Once out of reach for many individuals, a career in tech is now possible thanks to coding bootcamps. Without having to spend four-years on a college degree, students now have a way to enter into careers in tech and web development, picking up some of the most in-demand skills in just six months. That said, committing to a full coding bootcamp is still a major decision. It is a considerable time commitment, and of course there are course fees to pay out.
When deciding if a coding bootcamp is right for you, there are several questions you’ll need to first ask yourself.
Am I ready to work really hard?
Nothing with the word “bootcamp” in the title should ever be thought of as easy. Coding bootcamps are tough. They pack a lot of information in an extremely condensed time period. Students are expected to dedicate what little free time they may have to learning and getting their assignments done.
Regardless of which bootcamp model you choose—online, offline, or hybrid—there will always be work to get done! Immersive offline programs require you to attend classes five days a week for six months. Meanwhile, hybrid models that blend online and offline training still take six months, but let you fit your learning during nights and weekends. No matter which option you choose, juggling your learning around work, family, and other obligations is tough. You’ll be expected to balance a lot, but the payoff is worth it.
Do I like solving tough problems?
In the world of web development, it’s often said that if you can think it, you can build it. It’s incredibly empowering and it’s what makes web development fun. However, it’s also what makes it so challenging. Trying to build something that no one has ever built means you’re paving an entirely new path. That path comes with major barriers and roadblocks, and troubleshooting will be part of your everyday life. Coding is hard, and being a capable developer requires patience and thoughtfulness to build what you want.
Do I like working as part of a team?
More often than not, people think of developers as people working by themselves in a small, dark room. The reality couldn’t be further from this picture. Coding is actually a team sport! Sure, each developer has a role to play writing a specific set of code. But, so do their colleagues. Once everyone has contributed their sections, all those batches of code come together to create a finished product.
As if that weren’t collaborative enough, so is the process of fixing problems. During the building and testing process, bugs and other issues will pop up. Troubleshooting and debugging means working with colleagues, peers, and online forums to get at the root cause of the issue. You’ll be leveraging the know-how of coders possibly across countries to create great code.
Do I like building things from (almost) scratch?
Is it fun to tinker with things and see how they work? Do you like putting raw pieces together to bring something to life? If so, then coding might be a great fit for you. Putting together the foundations and finishing touches on a project is often at the heart of a coding project. That said, one thing that’s great about being in a community-type field like coding is that code is frequently shared opening. This means that while you may not have to build something completely from scratch, you can pick and choose from raw blocks of code and then use your newfound skills to adapt it to your particular needs.
Did you find yourself saying “yes” to these four questions? If you did, it’s likely that a coding bootcamp could be a great fit for you. If you’re still unsure, one way to dip your toes in the water is with an entry-level web development fundamentals bootcamp. This shorter-course bootcamp is an ideal way to feel things out while getting a handle on the very first skills you’ll need to become a web developer.
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