Galvanize

Two years ago I decided to change carers, and since I was always very interested in technologies, living in Austin Tx where the developer market is growing, after talking with a lot of people in this industry, and attend to several Meetups, I decided... Read More that being a web developer could be a good fit for me. So I started thinking to attend to a Bootcamp I researched a lot in both Austin and Denver area and I found that Galvanize had a lot of really good reviews and a high placement rate of former students with good jobs. Fortunately for me, Galvanize opened a campus in Austin.

The main reason I choose Galvanize over other Bootcamps it's the duration of the program. I feel that If you don't have any experience or a very little coding experience (like me), three months that other programs offer, are not enough (Galvanize Full Stack Web Developer program is six months long). In addition, Galvanize has a very well structured program, that is very oriented to real job environment, with teachers/instructors who are present in every single class. I found out that some bootcamps don't have teachers present during the whole program and that you don't have access to some campus after classes . In Galvanize you are a member and can be at campus any time and even during the weekends. Furthermore, Galvanize helps us to prepare for job interviews and resume, helping us to improve our Linkedin profile,

During my time in Galvanize (already three months) I've learned a lot! I love the environment in my class and in the whole building, we often work in pairs and teams which is very helpful since in this industry you collaborate a lot. On the other hand, being a woman in this world can be challenging and even intimidating but I haven't felt discriminated at all, I feel respected and appreciated it. I love that I can ask a lot of questions and nobody is going to look at me weird, and my instructors and my classmates are always happy to answer any question that me or any of us have.

This is indeed a very challenging program intended for us to work as 100% full stack developers. We work back and for with between the front end (HTML,CSS, AngularJs, and others) and the back end (Javascript, Databases, etc) and putting it all together. It's really fun to see the progress throughout the program and see how much you can learn in six months.

I definitely love this program, but at the same time I had a lot of challenging moments where I could be literally crying because I was stuck. Fortunately I've had a lot support and help from both my classmates, teachers and my family. Being in Galvanize definitely changed my life, my way to look at things. This is the best decision I could ever made, I feel part of a big family, I enjoy my class, my classmates, instructors, and my time here.

If you are a woman and part of a minority be aware that are several scholarships offered by great and big companies. If you decided to come to Galvanize, you would love it, but you have to make the effort and practice what they teach you. Have fun.

Overall I had a great time at galvanize, there were just points mostly around work process (i.e. keeping up in class) and communication that missed the mark. The instructor I had (and that worked for me) moved fast in a sink or swim manner... this worked... Read More for some and not for others. From what I hear this is being addressed so students have a more balanced experience moving forward. As in all tech companies you can expect fluid iteration of what works and what doesn't, the good side of that is that the instructors changed the curriculum on a dime when they thought something would better prepare students for jobs in the market, which is the exact reason I chose galvanize and a bootcamp over a traditional CS MS degree program. The communication between the company and the students could have been much better, that being said, it has drastically improved since I've been here, so I hope that won't be an issue for the next cohorts.

This Galvanize program is certainly not for everyone and as far as value goes. I think anyone with enough time should take on teaching themselves to program rather than fork out $20k. I did not have this kind of time and wanted to get into the field quickly... Read More so Galvanize helped me do that indeed. Don't underestimate the dedication required to be successful though. Even with this rigorous learning experience, you have to work hard if you want to be successful as a developer. I say if you have the money and a passion for software then go for it, Galvanize seems to have the best curriculum and overall program of it's kind. They aren't perfect, but they are certainly improving what they do at a fast pace.
Thanks gSchool!

Galvanize has been fantastic. Everyone involved is extremely supportive and really wants you to succeed. They have a rapidly evolving curriculum designed to keep up with today's job market. The current focus is on JS and related frameworks. I feel like... Read More we're getting a good full stack foundation and will be well equipped entering the job market.

