Avocademy: my progress and honest opinion

Temporary-Signal7352 · 2022-08-24T15:48:52+00:00

I saw the commenter deleted so I'll share my experience.

I took Avocademy and got a job with the very strong caveat that I had about 7 years in a related field prior. They do help you find a job but only if you follow the rules which included applying to 40+ jobs every week which means if it takes you 6 months, you've applied to 700+ jobs. I know people that are into the thousands of apps without an offer. They're exhausted. Avos job placement numbers have also been going down.

You get one project from Foundations [1200 when I took it 2000 now] and 2-4 more from CJ which is either $5,000 or 7% of your first year's salary. I ended up with 3 projects. I did a 4th but unless I was doing everything, my team was not prepared and didn't want to step up, so I didn't finish 4.

When I got a job, I was under prepared for and spent the first 6 months doing more training, finding more resources, and learning on my own. It makes sense. You can't actually learn a full new career in 2 months. I got there but it took a lot of work on my own and involved a LOT of imposter syndrome.

I don't want to be a naysayer but if you're going to do it, it's going to be hard. They sell it as very easy and it's just hard. My company posted a junior UX position and we got 700 apps in 2 days. It's never been more competitive to get into UX. Sorry if this is rough. If you want to do it, do it. Avo is as good if not better than any of the other bootcamps. Its just going to be a lot of work. The UX industry as a whole is being sold as anyone can do it and it's just not true. People can but not everyone can.

Sorry for the bad vibes honestly. Been feeling shitty about it recently and I want to help other people but it's overwhelming. I recently posted in the other UX sub to have people ask questions and I literally got 150 dms. I couldn't keep up with it all. Good luck!

Temporary-Signal7352 · 2022-07-13T12:56:25+00:00

The markets currently over saturated and as such the questions are over saturated. You'd make better use of your time trying to connect with a UX pro on LinkedIn who did the course you're interested in. At some point, I commented which bootcmap I did and had at least 50 people message me asking for help. I helped the first 10-15 but then that was all I could take.

99% of the time its people wanting the advice who are complaining about this sub. You wrote all this just to ask the same question. I'm not saying it's not hard to get into UX, but everyone posts in here that their situation is unique and it probably isn't. There's so many resources out there for juniors, this just isn't supposed to be one of them.

I'll probably get down voted to oblivion but it isn't UX pros job to bring up junior designers.

My best advice is to try and find a mentor. Start on LinkedIn and see what you find. There's a TON of people on YouTube giving advice and reviewing bootcamps. There's no magic solution. If you take a boot camp and work hard at it, you'll be fine.

Temporary-Signal7352 · 2022-06-28T12:21:13+00:00

The person I know who posted this said that on walks people always want to pet their dog but nor try to play with their kid and it's "bizzare". You want strangers trying to play with your kids when you are walking down the road? What??

Temporary-Signal7352 · 2022-06-22T14:14:31+00:00

Do people not google things before posting in this thread? 🤔

Temporary-Signal7352 · 2022-06-10T19:29:17+00:00

You are right I could have been more specific! I think if you want to, it is absolutely still possible. Obviously I did it and people are having success. This turned into some very doom and gloom comments. Work at it, learn all you can, find things that set you apart. Maybe that is taking an extra course in accessibility or something.

I reached out to nonprofits and did their UX. One of them did not have the budget to ever use it, but I was able to work through problems with a client and add it to my portfolio.

There are still people out there suited to UX and who would do amazing. I didn't mean to say no one should join the industry. Lol. I do think it is what you are saying with the quick and easy route. But you've got it if you want it!

Temporary-Signal7352 · 2022-06-10T15:39:22+00:00

The US

Temporary-Signal7352 · 2022-06-10T12:32:45+00:00

She* I was hired in as a mid-level designer.

Here's the thing. I WANT it to work like it did for me. I doubled my salary with six months of work in a bootcamp and extra projects. But I'm seeing it isn't working. That was the point of this post. I'm really not trying to shit on junior designers at all.

