[ale] Linuxgruven

[Jeff Hubbs]

Perry -

FWIW coming from me, any scheme that involves having you pay money up front
for "training" is something you should run the other way from.  Make your
own determination, but this doesn't sound good to me.   The presence of
three pending BBB complaints should be a BIG red flag.  It would be good if
the STL BBB would let you see the complaints so that you can gauge whether
the situation is similar enough to yours that you can expect a similar
outcome.

- Jeff

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Perry [mailto:perryw at bellsouth.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2001 3:55 PM
> To: ale at ale.org
> Subject: [ale] Linuxgruven
> 
> 
> Hi there, I was surfing through the archives and found some 
> posts from back 
> in October about Linuxgruven and how I should be weary of 
> them.  I was 
> curious as to what others had to say after an interview with 
> them yesterday.
> 
> I was told that for their "Network Engineer" position that I 
> need to be a 
> certified LCA, http://www.linuxcertification.com, and that 
> they would offer 
> me the training for $3150 as well as a voucher for the 4 
> tests.  They told 
> me that I could either self study or take the class through 
> someone else to 
> become certified, taking their class is not necessary to 
> become employed 
> (if I was certified, he would have offered me a job 
> yesterday, or so he 
> said).  Since I'm not certified and am looking to break into the IT 
> industry, I figured that this would be a good opportunity.  
> But, common 
> sense has taken over and this whole setup sounds sketchy.
> 
> Sitting there in the Lenox Towers waiting for the the 
> interviewer, I heard 
> the receptionist answer the phone for at least 2 other 
> companies.  No big 
> deal, small company shares HR office space with other 
> companies.  The test 
> to get invited to the class was amazing easy, about zero 
> questions on it 
> that dealt directly with linux, more about general hardware.
> 
> Linuxgruven has an article on their webpage that is from the 
> St. Louis 
> newspaper, I checked up on that and it was indeed published.  
> Seems that 
> they have at least 1 big client, and I was told they signed 
> on with Turbo 
> Linux.  I called the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce and they 
> didn't have 
> anything on the company.  Called the Atlanta BBB and no 
> complaints have 
> been filed.  Call the St. Louis BBB and they have no closed 
> complaints, but 
> 3 pending.  The guy I spoke to has heard of the company and 
> is trying to 
> track down more information about them, but they have not 
> repsonded to a 
> letter he sent them.
> 
> linuxcertification.com recommends 128 hours of classroom 
> contact for the 
> certification, Linuxgruven gives 80.  My pesimistic outlook 
> tells me that 
> they are hoping people may fail the tests and they'll be up the 3 
> large.  Pass the tests, and according to a contract they sign 
> before the 
> class begins, and you have a job for $45,000 along w/ 401K, health, 
> etc.  Enticing to say the least.
> 
> Has anyone had any further experience with the company?  Is 
> their class any 
> good?  Anyone in Atlanta offering the LCA class?  Any advice? 
>  I'm about to 
> call back to see if I am 'invited' to the class and I'm going 
> to try and 
> push some more info out of the guy.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks,
> -- perry
> 
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