Question 1

Do I need to have prior coding or Computer Science background?

Accepted Answer

No. Our programme is intended for students with little or no coding/programming experience. However, we do recommend you to familiarise yourself with the basics (such as variables, control flow and simple data structures) to ensure you can participate well in the learning process. We will also provide reading materials on the basics before the programme starts.

Question 2

What are the requirements to join TalentLabs?

Accepted Answer

To join our full-time program, you will need to complete our entire application process. Through your application, we will make sure that you meet all of the following requirements needed to join our full-time program:

Proficiency: You need to be proficient in spoken and written English (B1 level – Intermediate, at a minimum).
Financial Support: You need to be able to support yourself financially throughout the Programme (6 months) and throughout your job search (time varies by student).
Internet & Equipment: You need to have access to a high-speed and stable Internet connection. In addition, you also need to own a computer with the right specs with a microphone and webcam.
Strong Work Ethic: You must have a strong work ethic and behave respectfully and responsibly. This is one of the most important characteristics we look for in new students. You need to enjoy spending time building, learning, and working with other people. We are looking for exceptional collaborators and communicators.

Question 3

Do I need to have a diploma or an undergraduate degree to join TalentLabs?

Accepted Answer

Our programme is open and inclusive to everyone regardless of their educational background. While having a degree is not a requirement, a strong academic track record will be looked upon favorably by our admissions team.

Question 4

What is the application process?

Accepted Answer

We will select the best candidates based on their performance in online assessment tests and interview process. For the detailed steps of the application process, please refer to our online application form.

Question 5

What is the medium of instruction and communication?

Accepted Answer

Like many global schools and companies, we use English as the default language for all communications. A lot of great jobs out there require a good English level so it is critical that you perfect this language if you want to be a successful global developer.

You need to be at a B1 English level (Intermediate), at the very least, in order to join us.

Question 6

What is the attendance policy of the programme?

Accepted Answer

Students must attend 90% of course hours. Live instruction and real time interaction with classmates is an integral part of learning at TalentLabs. Hence, missing classes is not an option.

Question 7

Why does your course last 6 months when there are other providers offering 6 week coding bootcamp?

Accepted Answer

We believe that 6 week bootcamp is not enough to help you build a solid foundation for a career in technology. As such, our intensive 6-month programme is designed specifically to ensure that you’ll have all the right skill sets that can help you not only secure your dream job, but also to do well once you are on it!

Question 8

What is the cost of the programme?

Accepted Answer

The cost of our programme varies from country to country - taking into consideration several factors such as country's income level, employment opportunities, earnings growth potential, etc. The appropriate tuition fees will be applied based on your nationality/country of residence (PR). Please check our Fees tab for more information.

If you elect to pay your tuition upfront, you will be eligible for a 20% tuition discount.

If you elect to pay through ISA*, you will only start paying your tuition after you have secured a job. We will charge you 15% of your monthly salary (or $50-$100 if you earn below the minimum threshold salary). The monthly payments will stop once you reach the payment cap (i.e. full tuition fees) or 120 months, whichever is the earliest.

This is our way of investing in you. We select students we believe will be successful and cover your tuition until you are in a financial position to pay us back.

*Available in selected countries only. We are trying our best to introduce ISA to new locations as soon as possible!

Question 9

What if I don't get a job or the job does not pay enough?

Accepted Answer

In the event student earns below the minimum threshold per month, students are only required to pay a very low fixed repayment of around USD $50-100* per month for a period of 120 months.

Students will not have to make any payments if they do not secure employment.

*Amount may vary from country to country, depending on the fixed exchange rate & local pricing

Question 10

Does the job need to be in technology?

Accepted Answer

There are no requirements stipulating the nature or type of employment that students choose as different students have different career goals and objectives before enrolling in our programmes. Students will be required to make the ISA monthly payments regardless of job type or industry they manage to enrol in. However, it is our priority to help you secure a role in tech if that is your career objective. Our Career Services team will do their very best to help students to secure their dream job.

Question 11

How do you verify my income?

Accepted Answer

Our Income Sharing Agreement (ISA) requires you to report your job status and income to use. This will be done seamlessly through our platform. After securing your role and you have started your work, you will need to provide us one of the following:

A copy of any letter from your employer containing your salary information
Your salary slip after your first/second month on-the-job

We may also request your annual tax returns to verify that you have not over- or under-paid in a given year. With your consent, we will perform occasional checks with your employer to confirm your employment status and salary information (included in the ISA agreement).

Question 12

Are there any interest rates?

Accepted Answer

As ISAs are not loans, there will be no interest rates charged.

