Springboard

About me: I decided on the bootcamp route because I knew I needed a structured curriculum with my readings and assignments laid out for me. During this process, I worked part time, around 20 hours per week. On average, I studied around 12 hours per week.... Read More I completed Springboard’s UX/UI Design program in just under 10 months.

Pros:
- Detailed curriculum covers all the fundamentals of the UX design process. Note that most of the curriculum is made up of free articles and Youtube videos that you hypothetically could find yourself, but the benefit is that they’ve saved you time by finding and vetting them for you. Expect to occasionally do your own deep dives, but you'll have a clear roadmap.
- Graded assignments give you the chance to practice the skills you're learning and get feedback on where you can improve.
- Flexibility. You can go at your own pace, even in your own order to an extent. Although a lot of people didn't finish within the allotted 9 months (it took me 10 and I was ahead of much of my cohort), there were a few options for free extensions baked into the program.
- A dedicated mentor with meetings every 1-2 weeks. Note: mileage may vary for this one, but my mentor was awesome. He gave fair critiques of my work, was honest about the state of the design industry right now and what it takes to succeed, and answered my questions thoroughly with examples.
- Career coaching during the bootcamp and after completion. Similar to the mentorship situation, it depends on who you get but it's nice to have someone to review your application materials and keep you accountable to your goals.
- The Independent Design Project (IDP) is a chance to work with a real company so that you will graduate with real-world experience on your resume. This was one of my main reasons for choosing Springboard, and I definitely found the experience useful.

Cons:
- Parts of the curriculum are in need of an update. Some articles are up to 10 years old and, on rare occasions, an article might no longer be available.
- The curriculum timelines may throw you off a bit. For example, the suggested amount of time for some assignments doesn't take into account that many people are completely new to the software/topics. I also wish some career portions of the curriculum were switched around, but as mentioned above, you can usually work in whatever order you’d like.
- The job guarantee (get your money back if you don't land a job in 6-12 months) is real but the stipulations are very tedious. To remain eligible for the job guarantee, you'll need to 1) complete the course, 2) apply to a certain number of jobs per week following completion, 3) make a certain number of *new* contacts every week and carry out a few informational interviews per month, and 4) prove that you are continuing to upskill.

All in all, although I have some complaints, I have no regrets about going through with the bootcamp. I feel like I have a good foundation to apply for entry/junior level roles.

Springboard's Data Science bootcamp has a great curriculum and excellent community and mentorship support. This course is well structured and provides great materials for ML, statistics, Deep learning, python etc. I really enjoyed working on all the projects... Read More in this track as it helped me understand the concept really well. I will 100% recommend anybody looking to switch their career or upskill in Data science to join this track.

Right off the bat, I'll say that their curriculum needs a refresh. That said, the mentors, career coaches, and overall content are excellent. I went from being unsure exactly what UX is, to feeling ready to work in UX and IU design and apply for jobs... Read More in a challenging industry and job market. The mentors, career coaches, and emphasis on portfolio pieces, resume, and LinkedIn readiness make this program worth the investment.

Springboard's Software Engineering Bootcamp sincerely helped become a confident and knowledgeable software engineer. This bootcamp and the people at Springboard set you up for success, but it's all up to you to get what you can out of it. If you work... Read More hard, you will be able to say it was an amazing experience. I personally came from knowing nothing about software engineering, and now I can confidently code, build websites and do things I never thought I would be doing. If you are on the edge of choosing between bootcamp's or just looking into this direction, I would highly suggest you give this opportunity with Springboard a shot!

My experience at springboard was overall a very positive one. I was able to get matched with a great mentor, and while I had many other things going on in life as I worked through the program, Springboard provided a flexible platform to learn and complete... Read More the program with. I would recommend Springboard to those looking to make a career change or simply looking to further their skills in data science.

Pros:

Job Guarantee: The bootcamp’s job guarantee is a strong incentive. If you meet all the specified requirements, this can provide peace of mind about employment prospects.
CompTIA Security+ Certification: The program includes preparation for the CompTIA... Read More Security+, which is an essential credential in the industry.
Mentorship: Having a mentor with real-world experience was invaluable. They offered advice, resources, and personal insights that made a significant difference.
Career Coaching: The career calls and coaches were well-informed and dedicated. They genuinely want to help students succeed and are passionate about their roles.
Course Structure: The structured course kept me accountable, and I don’t think I would have pushed myself as hard without it.
Cons:

Curriculum: Some areas of the curriculum felt lacking in hands-on experience. While helpful, it was sometimes too theoretical to fully prepare for the job market.
Outdated Technology in Labs: The live labs can feel outdated, which makes practicing with current tech a challenge.
Certification Timing: Not receiving the CompTIA Security+ certificate until the end made it hard to fully grasp certain concepts during the modules.
Content Availability: Some of the material is freely available online (like on YouTube). This approach might save the bootcamp money on instructors but feels less robust for students.
Isolation & Limited Cohort Interaction: There’s minimal interaction with other cohorts, and the Slack channel is fairly quiet, which can feel isolating.
Inconvenient Timing for Events: Many events and office hours favor early mornings, making it challenging for those working a 9-5 job alongside the bootcamp.

I highly recommend Springboard's intensive Data Analytics program. The combination of an in-depth curriculum and personal mentorship exceeded my expectations. My mentor's 1:1 support kept me on track and was crucial in helping me navigate challenging... Read More topics. The projects were designed to reflect real-world data tasks, giving me confidence in applying my skills professionally. This program has prepared me well, and I feel ready to take on new data analysis roles

The Springboard Data Science Career Track provides a thorough introduction to data science, covering foundational skills before moving into advanced topics. The curriculum includes programming in Python, SQL, and machine learning techniques, as well as... Read More mentorship with industry professionals. The course is self-paced, which is ideal for those balancing other commitments, and includes project-based learning, allowing students to build a professional portfolio.

Pros:
Comprehensive curriculum covering both foundational and advanced data science topics
One-on-one mentorship from industry professionals
Flexible, self-paced learning schedule
Hands-on, project-based approach to building a portfolio

Cons:
Requires high self-motivation and discipline to stay on track

The springboard cybersecurity bootcamp was a great learning experience for me and helped me reach a great understanding, despite being a total beginner. Firstly, the curriculum provided interactive and engaging lectures and projects which helped me understand... Read More cybersecurity in a theoretical manner. Secondly, the labs provided great hands on, real-life, knowledge and skills that a day to day cybersecurity professional would need to know in order to do their role. Lastly, the mentors and student advisors were always able to answer any doubts and questions that I had, whether it be about a complex or simple matter, which greatly boosted my confidence and abilities in learning. The practice exams for the Comptia Security+ were also much more challenging than the real exam and greatly helped me to the pass the exam. The program was also well structured to be completed in 6 months, even for someone working full time such as myself.

Attending this program was a game-changer for my cybersecurity journey. The curriculum provided a comprehensive foundation, combining theoretical knowledge with hands-on labs and real-world scenarios. One major advantage was the supportive mentorship,... Read More which helped clarify concepts and build confidence. Additionally, the flexibility in learning allowed me to balance studies with other commitments. Overall, this program was invaluable in equipping me with skills and insights crucial for the cybersecurity field.