Cyber Your Way Arvostelua 

I signed a $35,000 contract with Techpreneurs Club (now rebranded as Symposia) in October 2023 after a sales representative verbally promised guaranteed job placement and signing bonuses that would cover the loan. I took out a private loan through Meritize based on those promises. After completing the program I was told to take additional Google courses and my application was run through an AI job portal. I never received job placement. The company has since rebranded, taken down their website, and I no longer have access to my completed course records. I have filed complaints with the CFPB and the New York Attorney General. I am not the only victim — there is a group of over 50 students with identical experiences. Do not sign with this company

I applied for this program during the most vulnerable time of my life; they knew this and took advantage of it. They informed me the Loan was for $35,000. Pretty much gave extraordinary feedback that I was going to get a great job. I looked at the website to look at anything I could find that would just now make me question the pricing of the program. I discovered the price range is $1,000-$17,000. They have since kicked me out of the program 8 months ago, no way of contacting them. I'm getting serious about getting that loan removed because it's clearly a scam.

If I could give this program a zero-star rating, I would without hesitation. For anyone thinking about joining, I strongly recommend against it. The negative reviews here are completely accurate. They lured me with a $35,000 investment and outrageously high interest rates, which left me in serious financial trouble. The program is known for making big promises but failing to deliver. I was suddenly removed from it without any notice when I asked for a break. They also lied about applying to 2,000 jobs, which they never did. For those interested in cybersecurity or GRC, there are many better and more affordable options.Please avoid this program at all costs.

Just like others who have left 1-star reviews, I do not recommend joining Symposia. This program is a complete scam that takes advantage of individuals, like myself, who genuinely sought a brighter future. I left several months ago after realizing how ineffective and misleading this program is in helping participants secure GRC roles.

I deeply regret joining, but I’ve learned a valuable lesson from this experience: always take the time to thoroughly research and question any organization, in any industry, before committing your hard-earned money.

Do not commit to Symposia. I recently learned they dropped their fees from $35K to $5K—which I find outrageous. Why wait until numerous complaints surface to reduce tuition by $30K? I fully intend to fight for the partial refund I deserve, even if it requires legal action.

I joined Symposia after being promised a fast-track path to a six-figure job in cybersecurity. They marketed themselves as a career-focused training program. Still, after over a year and a half, I’ve received no job or recognized certifications, and now I’m being forced to repay a private loan through their partner, Meritize.

The “professors” were contract workers who have since left, and some of them admitted they disagree with Symposia’s business practices. The most they offered were basic educational resources — nothing close to what they advertised. Worst of all, I'm trapped in a contract that I was rushed to sign to ensure I pay for something I don't have.

I’m not the only one going through this. There’s an entire group of us who feel we were scammed and misled into taking on debt for an unaccredited program with zero return on investment. Do your research and stay far away from this organization if you're serious about your future in cybersecurity.

I enrolled in Symposia’s TechPremium program believing it would provide real career advancement, job support, and industry certifications — especially for the high price tag (financed through Meritize at a an insane interest rate). After months in the program, I realized most of what was promised was misrepresented or never delivered.

The content is limited and generic, there is no clear job placement structure, and certifications or internships are not built into the experience. Meanwhile, interest accrues while you're still in the program — leaving students with crippling debt before they’ve even completed training.

I’ve since found other, more affordable programs that offer more value and recognized credentials for a fraction of the cost.

I do not recommend this program to anyone, especially those new to tech or cybersecurity. Do your research and ask direct questions before signing anything. Once you're in, the support and transparency disappear.

they got me for $35k under the false pretense of it being a student loan. very aggressive marketing, very predatory of people who simply are looking to make a change in their career.

it was Techpreneurs Club for a week and a half maybe before it rebranded to symposia. i wish i could scream to the mountains warning people not to sign up for this program. the instructors, the lack of structure, its not worth it.

I want to share my experience with Symposia to help others avoid the same mistake. What appeared to be a career-advancing opportunity turned out to be a carefully crafted scam disguised as an educational program. From the start, their recruitment tactics were extremely aggressive and misleading. In reality, it was a private loan of 35k with no clear explanation of terms, costs, or a refund policy. The pressure to sign up was intense, and there was little to no transparency about what we were truly committing to. If you're considering working with this company please proceed with extreme caution. Their actions have caused real financial and emotional harm to many people. I highly recommend doing extensive research, and do not sign anything without full clarity, legal review, and written terms.

Where to even begin? I'm writing this review as one of the first few batches of enrolled students a year and seven months later & this is my experience.

