Jigsaw Labs

    I had been looking to get into the field of data and programming and took numerous short intro classes at several well known technical schools/bootcamps to see if it would be worth it to take their full time courses in data science and data engineering. 
What I found was that the instructors really couldn’t really be hands on because the class sizes were too large and many instructors just couldn’t teach. 
    It was too much of a risk in time and tuition costs (also possibly having to quit my full time job) to possibly be stuck with a bad teacher. I was not willing to take the leap into signing up for a long term bootcamp until I found Jeff Katz who's the instructor and founder of Jigsaw Labs. He previously worked at Flatiron school and created their data science program. 
    His classes worked around my full time M-F job schedule and the tuition was thousands less than what the other bootcamps were charging for similar curriculums. The curriculum is state of the art and focuses on teaching the basic concepts and the current popular technologies based on his research of current job market requirements for data engineers. 
    Jeff is very concerned about student experience. He has been very supportive, knowledgeable and a resource to all his students past and present. The students in my class were awesome people who were very motivated and great to work with. 

Coming from a "non-traditional" background (law) makes the lead instructor Jeff's mastery of a whole range of data engineering subject matters all the more amazing. 

For someone like me seeking to transition to data engineering from a "non-traditional" background (law and international relations), Jigsaw Labs' curriculum covering in-demand skills, coupled with Jeff's attentiveness (one-on-one office hours in addition to regular classes), has been a huge boost to my domain knowledge and morale. 

Another pedagogical feature, pair-coding, has been both effective and enjoyable. 

As the saying goes: "If you want to learn something, read; if you want to understand something, write; if you want to master something, teach." 

I solidified my learning by making small contributions here and there to the various pair-coding sessions; and learned still more from the amazing peers in my cohort, many of whom are very knowledgeable even beyond Python coding and SQL scripting (one taught me Linux bash and various command line tricks).

I was in the  Programming For Data Science class.  The course schedule was part-time (nights and weekends), which was a major reason I signed up. 

  The course is a great place to start if you are interested in data science. If you can't access and manipulate data, you can't be a data scientist. The curriculum is an intro to all the basics in programming one would need to produce and manipulate data sets. This is exactly what I needed to get started in this field. 
  Jeff, the instructor, is engaging during class and generous with his time. He was willing to stay after class for questions and very responsive to email. It's obvious that he cares about his students. 
  The only downside to this class is that the pace is very fast (meaning lots of topics over a short period of time). Overall, I would recommend this class to anyone that wants to get started in data science. You will pick up a lot of great information and meet a great teacher.   

When I was looking at different boot camps, I was wary of some of the large companies who seem to churn out graduates. I was excited about Jigsaw's smaller cohort size, the internship opportunity, and many of the reviews I had read online. Jigsaw's 5-star rating is well deserved and the reviews here reflect what makes this course better than your average boot camp. Jeff and the instructors are extremely knowledgeable and truly care about student outcomes. The biggest thing I took away from this course is how to think like an engineer. How to break things down into smaller problems. How to debug and read documentation. The lectures are short enough to provide you with the base knowledge to get started while also pushing you to explore on your own and figure the rest out. The course is long for a reason, and it definitely requires a lot of work. But if you do everything Jeff and the other instructors say, you will have a strong foundation of skills that will prepare you for a variety of data roles. 

With the training I received from Jigsaw Labs, I was able to switch over to my company’s IT department and fully transition into a Data Engineering role. There are a lot of courses out there that just have you click around a cloud service, run a few lines of Python code, and then give you a certificate. Jigsaw Labs, however, properly conditions its students to navigate complex code bases and debug code properly. Although the tools I use in my job aren’t the exact tools I’ve learned in class, I am able to successfully add on to existing architecture and build new pipelines.

My time working with Jigsaw and Jeff set me up for the career shift I wanted to make and helped me acquire the skills and experiences I needed to be successful. Jigsaw is an intensive yet fulfilling program that not only focused on helping students gain the technical skills needed but also helped us to find and participate in various projects to build our experiences & resumes. I learned so much during my time with Jigsaw and Jeff created a supportive environment where we all worked together. Before enrolling in the program, I met with Jeff to discuss whether or not the program was aligned with my personal and professional goals & the advice I was given during that initial meeting proved to be immensely helpful. When it was time to begin applying or jobs, the Jigsaw team made sure to refer us to positions that aligned with our skills as well as our interests. They helped us with our resumes, our LinkedIn profiles, and directed us to various communities where positions and resumes are circulated. I was able to find a position because of the Jigsaw staff circulating my resume in various communities. The Jigsaw team is dedicated to helping students actually gain the tools & resources they need to progress in their careers, and not just enrolling as many students as possible. I could not recommend Jigsaw enough and I am grateful for my experiences as a student with Jigsaw. 

