Alumni Outcomes
What sets us apart? TDI is more than your typical bootcamp. We’re a synergetic program where our students work on projects they’re passionate about—which, in our experience, leads to thriving, business-minded individuals. Students work closely with our industry partners, subject matter experts (in both data and industry) and experienced instructors to gain the necessary skills to jumpstart their data career, connect with top companies and earn more than those outside a bootcamp.
Our alumni earn 24% more than the industry standard
"I owe where I am to TDI."
Alumni Stories
TDI gave me my first insight into data science in the business world. Thoroughly designed mini-projects are excellent stepping stones to tackling real-world problems. A good amount of well-sorted study materials and meticulously designed notebooks are always there to help you to excel in your job interviews.
TDI introduced me to a wide range of material and gave me the confidence to pursue a Data Science career. Particularly with my Capstone project, I tailored it to the Healthcare and Marketing industry. My project presentation in my interview directly led to me beating out other applicants with more experience than myself. The experience and feedback received via the Capstone Project was instrumental in getting me the job I have now.
TDI provided me with a great introduction to the platforms and technologies in ML used in the industry. They selected projects and exercises emulating a real ML work environment. Working side by side with instructors and fellows was a crucial part of the learning experience. It also helped to build connections that I still value greatly.
Student Stories About Transitioning From Academia
What do you do when your passion doesn’t deliver on your expectations?
For Newton Le, finding a job in academia wasn’t a viable option. For Dr. Andrew Graczyk it was bridging the gap between theory and industry experience. Hechen Ren spent years searching for research projects with little success.
These stories are not unique. The transition from academia to industry is one of the primary concerns we see in our program and many of our candidates struggle with the decision to make the leap. Jeremy Johnson, Hechen Ren, Tobias Bartsch, Newton Le, Andrew Graczyk and so many more are all alumni from our program who struggled in academia before taking a chance and using the skills we teach to launch themselves into the data science industry.
“I’m a recovering academic,” says Dr. Andrew Grazyk. He was one of the few who managed to stay in academia for a couple of years before making the switch to industry. He completed his PhD in Economics in 2017 before applying to TDI in 2019 when his research projects dried up and his ambitions changed. He was stuck—he needed to learn new computational techniques to break into the industry, but didn’t have proper structure and guidance to gain them. Until The Data Incubator popped up in a google search. He accredits our instructors as the key component in the development of his skills.
For Newton Le, “TDI was my way out.” Newton found himself without opportunities for research which left him unable to secure an academic position. The data science fellowship was just what he needed to secure a job outside of research and into the computational problem-solving he enjoyed. He landed his first job with Crunchbase through our hiring partner program after he joined TDI in 2016. Within months of graduation, he was working as a data engineer and is now the tech lead for the machine learning pipelines team at Twitter—where he’s been since 2017 and calls his journey “sorta unbelievable.”
Hechen Ren remembers watching many of her peers’ research hit trends that her field in physics just didn’t allow. She mentions that in academia you have to find a sustainable direction of research that will last 20 or 30 years—something that she struggled with. The oversaturation of her post-doc didn’t lend her any favors either. So in 2019, after chatting with industry friends, she was convinced that TDI was going to bring her the success she was looking for. “It was important for me to find something that struck a balance between value and passion,” she says, but she found that balance by utilizing the statistical modeling skills she learned at TDI for the research and development department at Afiniti where she’s been since graduating.
Alumni Ask Me Anything—Your Questions Answered!
Benefits of Being an Alumni: Next-Level Support
Our alumni work with a top-tier career coach to craft the perfect resume and hone interview skills so they can shine in front of potential employers. They also have the unique chance to meet and mingle with other alumni at our mixer events and interact with our prestigious hiring partners during the capstone showcase – both held during each cohort.
At TDI, alumni build a network of fellow data scientists and broaden their connections so they can find the right role for their passions. Some typical support alumni can expect:
- Capstone portfolio advice from our team of data scientists, engineers and analysts
- Guidance from our subject matter experts who walk the walk and talk the talk
- Resume writing services and negotiation tips from our coaching team
- Interview prep to make sure you put your best foot forward with all the hard-hitting questions
- Teams dedicated to your success through the program and during all stages of the interview process
- Network! Network building means we’re a lifelong community that supports and uplifts every alumni as they grow into leaders
- Community support: our alumni make our community come to life as they provide mentorship to future alumni and offer insights to our programs