Interested in starting a career in technology?
The industry can be highly competitive, and if you’re just getting started, it can seem impossible to find a way in.
While many online courses offer an opportunity to learn about tech, few can actually launch you onto your chosen career path.
Springboard is an online learning platform and support system, created by industry experts for those passionate about starting a career in technology.
Offering comprehensive courses in different areas of tech, Springboard uses a combination of mentorship and a supportive environment to help students progress.
In this review, we’ll take a look at what Springboard has to offer, from the courses available to the benefits and disadvantages.
Discover if this is the right launching platform for your career in tech with this complete Springboard Review guide.
Springboard Overview
An online learning platform with a difference, Springboard offers students a comprehensive, mentor-led program to prepare them for a job in the tech industry.
Springboard functions similarly to an online school, providing hands-on learning in a chosen subject, but with a one-to-one focus that allows for personalized learning.
Springboard is focused exclusively on teaching skills in the technology industry.
Offering courses in design, coding, cybersecurity, data, and tech sales, each program is highly job-focused.
Springboard isn’t just about learning a skill. It’s about learning a career, and finding relevant work in the industry after you’ve completed your chosen course.
Working 100% online, Springboard is based around your schedule.
As you learn, you also create, designing and building real-world projects.
This is intended to both provide you with real world experience, and give you a head start in a competitive job industry.
If you’re interested in working in technology, and not sure how to get started, then Springboard has the potential to be a fantastic learning platform.
But let’s look a little closer, to see what it actually offers.
Springboard Courses
The Springboard courses are tech-focused, industry led courses, with a heavy focus on building practical experience that will appeal in the job market.
All Springboard courses are 100% online, and self-paced.
The course options are limited, and if you aren’t interested in technology, Springboard will have nothing to offer you (for the moment). Springboard courses cover the following areas:
- Data
- Design
- Coding
- Cybersecurity
- Tech Sales
Each course was created by those within the industry, or with previous experience in the industry.
Courses are frequently updated to reflect developments in the industry, to ensure you’re receiving cutting edge training.
Most of the courses take place over a time range of roughly 6 to 9 months.
However, Springboard also offers intense crash courses, held over just a few weeks.
q11aw222 ==[These crash courses typically supplement learning with live lectures.
Most Springboard courses run on a timeframe dictated by the student.
All courses are part-time, allowing you to learn even if you work a full time job, or care for a family. Even those with a busy schedule can find time for a Springboard course!
A large focus of each course is on creating a real-world project. Working on these projects often involves communicating with real world businesses, and an opportunity to build your resume.
Collaborating with clients, you can start to create a relevant portfolio, ready to use when you start looking for work.
Springboard does periodically change their course offerings, and might potentially expand or limit their subjects in the future.
As mentorship and industry connections play such a key role in Springboard, courses change based on necessity.
Springboard Mentors
Springboard instructors work directly with the student, acting as a mentor and support system as you complete your chosen course.
As there’s so much hands-on involvement from the mentor, you want to know they’re someone you can trust. So, who are the Springboard mentors?
Springboard mentors are all industry professionals, with at least three years experience working in your chosen field.
This experience is vital to the mentor role, as they help you understand not only your curriculum, but the job market.
Mentors are available for one-to-one conversations, once a week.
And it isn’t just the mentors that guide you through your course.
Springboard wants to add networking and connections to online learning, providing you with a community of support.
A student adviser works directly with you as you progress, while teaching aids, community managers, and tech support are all available to answer any questions.
Career Coach
One of the big promises made by Springboard is that this is a course with real job prospects at the end.
And as it is such a high intensity course, it’s important to know how realistic the promised results are.
Job seeking is very much at the forefront of the Springboard system.
You work alongside a personal career coach, who will help you to build a portfolio, and prepare you for the job market.
They help you grow your network, find positions in your chosen field, and ultimately get work.
As well as one-to-one sessions with your personal career coach, Springboard offers group coaching sessions, where you can network within the community, and seek advice and feedback.
Springboard also organizes mock interviews, preparing you for behavioral and technical interviews, alongside work with in-house hiring managers.
By the time you leave Springboard, you should have detailed knowledge of the job industry in your chosen field, a polished and relevant resume, and experience in an interview setting.
Previous Springboard graduates have found work with industry giants including LinkedIn, Microsoft, Google, and Facebook.
Springboard Job Guarantee
Springboard does offer a job guarantee, but it comes with some conditions.
You must be eligible to work in the United States or Canada, meaning Springboard isn’t quite as internationally focused as other online platforms.
You must also hold a Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited educational institute (this is waived for some courses if you have relevant industry experience).
Having completed a course, if you are unable to find relevant employment within six months, you might be eligible for a full refund.
User Experience
Springboard isn’t a platform that you can simply jump right into.
