#02 - Bootcamps and Careers
Time to join a bootcamp?
2022-06-14
Hello readers,
A lot has happened since my last post...
But let's cut to the chase!
As it's my second post here, I wanted to take the chance to talk about bootcamps. For some readers landing onto this post, you may be considering changing careers and making a break for the tech world... particularly programming. I want to take the opportunity now to describe to you what you can expect regarding your personal coding progress, alternatives to bootcamps (because they are really expensive) and landing your first job.
Let's get to it:
1. Will a bootcamp turn me into a coding genius?
There is only one indisputable answer to this question. No.
Within your 9-12 weeks of any bootcamp, you will become familiar with various standard practices when it comes to creating a basic full stack application as well as collaborating on projects with team-mates. You will also learn some of the basics when it comes to using git commands, bash files and project management tools. Lastly, you will likely build various basic applications as well as a demo project(or two) that you and your team will need to demo to a live audience.
At the end of your bootcamp, you will be equipped enough to start your journey as a junior developer. Chances are that if you are starting a bootcamp, you probably don't have much serious previous experience as an engineer. However, some people are just built different so expect to be outclassed by some very smart individuals who might already have had a head-start. For the rest of us however, you will likely enter your first role as an engineer feeling severely under-equipped. No need to worry though because after a period of time, you will feel much better about working with real world projects.
2. Am I smart enough to code and work in this industry?
Like all endeavours in life, anything that you commit yourself to will eventually materialise into something (better skills, higher pay, less frustration and so on). If you find that you struggle to maintain daily practice on a specific subject (this could be as an illustrator, a writer, a photographer, a musician etc.) then it's going to be a difficult experience for you to commit everyday to developing your programming craft. Daily practice is a mindset that most people throw away after graduating high-school or university, so if you're making a break for this industry then you will need to accept and thrive in the fact that you will be learning/studying for the rest of your coding career.
So after that explanation, it really boils down to asking yourself "how important is this to me?".
While there will be certain pre-requisites that would enable you to learn to code better/quicker (maybe you are good at maths or maybe you have done some HTML and CSS before), putting in the practice with a good attitude will always serve you best. Besides, "smart" is a broad term and many would consider a career in coding as not a "smart" decision. Good luck making the choice!
3. How long will it take to find a job?
This depends on where you are in the world. After finishing Le Wagon, it took me a full year to find a dev role. In the interim, I landed another digital marketing role to support me during my job hunt. Landing a job will have everything to do with how you present yourself and how your credentials fit the job brief. Personally, finding a job in Switzerland as a foreigner presented various obstacles (language, permits etc.) but perhaps you will find employment far sooner than I did. However, don't expect a massive influx of recruiters just because you completed your bootcamp.
If you got the skills, the attitude, a well drafted CV, a motivational letter that evokes curiosity as well as reliability... it will be a matter of time until you land your first role. Until then, my tips for finding a dev job are as follows:
A lot has happened since my last post...
But let's cut to the chase!
As it's my second post here, I wanted to take the chance to talk about bootcamps. For some readers landing onto this post, you may be considering changing careers and making a break for the tech world... particularly programming. I want to take the opportunity now to describe to you what you can expect regarding your personal coding progress, alternatives to bootcamps (because they are really expensive) and landing your first job.
Let's get to it:
1. Will a bootcamp turn me into a coding genius?
There is only one indisputable answer to this question. No.
Within your 9-12 weeks of any bootcamp, you will become familiar with various standard practices when it comes to creating a basic full stack application as well as collaborating on projects with team-mates. You will also learn some of the basics when it comes to using git commands, bash files and project management tools. Lastly, you will likely build various basic applications as well as a demo project(or two) that you and your team will need to demo to a live audience.
At the end of your bootcamp, you will be equipped enough to start your journey as a junior developer. Chances are that if you are starting a bootcamp, you probably don't have much serious previous experience as an engineer. However, some people are just built different so expect to be outclassed by some very smart individuals who might already have had a head-start. For the rest of us however, you will likely enter your first role as an engineer feeling severely under-equipped. No need to worry though because after a period of time, you will feel much better about working with real world projects.
2. Am I smart enough to code and work in this industry?
Like all endeavours in life, anything that you commit yourself to will eventually materialise into something (better skills, higher pay, less frustration and so on). If you find that you struggle to maintain daily practice on a specific subject (this could be as an illustrator, a writer, a photographer, a musician etc.) then it's going to be a difficult experience for you to commit everyday to developing your programming craft. Daily practice is a mindset that most people throw away after graduating high-school or university, so if you're making a break for this industry then you will need to accept and thrive in the fact that you will be learning/studying for the rest of your coding career.
