Springboard

The program will help you build your portfolio and teach you how to communicate with employers through resumes and cover letters.

Coding is a skill that has never been more important than it is today. The skills you learn in Springboard Bootcamp will prepare you for jobs in the tech industry, whether you’re looking to get hired as an entry-level developer or move up within your organization.

Springboard is a part-time online learning platform that specializes in tech bootcamp courses, teaching you all the skills necessary to launch a career in a new line of work. On average, its bootcamps last from 6 to 9 months, giving the company’s clients an opportunity to get job-ready from the comfort of their homes, without significant disruption to their current work and lifestyle. As a result, it is popular with students from all over the world, as the courses are self-paced and not tied to specific times, at the same time offering one-on-one mentorship and curricula curated by the industry experts.

Moreover, the role of Springboard.com does not end with a student graduating from one of its bootcamps. Firstly, every graduate gets a job guarantee from the platform: if he/she fails to secure a job relevant to the course he/she took within 6 months of graduating while meeting all the job guarantee requirements, the company provides a full refund of the tuition costs. Secondly, Springboard does not end its involvement in the student’s fate after graduation – he/she gets full support throughout his/her search for a job. The company’s specialists help graduates prepare for interviews, assist them in their networking efforts, and more. All graduates enter the job market with a portfolio of advanced projects they can use to showcase their newly acquired skills. With 94 percent of graduates securing a job within a year of graduation, many treats this bootcamp as a literal spring board to a career in the tech industry.

How Springboard Works

Most Springboard reviews agree that applying for participation in one of Springboard’s bootcamps is an easy and positive experience. To apply, one simply has to fill in an admission form online, take an aptitude test and then discuss his/her motivations, plans, and background with the company’s representative. Most courses do not require students to have any prior knowledge of coding, although a few require a background in statistics, programming, or user design (it is noted in the descriptions of relevant courses).

All Springboard courses are fully remote, self-paced, and available online. They are, however, quite different from studying on your own. The company provides a support system that follows you throughout your progress. Every student is assigned with a personal mentor and advisor who accompanies him/her throughout the course via weekly video calls. In addition, students get access to a supportive community that they can contact at any time to get insights, help, and networking opportunities. As they progress through the course, not only do students study theory – they also work on real-life projects, forming a significant portfolio by the end of their education.

Feedback from graduates, both concerning the platform as a whole and its individual courses, (e.g., Springboard data science reviews) tends to agree that the company uses high-quality study materials, and their instructors and mentors are more than qualified for their positions. The company itself claims to be extremely selective when hiring new instructors, with only about 10 percent of mentor applicants getting their positions.

Springboard: What You Can Expect

One of the most often praised features of Springboard is its job guarantee and attention to post-graduation support for students. Before you sign up for a course, you get in touch with the company’s admissions director to check if you are eligible for this guarantee. If you are, then, as long as you meet all these requirements and follow the job-seeking recommendations received from the company’s career coaches, you will have your tuition refunded if you fail to secure a relevant job within 6 months of graduation.

Irrespectively of whether you meet the job guarantee requirements, you get full access to this support network, including:

• One-on-one calls from your mentor;
• Access to community managers, always ready to give you feedback and answer your questions;
• Help in perfecting your portfolio, resume, and social media profiles;
• Personal sessions with a career coach to help you perfect your pitch and job-search approach;
• Detailed interview practice by means of one-on-one mock interviews with the company’s expert;
• Access to a vast employer network (Springboard’s graduates often get hired by high-profile companies like Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn).

As for the drawbacks, there are a few common trends that you can find in many a Springboard review. Most notably, some graduates claim that the courses are extremely intense and fast-paced, even considering that they are spread over several months. However, you can treat it as both an advantage and a drawback. Another difficulty many students seem to have is that although you regularly get in touch with your mentor and get access to the network of the company’s specialists, getting through to customer support can take a lot of time. Tuition costs are sometimes cited as too high; however, the majority of graduates who manage to find a job see it as well worth the price.

So, Is Springboard Worth It?

The absolute majority of Springboard’s graduates seem to be completely happy with the courses they took and their outcomes. Although reports of some problems individual students have crop up occasionally, as a whole this bootcamp seems to be a good choice for those who like to take their studying at their own pace.

What will Springboard Bootcamp teach me? 

The curriculum is designed to teach the fundamentals of coding so that one can apply them to any technology stack, including HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. The courses are also designed for beginners with little or no experience with programming languages.

Does Springboard Bootcamp offer any certification? 

Yes, the course is for both local and remote learners. The course provides the skills and knowledge required to take the Springboard Certified Inspector exam. You will receive access to an instructor-led webinar, on-site tutoring by an instructor, and a tutor chatroom.

What are the program options at Springboard Bootcamp? 

Data Analytics Bootcamp: This bootcamp teaches you more than just technical skills. It emphasizes gaps employers find problematic, i.e., strategic thinking, problem-solving, and communication.

Data Science Bootcamp: Springboard has partnered with different industries to allow students real-world experience. The curriculum has over 500 hours using different learning materials such as articles, videos, on-the-job experience, and job-related assignments.

Machine Learning Bootcamp: The ML Bootcamp targets people with firm engineering skills and experience in the industry. This program has the following requirements:

– Have past knowledge in software engineering or data science.
– OR a greater understanding of python, statistics, linear, algebra, and calculus.

