How did you find the Bootcamp overall?  

It was a really excellent course. I enjoyed it a lot, and the content was really interesting because of all the platforms that althaus gave us to study and use. I learned a lot. 

I used to read about cyber security, but I didn’t have much of an idea of what it was. But when I went onto the Bootcamp, I really enjoyed learning how hackers operate, and how we could mitigate those risks.

How did you find your Skills Coach? 

Connor, my IT Skills Coach, was excellent and a really good guy. He’s a good trainer because he really helps everybody from different backgrounds. He made sure everyone felt included and equal in our sessions, and if someone didn’t understand something he was patient enough to explain it again. 

At the beginning of each session we had a quiz on Kahoot – an online learning platform. So we’d have an understanding of what we’re going to be seeing at the start of the session. We’d then repeat the quiz again at the end and see if we improved – I thought this was a great way of seeing what we were learning. 

What was the onboarding process like? 

It was really easy and as soon as I applied, I got a follow-up call straight back and got signed up for the programme. In the first meeting we had an overview of what the Bootcamp was going to be about, and it was a really easy process throughout. If we ever had any questions, we could email althaus and they’d be able to help. 

Also, I remember I couldn’t attend the second lesson and I received an email and a call from althaus, finding out what happened and making sure I was okay and why I couldn’t attend. The good thing about althaus is that they’re always looking out for you from a safeguarding perspective.

How did you find the training delivered and what support did you get?

It was great – we had live sessions with Connor, and we also had the learner platform (Pluralsight and Skills Hub) that I took full advantage of. It complemented the course really well, having the teaching and the live sessions across the platform, plus on-demand content. 

I learnt so much about cyber security, and all of those tools help towards getting a better understanding of what you’re learning in the course.  

You can also practise what you would do in an industry because if you don’t have experience, like setting up a machine, they can teach you how to do it and you can learn everything you need. You can then showcase that in your CV, which gives you good experience. 

What was your favourite thing about the Bootcamp?

The knowledge that you gain from it, and the structure it gives you, knowing what to expect each week. Everything was great, and I really enjoyed the lessons. The people in the group were very supportive too, so I’d say for anyone who might be interested in this bootcamp, close your eyes, embrace it, and you won’t regret it.  

Would you still recommend doing a Bootcamp if you work? 

Yeah, of course. If you are working full-time or part-time, you can get the sessions recorded so you can catch up with them, and you can work at your own pace. And during these sessions, the coach helps you to understand what you’re learning, too. 

In addition, if you’ve got any questions about the journey or the bootcamps, Connor was brilliant with replying to my queries as soon as possible. So, I would recommend anyone who is working full-time, part time, or changing careers to take advantage of this opportunity. 

Do you think doing the training as Live Sessions is beneficial? 

100%! There might be times where you don’t feel so confident in speaking and you have to present to the group, but no one’s judging you, and everyone’s supportive towards each other. These sessions are all about the learner and benefiting them. You can also break the ice with people and just feel relaxed in the session. 

althaus help advise on the role that you want to get into, too, which massively helps in planning for your future role within the sector and supports you as much as possible to achieve your desired goals. 

What advice would you give to anyone considering the bootcamp? 

My first piece of advice is to be willing to learn. It’s important to keep your mind open, because it makes studying much easier. The on-demand content on the course, as well as the content on Pluralsight has to be completed, so you’ll need a willingness to learn that has to start straight away. That will make it easier to finish all the content you need – there’s a lot of work to do, but it’ll all be beneficial for you in the future.

There’s a great team at althaus – Kate and others were always there and ready to help if we had any kind of problem. Not only for the Bootcamp, but even for personal problems, they’re there to support you through anything you’re going through to if you need them to help along the journey.

Everything is available within the Bootcamp – you’ll have some technical support if you need it, or someone helping you through the process. It’s all in-hand, whatever your problem or struggles might be.

How did you find the balancing of the Live Sessions and On Demand Content? 

It’s important to make sure you’re on top of everything. So, if you set little goals and keep setting goals along the way, it becomes a lot more achievable and easier to manage the Bootcamp. 

You also have a guaranteed interview after the Bootcamp and you get employer live sessions over the course of the Bootcamp, where you have people come in and talk about the opportunities available after you’re finished and explain what you can go into, which is really good if you’re looking to change careers or explore other job opportunities, or improve where you currently are and upskill. 

Overall thoughts on the Bootcamp?

I can’t express my positive feelings more after the twelve weeks. For everyone that is interested in going to a Bootcamp, just do it – you won’t regret it!