The tech industry offers both excitement and opportunity.
As the digital landscape evolves, careers in software engineering and development become ever more valuable. And for you as an individual, if you're looking to fill your days with creativity and productivity, you can't go wrong with a tech career.
So, with such high demand (there's a reason why there are currently 4.3 million software engineers in the US and growing) and such an excellent opportunity to be on the frontline of modern innovation, it's no wonder you're looking for a way to get your foot on the career.
One such way is using a skills-developing boot camp, like the Thinkful courses - programs that aim to offer guidance and expertise but can vary in cost and focus. It can feel pricey and inflexible, resulting in users seeking alternative solutions that offer better solutions.
But then again, maybe it's right for you, and that's what we're exploring today. This guide gives you the breakdown of Thinkful, what it offers, how it can help your job search process succeed, and how it compares to the alternatives.
Let's get into it.
What is Thinkful Bootcamp?
Thinkful Bootcamp is an intensive, online coding boot camp designed to prepare individuals for careers in technology. They offer programs in various fields, including software engineering, data science, and UX/UI design.
Thinkful emphasizes a combination of live instruction, real-world project development, and personalized mentorship.
Their approach centers on practical, hands-on learning with guidance from industry experts, giving you access to a mentor, who you can view as your academic success manager, for one-on-one training or group sessions.
So far, so good.
These boot camps and courses are intended to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and the skills in demand by tech employers. With flexible scheduling options that allow you to work during your own time, it doesn't matter if you're a student or already working full time in the workplace; Thinkful claims it can work for you.
And there are plenty of courses to get stuck into, including:
- AI Certifications
- AI Prompt Engineering
- Software Development and Engineering
- Data Science Program
- Data Analytics
- UX and UI Design
- Digital Marketing
- Technical Project Management
And there are extras, like access to the Thinkful Slack community, Thinkful's engineering immersion program, and a structured program through and through.
How Do Thinkful Career Services Work?
The Thinkful process is designed to be as simple as possible.
Firstly, you choose the program you'd like to work on, essentially just one of the courses in the list above.
You'll need to fill in an application form to kickstart the Thinkful application process, which assigns you to an admissions rep who'll talk you through your goals, ensuring you're choosing the right program, as well as discussing flexibility and payment options.
Once accepted and everything is set up, you'll begin the learning phase. You'll work with an Academic success manager who can provide live, on-demand support as and when you need it.
You can think of these managers as your mentor, helping you better your skills, developing your career services, and helping you prep for your job search.
And finally, after about six months, your course will end, and you'll have your certification. Thinkful does offer six months of career services and career support.
During this time, they'll help you with things like customizing and creating the best portfolio and resume possible, as well as getting the best salary possible.
Thinkful Key Features
The tech mentoring platform offers an array of features. Let's look at a select few to see if it's right for you.
Financing options
One of the main selling points of the platform is the tuition payment options available. As mentioned earlier, students can either pay upfront or spread costs monthly.
While this is normal for most mentorship programs, Thinkful stands out from the rest with its deferred payment option. This option means students pay nothing until they earn over $40,000 yearly. What's more, if students can't find employment within six months, the loan is automatically forgiven.
Immersive program options
Students can either enroll on a full-time or part-time basis. The part-time basis consists of six months utilizing a flexible mentoring option. But where Thinkful differs from other programs is its full-time immersive option.
The majority of tech programs either use part-time self-paced lessons consisting of 20-30 hours per week or immersive full-time options. These full-time options include a Monday-Friday timetable with set hours, adding up to 50 hours per week.
While the immersive option might not suit everybody, it will be a better fit for those who need structure.
Pricing
Pricing within the Thinkful mentorship programs varies from $9,000 to $18,000. Depending on your current financial circumstances, payments can be made upfront or deferred until employment starts.
Additionally, it's worth noting that Thinkful does offer this kind of Thinkful Job Guarantee.
The Thinkful Job Guarantee is essentially a refund program that allows you to get your money back if you meet the eligibility criteria, have proven that you have gone out to look for a job in the correct field, and have several other points you can find here.
That said, the Academic Success Team will try their hardest to get you into a job.