 I carefully chose Jigsaw Labs after more than two months of assessing different boot camps and I would do the same thing! You get the knowledge, skills, and support you will need to start a career in data engineering. In addition to a great curriculum that covers software engineering and data pipeline fundamentals, the instructor emphasizes the process of solving a problem with programming. That is to first understand the problem, create a step-by-step plan of how you will solve it, execute the plan by writing the real code, review your solution, and consider improving it through refactoring if possible. You will be amazed at how you will be able to solve difficult problems with this strategy. 

Students are helped to find an internship as part of the course to provide them with practical work experience. It is also a plus in your job search. The instructor and TAs are available for one on one meetings outside of class to assist with any problems you have. Try it out, you won't be disappointed. 

Even as someone with prior programming experience, I learned a lot about fundamental software/data engineering principles and about popular technologies and tools that are widely used in the data engineering space. His project-based curriculum is great for giving you hands-on experience that allows you to simultaneously develop your coding skills and learn new tools. Everyday you're paired up with one or two other students, which gives you an opportunity to connect with other passionate students and learn from them as well. Admittedly I was ahead of other students, so I would often finish daily tasks and projects sooner than most during class, but there were always longer-term projects that Jeff encouraged us to work on, and he would provide suggestions and resources to help us make the most of those projects (projects that would be great for adding to your portfolio).

Jeff is a very passionate instructor. He's always available to answer your questions and give you 1x1 attention and advice. Not only does he have a lot of experience as a software engineer himself, but he has an amazing talent for teaching students about what it means to think like an engineer. This is very beneficial for students with little to no programming experience, but even students who do have some programming background can learn a great deal from his course. I was fortunate enough to land a position immediately after graduating with the same company I interned for, and I'm still actively using the critical thinking and programming skills that I developed under his tutelage.

Finally, the internship/externship program is one of the most unique and advantageous features of this bootcamp. It gives you a direct line to getting real experience with real companies. As mentioned earlier, I (and other students) was able to land a full-time position with the company I was paired with, which demonstrates how valuable this program can be. Even if you don't transition to a full-time role, having that experience can make you stand out amongst other junior/entry-level candidates in a competitive job market. 

Jeff's passion for data engineering and teaching is evident throughout the course. He took the time to make sure everyone understood the topics being discussed and was always open to questions. One of the best parts about the curriculum is the focus on project/lab based work. The hands-on approach was vital for learning SQL, Python, and key data engineering topics. Jeff and the excellent TAs would cycle through the zoom breakout rooms to ensure that nobody was stuck. I really enjoyed learning together with my peers, asking each other questions, and getting our hands dirty when topics were hard. It's clear that Jeff chose students who were intellectually curious and that shows throughout the classes. The cohort was the perfect size and didn't feel like a typical huge class you may have experienced in college. Jigsaw is an excellent investment in yourself and your future. I can confidently say that no other bootcamp offers this type of experience. If you have the opportunity to learn from Jeff, take it.  

Jigsaw Labs Data Engineering Bootcamp was a great experience for me.

I've been a Software Developer for many years, and was looking for a change and decided I would like to pursue a job in Data Engineering. 

After doing some research online, I contacted several Data Engineering bootcamps to feel them out and try to find a good fit. I wanted more than just the education, but a process for finding that first job as well. 

Most bootcamps, as soon as I started talking to them, when I asked them about help with job placement, they would say "We'll help you with your linked in Profile, spruce up your resume." I was looking for more than that, I already have a competitive resume and Linked in profile, I was looking for more.

As soon as I contacted Jigsaw Labs, and had my first Zoom meeting, I knew I had found the right place. The instructor, Jeff Katz, met with me personally, where the other bootcamps it was a salesperson etc. He interviewed me and we talked about my goals etc and experience. I was in class the next week.

Jeff is a fantastic instructor, he takes the content and really helps the students understand it, taking as much time as needed. The content is very comprehensive and focused. They do a lot of research on what Companies are looking for, focusing on those skills to improve your chances of finding a job quickly after graduation.

