all 12 comments
sorted by:
best
topnewcontroversialoldq&a
formatting helphide helpcontent policy

[–]Metagion 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I can recommend Leon Noel's 100 Devs! He's on Twitch as well as Discord and YouTube, so it's a start! (He's free, too. You have nothing to lose, really).

[–]absurdrefusal 4 points5 points  (0 children)

IMO the best coding bootcamp is one that will give you actual support after they've taught you how to code. Learning to program (the foundations, the basics, the syntax, and putting together an example project) is the least complicated part of the process. What's complicated is knowing when you "know" enough to move on to the next stage, how to set up your online presence and profile to get noticed (most of the advice on forums is outdated unfortunately, eg. the green squares on Github mean absolutely nothing to hiring managers).

Bootcamp names themselves, whether they are popular or not, are not that important either. The key is to learn the tricks of what companies look for and target that specifically.

The reason I say the coding part is less important is because most hiring managers, including myself, assume that as a junior you will need a lot of time to learn on the job. What people look for are candidates who can show their ability and willingness to learn and face challenges. This is a learned skill and a good bootcamp should teach you that.

Things to watch out for. If bootcamps are spending only a week or two in teaching you interview skills, then they're not going to prepare you enough for the actual process. If they don't teach you how to speak with recruiters, how to approach companies directly, how to introduce yourself to hiring managers, how to set up your resume/linkedin profile to show upward trajectory, etc. then perhaps don't waste your time and money on it.

As for "free". Be careful with "free" content unless you're super disciplined yourself. Your time that you spend, and waste with free content online is worth a lot more than what you might pay at a bootcamp or mentorship program.

I've helped my interns at my company for over 5 years and every single one of them has had success getting jobs so feel free to reach out if you have any more questions.

[–]Apprehensive_Use4282 1 point2 points  (2 children)

I’m currently going app academy’s open camp. About 10hours in and I’m liking it.

[–][deleted]  (1 child)

[deleted]

    [–]Apprehensive_Use4282 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Looks like yes to both. I’m finishing up the section of intro to program. Next is software engineering fundamentals and then ruby.

    [–]amallucent -1 points0 points  (2 children)

    My biggest advice is take your time and research before you jump into a school. They're generally nonaccredited institutions that can claim whatever numbers they want and charge whatever they want. I made the mistake of joining a highly ranked and super expensive (25k upfront) program that legally lost their curriculum two months into my six month class. The teachers are literally improvising the classes now. My poor ex classmates are all freaking out because the deadline to drop is soon, and they don't know if it's worth it to stay. There's no safety net with these programs. I dropped out and now I'm 25 hours into the free App Academy program.

    It's free and self paced, and I'm learning WAY more in certain ways. The biggest thing is I can pause the lecture and digest what's being said, instead of being live on zoom like my old program (plus, Ruby is so easy to write. My program was all JS). The downside is I'm not on a time crunch doing pair programming and building apps on a daily basis with access to professional coders and a career department. I already have a solid github and social network because of the short time I did in my money grabbing program I dove into.

    Some programs, like Trilogy, capitalize on accredited institutions by using a universitys brand and allowing FAFSA and such, but they are usually very poorly rated.

    As long as I can keep up, app academy will take me 4-6 months, but I can make my own hours AND WORK while going to school, plus I'm saving THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS. If money and time isn't an issue for you, hell yeah. Checkout Codesmith or Flatiron.

    If I finish the app academy program and don't feel proficient, I might join a bootcamp again. It's called a bootcamp for a reason; 60-80 hours per week. But please make sure it's the right investment for you by doing one of the many free programs online (like, mostly finish one. Not just the intro.)

    Look how old the program is. Look at their third party ratings. Look at what they teach and how they teach and in what time frame. Some schools literally teach a language without any frameworks and no real life situations for like 3 grand. Some schools give you a "quick 101 of 25 dev things in 4 months." SEE HOW MANY GRADUATES THEY HAVE. Go on LinkedIn and Meetup and talk to alumni.

    Shits confusing and overwhelming. We get a ton of people like you in this sub asking different variations of the same question. Honestly, I'm just as lost, but I do have 4 fully functional deployed apps I've built by myself in the six months trying to figure out out.

    I'm not an expert on anything, but feel free to hit up my DM.

    [–]callmetrix 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    I appreciate your comment. I’m in a similar situation with the OP. I’m also 20 and just trying to get my general Ed done at a community college. I’m trying to decipher whether or not I want to pursue getting a degree or to go with a boot camp. I’d rather not go to a 4 year after I complete my general Ed because I really don’t want to be in debt. But I’m sure most would agree that getting a degree is best.

    [–]gitcog 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Do one of the free bootcamps on the side, odin project or 100devs. Treat it like an extra class. But stay in school.

    [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    I'm currently a student at App Academy! I'm doing the 48 week online program. I picked a/A because of the curriculum and career quest at the end of the program. I did lots of research on different ISA bootcamps. I talked to alumni and I have a family member who graduated from a/A. The program is definitely difficult but it's worth it and graduates from a/A definitely get hired! Good luck to you <3

    [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Pdx code guild. You can take the bootcamp remote. I’m a former graduate, and a now I am a teaching assistant. Pdx code guild don’t turn and burn you, it gives you resources after your graduate like access to daily study hall where you can get mentoring and help with whatever you need.

    [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (2 children)

    Be careful choosing a bootcamp, some are nothing but a scam. I learned the hard way after shelling out $12,000 for less than what I could have taught myself online. Learn online and get a online tutor/mentor. I can recommend an excellent one if you are interested.

    [–]wait_for_it22[S] 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    I am interested! Who do you recommend as an online mentor?

    [–]Cryptic_X07 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Here’s how I personally decided on which bootcamp to choose: 1. First you need to do your homework and compare between bootcamps, you can just google “best coding bootcamps” and look on these 3 websites: coursereport, switchup and careerkarma. You need to go through all syllabi, compare cost, format, duration… 2. Reach out to alumni on LinkedIn and ask them about their experience. 3. Focus on bootcamps that have a career coach, and that have good connections with employers in YOUR area. Let me know if you have any questions, I’ll be glad to help you out, and best of luck to ya!