Thinkful

Thinkful understands the value of supporting their students and almost provides too much support to utilize. Weekly mentor sessions, q&a sessions, open slack channel, technical coaching for hardware/software issues, and peer support are just a few of... Read More the opportunities that are provided for all students. I read about 200-250 reviews on Switchup's website before deciding to pursue this option. The nights and weekends program does require a ton of time. They clearly stated I would be spending 25-30 hours outside of my normal work day on this work and I absolutely am putting this amount of time if not more into the program. You will lose sleep as I am averaging 4-5 hours per night, but I also have a full time job, am a husband, and father to two young boys. I do not regret this decision one bit as I know I will reap what I sow. Be relentless and go for it! It will truly be a life changing opportunity if you put the time into it.

Overall I had a great experience learning at Thinkful. I completed the Engineering Immersion program as I thought it would be the best fit for me and I am very happy with my decision. I did quite a bit of research before deciding to take the plunge on... Read More a bootcamp as it is a big commitment of both time and money and after all is said and done, Thinkful certainly lived up to my hopes.

The curriculum is focused on technologies and languages that are in demand at the moment and in my job hun/interviews post graduation the stack I learned proved to be a desirable skill set. The teachers, mentors, and support staff were all very knowledgeable, friendly and happy to answer questions. It was clear that everyone that works at Thinkful is passionate about what they do and excited to help the students learn. I never felt like I was just a money maker for the program.

Additionally, the career support both in the curriculum helping me get prepared for interviews etc. as well as the ongoing support after graduation were a big selling point for me and again surpassed my expectations going in. Not only does Thinkful impart the necessary tech knowledge to land a developer position, but really helped me prepare for the day-to-day of being a developer as well as the steps necessary to land that elusive first position. I was lucky and I don't believe this is the norm but I was able to get my first long-term contract 1 week after graduation and I am ecstatic to call myself a developer after the help and tutelage at Thinkful.

I'm sure there were some downsides I felt going through the program but after the fact I can't seem to recall what they were. I will say that the engineering immersion program is fairly rigorous. It was not an easy 5 months but was absolutely worth the effort. Be prepared to learn a lot, fast!

I'll be graduating from the Thinkful Analytics Bootcamp this week. It has been an enlightening experience. This is a great course for individuals with no previous analytics experience as well as those looking to "sharpen the saw". I've been an analyst... Read More for 4 years now and I primarily work with excel. Building on those skill with SQL, and Python helps me to "up my game". The Thinkful community was very helpful! I've enjoyed the course so much I'm actually attempting to become a mentor post-graduation.

PROS:
1.Curriculum
2.Technical Coaching
3.Projects to help you develop business acumen
4.Great community

CONS:
1.Cost
2.Job support
*You will not be spoon fed a job, you must work for it. Not necessarily a con but it's good to know what to expect. You get out what you put in.

Thinkful tries really hard to get you through their program, but it is up to you to put in the time. Don't expect a job at the end of it, it is up to you to network and prepare yourself like anything in life. Thinkful provides the tools and they are some... Read More great tools! Also, it is worthwhile to consider quitting your job to do Thinkful or a bootcamp full time.

For Start I want you to know that any review you can see Bloc is paying for them. That's the email you can receive from them when you are a student.: 'Just following up here - would you mind writing a review on Course Report and SwitchUp about your time... Read More at Bloc? Your feedback will give other students a better understanding about the Bloc experience. We'd love if you could share your thoughts. If you decide to post your review, please respond to this email and the Bloc team will send you a $15 Amazon gift card! ' There is almost no help at the end. For the same price I highly recommend to go somewhere else.

Background:I'm a medically out of work person for over five years when my baby sister goes to a bootcamp. She talks me into trying FreeCode Camp and while I saw the value of self study, I knew a program designed by professionals would be a better fit... Read More for me. I prefer remote work because of my physical limitations and Thinkful was a great fit. They gave me support during my trial session, worked with me to get appropriate financing and then helped me stretch and reach further than I thought I could. Thinkful has given me back my ability to be a more productive person, engage in a virtual community with great mentors and fellow students in Slack, Q&A's and my Engineering Nights and Weekends cohort. Because of my Program Manager in Portland, I've gotten out of the house to attend Meet-ups. That is totally not my comfort zone but I felt supported by her and the rest of the team. Don't be stuck-reach out and check the school out-with financing help, mentors, and a lot of other support including job search help for months after your graduate. IN addision, you will always be a part of the community on Slack with the ability to access your online curriculum if you ever need a refresher.

I started Thinkful's Data Science part-time flex bootcamp about a month ago. As I have worked my way through the curriculum, I have been impressed how every subject builds upon the one before. In such a program where there so many disparate, evolving... Read More subjects, having a fluid transition between subjects has made my journey feel so natural. In addition, the curriculum has been very in-depth and rigorous. Everything I have learned, I have been able to practice and gain a deeper understanding through projects and capstones. Every step of the way, I have had amazing support from my mentor, who is an established Data Scientist. Through our biweekly conversations, he helps me solve any problems I have encountered throughout the curriculum, tests my understand of some of the more challenging concepts, and trains me to think like a Data Scientist. The other part of my support system is my Program Manager. Her enthusiasm and passion for her work and supporting her students really enhances my experience. And last but not least, the monthly dinners where everyone in an area gets together to have dinner, chat, work on projects, or hear a speaker is one of the highlights of the program!

I've done a little freelance work creating websites in the past. I loved it but wasn't sure how to make my love for web dev turn into an actual career. So, about a year ago, I knew that I needed to take my skills to the next level and began to search... Read More for bootcamps that would not only help sharpen my skills but also help me change careers.

I stumbled upon Thinkful and I'm so glad I did.

From my initial phone conversation with my mentor, I knew that Thinkful was committed to helping me find a job in the tech industry. They were with me every step of the way from learning basic HTML to accepting a job offer at a tech company in town.

Never once did I have to question what their motives were, or if they really wanted to see me get a job in the tech industry. They were committed to seeing me develop as a developer and committed to seeing me change careers.

If you're looking for a bootcamp that actually cares about you, Thinkful is the place where you need to be. I highly encourage everyone to give Thinkful a serious look if you're contemplating bootcamps.

Thinkful has employed great people who really care for your success. I have countless options to go to when I'm stuck, whether it be my mentor, office hours, technical coaches, or even the Thinkful Slack community is a big help! The only okay thing about... Read More this and it's only in the full stack flex program, I feel like It would benefit more people had they put in lots of videos on top of the reading you have to do to better understand the concepts being taught. Other than that I have no complaints, all reading works It's just that If I had the option I would definitely choose to have some videos included. As for the job support, one of the reasons I joined was because I knew they had career services, however, I'm not up to that part of the course yet so I can't really review it at this moment.

You'll be surprised by how much you'll learn in just a few months following this program. It is challenging and they will keep you accountable on the time you invest in it, but the results speak for themselves. You will struggle no matter your previous... Read More knowledge, but your mentor and program manager don't have an attitude of "that's good enough, good job " they will always push you to be your better self.