I attended Metis in the Spring of 2020, and as a high school math teacher for the previous 8 years, I entered the program with minimal coding and data science skills. In my 12 weeks there, Metis transformed me from an apprehensive career-changer, to a confident and competent data scientist. Post graduation the career services team supported my job search, and after 3 months I received two excellent job offers. I ultimately ended up at an extremely successful start-up where I am able to leverage my skills as a data scientist and educator. There are many positives to share from my experience, but I will highlight some of the major ones below: 1. Upon graduating you will have a robust data science portfolio: Throughout the bootcamp you will complete 5 projects (1 group, 4 individual). Other than a few basic requirements for which tools and algorithms to use, you are in complete control over your project. You come up with a problem, find data, complete an analysis and present your results. Some people may prefer more structure, but if you are uncomfortable with this fluidity then maybe reconsider trying to become a data scientist. The hands on work prepares you for the "real world." In addition to the projects, you'll write a minimum of two blog posts and maintain a Github page. Both are instrumental in your job search. 2. The instructors are excellent and truly care about their students: The instructors are experts in data science, programming and presenting results. They are always willing to help you scope and debug your projects, but they definitely do not hold your hand. They are also open about some of the personal struggles you may face as a data scientist, such as imposter syndrome and battling perfectionism, and will help you grapple these issues as well. 3. Your python programming skills will improve dramatically You will write a lot of python code throughout the bootcamp, which is essential because Python is overwhelming the most common language used by data scientists. By the time you graduate, as long as you put the work in, you will have the python programming skills necessary to perform in the workforce. 4. The career services team is excellent and supports you during and after the bootcamp They will tell you everything you need to do in order to make you a strong candidate, and they will also help you get there. This includes: updating your resume, encouraging you to write a blog, encouraging you to maintain a Github page, apply to 7-10 jobs per week (or whatever you feel comfortable with), recommending resources to study post-graduation, etc. Again, they can't force you to do all of these things, but if you follow their guidance you will put yourself in a much better position. They will also coach you through practice interviews (both during and after graduating) and will provide guidance throughout the application process. I have plenty more to say about Metis, so please feel free to reach out if you have any further questions. | 