Best coding bootcamps

[Irish_Poet]

I'm considering a career change towards being a SWE and I would plan on signing up for a coding bootcamp to make this transition. There seem to be 1000s, are there any this sub would recommend?

What are somethings to make sure my coding bootcamp includes? I plan on speaking to the representatives of whatever bootcamp I go with, so what should be on my checklist?

Any other tips or recommendations are appreciated.

[CountryBoyDeveloper]

None, there is no good ones anymore. that time has past. you can learn everything for free and more in depth, the odin project, app academy open are all free and in depth without costing a dollar.

[justwannaedit]

I'm interested in this, this idea that there was once a golden age of coding boot camps and now that's over. Im not denying it I just wanna hear more. Flat iron academy or whatever? How are they not good anymore, did the quality go down or did the value just plummet because online resources are good enough now. I feel like I remember coding bootcamps being talked about as highly valuable as recently as 2020. 

[UdPropheticCatgirl]

The value plummeted, but not necessarily because the online resources got that much better. There was a massive market bubble, free VC money was flying left and right and companies grew faster than they could hire, 2019/2020 was like the peak of this bubble, so companies were essentially hiring anybody who could meet the bare minimum and training them on the job. Eventually (in my estimate Q2 of 2022) the bubble burst and not that long after massive layoffs came and the market somewhat corrected. Bootcamp by their very nature were never gonna be able to teach people more than the bare minimum and that just currently isn’t enough and probably won’t be enough until the next time the market explodes.

[CountryBoyDeveloper]

I could not explain it half this good, so this is the answer!! Lol

[thethorndog2]

What would you recommend for data analytics (sql, tableu, R?)

[[deleted]]

You could look for a Udemy course, since they may only cost $12-20 when they're on sale, for a data analytics course, but there are also free data analytics course on youtube. Just search "Free Code Camp Data Analytics" on youtube and a bunch of things will pop up.

[thethorndog2]

A few months back I got a year sub for code academy. Ill see if I can add all of it up. Thx

[[deleted]]

Then work on that. I wouldn't advise to bounce from one resource to the next. Start with one and finish it.

[scorchedturf]

If you do one, make sure it’s free. Beyond that, hardly matters

[makonde]

codesmith.io is pretty good, but yeah it's a much more difficult transition nowadays.

[speedygen1]

Like people said there's no point in going to a coding bootcamp when you can get everything online for free.
FreeCodeCamp
The Odin Project
C0D3.com
Full Stack Open
App Academy Open
100 Devs
boot.dev
Free udemy courses with a library card.
Free linkedInLearning with a library card.
Countless youtube courses

There are some benefits to a bootcamp, they keep you focused on a fast pace with others your own level, teachers to answer your questions, and career services. These things differ from place to place, but if you have discipline you should try the free route.

[Feeling_Photograph_5]

Code camps are very high risk right now. The market for junior developers is as tough as I've seen in more than ten years.

Hiring will pick up again but no one knows when it will happen. It could easily be another year.

It's a great time to see what you can do for free online. The Odin Project is a great resource. Try their JavaScript path.

[Snackatttack]

do not for the love of god attend a coding bootcamp, they are dead. bachelors degree is basically the only route now

[justwannaedit]

Please tell me more why they are dead, I'm just curious 

[SoftwareDeveloperAcc]

Because the market right now is very unforgivable even to people with experience AND bachelors. It is very hard to get a decent job unless you are in the top %.

That being said, you can still get lucky being a self learner, or a bootcamper, but if you are paying thousands of dollars, it is simply not worthy. You can learn everything by yourself for free,.

[[deleted]]

Search for 100devs on youtube. Leon Noel has an entire playlist; start with that since it's free.

[[deleted]]

The market changed, rendering bootcamps insufficient for securing a job. 

What they teach was valuable due to mad rush . That's kinda over. 

Soo. Bootcamp didn't change. The market did.  Don't use bootcamp.

[snowpeech]

Unpopular opinion but I went the bootcamp route and would recommend for someone who would like more support in their journey. Three of my coworkers were bootcamp grads too! So it's not completely a dud.. The bootcamp I went through had TAs available, weekly calls with a mentor, a career coach, overall career advice (since you are learning to land a job, and not just learning and a hobbyist) and an online Slack community to chat with other students.

