| | Kenny | 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 I had researched the bootcamp model for a few years and even tried to teach myself but the book was out of date.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 ! |
