A COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME AND THEY CANNOT GUARANTEE YOU A JOB - Anonymous employee SV Academy Employee Review

Hi there, Thank you for your feedback. Our number one goal is to equip our fellows with the training needed to excel in the role of a BDR at a company that aligns with their needs and desires. It is our priority to have as many students graduate the program as possible. We dedicate hundreds of hours of coaching, mentorships and interview training to each fellow, so it deeply pains us when we have to let a fellow go. In the unfortunate circumstance that we must dismiss a fellow, we only do so after a series of incomplete assignments and/or no-shows, as well as multiple warnings and interventions. It is also our priority not to charge our jobseekers. For this reason, we take on 100% of the risk, and tuition is fully paid for by employers only after they have been hired. We aim to be completely transparent with our jobseekers from day one. During the admissions process, each applicant is given a document that extensively describes the job description of a BDR, so they have the freedom to discontinue the interview process if the job description does not appeal to them. The role of a BDR is one of the best entry-level positions to break into the tech industry with no prior tech experience, and is meant to be a stepping stone for a career in tech (for example, the CEO of Salesforce, Marc Benioff, started in sales and now runs a $130B company). Within the first year, 70% of our graduates are promoted to either a management position, Account Executive, Customer Success Manager, or are promoted laterally to a different department (marketing, sales operations, product, etc). We also make it clear from the beginning of the fellowship that being open to relocation to the Bay Area (or NY) is a requirement, considering most of our employer partners are located in the major tech hubs. That said, the pre-hire training portion of our program is delivered virtually, so can be taken from anywhere. Breaking into tech can be life-changing, but it’s not easy. Employers are looking for a strong commitment to the role before they will hire someone at the entry-level. Cold-calling and emailing are a part of the description of the role of a BDR. These are important skills to develop. They aren’t easy to learn. That said, they are important skills we believe future business leaders need to succeed because they are harder to automate (in fact, I continue to cold call and email 15 years into my career). In addition to speaking to potential customers, many BDRs also spend their time strategizing with their Account Executives, leading trainings, giving demos of the product to prospects, and closing their own small deals. In order to provide a well-rounded training to equip our fellows with the skills needed to excel as a BDR and beyond, we offer a variety of assignments that aim to build their emotional intelligence as well courses on tech tools, sales methodologies, mentorships with professionals in the field, comprehensive interview practice and an internship with a tech company. We also work with expert communications and resume coaches that help each fellow create a LinkedIn profile and resume that will stand out to employers. In regards to our BDR salaries in the market today, the average base is $55,000 (highest base is $87,000), and bonuses typically start at $25,000 on top of that. Because of our extensive training and year long post-training career success coaching, the majority of our fellows are hitting or exceeding their goals. Tech companies also provide health benefits, 401K, stock options etc. Some even include breakfast and lunch at the office everyday, along with cellphone, transportation and wellness stipends! We appreciate your advice in regards to maintaining focus on each cohort as we continue to scale. We have hired more than 20 new employees and coaches over the past few months that are dedicated to providing individualized training and career transition support for each fellow. Thank you again for your feedback, and we hope we have cleared up some of your concerns. If not, we would be happy to discuss further with you offline. Feel free to reach out to at any time via email. The SVAcademy Team