I highly recommend this Bootcamp for anyone that is looking to truly improve themselves and further their career into a high growth industry. Lastly, I want to note that I took this course while working a full-time 9-5 job. It may seem like a daunting task to juggle both (and at times it could be), but our great instructor and an incredibly supportive cast of students made it much easier and manageable. The one thing that attracted me to the Bootcamp was the high rate of job placement. Many students were landing jobs mid-way through the cohort and everyone felt like the interviews were quite easy compared to the vast knowledge they had gained through the Bootcamp. The instructors also make it a priority to continuously ask interview questions throughout the Bootcamp to further prepare you for interviews.
I took time to look at a few cybersecurity Bootcamps, but ultimately chose Evolve Security (and very glad I did) !!!!
]]>I graduated from the 2018 remote cohort and also took the Practical Penetration Testing Course early in 2019. The latter? Excellent. In this review, I focus on the former.
The boot camp had many strong points, including the jocularity, the banter, the fun with the other students. But I will emphasize the two most important.
1) The two lead instructors.
The first gave us a gold mine of information security theory and real life stories, many which had an “insider” flavor. A glimpse at the real industry, the shocking facts, the breaches, the enemy moves, the truths the news buries. He inspired and invigorated. The second gave us the clarity, detail and guidance to get our newly gained information off the ground and put it to practical use in real world scenarios, including our final project for a real company. He launched and equipped. The complementary strengths of the two instructors made the camp balanced, thorough, and exciting. I came for a challenge. Check. The icing on the cake? Boot camp became the highlight of each day.
2) The course materials.
The academy covers everything from A to Z. Physical security. Network security. Policy. Cryptography. Social engineering. To name a few. Lectures, labs, common and unusual tools, real-world experience, and best of all, access to the minds of industry leaders who walk the walk.
On the “con” side, I pour cold water, not on Evolve Academy, but on a mindset I had. If you share my former mindset, this warning is for you. Again, to be perfectly clear, it’s no negative reflection on Evolve, but a chill to the naive mental flames looking, without the right background, to boot camp as a magic key to success.
Coming into boot camp, I had tech knowledge but lacked real world experience. I knew I had an uphill battle. Therefore, I worked diligently at boot camp. Very diligently. I finished with good grades, an inside lead from an instructor, encouragement, help from the academy, references, etc. And I’ve continued to study, refine my resume and apply to countless jobs. I even relocated from a rural area to a metro one for better job exposure. All to no avail. (I hope to report a change to this eventually, but as the unsuccessful job applications mount, I’ve lost my early optimism.) Boot camp just didn’t kick the career door open. As much as I enjoyed the boot camp, all the effort I spent has ended up being a waste (to date). The warning? Expect to need something more than boot camp to break into cyber security. Background in a different tech area. A four year tech degree.
These sour grapes being set out as a disclaimer, I urge those with the right background — ninjas, experienced, etc. — not to wait. Enroll in Evolve today. You’ll have ZERO regrets.
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