What You Should Look For In a Coding Bootcamp
Published: 2021-04-23 17:47:49

If you are considering doing a coding bootcamp, there are many parameters one should consider. For example: 

##Beginner or Experience? 
Coding bootcamps offer a wide range of courses aimed at either newcomers with little to no experience or knowledgeable coders who are looking to learn new skills. When assessing a bootcamp, it’s important to join a track that suits your knowledge and ability level. Otherwise, you won’t get the most out of your experience. 

##Length: 
Coding bootcamps can either be full time or part time. 
Full-time coding bootcamps require 40-50 hours a week and the courses take between 3-5 months from start to finish. 

But there are also part-time programs that operate at a slower pace and over a longer time period. They usually take place 2-3 times per week, require about 10-20 hours a week to complete, and take anywhere from 6 months up to a year to complete. 

If you want even more flexibility than a part time bootcamp, there are also bootcamps that are completely self-paced.  

##Online Or In-person? 
Do you learn better in a face to face setting? Or do you prefer the convenience of learning from home? Coding bootcamps come in both forms these days and it's up to you to evaluate which approach works best for you. 

##Financing 
While coding bootcamps are cheaper than college degrees, they’re still quite expensive. They can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $20,000, and even slightly higher. To help students pay tuition fees, most bootcamps offer a range of financing options. 

Some bootcamps offer deferred tuition which means you only need to begin paying tuition once you graduate from the course. 

Some also offer Income share agreements which allow students to start paying a percentage of their earnings AFTER they’ve landed their first job. 

Bootcamps sometimes offer scholarships and may or may not be eligible for the GI Bill. 

##Coding Bootcamps vs Technical Cerfiticates Vs Self Learning: 

Technical certificates tend to take more time - up to a year - to complete than coding bootcamps. They also don't have a wide range of funding options. One advantage they have is that 
many are accredited from the college or university. Many bootcamps don’t have any kind of universal accreditation unless they’re affiliated with a learning institution of some kind. 

Self learning is also an option but you need to be able to motivate yourself and stay on track. You'll have little structure and little support if you run into a problem you aren't sure how to tackle. 

Self-learning can also take a lot of time. It may take up to 12 months of studying full time to teach yourself how to code successfully. On the other hand, you can enjoy greater flexibility in self-learning, setting your own schedule, and increase or decrease the amount of time you spend studying as required. 

Coding bootcamps offer more structure and support than self learning and tend to be quicker and cheaper than certification. 

##Job Placements
It’s vital to choose a bootcamp that provides resume preparation, interview training, access to recruiters, and a network of companies looking for entry-level employees. Keep an eye out for bootcamps that partner with local businesses or have other kinds of partnerships. This is often a good indicator that potential employers are often impressed by the graduates, and would like the first pick from each cohort. 

Some bootcamps will go even further and guarantee a job. This means they won’t stop helping you until you’ve signed a contract with a company. If the bootcamp you’re looking at doesn’t have a dedicated careers team, it could mean they’re not as dedicated to your success once you’ve graduated. 

[Reading coding bootcamp reviews] (https://top10codingbootcamps.com/)    is a great way to understand the bootcamp from a student’s perspective, especially if they talk about the level of instruction and level of career support they received. 

The best way to uncover all the details, such as hiring rates, is to check out the [Council on Integrity in Results Reporting] (https://cirr.org/) website. A collection of bootcamps formed this organization to ensure that all published data like job placement percentages and average starting salary are correct and legitimate. The organization has members from both bootcamps and outside stakeholder organizations who report, document, and audit each reported outcome.