Tech Elevator

Tech Elevator helped me pivot in my career to a more technical role, land a great web developer position at a major U.S. university, and fast track my way to a 35% annual income increase.

That's not to say it was easy or for the faint of heart. There's a lot of complex material to learn very quickly - in and out of the classroom - all while gearing up for a job search in a new field. The good news is that Tech Elevator gives you the tools and resources to be successful.

Perhaps just as importantly as learning to code, the curriculum also taught me how to think like a programmer. I found this to be one the most valuable takeaways and a skill I use everyday in my new job, even when I'm not writing code.

Before entering the program, I had completed both undergraduate and gradua...

For seven years I was a high school French teacher. My brother knew I wasn’t happy in education and needed to make a change, so he suggested that I go through Tech Elevator’s bootcamp. He has been a developer for as long as I can remember, so I took his advice and I’m glad I did. The instructors in the Columbus campus are amazing! The ones I’ve met from Cleveland seem great as well, but I never took classes with them. Casey, John and Brian all three work tirelessly during those 14 weeks to make sure that you get your money’s worth out of every penny you pay in tuition. I learned more there during those few months than I had in the previous several years as a teacher. The hands-on approach and the amount of practical tasks they give you combine to make the learning rewarding and r...

Before learning about Tech Elevator, I spent around 6 months learning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript while working on a blog for my work as a private guitar instructor. I found I really enjoyed the challenge and creativity of programming, and began considering a career change to web development. Though I was making progress through self-study, I knew I needed help building my skills if I wanted to become employable.

It was around that same time that Tech Elevator announced it would be opening a campus in Columbus. I took the online assessment, attended an orientation, took part in an interview, and eventually accepting a spot in the Spring 2017 Java Development cohort. Everything I saw and read about the organization suggested it was the real deal, so I took a bet on myself and went for ...

I had been in sales for 3 years and knew I wanted to do something else. At first I thought there was no way to get into the technology field without getting a second four-year degree and putting myself in a huge amount of debt. But luckily I was wrong!

Tech Elevator is definitely tough as the instructors/ staff will tell you. But if you have the aptitude and are willing to put in the time this program will prepare you for a successful career in technology (but make no mistake the learning doesn't stop at graduation!). The instructors are incredibly intelligent and patient and willing to do whatever it takes to help you along the way. Each day you will learn something new. It's a really incredible experience.

Plus, Tech Elevator does more to get you placed in a job than any progra...

For those seeking to upgrade their skill set or pivot into a new career as a software developer, business analyst, or quality assurance specialist, Tech Elevator (TE) is a solid investment. If you had told me three months ago that I would end up working as an IT consultant for Fortune 1000 companies, I would have called your bluff…and yet here I am today! The company’s CEO, Mr. Anthony Hughes, likens the 14-week course to an “inflection point” for many of its students, and I think his description is accurate. Truthfully, I don’t think I will grasp the total significance of my decision to enroll in the boot camp for several years to come.

Why Tech Elevator?

Dedicated, Experienced Instructors – I was in the C#/.NET class, which originally wasn’t my first choice. However, I am no...

I did a lot of research before choosing to attend Tech Elevator. I met with at least four alumni of Tech Elevator, as well as alumni and staff from all the other local coding bootcamps. I decided to go with Tech Elevator because it was clear each and every member of the staff fully invests themselves in their students. Their priority is on the individual success of each student, not on their marketing or next move.

Two things sealed the deal: 1) they ask for feedback on a daily basis and actually make positive changes based on what students say (change you actually SEE), and 2) career coaching starts DAY ONE.

My expectations were exceeded, especially in the quality of education in my instructor. He picked up on my preferred teaching style from the get-go and tailored each interac...

Tech Elevator was right for me because of the high caliber of instructors as well as the nationally recognized professional development offered through the Pathway Program.

My instructors were experienced, brilliant, patient people who truly wanted every student to understand the concepts. They were dedicated to my success. Individual tutoring sessions were available when I needed extra help. Because of the small class size, you get a lot of one-on-one attention and learning opportunities.

A lot of bootcamps can provide a student with the necessary coursework, but some of those camps aren't dedicated to helping students land that first position in the field. The Pathway Program at Tech Elevator is dedicated to helping students find employment upon graduation. The program is...

TL/DR: The best decision of my life. The instructors are phenomenal and you’re surrounded by talented, smart individuals that promote a fantastic learning environment. I initially wasn’t sold on it all myself, but after speaking with past graduates about their success after graduation I knew this was a solid career decision. If you’re willing to put in the time and effort and adhere to their learning curriculum you’ll be a successful student at Tech Elevator.

