Tuesday, August 21, 2018
So, you decided to do it. You’re over your current career and want to put some serious thought into a coding bootcamp. And why shouldn’t you? Web development is fun, creative, and challenging. As a career, it’s a prudent choice, too: The median annual pay hovers around $68,000 and there’s nearly twice as much demand and job growth for people who can code websites and apps than all other occupations combined in the United States over the next decade, according to the BLS.
After spending 10 years in the communications field - counseling political candidates, Members of Congress, and Fortune 500 companies - I realized it just wasn’t what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I was interested in programming, so, I did some thinking and research, and ultimately I enrolled in a bootcamp that taught me web development skills over the course of three months. Two weeks after graduation, I landed a job as the Front-End Developer at a startup DC at the age of 33.
I can safely say it was one of the best decisions of my life.
Coding bootcamps are a great way to break into the field. But they come in all shapes, sizes, and costs (mine was $10K!), complete with fabulous entry-level salary claims and job placement statistics that entice those of us frustrated with our status quo and looking to kickstart a career as a coding ninja.
I want to help you look beyond all the marketing and juicy numbers to demystify the process of researching bootcamps, preparing for the curriculum, job searching and interviewing, and what to expect as an entry-level coder. This and forthcoming posts reflect my experience and, while they may not apply to all people and scenarios, could provide some guidance and peace of mind for those considering a coding bootcamp.
Let’s remove web development from the equation for now. The first question to ask yourself is: What do you want to do? I emphasize want because it’s such a fundamental part of any career decision. It’s tough to answer and, unfortunately, it’s a question that only you can answer.
I envied folks who had it all figured out right after high school or college. Not all of us have a clear sense of what we actually want to do day-to-day for the rest of our lives. I certainly didn’t.
You need to imagine waking up and being enthusiastic about the skill you’re about to perform for the next eight hours at a place of work. Now imagine that every day. You need to try and pinpoint as close as possible what that skill is. Be open to the fact that it might not be sitting in front of a computer all day writing code.
If you’re stuck on whether the answer actually is “web development,” research what the day-to-day is like for web developers. There are plenty of threads on places like Reddit where programmers outline their typical day, what they like and don’t like, etc. Every company is different, but you can start to get a sense for the typical and the exceptions.
You’re going to spend three months and thousands of dollars on a bootcamp. It’s a big investment, and it’s natural to wonder: is this a scam or am I actually going to get a job after it?
I perused dozens of bootcamp websites and read countless blog posts in the hopes of figuring out which bootcamp would give me the highest prospect for success. In the end, the only conclusion I came to was that you get out of it what you put in.
You're not going to just watch a couple tutorial videos on HTML and land a six-figure salary. Bootcamps attempt to do in three months what typically takes years to do: give you the skills to make websites and apps professionally. There is a tsunami of information that comes your way from day one and you have to work hard to ensure you’re internalizing it, and - by the end of the bootcamp - be able to talk authoritatively about- and soundly implement the technologies you learned with potential employers. Be prepared to spend your days, evenings, and weekends learning how to code. Week-long girls trip coming up? Destination bachelor party? Sure, you can go, but your skills will definitely fall behind the others in your cohort, and that puts them ahead of you in the job market.
Also: Do not rely on any bootcamp’s careers department to find you a job. At most, they can help identify an opportunity and/or coach you. They can show you the door, but you are the one who must walk through it. Do they appear unhelpful in actually getting an interview? Sure, they might be lacking, but the chances are just as good that that either your portfolio is buggy, you stumble badly through explaining your tech, or your elevator pitch just doesn’t resonate with an employer.
The name of the game is hard work, organization, and commitment. You have to be able to stand on the foundation you built. If you work hard and can point to your portfolio and projects, there is enough demand in the market that you will be closely considered more often (and more interviews mean better practice!).
I’ll be making a post soon on preparing for bootcamp that expands on this topic.
After years of over-saturation in the coding bootcamp space, there has been some market correction as many bootcamps shut their doors. It’s competitive between bootcamps to attract students to pay the fees. The competition remains stiff and each company touts what they offer to differentiate themselves from the next one.
One of the most important aspects of a bootcamp is the network they provide. I’m talking about how well their staff connects with area companies and their development teams, and the bootcamp’s ability to get meetings between your cohort with those companies. Other than coding skill, being able to ask real-life developers about their jobs and what they look for in junior developers was just as valuable for job interviews.
The more people you meet with, the larger sample size you gain for a better perspective on what is important - and what is not - as you proceed through your curriculum. It gives you context for how your newfound tech skills and your tried-and-true soft skills from years of experience meld together to make you an employable developer. It helps you set your expectation levels so you don’t get phased by rejection or overly confident with an interview.
At my bootcamp, we only met with two actual developers and we did so at the very end of the program, which disappointed me. The meetings were absolutely helpful, but I wish we knew their advice at the very beginning or a few weeks in so we could focus on what was most important programming- and resume/portfolio-wise for the eventual job hunt.