And did I mention they have 100% placement ? Thats because even though they help you with interview prep, you also have a 3 month Externship with a Data Engineering company doing real work. You graduate with experience to help with that all important job placement. 

In addition, you are not abandoned after graduation. They work with you weekly as you still meet with the class to keep your new skills current through practice and discussion, and of course with helping you with locating that all important job.

I heartily recommend Jigsaw Labs Data Engineering Bootcamp. It is thorough, and to be honest fun. Jeff and his instructors are great teachers, and great people, a joy to be around. 

The students were motivated and fantastic as well. 

I can't recommend this enough, and by the way, its much cheaper than the other Data Engineering Bootcamps out there.

Jeff and Jigsaw Labs have helped changed the trajectory of my life and career over the course of a few short months.  We went through the essentials of Python and SQL, and then we dove into intensive work with dbt, Docker, Airflow, Snowflake, Fivetran.  The paired programming was very helpful for the learning process, where someone could help you fill in the blank, and you can do the same for them.  

With the newly gained knowledge and experience, Jeff matched us with externships with companies interested in helping us get our first experiences of working in the tech industry, which is just something that isn't really offered anywhere else.  Even though the externship wasn't perfect, it was through this experience I've been able to get another internship with a potential job offer at the end of the term.  

The best part about the course is you'll find yourself with a supportive group, all of whom are looking out for your eventual success, led by an instructor who really, truly cares about his students.  

I would say this course provides you with the foundations to be an effective member of a data or backend team, understanding that you will be responsible for the majority of your growth once you've joined the team.  So, if you've been thinking about making a change, go for it! 

Jig Saw Labs Backend Engineering bootcamp was an incredibly rigorous, challenging, and rewarding investment and experience. I'm a former middle school principal so I know a few things about good instruction - in particular, good online instruction since the last two years forced us to determine how to effectively provide online instruction tantamount to in person instruction. Beyond his genius as a developer, Jeff is an incredible instructor, which is fueled by a holistic and rigorous curriculum that he wrote. Jeff strikes an excellent balance of providing direct instruction in conjunction with sufficient opportunities for practice and review in the form of labs. 

Jeff does an excellent job of building community amongst the members of the cohort because we were required to have our cameras on and share our screens as we pair programmed in class, which effectively supported our learning as we were able to build with one another in a really robust way. Most programs out there don't set the expectations for online learning to minimize the isolation feeling of learning how to be a developer, which inevitably decelerates learning. Jeff's format is the most effective way of learning in an online environment. 

The curriculum is sequenced in a way that is career focused toward backend/data engineering. Beyond the technical curriculum, Jeff's curriculum also addresses the mindset of being an engineer, which was pretty uncomfortable at first. It's like learning how to walk, which takes time and consistent effort. 

Enrolling in the program guarantees you an internship that will jumpstart your portfolio and give you experience for your resume, which is HARD to come by (the catch 22 - you need experience to get experience). Companies are literally fighting to get interns from this program, as Jeff informed us he had to turn down several companies in the process of placing each of us. My internship with Meltano put me on the map for recruiters and led me to scoring a job as a backend software engineer at a financial tech company.

Finally, I'm convinced that this is the best program (because I've started in others and stopped because they weren't executed well or aligned to my learning style) because there is a high level of support for job search (beyond the internship), preparing for the coding interviews that plague many new developers, and he makes himself available whenever you need. This program is made for you to succeed, and Jeff is just as invested if not more invested than you will be in ensuring your desired career path is realized. 

I give this program a 20/10 because it truly changed my life professionally when I wasn't sure if a job in tech could actually happen for me.
Pros:
- Tons of practice in the format of labs- Access to historical curriculum
- Recorded classes for your review
- Nonjudgmental, high accountability, high support learning environment
- Free online curriculum for you to explore
- Excellent instructor with a WEALTH of knowledge, experience and a passion for the work; full accessible for whatever additional support you need outside of class
- Curriculum is ever changing for improvement
- Fully remote yet LIVE online
- Cost is cheaper than some of the bigger named programs (payment program is offered as well)
- Small class sizes- Guaranteed internship
Cons:
- Cost (for some); but it's worth every penny- Sunday class is 9 hours - but this is the reason why you learn so much so quickly