How Eleven Fifty Academy Bootcamp Graduates Land Tech Jobs

Table of Contents

• Meet Our Expert: Abi Tambasco
• Career Support at Eleven Fifty Academy
• 5 Tech Jobs Eleven Fifty Academy Students Land After Graduation
• What qualities are tech employers looking for in potential hires?

Since 2014, Eleven Fifty Academy has graduated over 1,100 developers into the tech market. By expanding to include an online option, Eleven Fifty Academy is now helping students across the country make a career change into tech. Abi Tambasco, Vice President of Career Services and Employer Strategy at Eleven Fifty Academy, explains how her team has created a virtual pipeline of robust career support for students and graduates. With an employer partner network of 250+ organizations and companies, Abi breaks down the types of tech roles graduates land after Eleven Fifty Academy and what sets Eleven Fifty bootcamp graduates apart in the hiring pool. 

Meet Our Expert: Abi Tambasco

• Abi Tambasco is the Vice President of Career Services and Employer Strategy at Eleven Fifty Academy. 
• Abi and her team support students and graduates with mentorship, networking opportunities, and job search strategy. The career services team has created a pipeline that supports students and graduates, wherever they are in their careers. 

Career Support at Eleven Fifty Academy

We know that, unlike other industries, tech can be challenging to integrate into, so Eleven Fifty Academy aims to build a bench of career support offered to both students and graduates. Students begin interacting with our career services team early in the bootcamp. We provide students with career support during the first month of the 12-week bootcamp. We also provide graduates the same career services they received when they were a student! 

Eleven Fifty Academy career support generally includes:

• Assisting students in building their brand through a resume and LinkedIn workshop.  
• Our Integration Into Tech Workshop helps students successfully migrate into the tech industry.
• Connecting students with potential employers, either through one-on-one meetings or local workshops and events.
• Hosting mock interviews, where we pair students with either one of our 250 employer partners or a career services staff member. These mock interviews include general interview and tech assessment preparation.
• Pairing students with a Career Placement Advisor, who helps students develop a personalized job search strategy and identify potential employers based on career goals and interests.
• Reviewing compensation packages for our students and graduates, and providing negotiation preparation during the job search process.
• Helping students create a video elevator pitch to share on Linkedin and with potential employers.
• Working with students in portfolio development, including how to best present projects completed during bootcamp.

We know that students can feel like they are hanging off a cliff during the job search, so we work with students to ensure that they can transition into their new tech roles and the tech industry. 

Did career services at Eleven Fifty Academy pivot in response to the COVID-19 pandemic? 

Due to the pandemic, we moved everything to a virtual platform. For example, our mock interviews are done online via breakout rooms, and feedback is sent virtually to students. We have also moved our lunch and learn sessions online. We also had to adapt how we prepare students for interviews, as they are being done primarily online now.

Being online has opened up Eleven Fifty bootcamps to more people, which significantly benefits students and us. We have seen about a 300% increase in enrollment since the start of the pandemic. Virtual formats have made key areas of our curriculum and career services more accessible. For career services, it is much easier to hop on a quick virtual meeting to help students with interview preparation or other needs. Previously, we were doing this in person, and we’ve been able to accommodate and help more students.

Additionally, students can enhance their learning through virtual resources and support. Our Learning Gym provides a virtual Tech Tutor to students who need help. Likewise, we have facilitated more virtual meet-ups between students, graduates, and employment partners.

5 Tech Jobs Eleven Fifty Academy Students Land After Graduation

Eleven Fifty Academy graduates typically land jobs as:

• Software Development: Software Engineer, Software Developer
• Web Development: Web Developer, JavaScript Developer
• Cyber Security: Threat Analyst, Security Analyst, and SOC Analyst
• IT Professionals: Tier One and Tier Two Tech Support
• Tech Recruiters and Tech Sales

Student Success Story: One of our students was an immigrant who began his career as a dishwasher. He eventually moved up to a management position at the restaurant. He decided to enroll at Eleven Fifty Academy and now works at Infosys.

What is the median salary for Eleven Fifty graduates?

The median salary of an Eleven Fifty graduate is $55,000. We do see graduates earn upwards of $90,000, depending on role, experience, and geographic location. 

Student Success Story: We had a student who was aiming to reinvent himself and decided to attend an Eleven Fifty bootcamp. He did not have a tech or coding background before enrolling. After graduating, he landed his first job in tech at $50,000, and eight months later, he’s making $120,000 now.

How much time does an Eleven Fifty student spend job hunting after graduation?

Ideally, we aim to have students placed in jobs within three months of graduating. The most successful graduates engage with career services and actively dedicate time to their job search, including networking, interview preparation, and refining their personal brand.

Has the pandemic affected hiring for Eleven Fifty graduates?

We haven’t seen a considerable impact yet; our students are still being placed. We have had 230 external job placements so far this year!

Does Eleven Fifty Academy place students with employer partners? 

Eleven Fifty has over 250 employer partners, located within and outside Indianapolis. Our career services team helps with “matchmaking” graduates to jobs and employers that match their career interests and values. We have been able to place many of our graduates with these organizations.

Student Success Story: We had a student who was a native of Indianapolis but, at the time, was a country music artist in Nashville, TN. He came to Eleven Fifty looking to change careers. He went through 20 interviews, and I connected him to an employer partner. He now has over 12 Salesforce certifications. 

What qualities are tech employers looking for in potential hires?

Top tech employers typically look for graduates who are:

• Lifelong learners that are resourceful and interested in their continuous growth in the field.
• Have grit and are not afraid to jump in and figure out things on their own.
• Reliable employees that are self-starters.
• Fit the team culture and align with the organization’s mission and values.

How do Eleven Fifty Academy graduates stand out to employers during the job search?

Our graduates are known to transition well into their positions. One reason is the breadth of career support we provide students and grads in transitioning into tech. Additionally, our students are immersed in the curriculum for 12 weeks and typically hit the ground running once they begin their positions, which employers appreciate.

For those on the job hunt, how do you assess if a company or job is the right fit?

We encourage students to do their research when assessing companies and positions. To get a better sense of the company or role:

• Search the company on LinkedIn and review the individuals working for that company.
• Engage in informational interviews to learn more about companies and positions that you are interested in. 

How can bootcamp grads incorporate previous experiences in their resume and LinkedIn?

We work with graduates and look through their previous professional history for skills that may transfer well to the tech industry. If a student has a prior background in Human Resources, we will reach out and see if they’re interested in working for a tech HR company. Often, students can gain an edge over other candidates if they have area expertise in addition to a technical background. We also help students include transferable skills on their resumes and LinkedIn.

Find out more and read Eleven Fifty Academy reviews on Course Report. This article was produced by the Course Report team in partnership with Eleven Fifty Academy.