SV Academy: Legit Courses? [2023 Reviews]

SV Academy is a sales bootcamp that teaches people how to become competent and productive sales development representatives (SDR) at fast-growing tech startups.

The SV academy tech sales bootcamp offers intensive tech sales training, designed to help job seekers break into tech and launch a successful career without having to worry about financial barriers. Learners can choose between a four-week and an eight program that shares the same curriculum, job search support, and on-the-job training.

By the end of this SV Academy review, you’ll have learnt what exactly SV academy offers, if it is legit and whether it is right for you. Let’s jump right in.

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SV Academy Review

What is SV Academy

SV Academy is an online business development bootcamp that teaches students the skills needed to become competent and productive business development representatives. It has an online program that is available for students in any part of the world and all you’ll need is a strong internet connection.

SV Academy’s remote 4-week program requires 40 hours per week of online instruction for the first 4 weeks of pre-hire training, and their 12-week program requires about 20 hours per week of online instruction for the first 12 weeks of pre-hire training. You will attend live classes, complete weekly assignments, meet with mentors and coaches, and receive real-life experience throughout the program.

SV Academy aims to help you break into the tech industry. The program trains you for entry-level tech sales and customer success roles, such as business development representatives and customer success associates. SV academy graduates also find work as team managers and directors, partnership leads, and customer success managers.

According to its official website, SV Academy trains you to succeed in the non-coding side of the tech industry with the academy’s graduates being 60 percent women and 42 percent Black and Latin.

The application process involves a couple steps; completion of the application form, numerous chats, and assignments to complete, and a final interview with role-playing scenarios. The beauty is that there’s no prerequisite skills, business experience, or a perfect GPA needed for enrollment.

SV Academy is looking for flexible, committed job seekers with strong written and verbal communication abilities who are comfortable with feedback coupled with heavy workloads.

Who is Behind SV Academy

SV Academy was founded by two tech industry veterans, Joel Scott and Rahim Fazal. The two have very different backgrounds but share a common goal that is to make the tech industry more accessible to people not interested in coding or software development.

Joel Scott is an attorney who has many years experience working for large tech companies like Hewlett Packard before joining the startup game. Rahim Fazal on the other hand has a very different story. He is largely self-taught in software development. Fazal created a software company called Involver. Inc that was sold to Oracle in 2012.

Scott and Fazal saw an opportunity to help hardworking and motivated people from any background break into tech. They came up with SV Academy to train folks in sales at no personal cost which makes this deal seem too good to be true however, the vetting is quite strict.

SV Academy has grown their applicant pool significantly over a few years as tech companies need to find educated and persuasive representatives to sell their products with new software and technology emerging at a rapid pace.

A Sales Development Representative (SDR) is responsible for generating new leads with businesses that can utilize their company’s products. This position is vital to the health of any company, particularly a tech startup, as it brings in revenue and establishes on-going relationships with business partners.

SV Academy Courses

There are two main programs that SV Academy offer tech sales which is the SV academy fellowship and customer success. The curriculum is designed to teach learners real-world skills that employers in the SaaS industry seek. You will have instructor-led live classes, self-paced work, and a virtual employer project by joining these programs.

In addition, you’ll gain real-world experience in the tech industry, which will help your resume.

SV Academy Fellowship

The SV Academy Fellowship (tech sales training program) teaches students through a combination of live-online courses, self-paced work, and virtual employer projects. Students can choose to take a four-week full-time program or a 12-week part-time version of the course.

Students start their journey by learning about the daily sales development representative (SDR) experience. They’ll learn about the tools SDRs use, along with the challenges they face and some of the common strategies they use to navigate those challenges.

After this early lesson, students dive into the curriculum. Over the next two weeks in the full-time program, students study the skills and ideas they learned about in that first lesson. They also learn about strategies to generate new leads and close sales, along with the tools they’ll use to get the job done.

These tools include software like LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Salesforce, SalesLoft, and more. The lessons in this stage focus more on grasping the concepts behind the tools and their place in a salesperson’s toolkit as opposed to complete mastery. Students also get an internship at a high-growth tech company for workplace experience during their course.

In the last week of the program, a career placement coach works with students to map out their job search and future career. These coaches help students build their brand, interviewing skills, and ability to tell a story.

Customer Success Program

The customer success program prepares you to land and succeed in a new tech role as a customer success associate. You will start by working closely with customers to build relationships and create shared value. You will learn how to collaborate with colleagues across the country and help businesses achieve goals and solve problems.