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In-Depth Review

Short Personal Background : Again, as much as I hate clichés, Tech Elevator truly did change my life. I’ll provide you with a bit of context on my background and situation before Tech Elevator. I graduated college in 2015 with a degree in engineering and out of college the job outlook for...

Reflecting now - one year after deciding to enroll in Tech Elevator's Java Boot Camp - I can say with certainty that learning to code with Tech Elevator was one of the best decisions I have ever made. In just 4 - 5 months I went from having an unsatisfying jobs with limited growth potential to having not only a great development job at a major corporation, but also a skill set that allows me to grow on my own and control my future.

Like all boot camps the pace of the course is quick - they will throw a lot of work at in a short window. Your week will be filled with in class lectures and exercises, home work, readings, projects, and career search assignments. And on paper it may look like there is more than any one person can get done in such a short period. However, at Tech Eleva...

I have always been into computers and found that developing Applications was a definate passion of mine, but wanted to learn more efficiently and believed that a bootcamp would provide a better learning experience then I can have just reading books(taught myself Python). So after looking for a bootcamp that I believe I could excel in, I picked Tech Elevator. Mostly, for the reason of the main Java instructor David. He has done a lot in his career and thought that he would be a great instructor. For the most part the classes were decent. They had too many students in a class at once and that should have tipped me off that they are just about the money then, but I still participated and felt that the course material was taught pretty well. The problem is the money back guarantee is nonexi...

I graduated from the Java program in April 2017. I previously worked as a photojournalist, then freelance photography and graphic design before deciding that I needed to expand my skillset. I attended an open house at Tech Elevator and was immediately sold on the program.

The staff at Tech Elevator is what sets them apart from other coding bootcamps. Every member of the team is knowledgeable, supportive, and committed to your success. The Java instructor, Casey Borders, has years of experience and a teaching style that makes difficult concepts easy to understand while keeping lecture engaging and exciting. He was always available and happy to help.

The Pathway Program exceeded my expectations in every way. It provides a roadmap with resume writing and interview workshops, emplo...

I have to admit that I was pretty skeptical of Tech Elevator’s bold promise to help me get a job with just 14 weeks of training. After talking to a Tech Elevator alum, I decided to take the plunge, and I’m so glad I did. By the end of the program I was offered a job paying about 45% more than I was making before.

Tech Elevator’s greatest asset is its instructors. Josh, the .NET instructor, is phenomenal. His understanding of the material is thorough, and he has the ability to deliver the material in a way that is easy to understand. Beyond that, though, he sincerely cares about his students and their success. He was always available to give students extra help with difficult concepts, provide review sessions, or give advice about projects we were working on. Even in the evenings or o...

When I read the reviews about techElevator they seemed completely fake. How come no one is unhappy? No complaints? Did their relatives review them??

Now I'm going to give another glowing review and you can wonder about this one as well...

TechElevator promises hard work, fast pace, and huge time commitment- and delivers big time. I hardly had time to breath. Said goodbye to my friends and family. Instead, I went to all sorts of tech-related meetups. And learned to be a full stack java developer. And had a blast. AND found a job!

The program was interesting challenging and engaging, but we were guided through it all. The mock interviews I had prepared me for the "real thing" and I learned how to brand my skills and my experience. The pathways program manager is an amazing ind...

Although my journey to becoming a software developer was a twisty road, I knew as soon as I started coding that I had finally found the job for me! Debugging complex code is more fun than anything I’ve ever done as work before! I have been a Massage Therapist, a Truck Driver, and a Customer Service Rep. Though I have a B.A. in Communications, I never found the career I wanted until I came to Tech Elevator.

Every member of the staff at Tech Elevator is invested in helping you succeed as a developer, but they also are invested in you as a whole person. Josh, the lead instructor for .NET/C#, is the most gifted educator I have come across, and believe me, with my varied background, I have had quite a few! His ability to figure out exactly what each individual needs to hear or see in orde...

Fantastic program.

I had been trying to become a developer for about 18 months before Tech Elevator landed in my back yard. While that helped contextualize what I was learning, it was by no means necessary. Several of the people in my class of 12 had never coded beyond a few things on Codecademy, and all 12 of us received offers.

Casey was a great instructor - able to dive deep into just about anything we asked him (and we asked a LOT of questions), but also up front when he didn't know something. He was caring, supportive, 100% engaged with the students, and went through the first few weeks with a nasty cold but still showing up every day ready to go. I did a practice interview with the current .NET instructor, and between the two instructors there is something like 40-50 year...