I enrolled in Symposia’s bootcamp (formerly known as Techpreneur's Club) in November 2023, having been drawn in by an interview with the company’s founder on the TechTual Chatter YouTube channel (which, as of writing this review, has since been removed), along with their polished social media marketing and promises of a clear path into cybersecurity. Like hundreds, if not thousands, of others, I was sold on the idea of receiving quality training, career support, and job placement assistance. Unfortunately, the reality was far from what was advertised.

For a staggering $35,000—an amount that Symposia's marketing downplayed by presenting the fee as a "student loan," when in fact it is a personal loan—I expected rigorous instruction, personalized mentorship, and assistance with obtaining industry-recognized certifications throughout, if not by the end of the program. Instead, what I received was a loosely structured online program with content that could be easily found for free on platforms like YouTube or through tools like ChatGPT. They do not offer degrees and do not cover the cost of certifications, which are essential for breaking into the cybersecurity field.

Symposia initially promoted itself as a GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance)-focused bootcamp, but the business model appeared to be more geared towards profit than education. In some instances, students were placed as unpaid interns with small companies Symposia partnered with, meaning their tuition essentially subsidized free labor. It is safe to deduce that my (and others') $35,000 helped fund the company’s growth and, by extension, the benefit of its leadership (the founder, the sitting CEO, those apart of the "founding team"). The so-called "mentorship" provided throughout the program was superficial at best. While they claim to assist with job placement, much of the effort is outsourced to a small overseas team who applies to LinkedIn EasyApply jobs on students' behalf using tools like Huntr. The assignments completed during the course are framed as part of your "portfolio," but without certifications or recognized experience, they carry little weight in the job market.

The job placement support, one of their most heavily marketed promises, felt more like an afterthought. Once you sign the contract, which is heavily weighted in their favor, you’re essentially locked into the agreement. The loan structure defers payments for 18 months, which they use as a selling point, but you’re still on the hook for the full $35,000 regardless of the program’s outcome--job or no job.
Perhaps most troubling is the demographic they target: individuals who are emotionally or financially vulnerable, often seeking a career change in hopes of a better life. The fact that the full cost of the program isn’t readily available or disclosed on their website is a red flag. Even more disheartening is learning that the cost for new students has since been significantly reduced compared to when I or others enrolled, despite the program offering virtually the same resources and course materials. There have been no new or already established partnerships, no offers/discounts for industry certification assistance, and no tangible improvement in the program’s structure that warranted a $35,000 price tag in the first place. What Symposia presents as a golden ticket to a better career is, in reality, an overpriced program that overpromises and underdelivers.

If you're truly serious about breaking into cybersecurity, I strongly recommend doing thorough research. I, along with many others that've enrolled, am here to warn you: Do NOT let Symposia pressure you into enrolling in their program. Instead, explore more affordable and reputable resources, such as Gerald Auger’s Simply Cyber or Aaron Lang’s GRC Lab, both of which provide high-quality, accessible training. You do not need to spend tens of thousands of dollars to succeed in this field. Avoid falling for the marketing hype. Symposia is not worth the cost. There are better, more transparent, and far more effective ways to break into cybersecurity—at least within IT in general.

Didn’t even make it past the phone conversation with one of their representatives, this man was rude and asking me to make myself available on a date I wasn’t. And basically saying I pretty much did have my priorities together because I didn’t agree to cancel my plans to schedule another zoom meeting with the same man who never showed up for the first initial Zoom appointment we already had previously scheduled , I would never sign up with a company so unprofessional. This was the number he called me from (832) 225-3609) and after we had words I hung up and blocked them, they still called me back again today from a different number (832) 637-6432 which I answered and told him after that past conversation I wouldn’t dare be interested in anything with this business, so I’m blocking this number now as well.

Currently work as an SDR here. It has been amazing. The mentorship from the team is awesome. I started here in January and have improved my skills drastically. They’re very patient new individuals and have a set goal on where they want to go. Love Symposia.

I’m currently working in tech, specifically in software sales, and I landed this role through another program that was significantly more affordable and efficient than Symposia. It helped me get results quickly, which is something I can’t say about my experience with Symposia.

To be honest, I’m frustrated with how much I paid for the curriculum, especially considering how little value I feel I received in return. The program did not meet my expectations in terms of support, outcomes, or relevance.

In my current role, pursuing something in GRC no longer makes sense — I have a much stronger opportunity to earn over $100K in my current path than I would by pivoting. Unfortunately, it feels like I’m stuck choosing between continuing a course that doesn’t align with my goals or walking away and being left with the debt. Neither option feels fair or reasonable.

