Beginex

So.... my story is that I was a graphic design student back in the day, and landed a print design job. After a few years, we ALL know what happened with print design (rip) so I was forced to reconsider my career. I went ahead and looked around at what I could do and how I could pivot. Turns out, there was no such school at that time to teach me how to bridge the gap of knowledge I had and what I wanted to learn to further my career at the time, so I bartended. For a LONG time. All the way through the pandemic actually! I learned a TON about people and had fun, BUT it wasn't ideal.

Then I read about Beginex. I wasn't sure about it, so I spoke with the director. He was super informative on the process, and how it worked, and was very clear about the education model he used (which is genius and more schools should follow this imho)

Here's the deal. Essentially, I got real life experience in UX with a REAL company, on a REAL job with the help of mentors who are established in the field. What a great idea! So I of course signed up. (Also I heard that when people go to other bootcamps, the portfolios are very 'student work' looking, and usually have similar fake projects that hiring managers tend to pick up on.)

I am now (within 2 years mind you) a Senior UX.UI designer, at a very large company, and am making really good $$. It was hard work on my part to get where I'm at, but Beginex DEFINITELY made it possible.

I am 1000% thrilled that I made the choice to go through Beginex, and I am forever grateful as it honestly transformed my life, my mentality, and my confidence. HUGELY recommend! 

Thanks Beginex!

"A true career accelerator for those who need some guidance, structure, and working tools"I was working as an E-commerce manager at a startup and was looking for an opportunity to switch to a pure UX Design role. A few unconfident attempts to get hired were unsuccessful due to a weak portfolio and not understanding how to market me in the industry.Beginex was a great step to improve my assets, clarify the area of my expertise, get an additional solid project in my portfolio, and meet knowledgeable experts-mentors for guidance and support. I signed a job offer 2,5 months after graduation. Pros:
- real project with a real company
- great opportunity to work in a team and meet people from the field
- 1-1 meetings with mentors (I got a lot of support and guidance while interviewing for a new job)
- working tools for successful job search ( Beginex keeps you on track even after the program) 
- convenient schedule ( I was able to keep my full-time job while working on a project with Beginex)
- great value for a reasonable cost 
- a huge network of alumni working at prestige companiesThings to consider:
- must have at least understanding of UX basics beforehand 
- it will take more time than you think ( besides the class ones a week I was meeting my team in person at least twice a week, plus lots of video calls and actual work. be prepared to invest all free time for next 12 weeks)
- fast phasing environment (it requires a lot of self-learning and independent research outside of the program)

I was trying to make a career change, but mine was a somewhat different story since my major at university was already Product Design. But I was working more in the "physical" design industry and I was trying to get into the digital product design industry. In theory, I "had the knowledge" and was a practitioner of the framework & methodology. But I lacked experience.

This is where Beginex was essential. It was an in person, part-time program, working with a real client. Beginex has the framework so that you can learn about many skills at once: working with a team, collaborating remotely, working directly with a client, project management, tight deadlines, developer hand-off, etc. You accomplish all of this while still keeping your current job, getting guidance from very experienced mentors and making real world connections. Doing the program provided me with the confidence to know that I had the talent and drive to be the best I can be in my new career move, and a solid case study for my portfolio.

As the program keeps evolving now they offer hands on career preparation for interviews, whiteboard exercises and portfolio creation.

I was working full-time as an elementary teacher and needed a UX program that could provide opportunities to work with real clients for a successful career change. After researching different programs in NYC, I found Beginex and realized it fit my needs and aligned with my goals.
What made Beginex so appealing to me:
- Covering the entire UX process while working on real projects with real clients
- UX career prep with case study and portfolio critiques, design challenges, and mock interviews
- Networking opportunities
- Fitting into my schedule while working full-time
The curriculum is well structured and delivered appropriately throughout the project. The classroom meetings were spent wisely with informative lessons and the remaining time collaborating with the client, UX professionals, and other teams. The program helped me advance my technical skills as well as sharpen my soft ones. It provided networking opportunities and ways to connect with others at the beginning stages of their UX career to industry veterans. Most importantly, it gave me the confidence to enter an extremely competitive industry by being prepared. This helped me pursue and land my current position as a UX Designer.

To be clear, I did not attend this bootcamp. This review will explain why. 

I'm currently unemployed and decided to take a big leap in pursuing UX design. This review is based on my own vulnerabilities as a person who has no income and feels eager to start a career.

In December of 2020 I spoke to the CEO and founder of this program to learn more about it. In our conversation, he told me the program would start "sometime between late-January to mid-February". I appreciated that it was a small company, with only 4 or so students in each cohort, so I applied. I was never told when I should be expecting to hear from them, so did my best to just wait. It was mid-January by now, and I there hadn't been any clear communication about when exactly the program would start. I took a look on their website and saw under start date, February 24th. I assumed that because this was on their site, it was safe to keep that date in mind. Late January I was told I was accepted into the program, and to look out for a registration email and some pre-course work. I responded right away to let him know I was still interested, and looking forward to getting to work. When I didn't receive an email for a few days, I reached out again and asked when I can expect the email he referred to. He responded and said I "should be receiving it within a few days". That was on a Thursday. When by the following Wednesday I still had not received any word, I gave him a call just to get a sense of what was going on. I left him a voicemail saying that I felt a deep sense of urgency to get started and would appreciate clear communication, since this was a matter of my education and future. I also told him that I completely understood that he was probably carrying a lot at once running this business, but would just appreciate some clarity on the timing of things. When he didn't call back, I sent him an email the following day. Later on, he texted me and, first and foremost told me to be patient. He also said not to worry because the program wasn't starting until March 17th, a whole month after the start date that was on their site. As I have stated, time is of the essence for me since I am currently unemployed. I told him that it was frustrating and, quite frankly, unprofessional for him to casually change the start date without informing anyone. I told him it did not feel like the students were being considered in this process and therefore I wouldn't be proceeding with the program. While this situation was situation was upsetting, and could have in a huge setback for me, it was made worse by the fact that he didn't even have the decency, capacity, or humility to respond when I told him my decision to withdraw from the program. I think that people in working in education have a huge responsibility to support and communicate respectfully with their students, and I am not sure [name redacted} at Beginex is fully aware of that responsibility.