Tech Elevator was absolutely a critical turning point for me. After a layoff and being uninterested in pursuing my previous career path I knew I needed to do something different, something more fulfilling and rewarding. I came across Tech Elevator and the rest is history.

I went from absolutely no previous experience in technology( I come from an arts background) to landing my first job in tech prior to graduation. The work was hard and at times I wanted to quit but the staff, instructors, and my classmates were very helpful and encouraging. I have 5 children ( 6 month old twins at the time) but with the proper support system I learned programming and was able to create a really cool web based application along two other students. Not only this, but the professional development aspec...

Having started an education company in college I was very skeptical of anything in higher ed (especially for-profits). I knew a lot of the ins and outs of for-profit Universities having had some of them as my venture capitalist, so when I started looking into bootcamps in Columbus I did a lot of research and questioned everything. I knew there has been a lot of bad actors out there in the for-profit model, so I did my research and encourage you to as well. With the bootcamp concept being relatively new and the government generally being behind in regulations, inevitably there is going to be some pump dump quick profit players. I went to several open houses, looked at LinkedIn profile success, talked with people, and even read reviews here. I knew it was important to go with the best of...

As someone changing careers, I felt the need for more formalized training in Web Development to get my skills and knowledge to a level that would enable me to land a job. The curriculum at Tech Elevator was exactly what I was looking for. With a thorough training in full-stack web development I learned all the fundamentals I would need to write a fully functional web application, and more importantly, have the skills to get a job. Another key factor I was looking for was excellent teaching staff. My instructor was everything I could have hoped for: knowledgeable, patient, experienced, and someone who loved teaching. The career assistance at Tech Elevator was also incredible. From major players like Chase and Huntington to smaller software development companies, there were plenty o...

I quit my high school teaching job of nine years at the end of last school year to pursue a career in technology. I was enrolled at Ohio State part-time but was not looking forward to a 2+ year process. My mother heard the Tech Elevator ad on the radio and encouraged me to apply. They had run several cohorts in Cleveland but this was the first one in Columbus. I checked them out online and everything seemed legit - lots of positive reviews and students who landed real jobs. I completed the online assessment and was invited in for an interview and second assessment. I liked the staff members I met during the interview (on a Thursday), and was excited to find out I was accepted the following Tuesday.

The program is intense. I have multiple graduate-level degrees and this was as ...

The whole point of this program is simple, they teach you the skills needed to succeed as an application developer in the real world. Casey is an amazing instructor who never hesitates to take advantage of a teaching moment. You'll learn how to build a web app from front end to back end and everything in between. The course is very demanding but you will be rewarded with the skill set to succeed.

The main selling point for Tech Elevator will be the job placement. Katie and the team will do wonders that will surprise you. They bring companies in to buy lunch for you just in hopes you will apply with their company. There's also a meeting every week about how to improve your career and manage it after the course and for years to come. They teach you how to be a professional in the work...

I attended Tech Elevator’s 14-week Java Development Bootcamp from January to April 2016:

I can say with 100% confidence that deciding to attend Tech Elevator is the most positively impactful decision that I have ever made. The staff of Tech Elevator could not have been more friendly, professional or helpful.

The course is structured in such a way that it is challenging and difficult, but not completely overwhelming. Although the in-class portion of the program runs only about eight hours a day (which requires your undivided attention), it requires a significant amount of work outside of class and the instructors are always ready and willing to help if you are stuck.

After the 14-week course I was employed full-time and was making almost triple what I had the previous year w...

Before starting Tech Elevator, I felt dissatisfied and under-utilized in a marketing role. I did some self-study of HTML, CSS, and other basic programming concepts online, but I got to the point where I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I interviewed at Tech Elevator, and I was impressed by David Wintrich’s experience and his vision for the bootcamp, along with the structured aspect of the career development program that runs in tandem with the technical curriculum.

Tech Elevator did an excellent job of teaching the technical skills AND the soft skills that you need to land a job. The technical skills they teach are directly relevant to what a junior developer needs on the job from day one, and they provide a great foundation for learning other languages. As an example, I enrolled in t...

I chose Tech Elevator because of David Wintrich's experience. He was the architect of Pay.gov (the government's paypal), which deals with $10 billion every year. I knew he had to be good at what he did, and I knew that he had also hired tons of junior-level software developers. He's an excellent teacher and leader.

