Smoothstack reviews about "minimum wage"

53% positive business outlook

Reviews by job title

6 reviews
2.0
Jun 27, 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

-Friendly work environment. -Flexible training schedule.

Cons

-Unstructured training schedule. We were literally given PowerPoint presentations twice a week (for approximately 1 hour each session) and then asked to do our own research to complete our assignments/projects. We were randomly called in for training throughout the week (no course agenda or schedule). -Dishonestly from recruiters. I was promised accommodations from my recruiter that the Smoothstack management had no recollection of until the last week of training. -They are not upfront about the company's "business model". They did not mention in the beginning that you would still need to interview with their so-called "established pipeline of clients". I interviewed with a variety of clients that had no recollection of Smoothstack. -It took almost a year to get placed with a client after the training was over. That meant getting paid minimum wage for an entire year as I waited for opportunities to interview. I’d like to also clarify that every interview went well. The feedback was always good. The hiring manager would notify us, stating that we got accepted for a position, and then “something” would always happen a week later. It was always the same excuse; either the contract was not ready or funding for our position wasn’t available yet.

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Smoothstack Response
5y
Smoothstack is a Registered Apprenticeship Program with the Department of Labor. It is a full-time job paired with paid training, mentorship and professional development opportunities. The Apprenticeship pathway creates opportunity for entry-mid level tech jobs that may not otherwise be open without years more experience. Smoothstack's training is not classroom style. We expect our employees-in-training to be self starters. The job is not for everyone. We only select those with the highest aptitude. In order to be successful our apprentices must be ambitious to learn and able to be successful in unchartered environments. We wish you the best of luck in your new adventure. If you would like to talk to someone in HR about your experience pease reach out anytime. Thank you for the review.
1.0
Jul 23, 2025

Look Elsewhere

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

You have a CHANCE for a job.

Cons

Owe 30k if you are fired for cause or if you leave. You are not guaranteed the job even if you complete the program. You are stuck making minimum wage if they can't place you.

2.0
Feb 5, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Got paid to get trained in-demand DevOps skills like AWS, K8s, and Terraform - Opportunities to work with several AWS services on the company's dime. - Group projects were fun, great to add to a GitHub/resume, and really helped our cohort bond. - 6 month intensive training - If you live in a state with a higher minimum wage, it's livable.

Cons

- No Client opportunities. Our entire 25-person cohort got laid off after successfully completing the training due to a lack of client demand. - Poor communication regarding the above. Management told us all that interviews with that SPECIFIC client were no more than 1-2 weeks out and this repeated for several months, until finally we all got let go same day without any warning (Even our instructor didn't know it was happening until it did)

4.0
Feb 27, 2024

Decent Starter

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Accept low experience level - Pay during training - Contract out to larger companies

Cons

- Lower pay range - State level minimum wage during training - Variable placement time - 2 year contract, does not prevent layoff - Little to no mentoring

4.0
Dec 18, 2024

High risk, high reward to get foot in the door

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

You're guaranteed at least one shot in front of a potential client.

Cons

If you don't shine above peers and get an offer off your first interview, you may be stuck at minimum wage in training limbo.

4.0
Jul 15, 2024

Good Training

Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The people are friendly and the training is good. Remote.

Cons

Minimum wage salary while training. They could not find employers so me and my team were fired after 5 months of training.

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