The program is a four-week full-time program, and there are eight-week internships available. A bachelor’s degree is required, and you must be eligible to work in the US. Select graduates will earn a $10,000 paid internship with one of the SV Academy’s leading tech partners.

This is unlike other programs like BJK University and Amazon FBA Winners that don’t require people to have a degree.

Modes of Study

Full-Time

The Full-Time program is a four-week sprint to the finish, which we covered in the curricula section above.

Students start by learning what SDRs do daily, before learning how to perform those tasks themselves and preparing for their job hunt. This is the fastest way to make a career change the SV Academy way.

Part-Time

The 12-week part-time option gives students the full SV Academy program at a slower pace.

This course is designed for people who are still working while they attend the SV Academy bootcamp.

Flex

Flex models generally refer to self-paced programs where students get to plan their own schedules. SV Academy, however, does not offer a Flex program at the moment.

How to Get Accepted into SV Academy

SV Academy requires all students to be able to work remotely. This includes having access to computers, wifi, and programs like Zoom and Slack. While the program is competitive, the only requirement is to be able to legally work in the US. For the customer success program, you must have a bachelor’s degree.

SV Academy Acceptance Rate

According to its own data, the admission rate for SV Academy is two percent. The bar is set high, so employers are only connected to the best students. That is how SV Academy keeps its prestige among tech companies.

Application Process

The application process for SV Academy involves the following easy steps.

Fill out an application form that will cover all basic information and your career goals
Complete a short-written assessment that takes no more than 10 minutes
Attend a 20-minute phone screening interview with an admissions team member
Sign an enrollment agreement and start learning

Interview Questions

SV Academy interviewers ask simple questions that allow them to learn more about the person being interviewed. These include past job experience and information about the individual. Below are some topics that you can expect to be asked about in common bootcamp interview questions.

Your character, past, and passions
How you deal with failure
Why you want to work in tech
Your interest in a career in tech sales
Your background and current schedule
Why SV Academy suits you

Customer Reviews on SV academy

Overall SV Academy has good reviews. Some of the SV academy grads had this to say.

Hands down the best career decision I’ve made this far! SV Academy is overall a fantastic community to be involved in. I really enjoyed the 8-week program where I felt included and welcomed from day 1. The live and interactive internship included in the program with a real tech company is definitely a win-win. -Jamela

Before SV Academy, I was no stranger to sales and marketing, but my previous experience wasn’t translating into interviews with tech startups. All of that changed within a matter of weeks at SV. I went from wanting to be in tech sales to being flooded with interview requests and multiple job offers from companies I was thrilled to work with before the last day of my fellowship even ended. I wholeheartedly credit my success at landing the position I did to the strength of the program. -Aurora Felipe graduated SV Academy

How much does the SV academy Program cost?

The total cost for enrolling in the SV Academy is around $10,000. However, SV Academy allows students to enroll without paying any fees at all.

There is a $100 commitment fee for those who want to take part. This too can be waived after the applicant has been admitted. There are different ways to pay for this program as listed below.

Financing Options

Income Share Agreement

SV Academy has an income share agreement and that is why students can defer payments until they secure a job paying more than $45,000 per year on average. You can then repay in 18 monthly installments of $555. If your income dips below $45,000, you can pause repayments until your earnings return to that threshold.

Upfront Payment

If you can afford to, SV Academy costs $10,000 upfront. It covers the entire training process, from coaching to mentorship and community access. Also, there are no extra dues or hidden fees.

Private Student Loans

Many bootcamps partner with financing companies to provide low interest loans for their students. This often covers living stipends. However, SV Academy does not accept loan payments. Students must pay upfront or use the deferred tuition option.

Sv academy Scholarships

Technically, SV Academy has some scholarships. Students who do not pay upfront can receive employer scholarships in the future when they are employed. The tech sales bootcamp partners with different tech companies to offer employee scholarships to their graduates.

SV Academy Refund Policy

SV Academy has a refund policy for tuition fees. SV Academy will refund in full the total amount of tuition paid by students if they are not offered a qualifying position during the guarantee period.

For students to be eligible for this refund, they must fulfill several requirements such as completing their course within four months of the start date, meeting expectations on all projects, passing the career development tasks, and fully committing to the job search process.

SV Academy Job Placement

SV Academy has a supporting team of professional career coaches. They will help you find, apply for, and ace interviews for highly coveted tech jobs. Innovative tech companies hire SV Academy graduates, and once you land a job, you will be assigned a career coach to help you thrive.

