Coding bootcamps are short and intense learning programs that can help you stretch your studying limits and help you kickstart your career as a software developer. They allow you to gain and maximize your programming knowledge through hands-on training in real-world scenarios. Most coding bootcamps also come with an assurance of finding suitable employment to get you started on your professional career path.
Here are some things you should know about before your first day at a coding bootcamp.
You will need high determination
Coding bootcampers are often described as “gritty” since bootcamps require you to take in a massive amount of information in a brief period. You will have to get engrossed in the learning material in your bootcamp.
Most offer part-time courses that allow a lot of flexibility in deciding when and how you study. If you have questions, we have people ready to answer them and provide mentors to help coding bootcamp students along the way.
Coding can become frustrating
Software development can be a rewarding career. If you are a coder who has worked on a project, you might know the feeling of satisfaction after you finish your first project. However, the work isn’t always rainbows and unicorns.
Coding is challenging, and every software programmer, regardless of their experience, can encounter situations when they work late nights trying to fix something – maybe it’s a bug causing their app to crash even though they hadn’t made any changes. Thus, to be successful as a software developer, you must be extremely patient and committed to your work.
Increased competition in the job market
As the demand for software developers increased in the job market, the number of candidates who compete for the positions also increased. So, how can you make yourself stand out?
The answer is that you build a strong portfolio. Your coding skills can continually be enhanced with practice. You can work on building a solid portfolio by doing projects that reflect your skills and demonstrate that you have a firm grasp of the fundamentals of how web development and coding work.
You should repeatedly exhibit your capacity to conceptualize, design, create, troubleshoot, and scale software projects. Your projects can strengthen your portfolio and serve as valuable discussion points during job interviews.
Coding bootcamps can provide you with much-needed mentorship
Coding bootcamps generally offer part-time courses that you can complete at your own pace and convenience. This self-learning approach requires you to teach discipline to yourself. However, this experience doesn’t have to feel like a lonely struggle.
Thus, finding a program that offers you mentorship along with the course material is better. We incorporate mentors into coding bootcamps to help guide you when you feel stuck on a specific topic or project, and they would also help you figure out your next steps.
Skills that go beyond the bootcamp curriculum
While bootcamps provide you with the material you need to build your knowledge and coding skills, you will require to work on other essential skills that go beyond the curriculum of your bootcamp. For instance, while appearing for a job interview, you need to have the ability to communicate simplified versions of your solutions to complex problems.
Getting stuck on a complex problem while in a bootcamp is a common scenario. You can use the situation to enhance your communication skills by aiming to translate complex concepts into more manageable material and breaking down the code to understand how things work. You can also use the hands-on environment provided by your bootcamp and start building an app or code a solution to grasp the concepts better.
Connections help you find job opportunities
Joining a coding bootcamp helps you become a part of a more prominent, highly passionate and invested community. Forming authentic connections with alums, mentors, and career coaches can help you find opportunities and reach places you might need help to achieve. While learning to code, channel your energy into forming connections through meaningful collaborations.
A bootcamp will not only help you develop the skills and knowledge that you require to enter the job market, but it can also help you land the job that will help you fulfill your career goals.
Here you can take a closer look at the coding bootcamps offered by Thinkful.