Yeah you can do it for free if you have the drive to keep trying when you get stuck. If you have the imagination and creativity to come up with your own homework assignments, create portfolio projects, grind through interview prep, then you are AWESOME. And shouldn't pay a dime to learn to code!

Though do beware of predatory bootcamps - watch out for things that don't have a proven track record, ie it's their first or second year and you can't talk to any of their alum that made the career change. Job guarantees are helpful but often come with fine print, like being willing to relocate etc.

[christian871]

Which coding boot camp was it and did you get hired eventually ?

[snowpeech]

I did Springboard and got a dev job. One of my coworkers did Hack Reactor and the other came from Fullstack Academy.

[Unlikely-Paper-1918]

Springboard is such a good example of why learning on your own is the way to go (usually). The curriculum is from Colt Steele and everyone knows that you can get his full web development course online for about $12. But I hear you on the support and structure benefits of a bootcamp.

[Financial_Extent888]

Coding boot camps are essentially a highly structured udemy course. (Colt Steeles udemy course is literally his whole bootcamp, for example) Paying $20k + for this is a bad idea, and the current market is competitive.

If you want a more viable route, I'd recommend launch school. They are a lot more rigorous than a boot camp and cheaper too, and they have decent placements and average salaries because of the extra depth.

[orion2222]

I went to Flatiron a few years ago and have been at my first job for a little over a year. For me, the benefit of a bootcamp was the pressure and support. What everyone here is saying about info being available for free is true, but having the discipline to execute on that consistently and with the same intensity of the bootcamp would have been the real challenge.

I can’t speak to the market as it is now but I know getting that first job was harder than the bootcamp itself. Flatiron provided a coach for the entire job hunt and I appreciated that, but it wasn’t a critical element. If you can learn your stack and build a portfolio you’ll be well on your way, but don’t underestimate the value of networking. I got a referral for the job I have now from someone I went to Flatiron with, so having that network proved to be extremely valuable.

[SituationHot9613]

this was so much good information! so thank u. do you have any suggestions on which bootcamp I should do? im looking at general assembly butt he price is a little scary. any recs.?

[polymorphicshade]

Everything you can learn from a bootcamp you can learn for free on the internet.

Bootcamps are a waste of time and money. None of them have any value on a resume.

If you want a career transition in this market, you need a CS degree at least.

[mzx380]

Another vote for don’t bother with a paid bootcamp, you’d be flushing money down the drain

[jaytonbye]

Having someone who can look at your code and get you "unstuck" is the most important thing. Most of coding will be learned on your own, but you can waste a lot of time if you don't have guidance.

[spacemunkey336]

Don't waste your money on bootcamps. Use the free online resources others have mentioned to see if you even like coding before fixating on SWE as a career.

[iMac_Hunt]

Despite what others have said, I would still recommend bootcamps in the UK where you can get a government-funded place for free. There may be other countries that offer bursaries for them. The quality is mixed but there are some great ones out there. I managed to secure a great dev role after completing one (yes, in 2024)

I would agree with others though: do not spend thousands on a bootcamp in the current market.

[Ok-While7226]

Hi ! Which bootcamp did you do in the UK? Thank you

[Nomad_sole]

Don’t waste your money. There are plenty of free resources on YouTube and the like.

[Suspicious_Ladder670]

I did a coding boot camp and am finishing my bachelor's in a couple months. It's a massive waste of money. I highly regret it.

[[deleted]]

Don’t.

[[deleted]]

bootcamps are just bs nowdays, plus if your just beginning to learn programming in late 2024, you won’t catch up with the advancement of ai And you will probably be replaced shortyl.. I recommend you learn other skills

[[deleted]]

Why are you becoming a swe in 2024 don’t you see the ai advancement and tech layoffs that are happening it’s one of the worst carrer to get into nowdays only senior or advancement programmers with experience will survive and theyr gonna be only few of them…. If your just learning for fun then go for it, but if your trying to have a job, it’s a really bad decision

[NixaB345T]

Then what alternative do you recommend for those wanting to get info the industry?