Reviews
The Thinkful accredited program does come back with a great range of testimonials and Thinkful reviews from past students, and there's no denying the quality experience that Thinkful's program has to offer.
The system is set up well, the dashboard and interface are intuitive and easy to use, and you can get results in the job industry.
People rate how well their personal mentor helps them and how prospective students can do better here. The only real downside here is how accessible the program is, what with the high upfront costs that may not be affordable to most.
How Much Does Thinkful Cost?
While this all looks and sounds pretty good, when it comes to the actual pricing model of a Thinkful course, this is where things get a bit jarring.
Firstly, the prices aren't actually on the course or program website. Instead, you'll need to speak with the Admissions Rep, who can quote you depending on what you need and what kind of course you're opting for.
That said, there are clues throughout the blog, specifically on Thinkful's pricing comparison blog post.
Right off the bat, the Thinkful part-time Software Engineering course will cost $9,975 upfront, with the full-time course costing $16,000 upfront. Sure, you get everything included in that price, but let's be honest, that's simply not feasible for the vast majority of coding students.
Sure, if you're already in a career and you're earning a full-time wage, and you're looking to better your skills or improve your career, Thinkful giving mentors at this price could be something you can afford.
Alternatively, you could take out a loan or credit or borrow money from a loved one, but there's no denying that these approaches come with a whole set of potential issues and problems.
Let's say you're a student starting out or someone in their mid-twenties looking to get their career off the ground while working a job and supporting a family, perhaps even saving for a car or a house, is a Thinkful career coach for this price something you can afford?
The chances are you probably can't, which means you'll need to find some alternatives.
What is Mentorcruise?
Mentorcruise is a unique online platform that fosters growth in the tech industry. It brings proactive learners together with thought leaders, those leading their industries, and established professional career coaches for a one-on-one mentorship experience.
With Mentorcruise, you gain access to a diverse pool of mentors worldwide, and where else would you find such a deep understanding of an industry?
These experts span many tech roles, from software engineers at top-tier companies like Microsoft, Optimizely, and Square to leadership coaches and CTOs. You'll even find the occasional 3x-founder!
The platform hosts mentors specializing in various fields like Machine Learning, User Experience Research, and even Data Science. Mentorcruise mentors are committed not just to guiding you through your tech journey, but to helping you unlock your full potential.
The road to tech mastery might seem daunting, but with Mentorcruise, you're never alone with a dedicated career coach by your side. And guess what? It's so much more affordable.
Looking down the list of mentors for the tech industry, you'll find opportunities like;
- Krunal Parmar - Engineering Manager at Yelp - $180 per month
- Francesco Lorenzo - Machine Learning at Google - $240 per month
- Nik Andriiash - Lead Technical Project Management at Mastercard - $120 per month
And these are real one-on-one mentoring sessions with industry leaders who work for the biggest companies in the world, all for a fraction of the price. That's about $3,000 annually for full mentoring, unlimited text chat, two monthly calls, and more.
And you can cancel anytime, so you're only really paying for what you need. With this level of care and support for such an affordable price tag, it's well worth exploring your options.
MentorCruise Key Features
Let's take a closer look at the features MentorCruise offers its students.
Excellent perks
When students enroll with MentorCruise, they can expect certain perks. Not only does it ensure a respected faculty, but it rewards users, too. These rewards help students grow their career and their start-ups.
In an in-demand market, users need to utilize the available tools. With startup investment readiness supplied by the perks, students can get their foot in the door to the outside world.
And it really doesn't matter what you're looking for, whether you're working with software engineering students, developing a career in computer science, web development, looking to better your career or interview skills, developing hard and soft skills, seeking general career guidance, or essentially just looking to improve any aspect of your professional journey, a Mentorcruises mentor will help.
Number of mentors
The catalog of experienced tech mentors continues to grow under MentorCruise. With courses ranging from Machine Learning to UX Research, mentors are transforming the curriculum with ongoing tech.
Due to the 600+ professionals offering intensive user support, students can pick and choose mentors who fit their needs. And with so many types of mentoring, every student can achieve their goals through unique mentorship.
