Should you pick Juno(HackerYou) or Lighthouse Labs?
Published: 2020-06-28 22:36:11

Hi, my name is Asuka, I'm one of those bootcamp graduates who lives in Toronto, graduated from Lighthouse Labs in August 2019. I'm currently building a 3D/AR/VR presentation software at a company here in Toronto.

When aspiring developers reach me out for career advice, the questions asked the most, was why I chose <a href="https://www.lighthouselabs.ca/en/web-bootcamp">Lighthouse labs</a> over others. Well, In the company I worked for the first time after graduation, most of my colleagues were graduates from <a href="https://junocollege.com/bootcamp">Juno (HackerYou)</a>. So you can see that which bootcamp you pick does not make much difference.

Yet, I got so much information from my previous colleagues about the experience in Juno and had a chance to compare the differences and since this might interest those who are choosing the bootcamp, I would like to share.

Disclaimer: This is solely based on my opinion and what I heard at the point in 2020 January from those who graduated in 2019. There's a high chance that these things have already changed, most likely improved. Please do make sure to reach out to each Bootcamp for the correct up-to-date information.

## Table Of Contents
[1. Fullstack Development vs Frontend Development](#chapter-1)
[2. Course Intensity](#chapter-2)
[3. Career support](#chapter-3)
[4. Entrance requirement](#chapter-4)
[Conclusion](#chapter-5)



## 1. Fullstack Development vs Frontend Development <a name="chapter-1"></a>
The biggest difference between LHL and Juno is that LHL focuses on full-stack development whereas Juno focuses on Frontend development. Even though LHL teaches full-stack development, the language used for the backend development is NodeJS (and a bit of Ruby), so LHL's biggest focus is mostly JS throughout the curriculum. (I still remember the lecturer of CSS class said "I hate CSS".) So I ended up teaching myself most of CSS skills at my first job as Front End Engineer. However, they teach JS so well I did not have much problem with JS at my first work. 

On the other hand, Juno teaches CSS as much as JS to improve the design/look of websites. I learned so much of CSS skills from my colleagues and they were so useful.

## 2.  Course Intensity <a name="chapter-2"></a>
As I mentioned above, LHL teaches full-stack and Juno teaches frontend. The thing is, they both spend the same duration of time (12 weeks) to finish, and one has much more frameworks/tools to learn than the other. Naturally, LHL has a much more intensive learning schedule (it was 9am to 9pm), whereas Juno does not have such a crazy schedule. 

Due to the nature of the course intensity, LHL has some people who have difficulty catching up during the course. However, unless you give up on your own will, they give students a chance to rollback and do take the same course again in the middle of the course. 
 
## 3. Career support  <a name="chapter-3"></a>
They both offer resume/interview critique and speed interview sessions to students as part of the curriculum, but on top of these essentials, they both offer unique job support. 

As for LHL, they actually send out the students' resume to corporates that are looking for junior devs. If the corporate find the resume/portfolio compelling, they can ask the students to come over for the interview. Therefore, if you're LHL graduates, chances are you receive an interview with a company that you never applied on your own.
 
On the other hand, Juno includes building your portfolio as part of the curriculum. Building a portfolio to showcase your work only increases the chances for job interviews. Also, Juno has a buddy system with the previous graduates, the student has their own senpai so if you're lucky, you can ask for some advice from them about job hunting or get a referral. 

## 4. Entrance requirement  <a name="chapter-4"></a>
This was actually the real reason why I chose LHL. The entrance requirement bar is much higher in Juno compared to LHL. Juno has 4 or 5 interviews whereas Lighthouse has 1 or 2. The assignment I took for Juno was copying a website based on design. I made it so that it looks the same, but they failed me since the code did not look how they wanted it to be, and suggested to take a part-time course. The part-time course in Juno has a high reputation so it is not a bad idea if you decided to take, but as an immigrant who was just laid off, I did not have time to do a part-time course all over again. I took LHL exam and passed, so I picked LHL, ended up having the same result. (working with many Juno graduates as Front End Engineer)

## Conclusion <a name="chapter-5"></a>
Since I graduated Lighthouse Labs I might be a bit biased, but I can say that these two bootcamps are legit if you would like to transition your career. Also, Bootcamps for sure helps you to find a job, but YOU have to do most of the work in the same way as any other career institution/college. Hope this helps you make a good career decision, and let me know if there is anything to be corrected :)