Tech Elevator

Tech Elevator is an absolutely amazing program. I went from not knowing any code to landing a job as a Software Engineer. The thing that really impressed me about Tech Elevator was how much the people there care. My instructors (shout out to Matt and... Read More John!!) were absolutely phenomenal. They had immense amounts of patience and knowledge and belief in every single one of their students. They were always willing to help with homework, side projects, and were always willing to lend a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on. The people in charge of the Pathways Program (love you Laura, Kate, and Vinny!!!!) were also so incredible. They had so much experience in job searching, resume crafting, and interview prepping. Even after graduating, they were always checking in and offering advice and help. When I got competing job offers, they were so excited for me and also so helpful in helping me pick between them, and helped me properly and professionally craft a rejection for the one I declined. It was definitely a lot of hard work. Tech Elevator is not for the faint of heart. It's only 14 weeks long, which is not very long to learn code, but it is 14 weeks of non-stop learning and working as hard as you can! It is worth it but this is not a casual learning experience! I enrolled in Tech Elevator because I wanted to change my life. Not only has Tech Elevator equipped me with the knowledge and confidence to step into a new career field, but Tech Elevator also provided me with amazing people all there to support and mentor me. I could not recommend Tech Elevator more to anyone looking to make a positive change in their life.

If you're thinking of doing a coding bootcamp, do yourself a favor and choose Tech Elevator. I did lots of research before I decided, and I definitely made the best decision. It is an intense 14 weeks of constant new information every single day, but... Read More you leave with a skillset to change your life. They tell you to be prepared to spend around 60-70hrs a week, and that is definitely true throughout most of the bootcamp. It's a big time commitment, but well worth it. There will be plenty of times where imposter syndrome starts to creep in, but believe in yourself. If you were a strong enough candidate to get through the application process, you will be just fine! The instructors for both the lectures, and for the pathway sessions (professional development) were amazing, and they truly care about you as a student. They'll do whatever they can to work with you to make sure you succeed! Pros: Great instructors for both the curriculum and for the professional development pathway sessions. Instructors made themselves available for you, lectures were intense but very practical with a lot of hands-on implementation. But the pathway sessions were just as important as the lecture material. A lot of time spent revising resumes, having group brainstorming sessions, panel discussions with industry professionals, and matchmaking events to give you your first opportunities to interview with potential employers. Cons: I don't have many cons. Any suggestions or concerns that were brought up were always addressed and taken into consideration or amended. The time commitment is very real though. I'm sure it's the same with most bootcamps, but it is a lot of material presented and needed to learn to implement in a very short period of time. So be prepared to lock in. It will definitely be the best decision of your life.

My experience at Tech Elevator was absolutely incredible! After 21 years in hospitality, I didn't feel like I was growing anymore, and I missed the rush that came with advancement. It would have been very easy to remain content in hotel management, but... Read More I knew that I didn't want to spend another 20 years doing it. So after speaking with some colleagues about the world of tech and all of the possibilities that it contained, I decided to take the leap of faith. A bootcamp was the most logical starting point so that I could absorb as much pertinent information as soon as possible, while also bypassing the "fluff classes" and insane costs of going back to school. I couldn't have been more happy by choosing Tech Elevator. Their curriculum is well structured, the instructors are industry experts, and the Pathway Directors were sincere advocates in job placement assistance. Was the bootcamp hard? Hell yeah it was hard, but to go through it with other brave classmates that were enduring the same challenge, it encouraged an immediate camaraderie that I'll cherish forever. As I type this, I'm 3 weeks removed from the bootcamp, and am proud to say that I just accepted a role as a project administrator (with prospects of growing into a Project Manager- IT role). Learning software development was an awesome foundation to open the door to this role, and I have Tech Elevator to thank.

