most of the time. I wanted something a little more stable for my family. I have always been interested...

I graduated from Ohio State as a Mechanical Engineer and worked in Detroit as a Design Release Engineer with a major auto manufacturer for a few years after graduation. I had a pretty good job with a pretty good company, but it didn't provide me with the challenge or the sense of accomplishment that I craved. I quickly learned that the auto industry just wasn't for me and I began to look elsewhere. I had learned some basic programming skills in college and remember really enjoying those courses, so I decided to look into that line of work. I decided to pursue a career in Software Development, but I didn't know how to crack the overwhelming knowledge required to get a foot in the door. I considered self-teaching, but with the vast resources available online, that proved to be a tough mou...