Coding bootcamps have exploded in popularity in recent years as a pathway into the tech industry. With more people switching into the tech industry ever year and the impressive forecasted growth in the years to come, many may consider enrolling in a coding bootcamp. But what exactly does that entail?

Intro to Coding Bootcamps

Coding bootcamps are an alternative pathway into the tech industry compared to a college education. No coding bootcamp is the same - the coursework, cost, schedule, and post-graduation support differs between each individual bootcamp. That being said, I'll attempt to cover the general layout of bootcamps in this blog post. I will only be covering software engineering bootcamps, as I have only attended a software engineering bootcamp at the time of writing this blog post.

What is a Bootcamp?

A software engineering coding bootcamp, which will simply be referred to as a bootcamp or coding bootcamp, is typically a multi-month program to prime students on the basics of software development. Within this time, students will learn various modern coding langauges, frameworks, libraries, and technologies relevant to the tech industry. Students are typically taught full-stack development, which covers both the front-end and the back-end. However, there are also bootcamps which focus solely on either side of the stack. Upon graduation, most students will have the skills and portfolio pieces to land an entry-level software development job or internship.

Front-End? Back-End? Full-Stack?

Front-end developers utilize HTML, CSS, and a coding language (such as JavaScript, Python, PHP, etc.) to build the user interface for websites. For example, a front-end developer may create a webpage which includes a navigation bar to traverse through pages of a website, a button to receive data or submit a form, and an infographic that changes based on the data received or user input.

Back-end developers utilize coding languages to handle and process data - they typically do not handle the user interface. A back-end developer may handle data to ensure correct data storage, handle business logic implementation (how the data can be used), or develop API routes for other applications to access their data.

Full-stack developers dabble into a bit of both. While they may not specialize in either part of the stack, they have the basic knowledge to understand what is going on.

While some software developers (mainly freelancers) maintain the full-stack title throughout their career, most will specialize in one of the two parts of the stack.

Bootcamp Structure

While that may represent what you'll learn from a bootcamp, what exactly does a bootcamp entail? What is the necessary time commitment and cost of attending one? What skills do you learn and what support do you get after graduation?

Location

While remote bootcamps may be the norm now, they have been around even before the pandemic. Most bootcamps are still holding online courses, but are slowly reintroducing in-person classes. Remote courses are structured in relatively the same way as in-person classes are, but are a bit more flexible. However, as with anything remote, they require more self-accountability due to the nature of online learning.

Schedule

Most bootcamp schedules are on a full-time, 40-hour weekly basis, leaving you little free time. However, that time commitment is a bit undershot - you will also have to put in additional time to complete any projects or deliverables assigned. On average, full-time bootcamps can last anywhere from 3-5 months depending on the bootcamp.

There are options for a part-time schedule, but the time commitment is still around 20 hours a week, not including time spent on projects and deliverables. Additionally, a part-time bootcamp may last up to twice as long as a full-time bootcamp (approximately 7-10 months).

Finally, there are self-paced bootcamps which require even fewer hours per week, but last much longer. Additionally, the course structure is very flexible and you may have to report to a mentor who will check on your progress through applications you may build.

Coursework

In a bootcamp, students learn programming skills set by either the organization running the bootcamp or the instructor leading your bootcamp cohort. If you are being taught full-stack development, you will learn multiple technology stacks which consist of coding languages, coding language frameworks and libraries, and databases.

For example, a developer may learn about JavaScript as their primary coding language and pick up Angular, React, or Vue as their JavaScript framework or library on the front-end. Additionally, they may use Node.js and Express.js to assist with their back-end. They could also utilize MongoDB or MySQL as their database.

This is just one example of possible technologies a full-stack developer may learn. Other coding languages taught at bootcamps include Ruby and the Ruby on Rails framework, or Python and the Django framework to name a few.

Payment

Typically, bootcamps have multiple payment options - there is little worry about needing to pay everything up-front. While you could go the traditional route and pay a lump sum for your bootcamp (which will cost roughly $15,000 dollars) prior to enrollment, there are programs which allow you to defer payment or only require you to pay once you have a job.

A deferred tution plan may require a down payment at a fraction of the cost of your tution, but the rest of the tution is not paid until you have found a job. Upon finding one, you will pay the rest of your tuition over a certain amount of time. The amount paid is a fixed, monthly amount regardless of the income at your new job.

An income share agreement is similar to a deferred tuition plan with the main difference being the amount paid and the duration of your payments. Typically you will pay around 10-20% of your income per month until you pay back your tuition. Depending on the bootcamp and job you acquire, the cost of tuition may vary. Additionally, if you lose your job or it doesn't make above a certain amount per month or year, payments can be paused.

Keep in mind, the deferred tuition plan and income share agreement will cost more over time than if you paid up-front - typically anywhere from 1.5-2 times as much. However, if you don't have the financial resources at the moment and are confident you can handle the repayments, these options allow for a great deal of accessibility into the tech field.

Another thing to note is that since most bootcamps are a full-time commitment, budget out your funds accordingly for the duration of your bootcamp and a few months. If you are not sure about your financial situation, a part-time bootcamp alongside a part-time job may be better than a full-time bootcamp.

Graduate Support

Graduate support varies from bootcamp to bootcamp. Some bootcamp programs may not provide any support after graduation and leave it up to the graduate to secure a position, but most bootcamps provide some form of support. This can come in the form of connections, programs, events, a designated career coach, and more.

Most bootcamps cannot guarantee a position, but may guarantee a job interview. Additionally, some bootcamps provide partial or complete tuition reimbursement if a job has not been found in a designated period of time, provided you are compliant with their job searching conditions.

The Bootcamp Interview Process

If this all sounds great to you so far, you may be wondering - how do I get accepted into a bootcamp?

First, you may meet with a hiring specialist who will ask you questions and see if you are a good fit for the bootcamp. You do not need to have a programming, tech or STEM background to get accepted into a bootcamp. You do, however, need the interest and drive to pick up software development and convince the hiring specialist that you have it.

If you pass the intial screening, you may be sent some coding problems and resources to assess what you know or how quickly you can learn coding skills. You may be given a few days to a few weeks to complete the problems. If you succesfully complete the coding assessment, you can move on to the next step: filling out paperwork.

After completing your paperwork, settling on a payment method, and signing here and there - congratulations! You are now at the beginning of your journey into the tech field.

Conclusion

Coding bootcamps are one pathway for people of any background to pave the road into the tech industry. There are many options for payment, provided you pass the initial interview and are accepted. Bootcamps require a large time commitment and you are not guaranteed a job after graduation; the results that come from a bootcamp are proportional to the effort you put in.

As a bootcamp graduate of General Assembly's Software Engineering Immersive Remote Program myself, I thoroughly enjoyed the process and would recommend entering one. Even if you don't have the funds at the moment and want to get into tech, a deferred payment plan can help greatly as long as you have living expenses saved up for a few months. I personally think income share agreements are an incredibly accessible approach to tuition on a financial standpoint, provided there are safety nets in place with the bootcamp you enroll in.

If you have any questions or would like to reach out to me, you can send me a message on LinkedIn or send an email to dainylcuainquiries@gmail.com.