How To Choose A Coding Bootcamp? 10 Do’s And 5 Don’ts

Many CS graduates struggle to get a job due to the lack of required technical skills & real-world experience. For this reason, there has been a sudden increase in coding bootcamps. It is a non-traditional training program that helps people gain technological proficiency and get jobs. In this blog, we will learn how to choose a coding bootcamp which gets you Job offers

If you are passionate about coding and strive to expand your coding knowledge quickly, you should enroll in a coding bootcamp. The fast-paced curriculum of bootcamps helps students to build a solid technical foundation in a few months. Perhaps, the student’s most challenging task is finding the best bootcamp. The bootcamps provide different courses, trainers, fee structures, and duration. We, in this blog, are listing some do’s and don’ts while choosing a coding bootcamp that will guide you in making the right choice.

Do’s while Choosing a Coding Bootcamp

Although there is no rule of thumb for identifying the best coding bootcamp, there are certain aspects you must look out for in a camp, which are:

1. Check the Curriculum

Check the course curriculum and topics a bootcamp covers to ensure the technologies are relevant. Ask them about coding exercises, interview preparation, hands-on practices, and theoretical studies. The central purpose of pursuing a tech upskill course from a bootcamp is to get high-level training in advanced technologies that are in demand. So, first, you need to review the camps’ curriculum and verify if they cover the in-demand technologies and latest market trends or if they are sticking to an outdated curriculum with the fundamental coding concepts. Choose technologies that have more job openings and high salary packages.

2. Duration of the Coding Bootcamp

Bootcamps on an average range from 8-12 weeks to 6 months. Check if there is a fixed course duration or if you can extend the time if you want to repeat some topics. Also, confirm if there is any additional cost for a repeat session.

• The longer training session provides better course coverage and topics trained, unlike the fast-tracked immersive program.
• The immersive programs could leave candidates out of breath, and by the time they figure out what they are being taught, the program is over.

3. Type of Training

Some coding camps provide half instructor-led and half self-taught training. It is better to choose that training program, which is 100% instructor-led, as you get a chance to learn the industry’s best practices from trained instructors by working on the workshops, lectures, real-world challenges, and coding projects.

• Check how many hours per day training is and how many days per week.
• Many bootcamps say it is 12 weeks or 36 weeks, but it turns out to be as much as 4-12 weeks in self-study, while the instructor-led training is only for a couple of hours.

You need to ensure that the bootcamp you choose has more instructor-led training hours to help you better understand and clarify doubts.

4. The Cost of the BootCamp, Both Upfront and Hidden

Bootcamps range from no cost upfront to as high as 20k upfront. Check out the hidden terms and agreements of no upfront bootcamps as they offer installment Service Agreements, which have obscure terms and conditions that are more expensive than upfront payment Bootcamps. You should confirm the following things before choosing a bootcamp:

• Is there a minimum salary guaranteed? If the minimum wage is as low as 45k, then that leaves a minimal amount left over for the trainee after paying the installments.
• What percentage of salary does the trainee have to pay for and for how long? Sometimes a trainee pays as much as 40k over 2 years, substantially higher than upfront programs.
• Also, ask if there is a performance aspect of their bootcamp or a particular duration within which the trainee has to get a job and the minimum salary offered.

5. Contract

Many supposedly free bootcamps pay a stipend for the training with massive hidden costs.

• Some Bootcamps offer free shared housing and a 4-8 weeks program while paying the trainee a stipend of something like 7-800$ per month for 6-8 weeks of training.
• The catch here is low pay and a contractual obligation to stick with the bootcamp and to work on their payroll for 2 years at a low salary from 40k to 55k per annum.
• In such a situation, the hidden cost is that after completion for two years, the Bootcamps would have kept margins as high as 50K-100k from the trainee’s salary while making him work for their clients.

6. Eligibility Criteria

Many coding bootcamps in the United States have stringent selection policies for choosing a candidate for training; they prefer to work with green card citizens or the citizens of the U.S. only. However, you still have a ray of hope as various reputed online bootcamps provide training to students of all statuses, including F1 OPT Visa, L2 (EAD), H4 (EAD), green card applicants & U.S. citizens.

