Practical Reasons for (and against) Bootcamps

I wrote two articles in the part year semi-related to this topic:

• Should you learn to code in lockdown
• Why I chose Lighthouse Labs as a Coding Bootcamp

But given the conversations I have had lately, I think these two posts have a gap--practical reasons for and against bootcamps in general.

If you are trying to decide if coding is right for you, see that first article. If you want to see my personal reasons for choosing Lighthouse, see the second one. But this should live somewhere between those two. So if you have decided that you want to learn to code and you have tested out some free resources (absolutely do this before committing any money!!), now you have to make a decision if you should/shouldn't take a bootcamp style program.

First thing is first, do you want to actually be a developer?

For some of you, this may be common sense. However, I speak to a lot of people who want to be in tech, but not necessarily a developer. My two cents on this is: don't spend your time and money on a program specifically aimed at teaching you how to be a developer if that is not what you want to do. There are plenty of programs and courses (free or paid) that can teach you how to be a product manager, or UI/UX expert, or HR manager specific to tech, etc etc. Coding is a difficult and arduous thing to learn so you should save yourself the tears, time, and money and do the thing you actually want to do--full stop.

Now let's talk about our two most valuable resources: Time and Money

Money: These things can be expensive!!! And sometimes you are in the middle of a global pandemic and got laid off and the funds simply aren't there. Fortunately bootcamps are increasingly being recognised by governments more and more these days, so in some cases student loans and scholarships are available. Do your research and see what is out there. Are you an underrepresented demographic in tech? Get on the Google and look for funding opportunities!

It's also important to note that you can learn to code without taking a bootcamp. I know plenty of self-taught developers who are just as good and/or better than bootcamp and university grads. If money is a restriction, the trade off is time. A bootcamp is a shortcut (we'll get back to this point), and most of the time a very expensive one. If you are able to set goals and dedicate time to learning then you can totally learn to code for free or very low cost--the resources do exist.

If you happen to be in Calgary and money is the issue, I highly recommend checking out EvolveU, which is an affordable option to most bootcamps. The big trade off here is time--this bootcamp is about double the time of most other ones, so you need to be able to dedicate 6 full months to this, which brings me to the next point.

Time: Coding education comes in all shapes and sizes. You can get a 4 years bachelors in comp sci, you can do a 2 year certificate program, you can take a 6 week bootcamp or a 12 week bootcamp or any amount of time really--there are SO many options. But you need to ask yourself if you actually have that time and/or if you are capable of giving that level of focus in a given period of time.

1- Do you have enough funds to support yourself while taking a bootcamp? Most bootcamps are so intense you will not be able to work at the same time. The job hunt can also be a long process so you should also factor in some more time after the duration of your course. Also, do you have enough time in the course of a day to be able to dedicate to bootcamp style learning?

2- Are you able to sit and learn (I mean really learn) for upwards of 12 hours a day for an extended period of time? The speed of bootcamp is simply too much for a lot of people. At the end of any given day in bootcamp, my brain felt like total mush. Everything feels impossible. You feel like you aren't making progress. It is truly a grind. Would a longer program with more time to think (and possibly work a PT job) make more sense for your learning and/or lifestyle? There are coding programs that fall somewhere between 2 months and 4 years that can provide the balance that you might need for your current situation.

Okay, so you are sold on bootcamps

I just want to say it again: bootcamps are not the only way to learn how to code.

And despite what advertisements might infer, bootcamps are also not a magic solution to instantly finding a job as a developer. The hard truth right now is that like you, a lot of people have decided to retrain and learn to code as a result of covid. That means that junior positions are getting more competitive and it is going to take a lot more work on the other side of graduation to find that first job than it did pre-pandemic.

Also: learning remotely kinda sucks. Maybe not for everyone, but on a personal level I used to be terrible at self-teaching and I would have probably dropped out of bootcamp if it were remote when I took it. Hell, I dropped out of bootcamp when it wasn't remote. Fortunately I was able to pull my socks up and restart and eventually graduate, but I really don't think I would have be capable of getting through bootcamp if it happened remotely. I like to think that I am pretty motivated and gritty, but remote learning--especially for something you are totally new at--is super hard. I had a huge learning curve when we went into lockdown because I needed to teach myself how to be more independent as a junior at my company. I couldn't imagine doing that and learning the fundamentals of coding all at once.

It is important to understand your own learning style and set yourself up for success. Maybe coding is your thing but it'll make more sense to try bootcamps when there are some in-person options again. Maybe a longer program with more options will give you the support you need to tend to the other parts of your life that are important. There is no one-size-fits-all here.

Bootcamps are a shortcut

A few weeks/months in a bootcamp will teach you the basics and let you hit the ground running, but obviously will not compare to a 4 year comp sci degree. It's just not possible. If you asked me after bootcamp, I would have told you that bootcamp was the hardest thing I had ever done. If you were to ask me what the hardest thing I have ever done is now, my answer would be the first year on the job. It is my responsibility to continue to learn on my own so that I do ultimately know as much (if not more!) than comp sci graduates.

A shortcut isn't a bad thing. Tech moves so quickly that I wouldn't be surprised if sometime in the future a 4 year degree was considered too long and obsolete in this industry. Taking a bootcamp is a jumpstart but you still have a mountain of things to learn to really be a developer. If you choose this shortcut you really need to be prepared to keep up your motivation and continue to focus on education. 12 weeks gets you a foot in the door, but your continued education is what keeps that door open. Get ready for some long-term brain mush.

Obviously I have a long history with Lighthouse Labs and (as outlined in that second article above) I had some personal reflection as to why that was the best fit for me. I failed at online/self learning previously so their in-person mentorship was essential to my success. To be honest, if I had to choose now I probably wouldn't be successful with most of the options because they are remote.

I feel very fortunate that I was laid off from a government job and was able to budget out severance to afford a coding bootcamp and subsequent job hunt. I was in an extremely privileged situation that I would say is extremely rare in these times. The main point that I want to get across here is this: Yes, coding bootcamps seem like the ultimate solution to all of your current employment woes, but the reality is that they aren't the only solution and there are a lot of things to consider when making the decision to further your education.

Unfortunately sometimes our access to things like time and money make certain bootcamps inaccessible. That straight up sucks if you have your heart set on something specific. I encourage you to get involved in the tech community (both locally and the online one) and learn about alternatives to (alternative) coding education. There may be a trade off, but there are so many people who have become developers despite the odds being stacked against them. If it is truly your calling then have some faith and find the thing that works for you given your own parameters.