Does SV Academy Offer a Job Guarantee?

Yes, eligible SV Academy graduates not offered a position within six months of graduation will have their tuition waived. There are a few exceptions to the job guarantee, which can be found on the bootcamp’s website. Nevertheless, SV Academy grads tend to land new jobs in an average of 27 days after graduation, according to its official stats.

Where Can You Study?

SV Academy only offers courses in a live online format, so students can take advantage of them anywhere. However, there are a few cities where SV Academy has the best connections with SV academy’s employer partners, so living in one of these cities can mean finding a job faster after graduation; Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix, San Francisco Bay Area and Washington, D.C.

Is SV Academy Right for You?

Yes, SV Academy is right for you. By enrolling in an online bootcamp, you will gain highly transferable skills. In addition, you will be paying far less than typical college tuition and would be directly preparing for a technology sales career.

SV Academy’s career services are efficient and will help you land a job right after graduation. You will meet with hiring partners and mentors to increase your job opportunities. This is an experience that will develop your job-hunting skills even for future projects.

Considering that these two are sales-related fields, you will need to be empathetic, persuasive, resilient, and confident. At SV Academy, you will develop the skills you need to develop to become a successful employee.

What Makes SV Academy Unique?

SV Academy is a unique skill development program for people who want to transition to tech sales. It focuses on improving the skills of students and helping them get hired quickly. If you arrive with zero sales knowledge, you will leave with a practical sales foundation within a few short months. It is similar in nature to coding bootcamps but with a tech sales focus.

The tech sales bootcamp also guarantees a job in top companies like Vimeo and SurveyMonkey. The best part is that the bootcamp has partner companies that pay the tuition for students they employ. Others who don’t qualify for the scholarship can still defer payment and pay in installments without interest.

Lastly, as a graduate of this bootcamp, you can look forward to an average yearly salary of $79,000.

Alternatives to SV Academy

The only viable alternative to SV Academy, if you want to get a job in the tech industry, is CourseCareers.

It’s billed as a cheaper alternative to SV Academy, yet still retaining the same level of education quality. It also claims that it’s more accessible to anyone who wants to join, though any other drawbacks or hidden charges are still unknown at this time.

Despite everything, it’s still much better if you invest your money in something that helps you build a profitable online business from almost nothing.

Pros and Cons of SV academy

Pros

The training is comprehensive and very high quality. You’re going to learn all the skills you need to know if you want to get into the corporate tech world.
The mentors are supportive, and the same goes for the community itself. They’re not just going to stop once you’re done with the program, and you got the job. Rather, they’ll support you with occasional mentoring until you become a regular.
With their partnerships with different big-name companies, you can be sure that you’ll get a higher chance of getting hired for a job in the tech industry.
You’ll be able to forge a wide network of business-minded people that can help you in the future.

Cons

It’s rather expensive for an online training program.
Despite their claims, it’s not that easy to be qualified for this program.
You’re going to have to put up with even more hard work and dedication to succeed here. Which may not be worth it for some people.
While the prospect of working in the tech industry is something worth trying for, keep in mind that this is still a form of a 9-5-day job. Only with a higher salary, yet increased workload.

Is SV Academy Worth It?

Yes, SV Academy is worth it. It is ranked as one of the best tech sales bootcamps.

In 2020, Fast Company named SV Academy the second-most innovative education company in the world, and the fellowship program has delivered real-time results in record time. The immersive program provides the necessary skills and experience to break into the non-technical side of the tech industry.

In addition to its tech sales representative training program, the school also provides valuable career services. You will have access to mentorship opportunities from top sales representatives who work with different tech companies. These mentors will give you guidance and advice for navigating the tech world.

Additionally, the school will provide you with mock interviews and career coaching sessions. The career coaching sessions and mentors remain available up to one year after graduation to ensure you secure a great job.

You will also have access to the school’s network of hiring partners, which will be invaluable during your job search.

Before you leave

If you’re tired of scams and want a real solution for making money online check out my no.1 recommendation.

It’s helped me earn over $300,000 in the last 12 months alone:

Go here to see my no.1 recommendation for making money online

(This is a 100% free training)

David Fortune

David Fortune has been the editor NoBSIMReviews.com since 2019. He is an expert at writing content on stock advisory services, side hustles, reviewing online business opportunities and many more topics. You can learn more about David on our about us page.

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