Tech Elevator

I was enrolled in Tech Elevator's Java Applications Development course from January through April 2016. Before I started the program I had very little experience with programming and no practical experience at all with Java. My last job had absolutely... Read More nothing to do with programming. Within days of graduating, I already had job offers and am now employed full-time as a software developer.

The course was rigorous without being overwhelming. The day usually started off with a lecture on the programming concepts that were being introduced followed by demonstrations. Afterwards you can expect to be given individual and paired exercises to work to reinforce your understanding of the new material. The instructors are excellent and make themselves available to answer any questions you might have or review your completed code with you to help you improve upon it and make recommendations to assist you in writing more readable and professional code. They are also very receptive to feedback and will make changes to how they present the material to better suit the needs of their students.

The best part about the program is that at the end of each unit you will be assigned a full project to complete. You will be given specifications for an application and then you'll write the code for it. Writing programs really helps you absorb all of the material you've been learning and, by the time you will have completed the course, you'll have a number of programs you can compile into a portfolio and present to potential employers to prove that you really know what you're doing. This part really makes a difference and goes a lot further with employers than a resume alone.

The job support is also excellent. The school has its own hiring network of companies in need of junior developers and frequently hosts different kinds of events to bring their students together with recruiters from these companies. It was one of these in-network companies with which I ended up getting a job, so I can personally vouch that it is a worthwhile part of the program.

I highly recommend this school to anyone looking to make a transition into software development. It is well worth it.

This bootcamp is the REAL deal. I came into this with a diverse background from the military, operations management, and sales. Totally off the wall careers, but I realized technology was the driving interest in each. I had researched the bootcamp model... Read More for a few years and even tried to teach myself but the book was out of date. So via networking while trying to transition into software sales, I was introduced to Tech Elevator. I had no idea I was about to change my life in just 14-weeks, but it happened!  

  I attended an orientation and heard from the instructors about curriculum, and the CEO about how this place could change my life, but I think what blew me away was how up front they were about the amount of work that would be required of me and the energy that would need to be invested in order to achieve graduation. I took it as a challenge and went home thinking there was no better place to learn than a place where I am challenged. I had in front of me the very opportunity I had always wanted, and all I needed to do was pass a pre-assessment, and an interview. Sounds easy enough, but it wasn't. I didn’t sleep for almost three days until I finally found out I was accepted, and then I thought to myself "and so it begins!". 

  From day one there was never a shortage on communication of what to expect and the plethora of resources available to me in order to be successful, but after brushing them off thinking I had this in the bag I quickly learned my second week I needed way more help than those who came from technical backgrounds. I think the feeling of knowing I just paid a bunch of money for something, and the fear of failure kicked in and I quickly started reaching out to fellow students to have study sessions. From week 2 through week 8 a group of us would show up to the 24-hour space and just bounce our problems off each other. It wasn't until I started talking to the instructors about it that I felt like a crazy man for coming in at 6am when class didn’t start until 9am. Looking back now aside from the top-notch instructors, I would say going through this with 14 other people who were going through the same issues made this a lot easier for myself. This allowed me to maximize my time and learning through out the 14-weeks. 

  The instruction I received was hands on applicable knowledge designed to teach you how to learn versus being hand fed the information. David Wintrich was my Java instructor, and learning from someone so highly regarded in the community as well as the vast amounts of practical knowledge he possessed was a blessing. This allowed me to repeatedly bounce ideas or concepts off the man who had built a BILLION dollar processing application. Impressed? Well I am. Having David alongside Josh, and Craig allowed me to get a feel for how to approach problems that I would see in real world situations, and how to plug away at a problem researching and tinkering until I felt that feeling of victory once it worked. I think having access to the folks who have "been there and done that" allowed me to feel confident walking away and making an immediate impact day 1 at my new job. 

  The bootcamp opened a lot of doors for me because I lacked a college degree, and it also gave me credibility learning from some of the best folks in the area. I do not think I would have the opportunity / career trajectory had I not taken this step versus going back to college. The technical aspect along with the touch up on my resume / LinkedIn presence from the pathway events set me up for success. Hearing industry leaders read my information and offer insight was invaluable. As a result to taking a risky leap of faith and praying for sunshine, I have stepped into a Technical Consultant role with one of the Software Industries top companies. Without Tech Elevator I would probably still be at that same job I once hated, just because I lacked the motivation to give four years away to a college. Forever in debt to the folks at Tech elevator. 

Hope this Helps !

I passed the tests and was accepted into two boot camps. I chose Tech Elevator after attending one of their open houses and speaking with the staff. The culture just felt right. They were genuinely interested in seeing that I succeed. The instructors... Read More spent as much time with me as I needed in order to grasp concepts, although I can't stress enough that learning to code is not a walk in the park. You must be willing to put in the time.
Before I decided to learn to code, I had several different careers from medical lab work, to television , to retail sales. After 10 years at each, I was ready for another career that would challenge me. Tech Elevator fulfilled that beyond my expectations. While the classes were tough, there was always someone to help. Josh and David are excellent instructors, finding ways to present difficult concepts in fun, engaging ways. And if you need more help, Craig was there early in the morning or after class in the evening to tutor.
The integration of the Pathway Program where my resume, linked in profile and elevator pitches were constantly honed to make me as marketable as possible were invaluable. Having employers and IT professionals come in for lunch and learn made it possible to establish network connections that were crucial in the job search. While I learned to code, I also learned that I would be better suited in a Business Analyst role, which would utilize all my previous experience with my new coding skills. Everyone at Tech Elevator helped me to go down that path and consequently I received and accepted an offer two weeks before classes ended.
Tech Elevator was the perfect boot camp for me to learn to code and I am grateful everyday that I chose to learn there. The increase in salary from my previous job more than paid for the cost of the course and I feel that I not only gained a new career but several new friends and colleagues. Best investment I made.

I truly cannot say enough good things about my Tech Elevator experience. After feeling stagnant in my marketing career for quite some time, I became intrigued by the tech industry and the bootcamp model of learning. I attended an open house at Tech Elevator... Read More and listened to their team talk about the program and from there I was sold. Their passion and knowledge was clear, and I ultimately decided to quit my job and sign up. At the time it felt like a scary and risky move, but I was very quickly rewarded with the feeling that it was one of the best decisions I had ever made.
The cohort covered the full technology stack, from database to front-end development. Josh Tucholski, the .Net instructor, is incredibly knowledgeable and has a teaching style that makes it easy and enjoyable to learn from him. He's patient, thorough, and understanding, and is genuinely invested in you and your future. The same can be said about every member of the TE team. Everyone there actually cares about you as an individual and wants to see you leave TE for bigger and better things. And they help you do it! The Pathway Program that runs in conjunction with the day-to-day instruction was invaluable. It provided job and interview prep, employer matchmaking and networking opportunities, and the ever important "soft-skills" that are essential to landing a great career in today's job market.
Tech Elevator opened up a whole new world for me in regards to my career. The skills I gained throughout the program allowed me to knowledgeably and confidently interview with a number of companies that I may not have otherwise had exposure to. I had two job offers within two weeks of graduation, and am so excited about my new position and my future as a developer.

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!