Ways to Lean Software Development: Coding Bootcamps

Post #06 Part 3/3

We’ve already covered what you can expect if you decided to enroll in college/university or, teach ourselves the skills we need to become a software developer in parts one and two of this series. In the final article of this series “Ways to Become a Software Developer” I’ll talk about the final option out there for aspiring software developers that is, coding bootcamps. Full disclosure here before we get started. I’ve never personally gone to a coding bootcamp so none of the information in this article is going to be from my direct personal experience. With that being said, I do think that the information you will read here will give you an excellent idea of what coding bootcamps are all about.

Coding bootcamps (bootcamp/s) are the newest of the ways to learn how to become a developer. The first bootcamp starting around 2011, and according to Wikipedia, there are now 95 bootcamps in the United States alone. This number lately is probably a hard one to keep track of for two reasons. One, because the so many bootcamps opened so quickly the market oversaturated and some bootcamps just can’t fill enough seats to keep their heads above water. The second reason being some “bootcamps” are a good way for people looking for a rich quick scheme. Bootcamps cost a lot of money to attend and aren’t exactly regulated like traditional colleges or universities. It’s not hard for someone to open a bootcamp take in a few classes worth of people for 3-6 months at tens of thousands of dollars a person, teach you minimal or no useful skills and close their doors. It’s a sad thing to think about but the opportunity is out there with bootcamps for anyone with lower moral standards than you or I.   

I say this because when you do a little more research on the bootcamp topic, you’ll come to find two very different opinions on the internet. Either, bootcamps are the most atrocious thing you could spend your money on, I was robbed, I learned nothing and none of the promises made were kept. Or, going to a coding bootcamp was the best choice anyone had ever made in their life, they got a job getting paid 100k or more and are on top of the world fairy-tail type stuff.

For this article, I’m going to give you the facts, straight information and the most unbiased opinion to the best of my ability. My goal here isn’t to persuade anyone one way or the other if they’re debating on enrolling into a bootcamp rather, to give you the information you need to make that decision.

what is a coding bootcamp?

The traditional (and I use that term loosely) bootcamp is typically a 3-6-month course that aims to teach you the real-world skills you’ll need to start working full time as a developer at the end of the course. Bootcamps are extremely fast-paced, taking a traditional 2-4-year college or university course and jamming it into 3-6 months of schooling. A typical day of attending a boot camp might consist of getting up in the morning, eating a bowl of code for breakfast, spending 10-12 hours in a classroom learning how to build applications, going home, working on those applications at home, rinse, repeat. They’re extremely fast-paced and high intensity. If you ask me, it sounds like damn near insanity. At the end of this learning to code hurricane, most bootcamps boast an extremely high employment rate for their students which we’ll get into a little bit later.

Until lately, bootcamps have only offered in person, high-intensity programs like the one described above. These days, you can find online and even part-time bootcamps that you might find to be a little more accommodating. Typically, these types of bootcamps also boast the same student employment rates and methodologies. Meaning, they’ll teach you the real-world skills and by the end of the course, you’ll be able to write practical software applications.

Cost

Once again I feel the need to discuss the cost of the option you’re debating on choosing when starting your software development adventure especially when it comes to bootcamps. Unlike the other two options we’ve discussed where you pay for tuition as you go or pay what you like for the course materials, coding bootcamps are a little different. There are two ways that you can typically pay for a coding bootcamp.

option 1:

You have the option of paying your whole tuition upfront in one lump sum. That might not sound so bad for something like my total tuition costs of around 6-7k and that might seem like a doable price to pay in a lump sum. Unfortunately, bootcamps have a staggering one-time price of anywhere from 20 to 40k, yes 40 000. No, I didn’t add any extra zeros accident. In my opinion, if you have 40 grand laying around to just toss around you might want to consider investment banking… sufficed to say, not everyone has that kind of scratch lying around so for many, bootcamps because of the price, it becomes less of an option for most of us.

