Interview Kickstart is the most expensive interview prep platform in the market. It costs on average $5600+. 👎👎
If you are considering Interview Kickstart, I would advise you to consider another alternative.
There are better alternatives that offer similar and better value at an affordable cost.
Here are the top alternatives I recommend ✅✅.
✅ Tech Interview Pro – This is a program by Patrick Shyu, an ex-Google and Meta software engineer. This course has produced over 2000 FAANG and top tech software engineers making six figures in income.
✅ NeetCode Pro – This is a freemium interview prep platform that offers an easy approach to solving Leetcode problems. NeetCode is fast becoming the best solution in the market. It offers additional courses on data structure, machine learning, and behavioral interviews.
Interview Kickstart has a lot going for it.
Many software engineers have used the training it provides to scale through technical interviews and land their dream positions.
Below is a summary of the features of the platform:
- Expert-led
- Comprehensive training
- Multiple training options (live, in-person training, and video-based, self-paced courses)
- Facebook Community
- Structured & guided pathway to solving any coding problem
- Personalized feedback
- Proven track record
Do all these features make the platform worth your bang?
A pricing breakdown is all it takes to see whether this platform is the place to trust for your tech interview prep.
Interview Kickstart Cost and Fees (Breakdown)
Yeah, let’s get into it. One thing I noticed about Interview Kickstart is that they give you their pricing details only after contacting them.
They don’t leave that information on their site.
But if you’ve contacted them, you will get a pricing scheme that goes this way:
Paid Trial: $600.
Entire course: $5600.
That adds up to a whopping $5600.
Not many might find this pricing scheme ideal. The thought of paying hundreds of dollars for just a trial will be a turnoff for some.
But let’s hold our breath for the next section.
Is Interview Kickstart Worth the Money?
You might have started resigning your expectations after reading the first section of this article.
Well, here and into the concluding section, we are free to take a stand.
Even with a high price tag, a particular coaching platform can still be recommendable. Is that the case here? Let’s check out the facts.
- To start with, while IK delivers solid training with personal guidance, the price tag gives much room for a second thought.
Other platforms don’t charge as much as half of what IK charges, but their success rate is is comparable or even higher.
- Next up is the category of people IK works well for.
And it’s not all categories. A prospective coder who needs to be taught from the basics up will not find IK easy.
They will either need to learn the basics somewhere (which adds up to the already high cost) or tough it through the training (which may backfire).
IK is for fledgling developers who already have a few years of experience in their domain.
They are the ones that IK waves as its trophy once they graduate.
- To wrap up this section, IK doesn’t offer a complete teaching experience. It gives thorough technical training but entirely leaves out the soft skills.
In other words, one can end up being a guru in anything coding, but unless they take up training in soft skills elsewhere, they will fumble in the aspects of proper human interaction.
That’s very important since you will be working with humans, not just machines.
Everything we’ve discussed justifies looking for a better alternative.
Is there any other platform that delivers an all-around learning experience, is beginner-friendly, and doesn’t threaten your bank account?
We’ll see it in the next section.
Best Interview Kickstart Alternative
Looking for the best IK alternative, look no further than Tech Interview Pro.
Tech Interview Pro is the online prep platform designed by ex-Google software engineer Patrick Shyu.
Patrick Shyu (nicknamed Techlead) is a veteran developer who has worked as an interviewer and recruiter in various companies, Google included.
Besides that, he has created software of his own, including games for iOS.
You can rest assured that his prep platform leaves no stone unturned.
The Tech Interview Pro gives access to a library of coding videos and resumes reviews.
You heard that, resume reviews. No exaggeration, the Techlead will go through your resume himself.
Tech Interview Pro’s course outline travels the length and breadth of every topic you need to know to pass any tech interview. They are,
- Coding
- DS & A (Data Structures and Algorithms)
- Systems Design
- Communication
The last topic, communication, is something few, if any other prep platform, give attention to. IK, of course, does not.
It focuses on how to communicate appropriately with your interviewer and your colleagues when you pass the interview.
Aside from knowledge of technical skills, communication skills are part of what recruiters look for.
Where else does Tech Interview Pro outperform IK?
#1. Lifetime Access
Interview Kickstart gives you six months of support after finishing your main program.
That’s good, but Tech Interview Pro does better. Its lifetime access feature means that you can always refer to the videos and resources provided even after years of completing your training.
#2. Resume Reviews
Coaches on IK give personalized feedback on your homework and practice problems, but that’s where it ends.
They don’t focus much on individual resumes, which is where many candidates falter.
For instance, many people don’t tailor their resumes to the exact position they are applying to.
That problem is not there when you sign up with Tech Interview Pro. Where others are paying vast amounts for a resume review, you will be getting it from the Techlead himself at no extra cost.
#3. Low Cost
At a regular price of $997, Tech Interview Pro is just one-fifth of the cost of IK.
You can pay even less for the course if you act now to enjoy up to 40% off. That brings the price down to just $597.
That’s the best of Interview Kickstart and more for a tenth of its price.
#4. Bi-weekly Live Sessions
Aside from the regular video lectures, the Techlead schedules live sessions every two weeks.
These live sessions feature one-on-one and group live conversations with the Techlead.
You can ask your questions on areas where you are deficient and learn from the answers to other people’s questions.
The best part is that these live sessions are not billed separately, and even if you miss them, you can always watch their recordings at your convenience.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this article has addressed any questions you had about Interview Kickstart’s pricing and whether it’s worth it.
The answer is obvious.
We’ve also talked about the best available alternative to IK, which is Tech Interview Pro.
To draw the curtain, IK is the more expensive of the two and lacks some key features.
Tech Interview Pro exhibits a more complete, personal experience and all that it entails for a lesser price.
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