Attending Galvanize's Web Development Immersive (then known as gSchool) was absolutely one of the best decisions I ever made. It truly changed my life (and did fully double my salary). While my first job - at exactly the kind of cool, new startup I was... Read More hoping to work at - was difficult, Galvanize truly did deliver on its promise of making me career-ready. It didn't take long for me to become a valuably, contributing member of my small dev team. The program was very rigorous - I would suggest avoiding it unless you are truly ready to commit - but my classmates were great and we managed to have a lot of fun during the process as well. The relationships I built at gSchool were nearly as valuable as the technical skills. Not only does Galvanize have an unmatched network, but I remain close with many of my classmates. The one con really was that the program was still quite new, and thus a bit disorganize and untested, but Galvanize has been working hard since then to continue to develop a leading curriculum and I imagine many of the growing pains my cohort dealt with have been worked out by now. If you are willing to really commit - and work you hardest - I couldn't recommend it more.

Going to gSchool was one of the best decisions I've ever made - truly life-changing. Taught by industry-tested professional developers with years of experience, the education you receive is both in-depth and supremely practical and truly prepares you for that first developer job. The location within the Galvanize ecosystem also offers opportunities that no other code school can provide - for example, my mentor, a talented dev at a local startup, worked right outside our classroom at his company's Galvanize office and thus was available to me whenever I got stuck on something tough and needed some extra guidance.

The first few months focused mostly on lectures and exercises and were incredibly intense, while the second half of the program focused on projects - both personal projects and working with a few local companies. The workload and intellectual rigor is not for the faint of heart, but solving problems, watching your skills rapidly increase and really building things was immensely satisfying. I now have a challenging, interesting job with a great company that a truly enjoy.

I was also quite impressed with the support team for finding a job. They provide everything from interview prep and resume editing to networking events and job recommendations.

Ultimately, though, it was the people that made my experience and gSchool truly special. Not only did we have wonderful, talented and dedicated instructors and staff, my classmates have become some of my best friends. gSchool draws a diverse group of talented, driven and intelligent individuals and it was amazing getting to know them and work with them over our six months together.

The cost is high and the commitment is great, but I would recommend the program to anyone with an interest in technology and the willingness and ability to spend six months dedicating themselves to it wholeheartedly.

The data science immersive program at galvanize was life changing and the best decision I ever made. I would not be in my current job or position in life without it. That said, you must have a solid background and be willing to push yourself to make the... Read More jump, and I may not recommend it to everyone. What follows is my story and some thoughts and recommendations.

Brief history

I was an electrical engineer working in product marketing. I was very comfortable coding in Python with a strong background in math and linear algebra. Through MOOCs, I'd also studied data science and machine learning at a preliminary level. After galvanize, I completed a one year statistics masters, during which I was hired as a data scientist at a tech startup in SF the summer after graduation. My entire job hunt from first application to signed offer took just over one month.

What to expect

Expect to spend your entire life (for three months) committed to learning this stuff. You will be pushed and it will be hard. It won't always be fun but the end result will be amazing and worth it. This program moves fast! Do all the preliminary assignments and pre-readings. Luckily me most, most topics were vaguely familiar. However, the days that were 100% brand new were rough. The program moves so quickly that you don't have time to review or learn slowly. This can snowball quickly for those with inadequate preparation.

The value

This program provides three key elements which are difficult (if not impossible) to find elsewhere. 1) great educational material. You don't just do projects, they teach you what you need to get into this field. 2) learn every tool. Data scientists use many tools and this program teaches you all the basics for the essential tools, which allows you master the ones you'll need later. 3) they'll teach you how to get a job. The whole point of all this is to land a great job as a data scientist and the program (and a strong network of alumi already working in the field) provides great resources for doing so.

Recommendation

Go into the program with a goal of what you want to get out of it. For me, I wanted to write professional quality Python code above all else. Hence, when I felt lost on a particular day I continued to improve my coding skills knowing I could review the material over the weekend or after the bootcamp. Decide beforehand where you want to be after the program, assess where your current abilities are, and pick the brains of your galvanize interviewers to make sure you can make the jump given what you currently know. For those that are ready, it's definitately worth the time and money!