Option 2

Bootcamps understand that attending a bootcamp isn’t financially possible for a lot of people. Which, in the beginning, was fine enough. Now with more competition, more seats to be filled, and the lack of much or any student aid/loans, bootcamps have made a way to make attendance more affordable. They way they do this is by allowing you to attend their bootcamp for free under the condition that if and when you get a job as a software developer they are allowed to garnish your wages for a set number of years at a set percent of your yearly income. There are typically caps to this way of payment though, meaning there’s a minimum dollar amount that you’ll have to pay upon employment and a maximum you’ll pay no matter how high your income might be once you get a job. From what I understand, this option is typically more expensive in the long run, but it does make bootcamps more accessible to those who don’t have the lump sum sitting around in their back pockets.

Along with making bootcamps more affordable this method also shares some of the risks between both the bootcamp and student. To get paid, the bootcamp must ensure that you do find a job. If you don’t get paid, they don’t get paid. Because of this, bootcamps won’t take any Tom, Dick, or Joe off the street and stick them in their course for free and see what happens. Bootcamps have to ensure you’re as serious about becoming a full-time software developer as they need you to be.

In the end, bootcamps are very likely more expensive than college and potentially comparable in price to a two-year university course. Unlike college or university though, bootcamps are much faster to get through from beginning to end meaning, less potential income lost while attending school.  

admissions

This is something I haven’t touched on in previous articles because I felt like the application and admission process for either college or university is widely known. Self-starting as well, has a pretty straightforward process… there is none.

Bootcamps though, are a little bit harder to get in to in part because of the payment option we discussed above and also in part by boasting an extremely high employment rate for students not to mention the fast pace, beginner unfriendly environment.

What I mean by beginner unfriendly is, if you’re like me when I started learning to code, you don’t know squat about software or building applications. Bootcamps expect their students to already have some fair level of understanding. They typically don’t start day one with the “what is a programming language” explanation. It’s more turn your computers on and install these tools that we’re going to use to make this app so pair up and get at it, we’ll learn what we need as we go. Starting at a higher level than self-starting, or college would, bootcamps must ensure that those enrolling will have the ability to sit down on day one and be able to follow along. If you have zero experience, I wouldn’t get you hopes up for getting into a bootcamp unless you take a pre-camp course. After you decide to submit your application there are several coding exercises the bootcamp will put you through to test your current understanding. If you pass, you’re probably in and, out 40k, congrats! If not though, I wouldn’t feel too upset especially if you’re new to the industry. Bootcamps are tough things to do.

All in all, getting into a bootcamp is probably much harder than it is to get into a university or college. When you’re applying there it’s simply a matter of meeting the grade requirements from your grade school classes so it’s not hard to tell by looking at those requirements and looking at your marks if you’re going to be able to get in.

get a set get a job?

Just because you get a spot in a coding bootcamp doesn’t mean you’ll get the coding job you want or for that matter, a job in the industry at all. We all know that every school no matter what, who, or where that school is, will boast high employment rates of their graduates. It wouldn’t be uncommon to see “80% of our students gain employment after graduation” on a college or university website. Bootcamps are no different and that does sound great. Don’t let numbers fool you though, I went through school that boasted an almost 100% employment rate of graduates in the trade I was studying. I was excited, I was one of the top students out of a class of about 20 so I thought for sure that I would get a job no problem. I graduated and did I get a job? Hell no I didn’t. I think maybe 3 of us got a job in our trade and only 1 stayed with that job for any longer than 2 years. I often thought back to reading that stat and being pissed off that I didn’t get a job as I was driving to my next temp gig… well, I suppose I technically get a job though didn’t I? Did I count as one of the 80% because I went to a staffing agency and worked a different minimum wage job every day just to get some cash flowing?  

My point is, just because someone says something like 80% employment rate, doesn’t mean that those numbers mean what you think they mean or haven’t been skewed in some way to favour their ability to boast such a good rate.

