Deep Dive: How to Start Your Tech Career with Careerist

Tech continues to be an appealing industry for job seekers, thanks to the increasing demand for tech talent and the higher-than-average industry salaries. Case in point: if you compare the national average salary in the US during the fourth quarter of 2021 ($52,520) with the average salary of tech professionals in the same period ($104,566), you’ll notice a two-fold difference.

That being said, getting your foot in the doors of tech isn’t an easy feat. You’ll need the right training, the right skills, and even the right connections. But for most career starters and switchers, getting all three requires committing years of learning that costs sky-high tuition—something that few can afford.

Recognizing this gap in the tech education space, tech bootcamp Careerist stepped in to help aspiring tech professionals become job-ready in as little as four weeks.

What Is Careerist?

Careerist is an online tech bootcamp founded in 2019 by Max Glubochansky, Max Gusokav, and Ivan Tsybaev. The bootcamp offers various training programs to people without any tech or coding background, allowing them to start a tech career in weeks. This is especially important for nontraditional learners like immigrants, working professionals looking to reskill, and parents.

The bootcamp’s mission stems from the experience of co-founder Max Glubochansky. After completing his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business in Israel, Max moved to the US and began preparing for a new life. He first learned about quality assurance (QA) on a forum and saw that Forbes described QA as one of the happiest jobs in the US. Intrigued, Max pursued QA training and launched his own QA career after a few months.

While working at Apple, Max was approached by friends and family for insights on how they could also break into tech. This further fueled his dream of setting up his own bootcamp. The opportunity presented itself when fellow founder Ivan Tsybaev pitched a business collaboration idea. Together with Max Gusokav, the trio created Careerist.

Top 5 Reasons to Join Careerist 

So with all the tech bootcamps out there, why should you sign up for Careerist? Here are five reasons to demonstrate why this bootcamp may be a worthwhile investment.

1. Various Accelerated Programs

Careerist offers unique programs that are seldom offered in other bootcamps. These include Manual QA, Tech Sales, and Systems Engineer programs, all of which can help you gain valuable skills to launch a career in some of tech’s emerging fields.

2. Quality Education and Support

Aside from immersive online training programs, Careerist also offers one-on-one mentorship and the chance to build your practical skills through an internship. Careerist wants to ensure you have adequate opportunities to further hone your skills as well as the right support to guide you throughout your journey.

3. Job-Focused Training

Gaining technical skills is just the first step toward a successful career pivot. Next comes the actual job hunt. Careerist’s Job Application Service (JAS) is a feature dedicated to helping you find and land a job. Its software automates your job applications and at the same time, the career assistance team trains you to become more hireable. With JAS, applicants get a higher chance of landing their target jobs faster.

4. Flexible Financing Options

In line with its mission to make tech education accessible, Careerist offers several pricing packages for you to pick from. Depending on the program, you can opt for the income share agreement (ISA) or the split payment plan, for example. Having such options can alleviate financial stress, allowing you to start your training as soon as possible without having to worry about tuition fees.

5. Job Guarantee

It is understandable for students to be worried about the outcomes of a program before making a commitment. As such, Careerist offers a job guarantee that promises to grant students a full tuition refund if they don’t land a job within a year of enrolling in the bootcamp, provided they meet eligibility requirements. This also reflects Careerist’s confidence in its programs.

Programs at Careerist: What Can You Learn at Careerist?

Now, let’s take a look at all the programs that Careerist offers, along with the duration and pricing options.

Manual QA

This is Careerist’s most popular program. Here, students gain the necessary skills to work in software QA and become fully prepared for their first job. The Manual QA program takes four weeks of training plus an internship to complete.