Galvanize is not just a bootcamp, it's a tech community. Being part of the Galvanize community while you're learning is key, many of my friends got their jobs by fully jumping in to being a "Member" of Galvanize as well as a student.

If I were looking... Read More to join a bootcamp today I'd look at who the hiring partners are in detail. Since my graduation the school has really matured in both it's hiring partner network and student development. When fortune 500 companies are consistently hiring Galvanize graduates it's a good indication they are doing something right :)

I am a recent Galvanize graduate. I am leaving my location as 'Other' purposefully to maintain anonymity.

The salary and job placement numbers on galvanize.com/datascience are based on SAN FRANCISCO ONLY. SF will have a much higher median salary and also... Read More many more data science job openings that will other markets. Something to keep in mind and I call on Galvanize to end this deceptive practice.

This segues into my second point, which is, TREAT EVERY GALVANIZE LOCATION LIKE A UNIQUE BRAND. Each will have not only different instructors and support staff, but also different philosophies on the curriculum (for example SF loves SVMs, other locations do not like them and deemphasize them when teaching). Technically the curriculum is supposed to be the same across locations, but as I understand it each location has their own version of the curriculum and at a minimum will emphasize different areas based on the personal preferences of the instruction staff.

My third point is INVESTIGATE HOW MUCH EXPERIENCE THE INSTRUCTORS HAVE. I know for a fact that at certain locations the majority of its instruction staff was hired from its own recent cohort graduates, including full time instructor positions. THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT A GIVEN LOCATION WILL HAVE A SENIOR LEVEL, LEAD DATA SCIENTIST IN THE INSTRUCTION STAFF.
In addition, THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT THE INSTRUCTION STAFF AT A GIVEN LOCATION WILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE.

I am aware of a location where all instructors, save one, had spent their entire careers in academia, and the one had limited industry experience.

A final note on the instruction staffs: They are in general very intelligent, pleasant to be around, well spoken and willing to answer questions. The curriculum will teach you almost exactly what employers will be listing in job descriptions. However, there is a very real chance to end up at a location where the instruction staff is comprised of green, young staff with no industry experience and minimal teaching experience. Keep this in mind and ask hard questions during your interview!

Job search...

Depending on your market, expect a full-time job search to last at least 2 months. A few students will get hired quickly, but the majority will have to grind the job market hard. The employers who will show up to career day are not easily impressed and will not just hand out jobs. You are likely to encounter skepticism that after a 3-month program you are truly prepared to be a data scientist. I say this is not to discourage you, but to help you manage your expectations.

You will get a lot of resume and salary negotiative advice, but the person giving this to me was very young and inexperienced. When polishing up your resume, linkedIN, etc. it is DEFINITELY A GOOD IDEA TO SEEK OUTSIDE ADVICE FROM EXPERIENCED DATA SCIENTISTS, especially managers with hiring experience.

A note about the curriculum...

R language really needs to be in the curriculum. Instead, Galvanize will teach you Python Pandas. Pandas is great and shares much of R's functionality, but R is a very powerful language with key advantages over Python and many employers will expect you to know it. When I was hired after the cohort, the first thing boss told me was LEARN R. The limited time of the program probably makes this impossible.

And a final point about this paradigm of data science bootcamp...

3 months is flat out not enough time to learn the material contained in this data science curriculum. I understand that 3 months has become the arbitrary, de facto standard length for CS bootcamps and that a 3 month bootcamp is better than no bootcamp, but you will feel constantly rushed in the Galvanize DS program, and unless you are a genius you will have mastered very little by the time the course ends. You will have gained a lot of skills, but mostly you finish with an enhanced ability to teach yourself many of the concepts that were rushed over. My guess is that Galvanize enjoys profit margins that are among the very best in the education industry, a 4 or 5 month bootcamp is a much more reasonable time frame and is hopefully a direction the industry moves towards in the future.

Hi! I finished my Denver cohort in Jan 2016. If you are considering a data science Denver class I would recommend visiting a class and noting: interaction with students and instructors, how smoothly the labs run, and how the instructors review material... Read More supporting quizzes and exams. Ask the students how they are doing and what they are learning. It will be your money and time so make sure you are comfortable with the learning environment as a place where you can thrive.

