It goes without saying that the tech industry is where the future’s at. This is evident in the numerous predictions by top career sites like LinkedIn, for instance. In its 2020 U.S. Emerging Jobs Report, 11 out of the 15 jobs that are projected to see significant growth belong in the tech industry, with positions such as cybersecurity expert, Artificial Intelligence (AI) specialist, full stack engineer, and back end developer hogging the limelight.
If you are looking to venture into the tech world, there is no better time to do so. As basic economic principles dictate, a higher demand equals lucrative opportunities for individuals with just the right skillsets to help spur the growth of the global business landscape—and that could very well be you.
As the demand for top-tier tech professionals continues to grow, so does the number of coding bootcamps that are helping to close the market gap. The beauty of the tech industry is its egalitarian nature that provides equal chances for opportunities. That is why more and more tech aspirants are foregoing the conventional route of tertiary education in exchange for a fast-tracked learning at a fraction of the costs and time.
“I found that a coding bootcamp is an intensive track to get you to start coding, to really build a strong foundation. It’s great for those making a career switch or just getting out of school. I went for a coding bootcamp because I’ve got some basics from my undergrad but I really wanted to pursue coding further and I didn’t want to go back to school for another four years,” software developer and tech enthusiast Tiffin said.
Another software engineer and tech Youtuber named Olivia said: “I literally went from a college dropout to a software engineer…I wanted to have stability with my income and I know engineering could bring me that goal so I said ‘That’s it, I’m going to learn’.
“At this point, I had no coding background. I did the bootcamp prep for three months and then I applied for a program. You do not need a technical background to do this; all you need is your [sic] hustle, time, effort, and energy.”
However, with so many choices available, picking the right education track is a difficult task as there is a lot to consider like personal capacity, career outlook, and financial and time investments.
In this article, we will take a deep dive into one of the industry’s leading education providers, Flatiron School, and discover how its foolproof formula of a rigorous curriculum and supportive community can help you launch a rewarding and successful career.
Flatiron School Overview
With the belief that education should be the best investment you make in your future, Flatiron School is committed to helping you learn the skills you need to change yours for the better.
The school came to its inception in 2012 and is the brainchild of a venture capitalist with a passion for education Adam Enbar and a self-taught programmer Avi Flombaum. From a humble beginning in a second-floor walk-up in the Flatiron District of Manhattan, Flatiron School now has evolved into the hallmark of the coding bootcamp industry, with 8 campuses across the US and an online offering.
The duo had one mission: to create an alternative education model that provided students with the cutting-edge tech skills necessary to succeed in a booming tech world. Eight years on, Flatiron School has seen tremendous success and inspired the births of many other similar accelerated programming schools.
Why Flatiron School?
Credibility and Proven Track-Record
One of the many questions that you might have as a prospective student is the credibility of the program. Considering the duration, costs, and commitment that you plan to put into such a journey, this is a legitimate concern.
At Flatiron School, you can put your worries aside as the school maintains full transparency when it comes to the outcomes. Flatiron School’s unique approach to education—when tackling both on-campus and off-campus programs— is highly effective, as evident in its report which can be assessed here.
Based on the latest 2019 Jobs Report, the employment rate for Flatiron School’s job-seeking on-campus and online graduates is a whopping 93%. This figure includes those accepting full-time salaried roles, full-time contract, internship, apprenticeship, and freelance roles, and part-time roles during the reporting period.
Meanwhile, job-seeking on-campus graduates who disclosed their compensation revealed that their average starting salary was approximately $75,000 annually; $32/hour for full-time roles, and $28/hour for part-time roles. Online graduates, on the other hand, earned an average starting salary of $72,000 annually; $34/hour for full-time roles, and $21/hour for part-time roles.
The annual report was reviewed by global firm Moody, Famiglietti & Andronico, LLP, and includes data from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2018.
The school has also received various recognitions and accolades over the years by career sites and education reviewers. This year alone, Flatiron School was awarded Best Online Bootcamp, Best Coding Bootcamp, Best Data Science Bootcamp, and Best Cybersecurity Bootcamp for Q1 2020 by Career Karma.
