Flockjay

I was looking to change the industry that I worked in. I have worked in sales for about 19 years now, never in tech. Flockjay gave me the skills and foundation for tech sales to build on what I knew. 

-10-week program / M-Th / 3 hrs a night 5-8PST 
I had no issue with the course changing the format from 12 weeks to 10 weeks. As working professionals desiring to get jump-started in a new career, the more compact and efficient the program, the better.

-Learning from current leaders in the industry
The program is training for a Sales Development Representative. The instructors have all been in this role previously, and are able to deliver the ins and outs of what is expected of the role and how to perform at the highest degree.

-Insightful Fireside Chats
Talks with Tech industry professionals, giving you an inside look to their career trajectories and how you can grow your career into what you want it to be.

-It's a lot of work. Take it seriously. You get out what you put in. 

-Knowledge to hit the ground running. 
Just like in any job transition, nothing falls into your lap. However, you are equipped with the tools to conduct an efficient job search and position yourself as a desirable candidate. I received an offer within a month of graduating.

-Outcomes/ Job Placement was slow in communicating
This is one of the most important things on everyone's mind when starting the program. Having an idea of how the process works from the beginning will assist in managing everyone's expectations.

Even though I was part of cohort #4 for FlockJay it is incredible how well designed the program already is. I know it will continue to improve even more as they are always asking for feedback and implementing it. 
All of the FlockJay staff is incredible. The instructors have so much experience in the field and it shows. In addition, FlockJay's weekly fireside chat speakers were illuminating with their candor about their life and career experiences.
Fair warning: FlockJay is a lot of work. Class is not simply a lecture. It is EXTREMELY interactive. You quickly learn how to do basic research in order to do sales roleplays. FlockJay is also quite the time commitment as the class is three hours long, four days a week for 12 weeks. Beyond that, there is daily homework and weekend homework.
In the end, I’m pleased to say it was all worth it. Five weeks after graduation I was able to sign an offer with my dream company. FlockJay was there every step of the way; helping me prepare with mock interviews and helping me think through salary negotiation.

I entered Flockjay with a strong college degree but no sure direction of how to advance in my career. I felt like I either needed to make a massive commitment to expensive graduate programs or work roles that didn't provide the upward mobility I sought. I found Flockjay and was impressed at how thorough, supportive, and transformative the program has been for me and my classmates. The entire staff was constantly focused on helping us learn, improving our skills, and getting us software sales jobs. I was open to relocation and can proudly report that I had 3 separate offers from tech companies in the Bay area. I just accepted a position that provides 2x my current salary and am more excited about my future than ever before. Being a part of Flockjay has changed my life for the better and I highly recommend you join the flock!

Flockjay was an amazing and challenging experience. The community of students is great and I can't say enough about the Flockjay staff and their incredible support both during the course and after graduation. Within 10 days of graduation, I had interviews with 4 different companies. Within 2 weeks I had an offer letter signed with a company I'm so excited to work for. If you are reading this and are still on the fence, I encourage you to take that bold step into the unknown with the confidence that you are making an investment in yourself. 

Flockjay's 12-week course is not designed for everyone, however if you're committed to preparing yourself for the jump into sales, there is no better program.

Not only did Flockjay's instructors provide us with valuable lessons from their own experiences, they made themselves available until I secured a job - well after the end of classes.

Lastly, Flockjay is truly committed to building a network of bright new sales professionals. Interacting with my flock during class and getting to know them was awesome, and I continue to keep in touch with those based in New York

Background:

• I chose to not attend college. I attended a coding bootcamp, then realized it wasn't for me. Next, I interned at a startup accelerator for a few months. I knew that the internship wasn't going to convert into a full-time role so I started digging around for other opportunities. Finally, I saw Flockjay on ycombinator's twitter, booked a consultation, then started my first day of class 2 weeks late. 
• I live in SF & I read about tech for fun. Most of my friends are in their twenties in tech. 

 

Instructors:

• I love you Flockjay team!! 
• The instructors really get to know you as a person. At the beginning of each class, we talk about our lives for about 5-10 minutes to put everyone in a good mood.
• The instructors are incredibly engaging (we laugh so much) and always prepared! I don't remember ever once feeling, "do they know what they are doing?" Flockjay does not drop the ball. 
• Instructors are always available and responsive on Slack.
• I am amazed by the amount of emotional labor Flockjay freely gives to every student. I don't know how they do it. Honestly, they are angels.

