set focus training (IT job, employment, openings, application)

[rachelgem]

Does anyone know about Set Focus and whether or not it is a scam? They claim to be a
In business since 1997, our mission is to give you the comprehensive, current Microsoft certified developer training that employers are looking for and to increase your IT career and employment opportunities.
Over the past 10 years, the members of SetFocus, have dedicated themselves to perfecting this mission. The personalization and philosophy behind the training services that we offer has helped hundreds of developers move their career forward, let it help you!

The cost to take their class is 19k for 13 weeks which means you have to study from 8 to 5 basically. They also promise to find you a job after you graduate, I find this statement misleading.

I want to talk to former students if I could. Would they even have any jobs in say the Dallas, Austin, San Antonio area?

[xomaly]

Hey did you find somebody? Because in need to know the same thing

[rachelgem]

Set focus is a rip-off. If you want to get certifications go to a community college, a great deal cheaper.

[P05t3r]

Setfocus seems very shady to me. What Setfocus seems to be doing is posting phantom jobs on all the job sites and when you submit your resume to them, they offer to TEACH you .NET for 19K. Classic bait and switch. Also, their "masters program" teaches you basic .NET - something you can easily pick up from books. They are preying on suckers desperate for jobs. The job sites should do a better job of filtering and blocking scams. If it seems too good to be true, it usually is.

[rachelgem]

You are absolutely correct. That is why they started calling my house to begin with. We told them to get lost and they still called again. Next time they call they will be reported to the attorney general and the bbb.

[clintyclint]

That's why I love forums lke this cause It's real people and strait forward posting thanks everyone. I was about to make a silly decision about "SET FOCUS". I'm new to NY and I'm working but not in my field of study.

[castufari]

Any of those training firms I'd be cautious of. If you want to learn something either buy books and study on your own or enroll in classes at a college. Most community colleges in NC offer training in various applications and for a cost what won't break your back.

The find you a job part is misleading. I seriously doubt that they have connections with every IT shop and can just call up and say "hey, we churned this user through our certification mill, hire her!". IT jobs in NC are way down, I think 36% down, and it's going to be very competitive to get in at this time. I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade but if you were going to hire someone who is right out of a school vs someone with hands on experience, who would you hire? All things being equal I'd hire the experienced user.

I went to community college with a guy who dropped 10k for an MCSE certificate. 6 weeks of class, 10 hour days. He thought that he'd come out and get an offer for 70k. It didn't happen. Only offer he had was a tech for BestBuy, which paid less than the job he was already making. So he ended up with 10k of loans. He could have gone to CC first and obtained a degree, which could have gotten him into the field.

[rachelgem]

When you post any resumes on career builder or monster you have to be careful. They lure you in talking of job openings and then they just want you money. Any job recruiter is free.

They are still a great deal of tech jobs in Texas, Austin is a tech hub.

[vssam]

I posted my resume on CareerBuilder and SetFocus started calling me offering to teach me programming. If you want to get an education attend a real school and not these scamsters. I wrote to Careerbuilder but they would not do a thing other than keep posting these fake jobs in every state and every city, beware these people are after your money when you dont have much to spare.