It's not a scam, but make sure it's right for you.
Pros
For reference, I completed the training today, and I'm officially in staging (Staging = the time in between finishing training and joining a client, aka a 'project'). The P3 showcase (which is technically the fourth project, since it's 0 indexed) happened yesterday for me. To preface this review, let me start off by saying that I have seen and read likely the majority of reviews of Revature, whether on Glassdoor, Indeed, or YouTube. I was actually pretty hesitant coming into the program, but I decided I'd go for it, since I heard from a recruiter that there is a week before any contract signing so you can see if it's a fit for you. In that regard, the recruiter that contacts you answers any relevant questions you may have about the company structure. I'd also note that I am a psych major with very limited programming experience prior to Revature. I took some classes in college for fun, and that was about it. Now, I've seen numerous reviews stating how it's a scam, or that they fire everyone at the first slip-up, or that the training is impossible, the trainers are horrible, amongst other things. Let me try to set the record straight... - Regarding "it's a scam." Bluntly put, it's not a scam. They're actually pretty transparent about what they offer, though it's not for everyone. It's a long term commitment of 2 years, plus training / staging, where training/staging is low pay. If you aren't prepared for that, I do not suggest applyinh. - Regarding "they fire everyone at the first slip up." I'm sure many of us have seen 'that one' reddit post. This is not true. In my batch of 20, 3 left. 2 of those got fired because they failed 2 projects in a row-- the project didn't start due to bugs. The 3rd left because of some technical verification issue with college or something. If you put in the work, you'll make it. In my roommate's other batch, 4 got fired-- they just didn't present any project one of the times and said to skip over them. There are weekly one-on-one meetings with the trainer, or whenever you feel you need them. After a project, the trainer will have a 1-on-1 with each batch member. If your performance was lacking, generally due to a project, the trainer will talk to you about it and send a warning. If you continue to perform poorly, that's when you get fired. I didn't feel like I was under constant threat of being fired. If you think about it, Revature actually doesn't want to fire you, since the associate's are their product. Revature only gets money for the associate once the person is hired with the company... so they have financial reasoning for wanting you to succeed. - Regarding "the training is impossible." It's doable, and you can get through it together with your batch mates. (Tip: Network! Interact with batchmates! Ask questions to the trainer when confused!) However, it certainly isn't easy. I go more into that below in cons. - Regarding the "trainers are horrible." (I've also seen variations in reviews, saying HR is bad or whatnot). I didn't have that issue, but I imagine that's also going to depend on the trainer assigned. The trainer you are assigned sticks with you throughout the 10 weeks. It's like a college class in that sense-- some teachers are better than others. I personally had an excellent trainer. He'd crack jokes along the way and made the experience probably the most fun I've ever had programming. I didn't have any issues with HR either, but I never interacted with them much. They gave surveys throughout the training, so they at least seems perceptive of feedback. Revature is right for you if... -- You don't have a tech background but still want to join the industry. -- You do have a tech background, don't have any experience, and have issues with being taken seriously for a job application. -- You're one of the two above, and you are willing to really push yourself for 10 weeks for the long term payout. -- You don't have any long term commitments where you're at, and can move fairly straightforwardly. (i.e. relationship is solid, can be away from family, no long term contracts on housing you can break) -- You don't necessarily need significant amount of money right off the bat, but are willing to invest in long term. -- You want to develop the soft skills alongside the technical background. Let me go over my experience with training in a general overview. People seem often confused on how the program works. Step 1: Move to your assigned location. Mine was Arlington, but can also be other places. I was able to list a preference to my recruiter, since I'm already in Texas, but there are no guarantees. You may be in West Virginia, then you have to move. The move date is settled with the recruiter for what works for you and what works for them. Had a $250 moving stipend. Step 2: Revature housing. Revature housing for me was a student apartments right next to UTA. Rent was $15 a day and automatically deducted from paycheck, so pretty great deal in my opinion. I roomed with 3 other guys, all in various batches. That was nice, since I could get help from them on understanding the process further. Of course, it's potluck roommates, so each experience will differ. Step 3: Go through your first week of training. You'll get all the HR / logistics talks along with what to expect. The 2 year contract isn't signed until week 2. Pay attention. They don't really sweet talk you. They're pretty blunt about what they offer and expect, so that can give you an idea of if it's truly right for you. Step 4: Weeks of training-- project, QC, learning, occasional quiz. You'll have 4 projects, each building on top of each other. Some day in the week each week, you'll have a QC / quality-control. A trainer and person from HR goes in your batch classroom, has each person stand one by one, and the trainer asks questions to the person about the previous week. It's usually 3-5ish questions. Seems scary at first, but it really does prepare you for interviews and talking about your technical side of things. Step 5: Near the end of training-- portfolio, panel interview, project showcase. At the end, you create a professional level portfolio displaying all the info you worked on. Revature guides through the process. Panel interview is a mock interview before your real one. It's sort of like an hour-long QC. Project showcase is a presentation of your P3 that you worked on with your group. Then you're done, and you move on to staging and client interviews.
Cons
Training is not easy. That much is clear. I'd equate the training to something akin to a coding bootcamp. Over the course of 10 weeks, my batch (aka class) was introduced to multiple languages and technologies. You're basically learning from 9-5, with a lunch break from 12ish-1ish, plus generally some small 10-15 minute breaks throughout. If you can absorb complex information as it's presented, that's great. For me and pretty much everyone else, however, we had to study outside of class. That being said, they do pay the lunch hour, and that's essentially how the company justifies the additional work. Whether that's truly worth it, I leave that to you. Generally, I spent about 2 additional hours a weekday doing work / studying. If a project was rolling around, that sometimes boosted to about 3 or 4 hours a day, depending on how many issues I was having with the project. If I had no project, I didn't work on weekends. If I had a project, it depended on the project. The projects felt kind of like ones I had during college, but instead of the project being focused on 'logic,' like writing a Huffsman compression algorithm, it's more so based on how to build an application, like building a web app using a specific architecture while utilizing several languages. The pay is not going to be much for training. Realize that you're getting paid a little above minimum wage for your location. It boosts up significantly once you get put in a project after interviewing and whatnot though. If you look at it like a bootcamp, it's worth it in the sense you're getting paid to learn, but just be aware it's low paying right off the bat. Let me talk about the contract. So you have a 2 year + training contract signed on the 2nd week. Once it's signed, you're locked in. If it's not a mutual termination from both parties, you'll be paying upwards of $30k+ in termination fees. That being said, it's considered a mutual termination if you are fired or if a medical emergency happens. Clients sometimes buy you out of your contract when you're on the job. Revature is wrong for you if... -- You have commitments or ties to your current place that you cannot spend significant time away from said place. -- You are looking for a job that pays well immediately. -- You are looking for a job that doesn't challenge you too extensively. -- You are looking for a job that doesn't require much interaction with people or asking for help. -- You want to be able to quit your job at any time without repercussions. Be aware of what you're getting into. It's a legitimate job, and you can grow from it.
