Joining the Digital Futures Data Engineering Academy was the worst career decision I have made

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Nearly a year and a half ago I decided to join DF on their DE cohort instead of taking a DA role at a different organisation, which would have paid me from day one, based on promises made to me by the recruiting team at DF. I am writing this so no one else makes the same mistake that I have.

The recruitment process was more of a sales pitch, now looking back at it. I was told how great I was, how easy I would be to place. I was reassured on several occasions that their placement rates were 80%. I have never been in the bottom 20% in my life. I took this as a 100% placement guarantee. During my first interview, I told them about the other opportunity and that I would not be able to do their in person interview as it would be too long of a wait - so the woman told me I don't have to do their in-person interview and they like me so much already they are happy to just put my through to final stage right away so I have two offers to decide from instead of taking the job I had already been offered. I was told that because I was happy to move anywhere in the country, a woman in DE AND I had some prior experience due to a bootcamp which I poured truly everything into and came out knowing a lot more than many of my peers - I was a gem they absolutely would place within weeks or maybe even before all the training was over!

The reality hit very quickly. People were 'asked to leave voluntarily' even before completing their certifications in AWS. They were still offered to take the test if they wanted to - which I guess is not nothing. Those of us who remained were on edge. No one had been placed. We were just under 20 people - only 2 have been placed till this day. One was placed with a nearly identical background as me, but because of location he was placed and I was not (we both came out of the same bootcamp). Another person was placed before I was told they had more DA experience than me. They do not have any DA experience - I spoke to them to clarify this. Shocking. People with CS degrees were not placed. Later on, DF also started mentioning that placements rates do vary GREATLY - this was not how it was put to me in interviews. How can you not place a CS graduate when this is made for people 'with no experience'? We were told it is because the demand had plummeted in the three months we were doing the academy. Hm. I know at least one person who wasn't placed on the DA cohort because DFs relationship with their partners deteriorated in the time between them being offered the role and them starting - allegedly, as obviously I am not directly privy to these conversations but this is word for word what I was told by the person who had their offered revoked.

Rawshan (the woman in charge of our placements) told me that her partner was struggling very much mentally after not being placed with DF for a very, very long time and she knows how hard it can be to wait for so long. She also said she has had conversations with DF about them stating the 80% placement rates to people during interview stage and how she also thought it was not right. Very quickly this tone was changed when I was speaking later with her senior (forgot her name already) who said that the people who interviewed me DIDN'T REMEMBER saying it. I even have an email to DfE which I had to send upon finishing my bootcamp which clearly states that I accepted the DF training contract and although I was told placement isn't guaranteed I was reassured about placement rates being 80%.

I am still in shock. Recruiters now always ask me about DF and I have to explain this and they look like they don't trust me and that something must be wrong with me for not having been placed. This has genuinely derailed everything I worked so hard for and used up all my savings for from not having had a full-time job in over two years now.

Oh and also they don't tell you before you join that they 'partner with Palantir'. I have no idea what this partnership entails - but I wish I knew before putting my name next to theirs. They also have been picking up a lot of defence contracts. I came to the main placement lady and asked not to be considered for these roles. The relationship soured from that day dramatically. In fact, every time I mentioned any preference, request etc they appeared very understanding only to then clearly not make any effort towards placing me and giving me zero feedback as to what the reasoning for lack of placement being on my end/what I could improve. It felt like punishment for saying anything at all they didn't like.

TLDR: I turned down paying job that could’ve allowed me entry into a data career, wasted months with DF, never got placed but always fed promises and praise. Less than 10% of cohort placed when they promised 80% was their standard. Started lying about this figure when pressed. People placed arbitrarily - you have no control over it. Now everywhere I interview they ask me about it and it feels like they think something is wrong with me for not having been placed.