Bootcamps are no different in this regard. From what I’ve read, they’re worse. Not only are these numbers that bootcamps boast not meticulously tracked, but they’re also inflated by those bootcamps. An article posted on LinkedIn written by Jay Wengrow, CEO of his own bootcamp says, quote:

“Flatiron School – got slammed with a $375,000 fine by the New York Attorney General for inflated reports about its job outcomes. They were advertising a 98% success rate when truly only 58% of their graduates actually landed a full-time paid tech jobs.”

This article is jam-packed full of good information on the very specifics of coding bootcamps inner workings. If you’re thinking about attending bootcamps I suggest you give it a read. Besides, who else would have better insights on how bootcamps truly work than a CEO of a bootcamp. I know you might be thinking, being a CEO of a bootcamp they’re probably writing nothing but roses and sunshine, but I found the article to take an extremely objective look at bootcamps. Sufficed to say, taking these statistics no matter who is boasting them will not give you the full picture.

To answer the question if you get a seat in a coding bootcamp am I guaranteed a job? No. Not at all. However, I would be willing to bet that anyone top in the class would more than likely gain some sort of meaningful, decent-paying job at the end of the bootcamp. Provided of course you attend a credible one.

time

Coding bootcamps are typically 3-6 months long from beginning to end. In that short a time you going to have an understanding of how an application is planned out, built, debugged, and deployed into the real world. If that seems like a lot to learn how to do in only 3 months, you’re right. There’s a lot between going from having enough software development knowledge to pass the entrance tests to deploying your first real-world application. Most coding bootcamps sell you on the idea of learning everything you need to know to become a full-time software developer. That they’ll teach you all the things you need to know by condensing a typical computer science course you might find in university to only 3-6 months.

Another obvious question is how in the hell is anyone supposed to learn the ins and outs of computer science that usually takes years to learn at university in only a handful of months? Well, two reasons. The first being that you’re not going to learn all the very intricate parts of computer science. Only the bits that will enable you to develop and deploy an application and everything involved in that process. The second reason being the same reason these code camps are called “bootcamps”.

You’re going to spend countless hours a day in a classroom learning all things software development go home and learn everything else you didn’t learn that day to finish your project outside of school. Unlike typical college or university, or even self-teaching, it wouldn’t be uncommon for you to spend 12 hours a day in a classroom learning how to code. Not all bootcamps are the same though, some cut you some slack and only expect you to sit in the same chair for 10 hours and others expect even more than 12.

Even then those 10 or 12 hours you’ll spend sitting in a classroom working on whatever the days’ project or topic is, sometimes isn’t enough. Just because the school day is out doesn’t mean that you don’t have deadlines. You’ll some large assignments to finish again, in the grand scheme of things, you’re starting with minimal knowledge to developing and deploying a real-world application. 10 hours a day is often not enough time to learn everything you need to know and still meet your deadlines. If I was you, I’d fully expect to spend an extra handful of hours every night doing some extracurricular learning.

Seems like a lot doesn’t it? Almost sounds like you’re going to have to eat, sleep, and sh*t coding. Yeah, you’re right. Coding bootcamps aren’t exactly the most laid-back easy-going things to get through if you don’t want to see that tuition cost go down the drain with nothing to show for it. Whatever time bootcamps save you in months of the year they also try to make back in hours of the day. Aside from learning to code you’re not going to have time for much else in your day-to-day life. This is another reason why bootcamps aren’t for everyone.

Sacrifices must be made to allow for the time in a day that you’ll need to complete your studies. Spending so much time learning anything comes at a cost and you need a strong network of understanding family and friends to help you through. Like I said, spending upwards of 12 hours everyday learning skills to better yourself doesn’t leave much time for a social life, relationships, relaxation or any of your other bigger responsibilities. Coding bootcamps simply put extra strain and stress on your regular life and having understanding people there to help you out can make all the difference. This is another reason that I wouldn’t recommend coding bootcamps for everyone. It’s going to be hard only being able to see you significant other for an especially limited amount of time or not being able to see your friends and go out for your weekly Friday night dinner.

conclusion

When it’s all said and done, I don’t think there’s any black or white brush you can paint coding bootcamps with as far as their ability to put you behind a computer and get you a job in the fashion they claim to be able to. You need to be careful and, do your research on which bootcamp it is you’re going to attend. I’d go so far as to talk to past and recent graduates to get their take on the bootcamp experience. Not only would I recommend talking to graduates, but I’d suggest also talking to students currently enrolled in the bootcamp your considering attending.