As someone working in healthcare with no recent experience in software development, it seemed like an insurmountable task to transfer my soft skills learned over a career in pharmacy to a job working in technology. Tech Elevator's incredibly supportive... Read More staff not only taught me the skills needed to start a new career in technology, but they were also alongside me every step of the way to get a job. As a student, you will be required to put in the hours and the work necessary to succeed but Tech Elevator will make sure you reach your goal if you do. Skills learned: Java (IntelliJ IDE, Spring Boot) JavaScript (Visual Studio Code) HTML CSS PostgreSQL (Postman, dbVisualizer, RESTful API) Vue.js Git Agile Methodology

I spent about 3 years teaching myself coding as a hobby, but I learned more in those few months with Tech Elevator than I ever did teaching myself. The job assistance was especially helpful to me, as I didn't have much Job / career experience at that... Read More point in time. My only critique would be to try and maybe reorganize the curriculum so that students can learn how to manage a project earlier and then implement that learning throughout the rest of the boot camp and in their own side projects.

Tech Elevator is a phenomenal institution. Not only did they do a good job preparing me for a future career in the software engineering field, but their instructors truly care about you and your future and are always available to help you. The classmates... Read More you will meet will become your friends and will help you through the school, and you will learn so much about your new career field! The pathway program in Tech Elevator really sets it apart from other schooling avenues in software development. They have experienced recruiters and pathway directors whose job it is to specifically help you find a job after the program ends. And it works! They will help with your interviewing skills, help you gain connections, and other important means to help you grow your career! Really. It is an incredible program, and I can’t say enough good things about it. It is hard, and its a lot of work, but it’s truly worth it.

If you have the discipline/drive you might be able to teach yourself roughly the same skills within a relatively short period of time; there are books and online courses. Tech Elevator provides a chronologically structured curriculum, a certificate and... Read More help getting a job. I'm now a junior developer and my first interview for this job was set up through Tech Elevator's matchmaking event.

If you're looking for a coding bootcamp that, in addition to teaching you the basics of software development, will also give you the coaching and practice you need in order to find your first job in tech, then take a VERY close look at Tech Elevator!... Read More I attended Tech Elevator remotely via the Pittsburgh campus in Fall 2021. I came in with extremely little programming experience, and with no actual experience/employment in the industry. The bootcamp was a lot of work, but I'm now working as a Software Engineer I and thoroughly enjoying my work! Do your research. Take Tech Elevator's aptitude test. Make sure you're a motivated learner who is OK with struggling (and failing) while learning something difficult and complicated. If you're willing to put in the work, then Tech Elevator will get you where you want to go!

I got my degree in marketing a few years back, but was never really happy with where I was and always had an interest in web development (spent some time self learning with free online training, but didn’t quite have the motivation to keep going). When... Read More I enrolled in TE, I knew they’d throw a lot at you since it’s only 3 months, but the course plan was laid out perfectly. It was intense, for sure, but my instructors (Mary and Katie) were extremely helpful with making sure everyone had a good understanding of each topic. The pathway program is really what makes TE stand out from other boot camps. Laura, Cierra, and Sarah made sure everyone was ready for the transition into the tech industry and they worked so hard to ensure everyone nailed their interviews and answered all questions thrown at them. Needless to say, I would recommend TE to absolutely anyone considering taking the leap into tech!

...and I still consider attending Tech Elevator's coding bootcamp as one of my life's most impactful decisions.  It allowed me to transition from an unhappy career in restaurants to a more balanced and engaging one in software, and it happened mere weeks... Read More before the world went on lock-down and every kitchen I’d ever cooked in closed for good! The bottom line is that the work is challenging, the instructors are excellent, the career advice is indispensable, and if you apply yourself and basically just follow their suggestions in earnest you will almost certainly get hired upon (or before) graduation.  And that's the whole point- the curriculum is designed to give you a solid foundation to build from, and the Pathway program gets your foot in the door with an employer.  From there it's up to you where you want to go with your career.   After graduation I spent a little time writing features for a java-based framework before being accidentally thrust into the DevOps world. I find the work I do now to be very rewarding. And although little of what I touch day-to-day was covered specifically in the curriculum at Tech Elevator, the foundational knowledge we were given is universal. And most importantly I (re)learned how to learn there. Picking up new tools, frameworks, and languages is still very hard, but I don’t find the firehose of knowledge as daunting anymore. None of this would have happened without the help of my incredible instructors and Pathway directors at Tech Elevator!