Meet Your Learning Network at WeCloudData

Once upon a time, getting a college degree was the fastest and most effective way into tech, but not anymore. Coding bootcamps have rebranded tech education, bringing an accelerated, project-based learning model which transforms people from newbies to industry-ready within a short time.

According to Career Karma’s State of the Coding Bootcamp Market Report 2020, there are over a hundred coding bootcamps spread across the US, each with its unique offering. That begs the question, what makes a good bootcamp?

Many factors go into creating a quality program. You can have a bootcamp that offers a curriculum that reflects market trends and demands, or one that guarantees practical immersive technical training. Some bootcamps use cutting-edge technology to enhance engagement in the classroom, and others even offer career support beyond graduation.

Enter, WeCloudData.

WeCloudData does not only tick those boxes, it also further emphasizes the place of quality support and mentorship in grooming the next generation of tech leaders. Following insights from Rong Li, WeCloudData’s co-founder, you can say these strategies paid off well.

“The results are pretty impressive that 96 percent of our students land a data job within six months. Ninety percent of our students got a promotion within one and half years,” she said.

Who Will You Learn from at WeCloudData?

WeCloudData’s curricula offer a rich blend of standard technical training and soft skills development. However, to think the bootcamp’s success stems only from its curriculum is a huge oversight. The learning network also plays a crucial role in students’ success during the bootcamp and beyond.

WeCloudData’s learning network comprises three core pillars: instructors, guest lecturers, and mentors. Together, they help groom students to become well-rounded professionals and cushion their way into tech.

WeCloudData Instructors

WeCloudData’s faculty have both industry and teaching experience and more especially, the human touch. Put it like this, they understand the challenges that students often encounter when learning new tech skills, and they are passionate about helping them overcome such hurdles.

To achieve that, WeCloudData employs instructors with five to 10 years of industry experience. So, they’re typically not too ahead from their learning days yet understand the current market demands.

“We don’t want to hire people with too much experience [like] managers or vice presidents who are too high level and [have] forgotten about what it takes to find an entry-level position,” Rong Li said.

“All of our instructors are currently data scientists, data engineers, AI researchers, or machine learning engineers. [And] they understand what challenges our students will have to face when joining the workforce.”

One such instructor is Vinny Nguyen, a web developer-turned-data scientist who found data science as offering the perfect balance between his interests in the theoretical side of mathematics and the practical side of programming. Now an instructor at WeCloudData, Vinny imparts his expertise and experience to students, who just like he once was, are in the process of breaking into a new industry entirely.

“I enjoy teaching because it allows me to hopefully impart the same passion for learning to others. I genuinely enjoy helping people. I remember being a student, being anxious about learning, and confused about the topics and I hope as an instructor, I can make that process a lot smoother,” shared Vinny.

His advice to professionals trying to learn data science skills? “Balance theoretical learning with practical experience. Struggling through projects and trying things yourself should be emphasized just as much, if not more than book learning.”

It’s because of this that he chose to teach at WeCloudData. “I like that the curriculum is based on real-world experience,” he said. “Everything is practical and the skills you learn are immediately applicable on the job. Not only that, but with client projects, you get a chance to apply what you learn and actually contribute to real projects and gain experience.”

To boost your learning experience, WeCloudData organizes several career events, usually led by various guest lecturers.

Guest Lecturers

With each program and cohort, WeCloudData invites various established professionals to shed light on various subjects as it relates to actual industry practice. Rong Li said, “We invite over 10 guest lecturers from different industries to cover use cases to give our students more exposure and be prepared for their future jobs.”

Students develop a sound and in-depth understanding of the topics they learn in the classroom and how to apply them in the real world. Beyond that, they are better equipped with information regarding industry standards on job search and recruiting.

With that exposure, students can make more informed decisions about how they want their careers to go, and WeCloudData mentors provide the necessary guidance to help them achieve those goals.

Mentors

WeCloudData mentors are professionals in diverse tech specializations who are passionate about helping entry-level programmers kickstart a successful career. According to Rong Li, “They are also data scientists, data engineers or AI engineers. But, they work with our students more closely and give them positive feedback on their job-hunting journey.”

“Our mentors are actually a different group of people. They are the ones who work in different industries and are super patient and professional. Even though they don’t teach, they help our students one-on-one revise their resumes, prepare for interviews, teach them how to build networks in the industry or refer them to their own networks in the industry.”

Michelle Miao is one of the WeCloudData mentors. Her insights come from her two-year industry experience working for AI and fintech startups. Currently, she lends her services as a data engineer to Credit Sesame, a Silicon Valley fintech company.

Michelle’s journey into tech began after graduating from college with a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy and Mathematics. While her mathematics background gave her some background in data, her knowledge leaned more on the theoretical side. To develop her practical skills, she joined WeCloudData’s Data Science Bootcamp and successfully broke into the world of data engineering thereafter.

Michelle attributed her success to the help and support she got from WeCloudData’s TAs and instructors. Two years into her data career, she is giving back to the bootcamp by mentoring students and making sure they stay on track with their training.

Her duties as a mentor include helping mentees polish their resumes and prepare for technical or behavioral interviews. She also recommends study materials and resolves any questions they have on projects they’re working on. Speaking about her experience so far, Michelle said, “It is rewarding. [I am] happy to see the students’ growth throughout the job searching journey.”

How WeCloudData’s Mentorship Program Works

WeCloudData offers six months of career support to all graduates. The program features one-on-one counseling with mentors and career support staff for advice and counseling on job search, career goals, and progress. With guidance from WeCloudData mentors, students learn industry standards for developing resumes, and they create one that fits their portfolio.

More so, they get advice on how to best showcase their skills and professional data on their portfolio and job board profiles using commercial photographers. This is because high-quality images and completed projects leave a better impression on potential employers.

Networking

WeCloudData organizes several seminars, hiring panel discussions, and hiring partner demo workshops. In these events, professionals from various partner companies come to educate the students about the industry standards surrounding job search, interviewing, and general work policy.

Asides from the learning benefits, students can also network directly with these companies and get direct alerts on new job openings. It gives them an insight into what these companies expect from fresh hires. Students can also use this opportunity to network with peers and alumni.

Interview Preparation

WeCloudData’s interview preparation helps students build excellent interviewing skills as they prepare for the job interview. They will learn to communicate effectively and answer interview questions.

Students also get mock interviews with the WeCloudDatas career support team where they will practice likely questions. That goes for both the technical and non-technical interviews.

Learn from Data Experts at WeCloudData

Looking at the extensive support that WeCouldData offers, you can begin to grasp why the school has gained much reputation and maintains an impressive graduate outcome. Even as it provides quality education, WeCloudData does not fall short of offering variety which helps you find your place in the data field. Depending on your preference you can opt for the data science, data engineering, business intelligence, or AI engineering programs.

Regardless of the path you choose, WeCloudData instructors and mentors help you develop the technical and soft skills you need to break through into tech. You can speak to a WeCloudData advisor to learn more about the programs. Simply call the customer service number +1 (647) 588-4206 or send an email to info@weclouddata.com.