7. Experience and Technical Competencies of the Trainers

Ascertain how long a bootcamp has been in the business. More years indicate the bootcamp has made a mark in the industry and has well-qualified trainers. You can verify the professional and educational background of the trainers. Go through their LinkedIn profiles to learn about their experience level & check whether they are from the tech industry or they are just faculty. By associating with an experienced training camp, you can amplify your chances of guaranteed success.

8. Job Placement Rate and Assistance

Months of training at a coding bootcamp can be unsuccessful if you don’t land a job after completing your course. Verify the success rate of the job placement at different bootcamps. Most bootcamps only provide placement assistance and glorify their limited number of alumni on their websites, whereas most struggle to find jobs. Therefore, you should not rely on website testimonials and reach out to alumni through LinkedIn and other social networking platforms to find success rates and real feedback.

• Ask what they do to help their trainees get jobs.
• Do they network with clients or use active marketing to conduct client interviews?
• Do they offer post-placement support?
• If yes, what kind of assistance do they provide, and for how long?

9. Certifications

It is prudent to join a Bootcamp that can assist you with in-demand certifications. So, check if a bootcamp offers certification assistance in the field of training or if it’s just coding and technology training, as many employers look for accreditations from Amazon, Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, Cloudera for Java, AWS, Azure, Data Science, and Machine Learning.

10. Trainer to Trainees Ratio

Check the number of trainees in a batch. The smaller the batch size, the better. For instance, if a class is for 20 candidates and training is for 4 hours a day, then the trainee would mostly never get a chance to ask questions, and out of 4 hours, he would probably get only 12 minutes. Whereas, if the batch is smaller, let’s say five trainees, then the amount of time each trainee gets is like 48 minutes each, which can make a substantial difference in understanding certain technology concepts that would be new or lost in a crowd.

Don’ts while Choosing a Coding Bootcamp

1. Don’t Go for Free Coding Bootcamps

Many students look for free courses, but later it could restrain them with some contractual burdens and pay poorly for the duration of the contract. Also, free coding bootcamps attract many students, and you don’t get the proper student-to-teacher ratio. Be vigilant, and don’t fall for the trap. Also, choose a coding bootcamp with a legit fee structure and not a vague compensation-based fee structure.

2. Don’t Take Shortcuts

Shortcuts may have long-term consequences. Avoid enrolling in a short-term bootcamp if you want to build a career in technology. The ideal duration of a coding bootcamp ranges from 12 weeks to 36 weeks, during which you can get in-depth knowledge of the technologies, so find a bootcamp that follows the same course duration.

3. Don’t Go for Unestablished Bootcamps

Sometimes, there might be a huge gap between the course curriculum shown on the paper and the actual training. Hence, it is indispensable for you to inspect the technologies covered by the bootcamps for training. It’s best to look at established bootcamps that have been in business for long.

4. Don’t Be Naive

Be wary of Bootcamps, which claim to get you trained and placed with great clients in a short amount of time and have rosy testimonials and reviews that only speak highly of them. All bootcamps will have successes and failures both. If a bootcamp is only glorifying successes means lots of failures are being hidden.

5. Don’t be Frugal when Investing in Yourself

Success is not free and does not come easy. We buy laptops, electronics, bikes, and cars worth Tens of thousands of dollars, but when investing in our personal growth, most of us become stingy. Always aim to train yourself from the best to become the best so that you have the highest return on your investment of time and money. Remember, you don’t want to keep taking coding bootcamps repeatedly because the first one was not good, and now you need to redo it again. The time value of money is significant. Time spent sitting idle without being employed, as you chose the wrong BootCamp, is money down the drain.

Conclusion

The above points can help you choose the right bootcamp and make an informed decision. Conduct extensive market research to compare various camps based on the above factors and select the best coding bootcamp.

Anytime you want to upgrade your skills and need a helping hand to enter or re-enter the tech workforce with high-demand tech skills, reach out to us. Since 2010 we have helped 1000’s of jobseekers achieve success in the technology sector, making our Candidate Success Outcome the best in the industry. SynergisticIT’s career-oriented training programs guarantee fast-paced, quality tech education, preparing you with top-notch skills for coveted tech roles in the industry. Reach out to us. SynergisticIT– Home of the Best Data Scientists and Software Programmers in the Bay Area!