Jigsaw Labs

Jigsaw Labs Data Engineering Bootcamp was a great experience for me.

I've been a Software Developer for many years, and was looking for a change and decided I would like to pursue a job in Data Engineering. 

After doing some research online, I contacted several Data Engineering bootcamps to feel them out and try to find a good fit. I wanted more than just the education, but a process for finding that first job as well. 

Most bootcamps, as soon as I started talking to them, when I asked them about help with job placement, they would say "We'll help you with your linked in Profile, spruce up your resume." I was looking for more than that, I already have a competitive resume and Linked in profile, I was looking for more.

As soon as I contacted Jigsaw Labs, and had my first Zoom meeting, I knew I had found the right place. The instructor, Jeff Katz, met with me personally, where the other bootcamps it was a salesperson etc. He interviewed me and we talked about my goals etc and experience. I was in class the next week.

Jeff is a fantastic instructor, he takes the content and really helps the students understand it, taking as much time as needed. The content is very comprehensive and focused. They do a lot of research on what Companies are looking for, focusing on those skills to improve your chances of finding a job quickly after graduation.

And did I mention they have 100% placement ? Thats because even though they help you with interview prep, you also have a 3 month Externship with a Data Engineering company doing real work. You graduate with experience to help with that all important job placement. 

In addition, you are not abandoned after graduation. They work with you weekly as you still meet with the class to keep your new skills current through practice and discussion, and of course with helping you with locating that all important job.

I heartily recommend Jigsaw Labs Data Engineering Bootcamp. It is thorough, and to be honest fun. Jeff and his instructors are great teachers, and great people, a joy to be around. 

The students were motivated and fantastic as well. 

I can't recommend this enough, and by the way, its much cheaper than the other Data Engineering Bootcamps out there. Read less

Jeff and Jigsaw Labs have helped changed the trajectory of my life and career over the course of a few short months.  We went through the essentials of Python and SQL, and then we dove into intensive work with dbt, Docker, Airflow, Snowflake, Fivetran.  The paired programming was very helpful for the learning process, where someone could help you fill in the blank, and you can do the same for them.  

With the newly gained knowledge and experience, Jeff matched us with externships with companies interested in helping us get our first experiences of working in the tech industry, which is just something that isn't really offered anywhere else.  Even though the externship wasn't perfect, it was through this experience I've been able to get another internship with a potential job offer at the end of the term.  

The best part about the course is you'll find yourself with a supportive group, all of whom are looking out for your eventual success, led by an instructor who really, truly cares about his students.  

I would say this course provides you with the foundations to be an effective member of a data or backend team, understanding that you will be responsible for the majority of your growth once you've joined the team.  So, if you've been thinking about making a change, go for it!  Read less

Jig Saw Labs Backend Engineering bootcamp was an incredibly rigorous, challenging, and rewarding investment and experience. I'm a former middle school principal so I know a few things about good instruction - in particular, good online instruction since the last two years forced us to determine how to effectively provide online instruction tantamount to in person instruction. Beyond his genius as a developer, Jeff is an incredible instructor, which is fueled by a holistic and rigorous curriculum that he wrote. Jeff strikes an excellent balance of providing direct instruction in conjunction with sufficient opportunities for practice and review in the form of labs. 

Jeff does an excellent job of building community amongst the members of the cohort because we were required to have our cameras on and share our screens as we pair programmed in class, which effectively supported our learning as we were able to build with one another in a really robust way. Most programs out there don't set the expectations for online learning to minimize the isolation feeling of learning how to be a developer, which inevitably decelerates learning. Jeff's format is the most effective way of learning in an online environment. 

The curriculum is sequenced in a way that is career focused toward backend/data engineering. Beyond the technical curriculum, Jeff's curriculum also addresses the mindset of being an engineer, which was pretty uncomfortable at first. It's like learning how to walk, which takes time and consistent effort. 

Enrolling in the program guarantees you an internship that will jumpstart your portfolio and give you experience for your resume, which is HARD to come by (the catch 22 - you need experience to get experience). Companies are literally fighting to get interns from this program, as Jeff informed us he had to turn down several companies in the process of placing each of us. My internship with Meltano put me on the map for recruiters and led me to scoring a job as a backend software engineer at a financial tech company.

Finally, I'm convinced that this is the best program (because I've started in others and stopped because they weren't executed well or aligned to my learning style) because there is a high level of support for job search (beyond the internship), preparing for the coding interviews that plague many new developers, and he makes himself available whenever you need. This program is made for you to succeed, and Jeff is just as invested if not more invested than you will be in ensuring your desired career path is realized. 