If they refuse to let you visit a class, consider that a red flag.

I would also ask for the number of students employed in the Denver area and salary. Our cohort has had a difficult time finding Denver jobs. As of this writing, 4 months after the classes ended, many are not employed. If your intent is to stay in the Denver Metro area, this may not be the program for you. One person from my cohort and two from the previous cohort had to leave Colorado to find employment.

PROS:

The other students were very motivated, interesting and collaborative. Galvanize does a great job of finding qualified students.
The ziphian materials presented in the repositories are wonderful. If you take the class dig deep for them. They were not used as part of the curriculum in Denver.
The California staff visited twice during our session and were amazing with providing context and coherent lectures.
The labs were actual business case studies with relevant uses of algorithms on business data
The math, stats and computer theory was presented and then applied to a real world problem
The Denver training site is in an incubator and home to a full stack class so you are surrounded by people who are innovating and discussing new ideas
The Denver training site has lots of amenities like breakout rooms, wireless, gym, bike corral, and spectacular views
Guest speakers came about once every other week to discuss their use of data science in their company which put a great context to what we were learning
One week prior to the Data Science course they offered a Python course that really helped and was a great bonus

CONS:

The labs, reading materials, quizzes and lectures were often unrelated.
Many of the 30 minute quizzes were over materials that were never covered and not reviewed (so what was the point?)
The instructors were not always constructive to questions with responses like: "google it", blank stares, "I don't know, ask someone else", and shoulder shrugs
The labs were not properly prepared so we often spent valuable time trying to configure our computer by updating libraries, importing a new data file or running different syntax
The Career Services team was located in a different building 15 minutes away and had very limited availability
Time management, planning and communication were lacking with informal meetings and no schedule for the day. As a result, I did not feel that my time was valued by the Galvanize staff.
Confusing and inconsistent learning environments and teaching styles.
The staff was constantly "reactive" to what needed to be done. They were available for questions but not great at explaining concepts to relate to the lab and quiz materials.
Denver instructors were graduates of the previous course so they struggled with business knowledge

Good Luck!

My experience at Galvanize was a complete joke. Our class started with 1 lead instructor, 1 junior instructor & 1 pregnant TA. As one would expect the pregnant TA (Whom was previously a Galvanize student) went off to give birth. She was not replaced for... Read More roughly 4 months. Galvanize sent our lead instructor off to Ireland to train All-State employees. Thus we were left with 1 junior instructor teaching a class of 20+. The majority of the time there wasn't even a professor in the room. We were told that we were going to get a stud professor when another cohort graduated. Less than 2 weeks after getting said professor he & the junior instructor that had been teaching our class quit on the same day. We literally had no teacher. None. We paid 20k for a code academy that had no teacher.

Think thats bad? At one point one of the replacements they scrambled to hire told a classmate that he could not help him because he was too hungover from last night. He then refused to help the student. I told the Dean and he did absolutely nothing about it aside from shoot me an e-mail apologizing for not doing anything about it then he continued to not do anything about it.

I cannot stress how horrific my experience with Galvanize was. The fact that I have this 20,000 stain on my resume blows my mind. My advice would be to avoid Galvanize at all costs. Towards the end people simply stopped showing up because they didn't see the point.

This nonsense about them having teachers with experience is laughable. One of our TA's towards the end of the class was a STUDENT in the cohort that graduated a few months before us. Numerous TAs were RefactorU grad's that had graduated damn near WITHIN THE YEAR. One of my classmates was hired as a TA for Galvanize's Denver location when she was STILL A gSCHOOL STUDENT. Its a joke. A cruel cruel joke. Do not make the same mistake I did. If you're interested in an actual education then ignore this company at all costs. If you want to pay 20k for networking then Galvanize is fantastic.

The reason you don't see poor reviews is because when you go to Galvanize you're paying for their reputation. It has absolutely nothing to do with the education. Thus if you're honest about your experience you are lowering your own worth by negatively impacting their reputation.