 

Curriculum:

• Assignments are submitted via Workramp. Maryann from Flockjay grades each and every answer and leaves detailed feedback so that you can improve. Please appreciate this!
• Classes run M-Thurs, 5-8 pm PST, office hours are Friday. Mondays are Fireside chats with industry leaders, recruiters, and managers.
• Flockjay staff takes turns teaching the curriculum with plenty of interactive activities and beautifully (and easily digestible) presentations.
• The outline of the curriculum is on their website.
• The instructors do such an EXCELLENT job of relaying the tech culture to those not in tech. This is poorly worded. I'm trying to say that the Flockjay team is diverse, has diverse investors, and celebrates students from diverse backgrounds. Flockjay will help you, if you're from a completely non-tech background, understand what you're getting yourself into. Gosh, they are empathetic and no question is ridiculous. 
• We rigorously review concepts by challenging each other during Flockjay stadium. Teachers will break us into groups on Zoom to practice skills with very clear instructions and time checks. We touch on a lot of tools, but there really is a ton to cover. It is so, so, so important that you dedicate time outside of class to understand tools such as Salesforce, ZoomInfo, Outreach, etc...
• Personally felt that the pace was perfect. 
• You will need to put in work!! Flockjay is not easy, but it is extremely supportive, and you CAN do it!! Many people in my flock were parenting during class.   

 

Job Assistance:

• Fellows updated an Airtable form for Flockjay. I had a zoom call with a Flockjay team member before every single on-site. I booked office hours every single week to keep them in the loop. I had practice interviews and cold calls with my batchmates, Flockjay alums, and other friends. 
• All the companies I interviewed with were through Flockjay.
• This was my first job hunt; I wasn't sure what I was doing 80% of the time. I didn't feel nervous because the Flockjay team constantly checked up on via phone call, Slack, and Zoom videos. I really felt a community of support.
• Pira from Flockjay started hosting Zoom sessions every week to help alums keep their sales skills fresh.
• I made a twitter thread about my experience 
  • https://twitter.com/iamlizendary/status/1206796508542013442?s=20
• ​Making this clear -- EXTREMELY AMAZING DURING JOB SEARCH!! I paid my tuition upfront because I had full faith that Flockjay would help me find my dream job. I expected to have less support after I paid (since I didn't sign an ISA), but that was definitely not the case!

 

Additional:

• HAPPY, WARM, SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT! Your batchmates will lift you up! Cherish them & lift them up too! :)
• Flockjay is growing rapidly and will be a mafia network ;) 
• Thank you Shaan, Kelly, Alex, Quenton, Reese, Maryann, Francesca, Pira, + everyone else who is remote + everyone hired after Seed funding + all my lovely batchmates + Flockjay alums + smart investors!!! You changed my life!

 

Negatives (take everything with a grain of salt):

• I was in the 3rd batch, so Flockjay was still ironing out some kinks. There was a tool that we were planning to cover, but we ran out of time (not a big deal at all, I promise). Only one hiring manager asked me about it. I was honest and said that I'm more than happy to learn the tool on the job. More than an acceptable answer.
• I was on the August 2019 batch and we graduated in October 2019. This may have not been the ideal time to graduate. I heard from some batchmates that they were stuck in limbo as some companies were not hiring/onboarding candidates until the new year (2020). I think this may have been much more frustrating for students with dependents. It's difficult to be interviewing while working & parenting full-time, for 2 months and be unsure of a set hire date. I received my first job offer within 3 weeks after graduation, but took 6 weeks to choose and accept my final job offer. It took 7.5 weeks for me to start working. I was the second person from my batch to start working in sales in a tech company. I could have started working within 5.5 weeks after graduating, but I wanted more time to explore my other options and offers. I'm incredibly privileged to not have debt, dependents, nor emergencies to force me to pick the first offer. I suspect that timing will be less of an issue as Flockjay onboards more hiring partners and develops an even stronger presence. ​

Flockjay is an extremely fulfilling experience. 

With high level industry pros as mentors and trainers, it really opens up the door when making a transition into the tech space. 

They teach you the full modern tech sales stack that you need to succeed in a SDR/BDR role. More vital though, is the self confidence they equip you with.  They have been through the ramp process personally. They are successful industry veterans who have day jobs. Flock Jay is a passion project for these trainers and it really shows— they put their hearts into it and want each and every tech fellow to succeed. 

Career services is also fantastic and can help match you with exciting opportunities in tech. The after program support is literally stunning ! Again. They want you to succeed. 

Flockjay is well worth the price !!