If you find a bootcamp you think you wouldn’t mind attending and you can pass the enrollment requirements/tests, can get past the rather large price tag, or you’re comfortable with getting your wages garnished upon employment after graduation,  there are still some obstacles for you to overcome in the bootcamp world. Bootcamps can be a little misleading when you first hear that it only takes anywhere from 3-6 months to get through the typical bootcamp program. However, the speed in months is made up for in very long days both inside and outside the classroom. 10+ hour classroom days plus a handful of hours spent working on projects and studying outside the classroom is nothing outside the norm when talking about bootcamps. The long days of learning create a little bit of stress on your personal life. Maintaining relationships, having a social life and taking care of any other responsibilities you might have is a full-time job in and of itself. When you add on the hugely time-consuming task that is attending a coding bootcamp some sacrifices, like going out for dinner with your friends on Friday night, have to be made. Of course, having an understanding circle of family, friends and loved ones supporting you can make all the difference and help make those sacrifices easier.

There are a lot of big things you need to be prepared for when attending a bootcamp. The time commitment, being able to stay focused for long periods, being able to learn at a super-fast pace, manage school and your personal life, all for what has been advertised to you as a 100% guaranteed tech job at the end of the program. We all know when schools say they have an 80% success rate probably isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. That’s typically especially true, if you’ve read the article I suggested above, you’ll be thinking twice about how accurate the number really is.

In my opinion, bootcamps leave too much uncertainty for me. At the very least when you attend a college or teach yourself to code you can be reasonably sure that you’re learning the skills you need to become a developer at a pace that might be more suitable. You don’t have to look out for those take your money and run colleges like you do bootcamps, they have been known to be out there. There are a lot of things that I felt I would have been unsure of had I known about bootcamps when I was trying to figure out the best path for learning to code. Can I stay focused for countless hours a day working on a task in a classroom? Would I be okay with giving up my job and what little social life I had to attend a bootcamp? Most importantly, would I be able to part with such a large sum of money to take a chance on something that seemed so uncertain. For myself, that answer would most certainly have been no.

When it comes to bootcamps there are a lot of things you must take into consideration and think on carefully because I think bootcamps are a riskier way of learning than any of the other two options we’ve discussed. They’re expensive, they’re hugely time-consuming for the few months they last, extremely fast-paced and frankly, nothing is guaranteed at the end. If you take college, for example, you have some piece of paper saying you when through official schooling and took a computer/software development course, for whatever that might be worth. On the other hand, bootcamps offer little more than boasting a not always, or never accurate, 90% or better employment rate.

There are upsides to bootcamps though. Despite having a large one time cost they overall, are less expensive than some colleges and most certainly university. Along with that, they are fast. You won’t find yourself sitting in a classroom for 4, 2, or even one year if you decide to go a bootcamp route. Typically, you’ll be in and out in no more than 8 months. I know I stressed bootcamps advertised employment rates after completion of the course and how inaccurate they are but, that isn’t to say that if you are in the top handful of students you still won’t get a job. Like anything I would expect that if you apply yourself and to achieve top of your class, you’ll be able to get a solid job. Not only that, bootcamps often have connections with some high-profile employers so, you might have the opportunity to work at an extremely well-paying job!

Hopefully, you have some idea of what you can expect by taking the coding bootcamp path. I suggest you do a lot of in-depth research on the topic as a whole and specific bootcamps you are thinking about enrolling in. They’re a big risk but they also offer a huge reward if you’re the right person to tackle the challenge. As always if you liked what you’ve read please leave us a comment on the post, share or even email us via the contact page to share your stories and feedback. If you want to keep up to date with what JTSD is doing, you can follow us on Twitter! Most importantly though, keep learning, keep coding and keep creating!

-Dorian