Students are expected to attend live and interactive sessions with instructors five times a week. Homework and practice tasks are also assigned to deepen their understanding of the lessons. The course covers the following topics:

• Software QA Foundations Part 1 & 2
• Software QA Foundations Part 2
• Web Application Testing
• Mobile Application Testing
• Advanced Skills
• Preparing for the Job Market, Recap, and Practice

Careerist offers three pricing options for students:

QA Automation

The QA Automation program requires a manual QA background. In this program, students learn UI testing with Selenium and Behave, Python, and master automation to become skilled QA engineers. The online training program is 11 weeks long plus two to four weeks of internship, covering the following topics.

• Automation QA Foundations
• Behave and Algorithm Fundamentals
• Practice Writing Test Cases, Number, and String Algorithms
• Preparation for the Job Market
• Advanced Skills of Automation QA, Lists, and Sorting Algorithms

The program provides intensive training that sees students building algorithms from scratch, completing homework, and learning from expert instructors. At the end of the course, graduates are qualified for a mid-level QA Automation position.

Careerist offers three pricing options for students:

Systems Engineering

This is a 10-week program that prepares students for a career as a systems engineer, a professional who is generally in charge of implementing software solutions and analyzing data to improve current software. The curriculum covers:

• Intro to Linux System Administration
• Linux Basics
• GCP Introduction, CloudShell, SSH
• Files, Users, and Security
• User and Software Management, Ansible
• Processes
• Service Management
• Storage and Networking
• Shell Programming
• Monitoring

The program includes live webinars, hands-on assignments, and a capstone project. Students also get access to a personal support manager, a one-on-one technical mentor, and a vibrant students community.

Finally, Careerist’s Systems Engineering program comes with a job guarantee that graduates will land a job in systems engineering within 12 months of beginning the course. If a graduate does not find a job within this period, they will get 100 percent of their money back.

Careerist offers two pricing options for students:

Sales Engineer

The Sales Engineer Program is ideal for people who want to start a career as a sales representative, move on to being a sales engineer, and eventually become a solutions architect. The program is 10 weeks long plus an internship. The modules are divided into three parts:

• Sales Training (4 weeks)
• Sales Engineering (4 weeks)
• Solutions Architect (2 weeks)

The course consists of live, instructor-led immersive training. Students also have access to class recordings, interactive quizzes, and assignments. To fully prepare students for the job market, they partner with a mentor who will work with them on their resume, LinkedIn profile, and mock interviews. The Sales Engineer program comes with a job guarantee.

Careerist offers three pricing options for students:

Tech Sales

This program is ideal for people who want to start a tech career quickly but do not have any interest in coding. The course is four weeks long, plus an internship. Students who complete the program are qualified for software sales representative and sales development representative roles. You can expect to learn topics such as:

• How to Get Hired in Tech Sales
• Industry-Specific Skills
• Advanced Skills
• Preparing for the Job Market, Recap, and Practice

Students meet with instructors five days a week and are matched with one-on-one mentors. The program includes required homework, practice activities, and job application assistance.

The Tech Sales program includes a job guarantee and these pricing options:

Job Application Service (JAS)

As the name suggests, this program is geared toward helping learners land jobs in tech. This training is open and available for everyone, not just Careerist students.

JAS uses automated software that submits up to 200 job applications a week, compared to an average of 40 applications sent when done manually. Participants also spend an average of only one hour a week on job applications, in sharp contrast to eight hours a week without JAS.

The service also includes one-on-one sessions with mentors to fully prepare applicants for job interviews. They receive help with resume writing and LinkedIn profile optimization. According to Careerist, most applicants land a job within one to five months, compared to six months or more without JAS.

Careerist offers two pricing options:

Shape Your Future with Careerist

Careerist has helped many job seekers explore a career in the tech industry, most of whom started their training with little to no technical experience. It strives to offer training that focuses on helping you break into tech, which starts with a keen observation of the job market and hiring trends.

Careerist constantly checks in with graduates to understand more about their job search processes and the events leading up to a successful interview. You can read more stories and insights from graduates on Careerist’s blog.

Ready to kickstart a new career in tech? Explore Careerist’s complete list of programs to find the best match for you and sign up when you’re ready.