Flexibility and Support
In spite of its achievements, the school still strives to remove barriers that could possibly deter a tech aspirant from launching a rewarding career and this includes the high-cost of education. That was the basis of its Income Share Agreement (ISA), a type of loan that still incurs debt, but eliminates unnecessary financial stress during the course so students can have peace of mind and instead, focus on what truly matters: their education.
Additionally, to ensure career changers can take a confident step toward a brand new future, the school offers a money-back guarantee. Students who graduate, follow the job-search process, and don’t secure a job offer within six months of their job offer search start date, will receive a full tuition refund. (see terms). This strongly highlights the school’s confidence in its tried-and-trusted model.
Courses
There is a slew of courses you can opt for at Flatiron School, ranging from introductory lessons to bootcamp preps and immersive-style programs. Although the Flatiron School costs can be quite high, it is justified given the quality of the education. In this article, we’ll pan in on three of its most popular courses that can furnish students with the skills needed to build a long-lasting tech career.
Software Engineering
Cost: $15,000 – $17,000 (differs by market)
Duration: 15 weeks
Campus: All campuses
In this 15-week course, students will learn full stack development and sharpen their programming, web framework, and JavaScript skills, among others. They will also be taught to think and build like a software engineer.
In each three-week module, students will develop key skills that build upon one another through interactive labs, lectures, and close collaboration. What’s interesting is that students will get a taste of real-life experience through advanced portfolio-building exercises that are conducted solo and in groups. They’ll not only be able to demonstrate their newly-acquired technical knowledge but also exercise soft skills like teamwork and time management.
Alumni project: Knoxville-based web developer Chaya Deaver, a Flatiron School graduate, has successfully built a recipe database app that uses React.js for front end and Rails API for back end. The app, dubbed MyFamily Recipes, allows users to sign up for an account to be able to upload recipes and edit them. Ms. Deaver is also a career coach at Career Karma now, helping others embark on a similar journey she did just a year ago.
Data Science
Cost: $15,000 – $17,000 (differs by market)
Duration: 15 weeks
Campus: Chicago, NYC, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, D.C., Online
Since 2012, there has been a 650% growth in data science jobs and the figure is only going to get bigger. Today, companies make important business decisions that are based on data. Without reliable data science experts, companies stand to lose out as they risk not gaining insights into who their customers are and what are their needs. Flatiron School is the right place to groom you into a professional that today’s companies are searching for.
This 15-week course will give you the breadth and depth needed to become a well-rounded data scientist, teaching skills from Python to Machine Learning. Every 3 weeks, you’ll be introduced to a new module that builds off the learnings of the previous section. Some topics that will be covered include SQL, Statistics, Big Data, and Deep Learning.
Alumni project: NY-based data scientist Hua Shi, a graduate of this program, has come up with unique machine learning algorithms that can help predict the effects of DNA variants to enable personalized medicine. This project has brilliantly demonstrated her proficiency in data acquisition, data modeling, statistical analysis, and machine learning, among others.
Cybersecurity Engineering
Cost: $18,000 – $20,000 (differs by market)
Duration: 15 weeks
Campus: NYC, Washington, D.C.
Cybersecurity engineers are one of the most in-demand jobs of the day. This 15-week immersive program has been developed in collaboration with top cybersecurity employers to ensure that students get all the skills they need to jump right into cybersecurity. During the course, students can expect to learn about basic network protocols, sniffing and port scanning, firewalls, IDSes and NIDSes, and wireless protocols and their security.
This course is tailored to groom students to be job-ready with its industry-oriented curriculum, and hands-on experience in its unique Cyber Range lab environment—a sandbox where you can safely learn how to hack, explore, track, gather, break, and build things.
Cybersecurity Analytics
Cost: $15,000 – $17,000 (differs by market)
Duration: 12 weeks
Campus: NYC, Washington, D.C.
This 12-week program is curated to help students tackle rapidly-advancing threats. It features eight foundational courses, extensive hands-on skill training, and guided product training from seasoned instructors. Students will get to safely explore and put their skills into practice in real-world environments using Flatiron School’s state-of-the-art Cyber Range. It is interesting to note that 50% of the courses are reserved for hands-on lab time.
