Say no to bootcamps

I get it, I was there. Wanting to change careers and looking for that line to get from now to a new solid job.

The idea of crossing that line in 12 hard weeks sounds very appealing. Paying $10k+ to be job-ready feels worth it.

Unfortunately it’s not 2015 anymore where companies like Hack Reactor have alumni companies waiting for grads to offer six figure jobs to entry level. The market is too saturated and too many people, like myself, learned to get into the industry with just an internet connection. Standards for coding related roles have risen significantly.

The bootcamp curse

I’ve seen it on plenty of applications for junior web developer roles:
Certifications: ___ Bootcamp

People proudly putting their couple of months experience on their resume with the same cookie cutter projects that all grads are putting on their resumes and portfolio websites. It looks bad and doesn’t let you stand out. You’re going to need more experience and be different.

What should I do then?

Learn online and then build your resume with real work projects.

In my own journey I go into more detail about how I became job-ready. Start by learning a bit through a coding course in the field you’re interested in. Then turn that knowledge into something real. Build something, ship it, and improve it over time.

Stumbling through a project slowly is honestly one of the best ways to learn. And when interviews come around, you’ll actually have something meaningful to talk about.