| | Lukas Wadya | Pros:
I was looking for an intense, well-run program that would help me get a job as a data scientist, and Metis absolutely delivered. I left my previous career in a completely unrelated field, 3D animation, in March, started the Metis bootcamp in April, and accepted a job offer as a data scientist in September. I chose Metis because its lengthy track record, stringent admissions process, and overall professionalism gave me confidence that the course woud be worthwhile. The bootcamp was organized and efficient: rarely if ever was there any unnecessary downtime or logistical snafu. Lessons and assignments were well-formulated and tested without being stale or filled with obsolete information. My instructors were knowledgeable, experienced, and good at simplifying and communicating complicated ideas. Teaching Assistants, all Metis alumni, were capable and accessible enough that I frequently went to them with questions or for advice. The Metis Admissions team did a great job of assembling the group of motivated and interesting students who made up my close-knit cohort. After the bootcamp, career advisors were available for consultation and interview practice, both in-person and online. I loved my time at Metis and got exactly what I wanted out of the program.
Cons:
I have no substantial complaints about Metis so I'm mostly nitpicking or mentioning general bootcamp issues here. Twelve weeks is a really short time to turn someone into a data scientist, so don't expect to acquire a deep understanding of every topic covered. Some lessons are merely a cursory introduction to a topic that you can choose to explore in-depth outside of lecture time. Metis has a job board to connect alumni with hiring partners, but I didn't find many posts for jobs in NYC. This isn't really a negative, but bootcamps can only do so much to help you get a job; you'll have to do most of the work of finding appropriate job posts and networking on your own. Career advisors are there to help you along the way but they can't just gift you a job.
Additional Advice:
Do your research before committing to a specific bootcamp or the immersive course route in general as it may not be the right fit for you. Reading alumni reviews is a good start but I recommend going to an open house or private tour of each prospective bootcamp if you're able to do so to make sure you like both the instructors and the classroom environment. Finally, read a diversity of opinions as any one reviewer's situation may not closely resemble yours. If you'd like to read more about my experience at Metis, check out my blog posts on the subject: https://wadya.com/blog/2019/05/21/metis-pre-bootcamp-and-week-1/. |