Software Engineering Bootcamp: During the nine months that a student will be doing the software engineering bootcamp, they will learn front and back-end web development programs, databases and data structures, and algorithms. The course has 800 hours of software engineering learning. There is a foundation course that one has to go through that takes four to six weeks. Here, they will learn basic web development skills to launch their career as software engineers. 

UI/UX Design Bootcamp: This course requires one to have a good eye for visual design. No prior knowledge is required. At the end of the course duration (9 months), the student will not only be able to work on extensive design projects, but they will also have a portfolio to show employers after a hands-on experience with a client in the industry. 

UX Bootcamp: This course takes six months. The curriculum has over 350 hours using learning materials such as comprehensive articles, videos, on-the-job design projects, and job-related assignments.

Introduction To Design: This course allows you to learn more about the day-to-day life of a designer. It takes four weeks to do this introductory course that will teach you basic UI/UX design skills. The students will also work with Sketch or Figma (the most common design instruments) that many designers use. At the end of the course, you will assess if this is the right path you want to follow for your career. 

Cybersecurity Bootcamp: Cybersecurity is in demand nowadays as the rate and scale of cyber-attacks are rising. More companies and individuals are storing data in the cloud hence the need for cybersecurity experts rising. The duration of the bootcamp is six months. During the course, the students work on different scenarios they might face in their career path.  

Tech Sales Bootcamp: Are you a person who likes associating with other people? Then this is the career for you. It targets sales representatives, customer service representatives, hospitality employees, and secondary and college graduates interested in technology. 

How much does Springboard cost?

The average cost of tuition fees at Springboard is between $6,600 and $11,910. The prep and introductory programs cost $349-$490 and take four to six weeks. 

– Data Analytics Course – $5,500

– Data Science Course – $7,500

– AI & Machine Learning Course – $7,940

– UI/UX Design Course – $8,200

– User Experience Course – $4,900

– Software Engineering Course – $8,400

Prep courses:

1. Software Engineering Prep Course – $490
2. Data Science Prep Course – $490

What are the payment plans at Springboard?

Upfront payment: A discount is offered when students pay the full fees at the start of class. A refund is available if a student drops out within the first seven days.  

Monthly payments: The entire program’s cost is broken down into equal monthly installments. The duration of the program is taken into account. The student must at least commit 15 to 20 hours to study every week. 

Deferred tuition: A student makes a down payment at the beginning of the program. As you progress with the program, you make low interest-only payments. You pay the remaining balance as soon as you finish the course. If you meet the stated requirements and do not get a job six months after graduation, you will not be charged anything for the course.  

Deferred tuition vs. Income Share Agreements (ISAs): This is an agreement between the student and ISA. ISA must take a fraction of a student’s income when they get employed. If the position pays well, ISA’s percentage will also be high. 

Financing with Climb

Springboard has partnered with Climb Credit, where students can borrow a loan to pay their tuition fees. The student will make an initial deposit when they begin the course and pay monthly interest for the course duration. Once the student completes the course, they will start paying the loan remaining in 33 to 36 monthly installments. If the loan is repaid quicker, no penalty will be charged on the pre-payment. The balance will be reimbursed if a student does not finish the course. 

Does Springboard offer any scholarships?

Yes. Springboard offers the following scholarships:

– Women In Tech

– Diversity In Tech

– Needs-Based

– Half and Full Tuition. 

That is not all; Springboard, in collaboration with major companies and community organizations, gives scholarships either full or at a lower rate in specific fields.   

Is There Any Job Guarantee After Springboard?

Yes, Springboard offers a job guarantee after the course. The student will fully support services such as coaching and career services during their job search. A personal coach will be assigned to the student once they complete the course, and the coach will support the student for six months as they search for a job. If the student does not secure a position within six months, they will receive a tuition refund. 

Can You Pay School Fees In Installments at Springboard?

The cost of education is indeed nerve-wracking. Springboard has made it easier for students to access different programs. Click here to find out more. 

Does Springboard Offer Any Discounts?

Yes. Springboard offers discounts when a person pays upfront on all Career Tracks. If someone quits the course in the first seven days, they will receive a refund. 

What are the pros and cons of Springboard bootcamp?

Pros

– You can continue logging into Springboard and discussing with the community after the course. 

– There is an option of financing through Climb Credit. 

– Seven-day money-back guarantee.

– Job placement guarantee.

Cons

– The time is limited for weekly tutor calls. 

– The topics covered are not a wide range. 

– Interface is not user-friendly.

Is a salary increase expectation after a bootcamp?

Tech jobs generally pay a good salary. As much as there is a salary boost after attending a coding bootcamp, other factors play in as well, such as, if one has a degree, their salary might be higher than one with a college degree.

Application Process

• On their website, fill in the application form. 
• You will be taken through an interactive interview and a skill assessment. 
• The next step if you are successful is to choose a suitable date to start.
• Lastly, you will choose a payment plan from the options given.

It is not easy to get admitted to Springboard as they have strict acceptance guidelines that they adhere to. The acceptance rate is 20%. If you compare it with other bootcamps, it is higher.

Where is Springboard located?

1. Springboard’s office address is: Suite 1100, 22 Battery Street, San Francisco, CA 94111
2. Bengaluru, India, WeWork Vaishnavi Signature, No. 78/9, Outer Ring Road, Bellandur, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560103

The courses offered at Springboard are online. There are no on-site classes.

Conclusion

If you are interested in STEM studies, then Springboard Bootcamps are ideal. They will not only support you during the program but also advise you as you start or progress your career. The price tag associated with the tuition fee is a bit high, but it is worth it!