The first nine weeks will see students learning skills like Security Intelligence and Event Management (SIEM) administration, network administration, threat intelligence, and GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) before completing a capstone project in the final three weeks.
Free Workshops
At Flatiron School, students are spoiled for choices. Therefore, picking a program can seem like a daunting task. If you are among those who are unsure about which course to enroll in, it is advisable to sign up for one of the four free preparation workshops:
Coding Bootcamp Prep
This workshop is the best way to decide if a coding bootcamp is for you. Not only will it expose students to the programming fundamentals in languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Ruby, it will also help you build a solid portfolio with real-time collaborative tools and instructors, and on-demand support from technical coaches. According to the school, this 75+ hour bootcamp prep is the most supportive and comprehensive way to begin learning to code.
Data Science Bootcamp Prep
There’s literally no catch with Flatiron School’s free workshops, not even a credit card required. This curriculum is made to be accessible to anyone, regardless of their background so that they have the practical opportunity to learn while gauging their interest in the field. Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of data science such as Python, SQL, and Machine Learning while going deep in the areas needed to qualify for top bootcamp programs. The best part is that Prep students who wish to enroll in the full Data Science course will have their admissions fast-tracked!
Hacking 101: Intro to Cybersecurity
This is a perfect workshop for those who want to dip their toes in the wonderful world of cybersecurity. This two-hour free workshop has no trial periods or expiration dates, so you can set your schedule and learn at your own pace. The curriculum is developed in partnership with SecureSet, one of the top-ranked cybersecurity bootcamps. On top of the instructional videos, this session offers a practice lab for you to get familiar with the basics of virtualization.
Application Process
There are several ways for you to find out more about the enrollment process or just the overall “Flatiron School experience”. Prospective students are encouraged to attend an event, tour, seminar, or info session to get a glimpse into Flatiron School-style learning. Click here to stay on top of upcoming events at Flatiron School. You can also email admissions@flatironschool.com to schedule an appointment, drop a message at info@flatironschool.com, or call 1 (888) 958-0569.
Another alternative is for you to reach out to Career Karma’s designated squad for Flatiron School for additional support. At the time of writing, there are at least seven squad leaders who can help answer any possible question you might have about the school. Rest assured, as your questions will be answered truthfully, based on the leaders’ first-hand experience at the school. This is also a great opportunity for you to connect with your peers and coaches, building a strong rapport among tech leaders of tomorrow. On Career Karma, there are also several groups for various courses that Flatiron School’s students can join.
Financing Options
As previously mentioned, the school wishes to keep entry barriers to a minimum and thus, there are a number of financing options that students can explore at Flatiron School. They are as follow:
Pay Upfront
This option requires students to make an initial deposit, then pay the remainder of their tuition before class begins in a lump sum.
Income Share Agreement (ISA)
As mentioned above, ISA is a unique option where eligible students can defer their tuition until program completion. After an initial payment when they enroll, the remainder of the tuition is paid once they’ve left the program and are earning at least a minimum monthly income. This option, however, is only available to qualified students in ISA-eligible locations. Click here for more information.
Student Loans
Through partnerships with Ascent Funding and Climb, two well-known financing companies, all eligible students can apply for a loan to pay for their courses with monthly payments for up to 36 months and 42 months respectively. Students can take out a loan equal to the tuition of any U.S.-based course (minus deposit and scholarships) and an additional Cost of Living loan of up to $7,500.
Scholarships and Diversity Initiatives
In showing its commitment to build a diverse and inclusive tech community, Flatiron School offers several scholarships such as the Access Scholarship and The NexTech Scholarship in partnership with the Cognizant U.S. Foundation. Check out its scholarship page for the latest initiatives.
In addition to these, Flatiron School offers a money-back guarantee: “If you graduate, follow our job-search process and the other steps we require and don’t obtain a job offer within 6 months of your job-seeking start date, your tuition will be refunded.” Find out more here.
If you really want to get ahead of the game, the school recommends taking its prep courses that are free and require no financial or time commitment—no credit card even needed. Not only is it a risk-free investment, but you also get to have a taste of where your interest truly lies in this massive and booming industry.
What are you waiting for? You, too, can stand among successful Flatiron School’s alumni in just weeks—it all begins here at admissions@flatironschool.com.
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