Question 13

When would the payments be collected?

Accepted Answer

We will collect payments on the 1st of every month. You can also check your payment schedules and amount of payment left through our platform.

Question 14

What happens to my tuition if I withdraw from TalentLabs?

Accepted Answer

We reduce the total obligation for people who leave TalentLabs, based on completion of modules. If you withdraw or are withdrawn between module 1 and the end of module 5, you will be responsible for a pro-rata portion of your tuition and receive a refund for applicable amounts paid in advance. If you withdraw or are withdrawn after you complete module 5, you will be responsible for 100% of your tuition.

Question 15

Will TalentLabs help me secure a job?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we will do our very best to help you secure your dream job. However, it is important to keep in mind that there is no way we can do that if you do not contribute your effort to the process as well.

As you go through the learning curriculum to teach you how to code, you will also start developing the professional skills you need to succeed during your job search.

Once you finish our learning curriculum, we will assign you mentors and a career coach who will be there every step of the way: prepping your resume, portfolio, interviews, etc.

Question 16

What does the Career Services team do?

Accepted Answer

Our team will work with you on a number of things, such as:

Help you build a strong resume, enhance your online presence through Github, AngelList, and LinkedIn profiles
Help you create a personal portfolio of projects, open-source contributions, and other work you have done related to software development
Help you prepare for technical and behavioural questions, with several mock interviews
Help you define your career goals, build networking skills and potentially match you with our corporate partners for job opportunities
Help propose new ideas of cool side-projects that you can work on while applying to jobs so that you are constantly learning and improving on your coding skills

Question 17

How much money could I make?

Accepted Answer

This is a very subjective question, as your salary outcome depends on a multitude of factors such as your working preference, working location, previous academic background, working experience and so on. However, knowing that tech talent shortages are severe in Southeast Asia, and that tech talents are highly demanded in this modern economy, it is safe to say that you probably could secure quite a comfortable level of salary – (that is if you do well in our course, of course).

Question 18

What computer specs do I need?

Accepted Answer

Minimum:

1.6 GHz Processor
4 GB RAM
120 GB Hard Drive
Web Cam
Microphone

Recommended:

2 GHz Processor
8 GB RAM
256 GB Hard Drive (preferably solid state)
Recommended operating systems (in descending order): macOS, Windows 10, Ubuntu

Question 19

Where is TalentLabs located?

Accepted Answer

TalentLabs is located in Hong Kong but all of our classes take place entirely online. However, we do host local meetups and gatherings across various cities in Asia. Students do not work out of our offices, and can take classes from anywhere.

Question 20

I am not sure if I really understand what the role of software developer is about – should I still join this programme?

Accepted Answer

If you’re not sure about having a career as web developer, you can always enrol in our shorter, introductory-level courses like the M1 in JavaScript before joining this programme. Our M1 modules will provide you with the foundational knowledge and skills to a particular subject area. At the end of these courses, you will have a clear understanding of the subject matter and you can make a more informed decision on whether to commit further and join the professional certification course.

Question 21

Are there any prerequisites to join this Certified Associate programme?

Accepted Answer

Basic knowledge in programming is not required to join this programme. However, we strongly recommend students to complete the relevant M1 courses before enrolling in this programme.

If you’ve already got a relevant prior qualification or degree, you may be eligible to skip certain levels, enabling you to earn your Certified Associate designation faster than you might think.

Additionally, there are a few general requirements to join TalentLabs.

To join our full-time program, you will need to complete our entire application process. Through your application, we will make sure that you meet the following requirements needed to join our full-time program:

Proficiency: You need to be proficient in spoken and written English (B1 level – Intermediate, at a minimum).

Financial Support: You need to be able to support yourself financially throughout the Programme (6 months) and throughout your job search (time varies by student).

Internet & Equipment: You need to have access to a high-speed and stable Internet connection. In addition, you also need to own a computer with the right specs with a microphone and webcam.

Strong Work Ethic: You must have a strong work ethic and behave respectfully and responsibly. This is one of the most important characteristics we look for in new students. You need to enjoy spending time building, learning, and working with other people. We are looking for exceptional collaborators and communicators.

The selection process is rigorous. We will select the best candidates based on their application and performance in online assessment tests. For the detailed steps of the application process, please refer to our online application form. Please contact our team to discuss your background and learning goals. We will advise you if this course will be a good fit for you.

Certified Associate in Back-end Development

TalentLabs’ Certified Associate in Back-end Development is a rigorous learning programme that aims to prepare students for entry-level back-end software development roles at companies of all sizes.