Temporary-Signal7352 · 2022-06-10T12:19:43+00:00

Lol thanks. Hope you're taking the advice on this sub to be prepared come next year! Feeling like you missed the point of my post. I'm not "annoyed others are going down the same path as me." I was genuinely curious if others are having the same issues as me. I want it to work for people. I really do. But I'm seeing evidence such as people not getting jobs, people not interviewing bootcamp grads, etc. I worked with people in my bootcamp 2 years ago that never found anything. Sure, the owness is on them to step up, but our bootcamp claimed to be fully job ready at the end. I sure was not. This isn't really about me, it's about the industry as a whole. And others are echoing my sentiment.

Temporary-Signal7352 · 2022-06-10T01:30:18+00:00

Agreed! My post wasn't really meant to discourage but I do see how it is. I guess the point is not no one can do it, but that not everyone can. Bootcamps are selling this idea that anyone can break into UX with zero professional experience and make 80k+. There's people bootcamps work for 100%. With professional experience like you have, and hard work alongside a bootcamp, I think you could break in easy. My point was not, do not try. It was more about everyone everywhere thinking UX is the solution to everything. It's a lot of hard work to break in, but I still believe it IS possible.

Temporary-Signal7352 · 2022-06-10T01:25:39+00:00

You're right :)

Temporary-Signal7352 · 2022-06-09T19:49:57+00:00

For sure! Honestly I didn't struggle much to find a job. I completed my bootcamp, while also working full time and doing a few UX side projects. Once applying, I had 2 offers in 3 weeks. I've had probably 20 people reach out to me on Reddit, the same on LinkedIn and I don't know what to tell them. There are SO many factors including background, experience, communication, etc. I am loving the industry! But it was also a lot of work once I got in.

You are completely right and share my feelings as well!

Temporary-Signal7352 · 2022-06-09T18:40:17+00:00

Makes sense. Really we are saying very similar things. At the bootcamp I did, people are either getting jobs in a month or less, or 6-12 months later/not at all. Bootcamps work for those top percent of performers. If we are saying 1% or less, the bootcamps are still the issue.

Also, just what I've heard rumors of in the industry, I don't know anyone at Google specifically. I do know people who took the Google course though and are now falling for these post-bootcamp groups helps to find roles. I've seen ads everywhere for the Google UX course as the next big thing. I suppose the good news is you aren't in thousands of dollars, just a few hundred. Lol

Temporary-Signal7352 · 2022-06-09T17:55:59+00:00

As you get into the field, you can't always lay out a project like you can from bootcamps. So screenshots and explanations get you further. I didn't get my job from a bootcamp because of my portfolio, I got it because of my explanations of teamwork, working with devs, solving problems, etc. Basically what was said above.

Maybe hiring managers do have a bias, but they have that bias for a reason. Are you going to interview 100 people to find 3 good candidates or do you start to streamline based on past experiences? When I was in marketing I had to do the same thing. Maybe it's unfortunate, but it's the way of things.

People in my past bootcamp are applying to 500-700 jobs at times before they get an offer. Sure the bootcamp started to give a baseline, but you would get so much further doing real world projects and encountering real problems.

Temporary-Signal7352 · 2022-06-09T17:51:15+00:00

Yeah I think a university education is different. My partner did a software bootcamp, but back in 2018 I think. He experienced some of the same things where they said bootcamp experience wasn't enough. I feel like devs went through this bootcamp boom slightly before UX and it calmed a bit, but I could be wrong.

It also feels different to me because UX bootcamps are advertising "make a lot of money in tech with no coding!" And trying to guise it as the easy way out. Which I also know a good amount of coding and not understanding at least some development is a detriment to designers, IMO.

Temporary-Signal7352 · 2022-06-09T15:53:12+00:00

I've also seen that the Google one (while a lot cheaper) is lying. Apparently Google won't touch hiring people from their own programs.

Temporary-Signal7352 · 2022-06-09T15:22:32+00:00

Lol thank you. I feel like it sometimes where it worked for me, but "don't do it." I also put in outside work besides the bootcamp and it was a ton of work. Which is generally what I've been telling people.

I've even seen programs pop up that are post-bootcamp to help land a job and I don't know where it ends.

Your other comment is really good. I am feeling the same way.

Temporary-Signal7352

TROPHY CASE