The Boot Camp Survival Guide

In no particular order here are my suggestions for how to have a successful boot camp experience that will put you in a strong position to begin your job search after graduation. This is a living document and by no means an exhaustive list. In subsequent posts, I will dig into each one of these suggestions. There is a third part to this list of things to do after boot camp but I will save that for another time. Please feel free to ask questions or leave comments. What would you add to this list?

BEFORE BOOT CAMP

• Try out coding on your own ahead of time to gauge your interest. There are plenty of free online resources for this.
• If you are still interested in learning to code, take some time to use those free online resources to learn some basics on your own BEFORE your boot camp.
• Define your reason. Identify your goal. Why are you doing this? What do you want out of the experience? Remember, think beyond the boot camp. Where do you want to go? Set your sights accordingly.
• Do some research into what kinds of roles are available and what you might be interested in. This may influence which program you choose.
• Before you enroll in a boot camp and give them a bunch of money do some research into the program. What do former students think of the program? Do their graduates get jobs? What support do they offer after graduation? What is in their curriculum??
• Try to talk with people in the industry. Do you know any developers? A friend of a friend maybe? See if they’d be open to chatting about their work. Take them out for coffee or something.
• Begin to identify what areas you may be interested in going into. Think about your previous work experience and how it might relate. Are you a former teacher? Consider looking for work in Ed Tech. A musician? Music Tech might be the spot for you.?
• Find out all of the resources that will be available to you through your boot camp. Learn what they are and how to access them.?
• This one can be challenging, but make sure you have a computer that is up to the task before boot camp begins.
• If your program gives you pre-work and asks you to install software before the program starts be sure to do it all before boot camp begins.

DURING BOOT CAMP

• If you are brand new to coding consider using one of the many free online resources as supplemental learning. Codecademy is great for this purpose.
• Leverage all of the available resources offered by your boot camp to the greatest extent possible. Do they offer individual tutoring sessions?? Office hours? Career services? Use them all. You are a paying customer. Get the most for your money.
• Talk with your classmates. Form study groups. Work together. Speak up in breakout rooms. Share your screen. Ask questions. Boot camp is a golden opportunity for networking. Don’t let it pass you by.
• Talk with your instructors. Ask about their careers, the industry, coding concepts, etc.
• Understand that boot camp is not like regular school. It is like drinking water through a firehose. Some of the information will stick and some of it won’t. That is fine. Don’t try to memorize everything. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Learn how to learn because the learning never stops.
• Do the reading and install any necessary software before each class.
• Talk with your classmates.
• In your class activities and assignments, you will be asked to do things that were not covered in class. Don’t complain about it or be surprised by it. Expect it. That’s the job. Learn how to learn on your own.
• Read documentation.
• SLOW DOWN
• Try to solve it on your own before asking for help.?
• Look in your console for error messages.
• Practice daily. Consistency is better than binge sessions.
• Your boot camp probably won’t spend enough time on data structures and algorithms. Work these into your daily practice routine.
• Talk with your classmates.
• Take care of yourself. Eat. Sleep. Exercise.?
• Begin using LinkedIn during boot camp.
• If you have identified a sector in which you are interested in working (i.e. Ed Tech, Music Tech, Fin Tech, etc.) try to steer your group projects toward that sector. You might end up with an excellent portfolio project or something you can turn into a nice portfolio project after boot camp. Even if you don’t, you will have gained experience building something related to your targeted area of interest.???
• Identify sectors in which you are interested in working if you haven’t already done so.
• Understand that your grades and your certificate don’t mean too much after boot camp. Don’t worry so much about your grades. Worry about learning and understanding.
• Talk with your classmates.?
• Take on tasks beyond your current skillset. Stretch yourself.
• Talk to people outside of your boot camp about what you are learning. Try to explain the concepts and technologies you are learning to people who know nothing about coding.?
• Let people in your life know what you are doing. Someone might know someone who knows someone who would be a good industry contact for you.?
• Be wary of tools like Chat GPT and GitHub CoPilot.
• Have I mentioned that you should talk with your classmates?