Pricing
The pricing of MentorCruise is one of its unique selling points. Whereas Thinkful alienates students with its costs, MentorCruise opens doors. As the costs are low, more students will be able to apply.
Tech mentorship costs depend on the mentor, so prices may vary. But realistically, users can expect to pay anywhere between $100 to $400 per month.
Reviews
At the time of writing, Mentorcruise has dozens of five-star reviews on platforms such as TrustPilot and Google. Additionally, Mentorcruise offers a comprehensive rating system onsite, allowing you to see how other mentees rate the mentors they work with.
Of course, mentors who don't offer a credible or reputable experience are quickly incentivized to do better, with those offering the best experience made easily available to you.
This means that even a five-minute search through the site will show you dozens potentially hundreds, of five-star rated mentors, all of which have experience working at the biggest companies in the world, all for an affordable rate.
Why Should You Choose MentorCruise?
MentorCruise is a less structured and less job-focused program. If you'd like to learn a new skill, get some help in your ongoing career search, develop your career further, or start your own business, MentorCruise is perfect for you!
MentorCruise also allows you to pick your own mentor, have multiple mentors at the same time, or switch them up.
Thinkful is a career-change and career-focused program with the sole purpose of getting you a job in the industry. That service alone isn't cheap; depending on your financing, you might pay more than 10x the amount you'd spend on MentorCruise.
If you're just starting your career and looking for an alternative way of getting a degree with a specialized curriculum, Thinkful is a solid choice.
If a Thinkful boot camp isn't your style, seems too hands-on, or you'd rather do something else with the ~$20,000+, MentorCruise may be an excellent fit for you.
Our mentees regularly reach their goals within 3 - 6 months, have a simple, flat fee to pay month-per-month, and can try out as many different mentors as they want.
Thinkful vs. MentorCruise - What Are the Key Differences?
Mentorship in tech is an effective resource that delivers effective results. With appropriate guidance and tools, users can prepare for their next career step and progress up the ladder. Furthering not only their skill set but also their experience.
So whether you're building a technology startup or learning new skills, mentors in tech are an invaluable resource. Let's take a look at the critical differences between the two platforms.
Pricing
If you're starting web development in 2022 or any other tech programs, Thinkful and MentorCruise are for you. With expert-led mentorship in data, coding, and design, students receive a solid foundation from the comfort of their homes.
But when utilizing a tech mentoring community, we must consider our budget. MentorCruise mentorship offers a considerably lower financial commitment than the expensive pricing of Thinkful.
The majority of Thinkful courses cost at least $9,000, whereas MentorCruise courses are much more flexible, with prices ranging from $120 to $400 per month.
Choose your team
When students enroll in Thinkful programs, they are automatically assigned a mentor. Rather than being given the choice of a mentor, the platform makes it for them. MentorCruise, on the other hand, puts the decision solely on their users.
MentorCruise provides an outline of its available mentors for each course. Along with in-depth descriptions, including qualifications, availability, and pricing. Not only that, but MentorCruise lists mentor skills and expected response times as well.
Providing an in-depth summary increases the chance of a successful mentor match. A mentor who has been hand-picked puts students at ease. Students can pick the mentor that best suits them, thus ensuring better results.
Suitable learning formats
Every student isn't the same. We all have differing learning styles and availability. Thinkful and MentorCruise offer one-on-one availability alongside an engaging and collaborative community.
Where the two platforms differ is in their availability. Thinkful offers either an intense boot camp or a six-month part-time commitment. MentorCruise is much more flexible. It also provides a more immersive program, one which sees daily updates and messages.
Few students can afford the cost or time to commit to an intense mentorship program like the Thinkful coding bootcamps.
For instance, MentorCruise lets students set their product management roadmap, one that works best for their lifestyle.
Final thoughts
While it's easy to group Thinkful and MentorCruise together, they differ on the mentorship available. Whereas Thinkful provides an immersive service, its excessive costs alienate its users.
MentorCruise, on the other hand, caters to its users. It provides a solid and affordable foundation that ensures relationships between mentor and student. Students have the tools to learn under MentorCruise, and mentors have the tools to teach.
Reach out to us and get started today.