Tech Elevator

Before attending Tech Elevator I was working part-time in retail and playing music on the side. Though I didn't have a background in coding, I was into computers and technology. Once I heard about Tech Elevator, I started looking into programming and... Read More what I could do with it. I was fascinated and intrigued by the things a programmer can create with code. It didn't take me long to decide that I wanted to attend Tech Elevator.

The first 4 weeks were intense, but our instructor David was very helpful. He was understanding and patient with the students. We learned everything to develop a full-stack web application from scratch. I learned so much in 14 weeks and felt a great sense of accomplishment when we graduated.

After graduating, I had several interviews lined up and felt confident going into them. It wasn’t long before I had an offer from several companies. The Pathways program was helpful in preparing us for our career change.

Tech Elevator made a major impact on my career and I couldn't be more happy with the experience. If you're on the fence about going, check out one of the student open houses and get a sense of what it's like.

Prior to the class I had some experience building websites, and troubleshooting any computer and network difficulties. I had always had the desire to learn how to program, but I found it difficult to learn online, and the personal investment to attend... Read More a traditional university was unpractical for me. After completing the course I felt thoroughly prepared for the market place. I was quickly granted many interviews and was able to land my first choice.
After meeting with David and Anthony, I truly believed in their passion, ability, and confidence to provide the best possible path to achieve my goal of programming. David’s experience in the field was stunning, and Anthony’s network, boot camp knowledge, and plan to place graduates left me knowing that my future would be secure in their hands.
Throughout the class, what helped me the most was David’s teaching ability. His capacity to understand not only where the class as a whole was in terms of comprehension, but seeing where each of his students was individually was outstanding. He was able to magnificently tailor the curriculum to our own needs to help us progress. When I had questions, he continually was able to answer the questions in a way that allowed me to come to the conclusions myself. I have been in many classes before and have never had that sort of attention and support. Now, I feel exceeding confident that I am aptly prepared for my career in programming.
I feel very confident entering my first position as a junior developer. I know that I have developed my ability to code at an effective level for a beginner. Most importantly however, I know how to find the solutions to any complications I may encounter.

The opportunities I have available to me know seem endless. I can choose from nearly any industry, anywhere in the world to continue my career. As I progress in my career and continue to hone my skills, I look forward to seeing the opportunities that are sure to present themselves

The Pathway Program Tech Elevator provided us gave me great insight into the field and prepared me amazingly well in finding a beginning to my new career. The ability to hear from and ask questions to leading professionals in the Cleveland area, allowed me to understand what exactly I was getting myself into and how I could accomplish my goal. The value of a proper LinkedIn profile was aptly demonstrated and I was assisted in properly designing my own. Many different industry professionals continually critiqued my resume as I progressed through the course allowing me to state my abilities clearly and concisely. I found that the mock interviews were the most helpful process in guiding me to understand the questions that would be asked of me, and allow me to answer them properly.

As you go through life there are key moments that drastically change your course in life, and, for me, the decision to attend Tech Elevator was one of them. After more than fifteen years in retail I was treading water in a position that had become just... Read More a job to me, something I had to do to pay the bills. I had done some work on my own designing a website using HTML, CSS, PHP and a little Javascript, and I found it fascinating, but lacking direction and support I couldn't see myself getting a job doing it. What Tech Elevator offered was an opportunity to start a career that I had a passion for, something I wanted to do rather than something I had to do.

During the course, mornings were dedicated to lecture, and afternoons were dedicated to hands on coding exercises. This worked well for me because I find I retain knowledge best when I get to apply it, which in this case means writing code, and writing code is something we had ample opportunity to do. David, our instructor did a great job explaining the concepts and syntax of coding, and was always willing to answer questions before, during, or even after class in the evenings. We learned how to design and code Java web applications from start to finish, using the tools, frameworks, and processes that are in use in the field today. Overall it was a lot of work, I lived and breathed code for those three or so months, but it really prepared me to enter the workforce as a junior developer.

Another major component to the Tech Elevator course is the Pathway Program. This is a series of workshops and panels with industry insiders centered around giving you the skills you need to actually get a job using the coding skills you're learning. Coming from someone who had worked at the same company for 14 years and had little experience with interviewing and resume writing, this was invaluable to me. Practice interviews, resume building workshops, improving your Linked In profile, the whole team supports you from day one in getting you ready to land that first job. They even bring employers to the school so you can get that valuable in person connection. I felt like everyone wanted to see me succeed on a personal level and they were willing to go out of their way to help me make it happen.

Overall, I can say that I highly recommend Tech Elevator. As I mentioned, I had done some self study previously, but Tech Elevator offers benefits you can't get learning on your own. You get top notch technical training, from instructors with a ton of real world experience, and you get the support of a team dedicated to helping you start your new career. But the proof is in the pudding right? What was my outcome? Well, I accepted a job offer within a month of graduating with a starting salary that doubled what I made before the course, doing something that I truly have a passion for. Like I said, there are moments that change your course in life, and if you're looking to make a change, I'd say Tech Elevator is a great place to do it.

Overwhelmingly positive.

I've been working in import/export for several years and I wanted gain tech skills to open up new career paths. Tech Elevator's Java instructor, David, taught me daily for the duration of the course. He has such great career experience... Read More in software development and he was able to bring real life scenarios to the classroom which really helped me understand and contextualise the material we were learning. Another thing is that he was available out of school hours when I had problems and would respond to queries on homework etc. That was a huge plus for me.

The resume and interview workshops provided by Tech Elevator (to help students graduate into tech jobs) were extremely valuable, as was being introduced to Tech Elevator’s professional network of employers and recruiters- a massive plus point for studying at this school.

The school provides preparation study materials in the lead up to the course (very necessary as a lot is covered in the course), all textbooks and study material and new MacBook Air to use for the duration of the course. I made some great friends during the class whom I'll definitely stay in close touch with.

I am very happy to have done this course, I gained a mountain of new knowledge and a very valuable skill that is now opening doors for me - thank you to the team at Tech Elevator!