Course breakdown:

4 weeks - Java Fundamentals (or C#/.Net, if you're in that course)

3 weeks - Web Apps

2 weeks - Databases

2 weeks - Client-Side Apps

1 week - Security

The pinnacle of the course, however, is the matchmaking event. TE has employeers come in, and you get a 25-minute interiew with each of those you're assigned. They take recommendations, and you'll get your top 3-4 choices plus other randomly assigned companies. This event makes the whole ...

Short Version:
If you want to pursue a career in software development/programming, Tech Elevator is a great place to help you reach that goal. It’s not cheap (no bootcamp really is) and it’s not easy (harder than any semester I experienced in university), but if you put in the effort, you will succeed. At the start of the course, I had very little technical experience. By the end of the course I had 3 job offers. For the first time in my life, I was able to choose where I wanted to work. I didn’t just have to take whichever job was offered to me. Now I’m working for a great company and I have a career that has a lot of growth opportunity. I mentioned that the course is expensive, but my annual salary increased by more than the cost of the tuition. Everyone’s situation is different, b...

Fourteen weeks of intense instruction at Tech Elevator led me to a great opportunity as a web developer in the industry. After 18 years, this was a risky move on my part, but to gain a marketable skill that allowed me to pivot into a new industry, it was the right one.

The experience David Wintrich brings to his instruction, along with an experienced staff, and a space that fosters collaboration and learning, for those who choose to venture through this boot camp, the tools for success are available and present.

The boot camp model isn't easy. But, Tech Elevator is structured for each student to get out of the program, what you put into it.

If you trust the process, focus, work hard, ask questions, and work together, then Tech Elevator will help you gain that marketable skill ...

Over the several years I worked as a scientist for a large corporation, I grew increasingly dissatisfied with my job, largely because I was doing more administrative work than problem solving. After beginning to learn a little programming on my own, I read about Tech Elevator in the newspaper and attended an open house; I then talked with alumni and spoke with people in the tech industry about Tech Elevator. I decided that a Tech Elevator bootcamp would be an economical, pragmatic way to learn an in-demand skill and find a fulfilling career.

My classmates came from a variety of backgrounds, levels of education, and professional experience; Tech Elevator is designed to meet anyone with the aptitude and desire to become a programmer where they are and help them succeed. The instruct...

Going to Tech Elevator was one of the best experiences I have ever had, and was a very wise choice. I was in the food service industry and really wanted to do something greater for work, I heard about Tech Elevator on the radio and after visiting I was sold. I started my bootcamp May 16th and recently graduated in mid-August.

I was in the .NET cohort and was taught by their lead .NET instructor, Josh Tucholski. Josh is extremely patient and is very knowledgeable about software development. The pace of the class was just right and it is very satisfying to leave everyday with more knowledge. Craig, who is on site just to help students, has over 30 years of professional development experience and is always very willing to help anyone who wants to understand the content better, or just w...

You’ve probably read countless reviews and stories involving people who have changed their careers and lives as a result of a coding boot camp. That wasn’t my case. My review is aimed primarily at those who may have a little background in IT but, for whatever reason, aren’t satisfied with where they are professionally. I worked for a Fortune 500 company for years on the database side and got “pigeonholed” into maintaining dead end proprietary applications.
A personal injury sidelined me and I looked into Tech Elevator’s Java program while recovering. I had already had some of the standard self-exposure to the language ( books, online tutorials, community college courses etc.) but what appealed to me when I visited at an open house was the opportunity to learn relevant, real world prac...

After making the decision to move from life science research into software development (without prior experience), I realized that a 4-year degree was out of reach; however, the bootcamp model of education taking less than 4 months appeared to gain traction nationwide, and I looked into the Cleveland area's options. Tech Elevator stood out as a spacious, friendly environment, run by an enormously qualified and engaged team who sincerely cared about moving their students' careers upwards.

I signed up and never looked back. 14 weeks of hard work during bootcamp included lectures, exercises and homework, but also the "Pathway Program", which makes you generate a proper resume, a professional LinkedIn presence, includes one-on-one interview practices and, importantly, involves a network ...

I graduated from the .NET program in April 2016. I was previously working in advertising technology but knew that I'd need further education in order to pursue the more technical roles I was interested in. I attended an open house at Tech Elevator and was immediately sold.

The staff at Tech Elevator is incredible. Every member of the team is knowledgeable, supportive, and committed to your success. The .NET instructor, Josh, has a teaching style that makes difficult concepts easy to understand while keeping class engaging and exciting. In addition to learning more than I ever have in a 3-month time span, I truly enjoyed coming to class every day, even when the material was frustrating.

The Pathway Program provides career assistance through resume and interview workshops, employe...