PROS: I’m very happy I attended Evolve Security Academy (I opted for the remote bootcamp option), as I had a fantastic experience and it was the perfect step to starting my IT/ cybersecurity career. While it's impossible to cover every aspect of cybersecurity in 17 weeks, the course provided a well-thought-out curriculum and a structured approach to covering the material. For example: starting with Networking => security frameworks => OSINT etc- the material that we were taught, built on itself. We also had great instructors who- not only conveyed the lessons in a clear, patient manner- but also tied in real-life examples that they’d encountered from their job experience. Lastly, we also had a capstone project where we conducted a full scale security assessment for a not-for-profit from start to finish. It was pretty awesome. On a personal level, I was truly impressed with Evolve’s understanding and sensitivity. I’m a Sabbath observer, and a big chunk of class time happens to be on Saturdays. At first I was hesitant to even mention this during my interview (when I’d shared this with a different bootcamp, they immediately told me it would be an untenable situation) but I did and was relieved to find out that not only would it be ok but Evolve would be supportive in any way that they could (recorded classes, contacting them with any questions etc). This showed me that in addition to being #1 in cybersecurity, Evolve is also #1 in terms of being a mensch. CONS: No place is perfect, but whatever concerns or issues I had while was in the cohort... were always dealt with in an immediate and helpful fashion. - not really any interaction between other groups- on the first day, we were broken up into 5 separate groups with 5-6 people per group. Which was great! Don’t get me wrong- my group rocked- but my group were the only people I truly became friends during the course. Besides its already stellar reputation, as more and more cohorts graduate, attending Evolve becomes more and more valuable thanks to its strong budding alumni network. Would definitely recommend and if you have any specific questions or would like to hear more about my experience at Evolve, feel free to DM me on Twitter. | 