We’ve spoken about the importance of a good instructor, but Springboard wants to ensure that relationship goes both ways.
Before you get started in Springboard, you have to be assessed.
It isn’t quite as overwhelming as it sounds. Having applied, Springboard will contact you to find out your goals and background, before asking you to complete a short skills survey.
This way, they can ensure you get the exact education you need.
Springboard is a course designed to offer you a complete learning experience, on your own time.
With hands-on mentors providing you with feedback and advice, Springboard feels similar to traditional learning, without the classroom setting.
For adult learners, Springboard is a chance to engage in a high-level course, on your own time.
Springboard offers students access to a wide range of industry experts, and the growing Springboard community.
You won’t feel isolated as you complete the course. Instead, a support system will encourage you to engage and progress.
And this support doesn’t end when you finish the course.
For the next 6 months, Springboard is on hand to provide support as you look for a job within the industry.
Pricing
Compared to other online learning platforms, Springboard offers a comprehensive course.
It’s similar to an online degree, so you can expect a price point to match.
Springboard courses are not cheap. You will be paying several thousand dollars to enroll.
There are several potential payment options. First, the upfront payment.
You pay a single lump sum before the start of the course, with no further payment necessary.
Paying upfront can save you money, but the large initial payment isn’t suitable for everyone.
And if you complete the course quickly, or fail to find a job, you aren’t offered money back.
Springboard also offers a monthly payment option.
If you take the full, expected time frame to complete a course, the monthly payment plan is more expensive than an upfront payment.
However, if you complete the course quickly, you don’t have to pay for the remaining months.
Perhaps one of the major selling points of Springboard is that you can pay once you’ve started benefiting from the course.
You can defer the tuition payment until after you’ve completed the course, and after you’ve found yourself a job in the industry.
If you don’t get a job in the industry, then Springboard will offer you a full refund (assuming, of course, you meet certain conditions).
While the deferred payment is an excellent option, be aware that the overall cost will be higher than the upfront payment.
Who Is Springboard For?
Springboard is an online learning platform for those who want a career in the tech industry.
The courses are comprehensive, with a high focus on gaining practical experience.
At the end of the course, each Springboard student will receive support finding a career in their chosen area.
If you have an interest in tech but limited experience or education, Springboard might be the perfect learning platform.
The industry-created courses provide in-depth learning opportunities, plus hands-on experience.
Springboard is also for those who benefit from a supportive learning environment.
Mentors, career coaches, and a lively community support each student throughout the learning process, and beyond!
However, Springboard does have limited appeal. The course catalog is small, and all the courses are STEM focused.
Springboard is also not for casual learners. Each course is expensive, and full-on. It’s only worth undertaking a Springboard course if you want to work in the industry.
And one of the high points of Springboard, the job guarantee, is only relevant to those working in the U.S. and Canada.
If you live outside these areas, Springboard loses a lot of its attraction.
Finally, while Springboard does support those relatively new to the industry, some of the courses do require prior experience.
Springboard Pros And Cons
Pros
The mentor-led learning is an excellent resource, allowing students to receive support and feedback throughout the process.
One-to-one mentorship provides a personalized experience, so you can really get the most out of each course.
Providing you match the criteria, Springboard offers a job guarantee to graduates.
If you can’t find work in 6 months, you can apply for your money back.
This is a course with a heavy focus on finding a career in your chosen industry.
Springboard courses take a hands-on approach, and students design and create projects during the course.
Not only is this valuable experience, but it also helps build a resume.
Each course has been created by industry experts, and they are updated frequently to reflect changes in the industry.
You’ll receive cutting edge learning throughout the course.
Springboard fosters an active community environment, allowing students to network, and receive feedback and encouragement.
This is excellent for online learners who struggle to engage with self-paced courses.
Cons
The course topics are limited, and Springboard currently only offers tech-based courses.
If you aren’t interested in working in STEM, Springboard is unlikely to have a course that appeals to you.
In many ways, Springboard is closer to an online degree course, rather than a standard online learning platform.
Each course is intense, and expensive. Although deferred payments offer an affordable payment plan, Springboard is still costly.
Conclusion: Is Springboard Worth It?
Springboard is an online learning platform with courses in the tech industry.
Each student is guided by a mentor and a career coach as they complete the course, and this support continues after graduation.
Springboard can completely prepare you for a career in the competitive tech industry.
Working alongside industry professionals, and with courses designed by experts, Springboard is an excellent platform for those looking to change careers.
It provides both a comprehensive education, and real world experience. And for many students, Springboard comes with a job guarantee.
But the benefits of Springboard are also the disadvantages.
This is an expensive, and highly specialized learning platform. It just won’t appeal to everyone.
However, if you are passionate about a career in tech, Springboard can provide the boost you need to get started.
