Let's Talk About Tech Consultancies Such As FDM Group, Revature, Dev10, GenSpark, etc.

Romane Orlando Robb

Romane Orlando Robb

There has been a whole lot of talk about tech consultancies hiring new grads or career switchers and then "scamming" them.

First; look up the definition of scam.

Companies like FDM Group, Dev10 (Genesis), Revature, and more are not scamming you! Most of these consultancies are pretty transparent with their offering.

1). Sign a two (2) year contract.

2). Paid training for three months. The paid part is usually minimum wage.

3). Followed by about a 50k starting salary if/when you get placed with a client.

4). You must be open to relocation.

5). You have to pay a fee if you break the contract.

I've had the opportunity to "audit" at least five (5) of these consultancies and guess what; those terms are pretty much the same across the board...and they tell you upfront.

Where is the scam????

You have the choice to NOT sign the contract...or better yet; not apply in the first place. It's very unfair to use a public platform to insult a company because you suddenly have a change of heart. Think it through very carefully before applying. And then think it through even more before signing the contract.

Can they pay you more? Absolutely! Can they not lock you in for two (2) years? Probably! But that's their business model and you knew the terms going in.

Also, these positions are usually for people without a tech background not CS degree holders...or experienced software developers so please keep that in mind.

Some of the questions you all should be asking their recruiters at the beginning (again: at the beginning!) are:

1). On average what percentage of a class gets placed with clients after training?

2). How many clients do you have in my area?

3). Have there been instances when consultants were not paid on time and accurately? If so, why and what was done to remedy said situation?

4). Based on your experience; how many clients does a consultant usually work for during the two (2) years?

5). How experienced are the individuals that would be conducting the training?

6). What kind of support do you provide post the two (2) year term?

7). What is the size of your alumni network?

Think it through guys. Don't make quick decisions and then jump to the internet trying to hurt a company's reputation. Speak to actual alums. LinkedIn is your friend!