So after that explanation, it really boils down to asking yourself "how important is this to me?".
While there will be certain pre-requisites that would enable you to learn to code better/quicker (maybe you are good at maths or maybe you have done some HTML and CSS before), putting in the practice with a good attitude will always serve you best. Besides, "smart" is a broad term and many would consider a career in coding as not a "smart" decision. Good luck making the choice!
3. How long will it take to find a job?
This depends on where you are in the world. After finishing Le Wagon, it took me a full year to find a dev role. In the interim, I landed another digital marketing role to support me during my job hunt. Landing a job will have everything to do with how you present yourself and how your credentials fit the job brief. Personally, finding a job in Switzerland as a foreigner presented various obstacles (language, permits etc.) but perhaps you will find employment far sooner than I did. However, don't expect a massive influx of recruiters just because you completed your bootcamp.
If you got the skills, the attitude, a well drafted CV, a motivational letter that evokes curiosity as well as reliability... it will be a matter of time until you land your first role. Until then, my tips for finding a dev job are as follows:
- Publicise yourself on Linkedin and optionally on other platforms. You want to appear to your network as motivated and passionate about your work. Your network will react to this with a good chance of passing on leads to open roles in the companies that they work at.
- Pay attention to your CV and motivational letter. Your CV should communicate your skillset and experience while your motivational letter should focus at instilling reliability as well as curiosity in the mind of the recruiter.
- Talk to your friends/boyfriend /girlfriend /wife /husband about your search and ask them if they know of any available roles. They might be willing to bring your name and details to the attention of the hiring manager who almost always prefers to hire over referral because of the confidence instilled by the referee.
- Consider an internship. While the pay won't be great, there's a good chance that you still have a lot of basics to learn. An internship will be a great way to learn as much as you can without all the risks and formalities of being a full time employee.
- Practice being interviewed. If you do not practice in your personal capacity, you will end up practicing per each interview which will likely mean that you will end up missing a large volume of valuable job opportunities all because you sound like a rookie. Save yourself the trouble and rehearse ahead of time.
- Seek references from your past employers/clients about your performance. Social and professional validation are powerful allies in assuring recruiters that you are in fact capable of what you are describing in your application.
4. What is the best part about joining a bootcamp?
Joining Le Wagon was a defining moment in my pursuit towards full stack web development. It allowed me the opportunity to commit to a new career choice while being allowed enough space to learn at a pace that I was comfortable with.
Though, for me, the best parts of my bootcamp with Le Wagon was the access to enthusiastic mentors who are always happy to help you as well as the many good friends I made during my time there. I continue to meet more amazing people thanks to our Le Wagon community events (which sometimes involve a lot of beer). The Le Wagon community is also currently made up of over 15'000 alumni who are all sharing information about available jobs, new resources, events and more which has been really useful but also very comforting to be part of a such a large family.
5. What alternatives are there to joining a bootcamp?
Bootcamps are a lot of fun but if you don't have the funds for it then don't stress as you still have some options to break into the industry.
Joining Le Wagon was a defining moment in my pursuit towards full stack web development. It allowed me the opportunity to commit to a new career choice while being allowed enough space to learn at a pace that I was comfortable with.
Though, for me, the best parts of my bootcamp with Le Wagon was the access to enthusiastic mentors who are always happy to help you as well as the many good friends I made during my time there. I continue to meet more amazing people thanks to our Le Wagon community events (which sometimes involve a lot of beer). The Le Wagon community is also currently made up of over 15'000 alumni who are all sharing information about available jobs, new resources, events and more which has been really useful but also very comforting to be part of a such a large family.
5. What alternatives are there to joining a bootcamp?
Bootcamps are a lot of fun but if you don't have the funds for it then don't stress as you still have some options to break into the industry.
- Complete as many courses as you can on Udemy(or other providers) by making use of their periodic discounts.
- Consider finding an internship straight away! If you have ZERO experience, then there's a good chance you will need to opt into an unpaid internship. If you have completed a couple Udemy courses and have built various personal applications, there's a good chance that you can find a paid internship. The benefits of jumping right into an internship is that you won't be spending money on a bootcamp while additionally spending money to survive. You will only be spending money to survive while you learn in real world environments. If you do a good job, there's a great chance that you will be offered a permanent role after 3-6 months.
- Look into student financing programs and see what options you have available especially if you are in a country that offers financial assistance for those seeking further education.
And that's it for this post everyone. I will be updating it soon though cause I still have more to say 😙 But in the meantime, hope this helps!
Chat soon,
Ilia
Chat soon,
Ilia