Pros
I graduated with a degree not even remotely related to Computer Science, but had always had a knack for programming. I applied to the boot camp on a whim and ended up being a top performer in their classroom-like training setting. I specifically requested being in a C# training "batch" and they were able to accommodate my request, although a lot of my classmates were upset because they were led to believe they were training in Java technologies. After training (which is very much like a full college course load) there is a process called "Staging" in which you study for certifications and continually take interviews with different companies. This was a grueling and stressful process for me, as I was slated to be placed at multiple companies without the need for interviews, but the contracts fell through, which led to me waiting around the office twiddling my thumbs for a month before being bombarded with interviews one after the other once my managers realized the deals were off.
I was eventually placed at a very large and prominent company, however, so I was pretty happy with the result. I did end up moving half way across the country though. They will send you to any client in the continental United States, and you have no choice, so realize that it is a possibility!
My contract included a right-to-hire clause, which means the client has the ability to buy out my contract from Revature and I would become an associate at the client company, no longer under my Revature contract. I was also a little different in the sense that my contract was only one year when most people have two year contracts. This was great because I had the opportunity of becoming an employee directly under my client company quickly. Unfortunately, there was a snafu with my client company's fiances and I ended up staying on with Revature for longer than my contract stated. I was okay with this, however, because Revature offered me a significant raise for my second year of employment which was an unexpected, but welcomed surprise.
Once on the client's site, I had very little to no contact with Revature. I went two to three months at a time having never spoken to a Revature manager or HR. They kept sending me paychecks and I was doing well at my client company, so I suppose everything was in order anyway. There was also a large amount of other Revature employees at my client company so I didn't feel like I was alone.
Coming from a person with a non CS degree, I would say the boot camp is hard but certainly doable for someone who has a basic understanding of programming skills, and more importantly, the ability to learn quickly and a willingness to learn new technologies. This was exactly what I needed to get into the Software Development industry. Had I not gone through Revature, it would have been personally impossible for me to be working as a Software Engineer at the company I am today, and I mean that sincerely.
Cons
- 2 year contract
- Underpaid for the industry standard. If you have a CS degree and the relative skills to land a position, you're probably better off finding a job on your own.
- I never had an issues with my paycheck, clients, or other business, but there is a lack of HR support across the company for employees on projects. They are working to improve this, but I've seen colleagues struggle with HR problems that should be easily addressable.
- Until you finish training and start making money for the company, you are very much treated like an expendable commodity. If they don't think you'll be a desirable employee for a software company, they'll cut you loose during training.
