Well, despite the pros of the program, there are some fundamental flaws about the organization that I feel people should know about before taking on this venture. First and foremost, it can be incredibly disorganized. In some parts, it feels like they just “wing it” and leave the cohorts lost in what we are supposed to be doing from week to week. In that regard, you can feel neglected or like the organization doesn’t really care. This is especially the case in San Antonio, originally DCI’s base. During my time, it felt like much of DCI’s time and attention was focused on developing the Austin chapter, leaving much of San Antonio in the dark. There really wasn’t a culture amongst us. It was like each of us existed simply to provide DCI with an additional source of income while they focused on expanding their organization. I can understand that from a business owner’s perspective, being stretched in resources can happen, but I also understand that it’s important to leave your customers with a positive outlook about your business. I can’t really say how I feel about DCI because on one hand, I worked with them and their partners. I was part of their community. And on the other, I was a paying customer, granted with each paycheck I received from my employer, they were getting a cut of what I earned. Which leads me to my second grievance. Though DCI positions itself to be an authority in the digital marketing community in San Antonio, (and for good reason I suppose given what it offers) its partners/employers and instructors are by no means. I can say this for two very specific reasons. 1. My former boss taught the social media portion of my curriculum while simultaneously running his social media agency to the ground with outdated social media practices. 2. In the UI/UX portion of the program, I learned far less about UI/UX and website prototyping than I did paying for a resource outside DCI for a fraction of what I paid to DCI for that month alone. With that being said, they seem to just let anyone teach their classes and sometimes what we learn is not currently the best thing. Digital Marketing is a rapidly growing, fast-paced industry, and many employers and agencies in San Antonio are simply unwilling to accept change. I suppose that might not all be DCI’s fault, however, I don’t think matching apprentices up with companies that aren’t willing to accept the skills the program seeks to develop is what’s best for the organization. Nor is letting them teach certain parts of the curriculum. That just makes the program feel far less valuable than what your paying. My final grievance comes from the bureaucracy of the organization and with how out of touch it seems to be with the people they bring on as apprentices. Performance and merit often go ‘punished’ where as incompetence is often rewarded. What I mean here is that the standard in which we are meant to perform is often set by the lowest performing player in the group. So, if you are an overachiever, like myself, you might find yourself frustrated by the pace the program is going. The amount of work you put in goes unnoticed and the value of the ‘education’ your receiving feels, again, less than what it’s worth in time and money. The bureaucracy of the apprenticeship is also bothersome. Like I said, performance and potential go unrewarded. In other words, they don’t matter. What matters is who’s going to be a better asset to the organization, therefore, there are fellows and certain apprentices that receive more benefits than the others. Even if their skills don’t quite match up. The underachievers and low-performers do better because they are coddled by the organization where as the overachievers and high-performers are met with less and are forced to fend for themselves. Which is not the worst thing. I’m not all for having everything handed to me. Work ethic is important, but I can’t help but think what’s worth more to someone with a high work ethic? A $1000 online digital marketing training program or a $12,000 12-month program that leaves you feeling unfulfilled and alone once its all over, no matter how good you do? Because, the reality is that when it’s all said and done, you’re on your own. Though I’m grateful to DCI for introducing me to this awesome and amazing field, I can’t help but feel like that’s all it did outside of the coaching and professional development. It offered far less than what they ask for and they didn’t hold up their end of the deal in terms of the network you were suppose to gain. I won’t say that I regret joining, but I do caution the worth of the program and sometimes question my investment. It was $12k and a year of my life I can’t get back. And when you are on your own, that’s a lot.
In short: the program is incredibly disorganized in parts, partners, employers, & instructors are somewhat lackluster, performance & merit go unrewarded and skill gaps between you and your peers can directly influence your apprenticeship experience, your feeling about the program can be often neglected leaving you feeling like just a paycheck and it can feel somewhat bureaucratic.