I give this program a 20/10 because it truly changed my life professionally when I wasn't sure if a job in tech could actually happen for me.
Pros:
- Tons of practice in the format of labs- Access to historical curriculum
- Recorded classes for your review
- Nonjudgmental, high accountability, high support learning environment
- Free online curriculum for you to explore
- Excellent instructor with a WEALTH of knowledge, experience and a passion for the work; full accessible for whatever additional support you need outside of class
- Curriculum is ever changing for improvement
- Fully remote yet LIVE online
- Cost is cheaper than some of the bigger named programs (payment program is offered as well)
- Small class sizes- Guaranteed internship
Cons:
- Cost (for some); but it's worth every penny- Sunday class is 9 hours - but this is the reason why you learn so much so quickly  Read less

I had a wonderful experience with the Jigsaw Labs career course, and would strongly recommend moving forward on it!! Jeff did a superb job of distilling complex topics into manageable concepts and tasks. I believe there might be only a handful of instructors/camps available that have both the competence and pedagogical know-how to communicate these topics well. The consistency of labs, where you apply hands-on experience, and thoughtful layering of the topics, provided an amazing accelerant for my learning curve and had me feeling very competent by the end of it and ready for more projects! Right after the course ended, through Jigsaw's externship program, I worked with a former Amazon data scientist veteran to help build an Ecommerce application that improves business operations for store owners. Read less

Take this bootcamp if you are seriously considering a Data Engineering career. Jeff will challenge you to grow, but also offers a lot of guidance if/when needed. A lot of the topics covered have helpful labs, and the class structure promoted pair and individual practice as well as support you need when making a career change.  I got my job offer though his career services, but you have to do your part in studying and preparing. He strategically vets hiring managers and recruiters your way. Read less

Jeff obviously puts a lot of work into curriculum development. His explanations, readings, and labs are all really top-notch. I also think the curriculum itself is very strong, and he's made a good effort to ensure that the students actually use the tools that are taught (Python, AWS, Flask, Streamlit, PostgreSQL, Docker, Kubernetes, Redshift) when they build out their final projects. Docker and Kubernetes are possibly more DevOps- than Data Engineering-centric, but they're in huge demand, and once I put them on my LinkedIn profile I starting getting all kinds of relevant outreach from recruiters.

Most important, he gets a really good idea what the skills of the students are, and their interests and desires, then goes out and does a lot of legwork to get the students the interviews they need. He's a fantastic advocate. I got several interviews through him, and one of them turned into a job.

Oh, one more thing: he's very generous with his time. There are lots of one-on-ones in class and he provides office hours outside class—and strongly encourages students to use them.

My only con is that I wish he'd spent a little more time on PySpark and possibly NoSQL. Read less

I highly recommend the Data Engineering program from Jigsaw Labs. When I started the school, I had been trying to teach myself how to code with books and online tutorials for months. I quickly got up the learning curve with the excellent teaching and curriculum by Jeff (the instructor and founder of Jigsaw). Jeff cares so much about each student's progress and I like how the smaller class size allows for a more personalized learning experience. The curriculum builds a really solid understanding of the fundamentals and then grows this by covering a lot of topics at a quick pace. When I tell my software/data engineering friends what we're learning, they're impressed by how much the curriculum covers.  Read less

Jeff provides amazing mentorship and instruction on the journey into Data Science.  This was actually the second data science course I was involved in as the topics can become very complex very quickly.   Jeff's understanding and ability to break down these topics made this course extremely enjoyable. To put it simply there are a lot of data science classes out there, but not many Jeff Katz.   

The curriculum covered in this class can become overwhelming quickly so I would recommend making sure you have time in your life to focus.   Read less

Hands down the best curriculum and instructor to introduce you to data engineering and cloud deployment. Jeff's personal approach shows you the intricacies of the industry and the tools needed to make you a sought out candidate. There is no substitute to hands on the keyboard and doing. If you're looking for a fast, highly technical, and relevant course, Jigsaw Labs is the school for you.  Read less

Jigsaw Labs' 'Data Science Career Course' really helped me level-up my skills in Python, SQL, APIs, building dashboards, machine learning, and project-building. The instructor is extremely knowledgeable, helpful, and flexible (depending on individual student's needs). Jigsaw Labs classes are taught part-time, after work hours (which made it extremely convenient for students with full-time jobs and other daytime obligations). Initially the course was taught in-person, however the boot camp went fully remote in March. Students came in at all skill levels; every class usually involved structured curriculum, lectures/demos from the instructor, followed by practical coding labs that we worked on in groups (in online breakout rooms, with help from the instructor when needed). Even though students came in at all levels of experience, all students came out of the boot camp with more skills and high-level and unique projects to expand their portfolios. A few months into the program, I was able to show the first project I completed at Jigsaw Labs to interviewers, which resulted in me being offered a competitive data science fellowship. Throughout the program, the Jigsaw Labs instructor and curriculum continued to help me improve on my projects and develop new skills; even after the program, the instructor continued to share resources and offer advice about my job search and how I could continue to improve my code and Github portfolio. A few months after completing the course, I landed my first data science job, so I would highly recommend applying to Jigsaw Labs for anyone looking to transition into a data science or data engineering career! Read less

Jigsaw Labs is a part time data science class. Jeff is a great teacher because he is very patient and good at explaining things. The class is small so there is lots of one on one attention.  The students also work together to reinforce new topics and concepts. Read less

It is easy for skills to stagnate in an ever-changing face of tech. Before Jigsaw, I had been trying online courses with disappointing results. It is difficult to maintain the drive required to study unassisted. While leaning, I also had to satisfy the demands of full-time work. Jigsaw helped me solve this puzzle. 

It is a powerful combination hands-first curriculum, a considerate instructor and an engaging cohort that made my experience unique. The focus on industry-oriented knowledge and project-based work is beneficial for professionals with a goal of practical learning. Along with course instruction, the community in our cohort enabled discussions as a part of learning which is essential to progress. The on-demand availability of the instruction was also useful part of understanding. 

I feel fortunate to have found Jigsaw at the right time. I would recommend anyone keen on investing their skills to give it a shot.  

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