I enrolled in Symposia’s bootcamp in November 2023 with high expectations, given their promises of quality training and job placement support. Unfortunately, my experience did not align with those claims.
For $35,000, I expected structured learning and hands-on mentorship that would enhance my career prospects. Instead, much of the material covered was information readily available through free resources or platforms like ChatGPT. Additionally, Symposia does not pay for any industry-recognized certifications.
The biggest issue was job placement support—Symposia heavily markets the promise of a job at the end of the program, but in reality, they provide minimal guidance. The staff showed little investment in students’ success beyond collecting tuition. The career support felt like an afterthought rather than a real pathway to employment.
For anyone considering this program, I strongly recommend researching alternative options.

Honestly, I love all the information available in the program. I'm relatively knew and I've already learned a lot within the first few weeks. I'm genuinely excited for where this is taking me and I look forward to look back on this post soon!

This program is definitely not worth it. Took their training in 2023/2024 and within the 5 months thereabout that I was there, not one single person got a job that was posted.
The bait of paying after you get a job makes it look like a good /legit deal. However, wether you get a job or not, you start paying once your grace period ends.
Please do your proper research before committing to this company.
PS: Be weary of the reviews. I thought I did proper research by going on linkedIn to verify the people that got a role. Turns out some of those people work for the company one way or another.
PPS: Did you see any of the reviews on here mention that they evetually got a role??? By the way, they used to be called Techpreneurs and changed their name to Symposia in 2024.

If you’re reading this, chances are you either (1) came across Symposia’s social media ads (Instagram, TikTok) promoting an easy path into cybersecurity or (2) heard about someone landing a cybersecurity job after going through their bootcamp. Before you get swayed by glowing "5-star" reviews, you owe yourself full transparency and a critical look at what’s really being offered.

As someone who completed their bootcamp, I can confidently say it is not worth your time, effort, or the staggering financial commitment they expect you to make. There are far superior, more affordable alternatives available if you take the time to research and engage with real cybersecurity professionals.

Let’s talk about the price. It is arguably clear that Symposia's ads do not mention or talk about the cost of their bootcamp. The cost? $35,000 (plus fees). They frame it as a "no upfront cost" opportunity by encouraging you to take out a loan and assuring you that you won’t need to make payments for 18 months. But let’s be clear: getting into cybersecurity in 2025 does not need to cost you $35,000.

Instead of locking yourself into a massive debt for an online bootcamp that only launched in 2023, consider free and well-structured resources from experts like Gerald Auger (Simple Cyber) and Aaron Lang (GRC Lab) on YouTube. With proper research and dedication, you can break into cybersecurity without an overpriced program that overpromises and underdelivers.

Don't let Symposia's marketing hype dictate your career choice. Explore better options and make an informed decision.

I recently attempted to coordinate a meeting with the program's CEO and Directors, and unfortunately that has not been successful. Despite multiple attempts to arrange a suitable time, there was a lack of consistency in communication and scheduling.

The primary issue was the inability to align on a mutually convenient time. Several proposed meeting times were completely incompatible with my availability, and when I expressed that, no effort was made to accommodate my schedule. Instead, it felt as though the responsibility was placed on me to rearrange my commitments, which is both unreasonable and unprofessional.

This lack of consideration has not only wasted time but also created an impression that my availability or participation isn't truly valued.
In the end, the inability to set up a simple meeting has been disappointing and has left me questioning the program's organizational effectiveness. This has been an ongoing experience, this is not the first time this has happened and it probably will not be the last.

I had an exceptional experience at Symposia Academia. They provided a highly professional and conducive environment for learning and collaboration. The highlight for me was the incredible support from the team in helping me build a comprehensive policy and procedures framework from scratch for a healthcare company. Thank you, Symposia Team! PD

What made my experience so amazing was Mrs.Nesha. She is so amazing with motivating me to always keep going and giving my very best. Always takes the time to help me anytime when I need it when I don't understand something. This program as been so amazing to me and I can't wait to see where it takes me. And I am so blessed to have Mrs.Nesha as my coach.

My experience with Symposia has been great. As I am close to finishing the program, I will say that Symposia has definitely allowed me to better grasp the concepts necessary to build a lasting career in GRC. Not only do I get to learn from top notch professors in the industry, I have an awesome coach that helps me stay on track and has been such a tremendous asset in getting me through the program. Nesha reminds me of why I got started and has been that voice in the background reminding me that you can do this. That has been invaluable to me. I'm excited to see what's in store for the future and Symposia along with their amazing team is making it all possible. Definitely one of the best decisions I've made this year.