Before we even begin talking about coding and boot camps, we have to acknowledge one thing. Coding is part of the tools you need to bake a cake, such as a pot or a whisk. Programming is the cake itself. So, when we’re talking about bootcamps for coding, it’s essential to keep in mind that these courses offer you a way to get to know the coding process; it’s a great starting point to either start your career or enhance your existing self-taught skills. Many newcomers think that a Bootcamp may enable you to handle one or two web development outsource jobs, but the reality is, Bootcamp is, at the very most, the second step in a long journey. Let us break down why coding bootcamps are striving and popular among new aspiring programmers.

Jumping Point

When someone wants to learn coding or programming, the self-learning method can be complex. You don’t know where to start, how to learn the basics, or even what the basics are! That is why coding Bootcamps are so popular now because programming itself gained increasing popularity over the years. You may know someone who’s a successful web developer or a general programmer who never received any formal education but is working on outsourced web development projects. Bootcamps can be a leg up for you in starting a career in the programming field. You can read more about computer science degrees vs self-taught programmers here (link my previous article with the same title)

Here’s what you’ve missed

Bootcamps also gained popularity among junior level, self-taught programmers because, in this process, they may have missed something important. The truth is, when you’re going solo at learning a particular skill, you may have to fail immensely to learn a precious, but an introductory lesson. For example, many self-taught developers may not know the SOLID principles (link my article here), which, in our opinion, is a must. This is precisely why you may meet different level programmers in the Bootcamps, and some are completely new at it, some - have professional experience. 

Negative Experiences

Bootcamps are often plastered with slogans and taglines such as: 90% of our graduates become full-time developers in less than 12 months. That seems promising for aspiring programmers, but what they don’t say is that maybe, just maybe, the employment was not because of the Bootcamp. I’ve asked LavaPi developers for their take, and surprisingly, many noted that there are hundreds of programs out there and only some of them are adequately advertising their expected results. For example, one of our senior developers, who oversees international outsourced app or web development projects, said:

“I’ve seen programmers apply for junior-level jobs with Bootcamp listed on their resume, but the real work and experience they’ve gained comes after the learning. As an experienced developer, I’ve seen some of the coding Bootcamp programs, and they offer, at the very best, very “googlable” knowledge”. If you’re thinking of going to one of the Bootcamps, check out their reviews, make sure that they are a reputable business”.

Is going to coding Bootcamp worth it?

This may be the question you’re asking yourself, and the answer is: It depends on what you’re trying to gain.

As for advice, we can tell you that there are vast amounts of free tutorials, classes and even books written about coding. Try to get through some of those, even if the basics seem to bore you, stick to it because that’s the fundament you will be building onto in the future. If you are motivated to learn, but can’t seem to grasp it on your own, then maybe you can try the coding Bootcamp, but please, make sure that you’re learning from a reputable business and don’t try to dive head-first into the difficult classes. Maybe you can begin with a Udemy course on coding, or even try the Free Code Camp, it’s free and funded by donors.

We wish you luck, in your journey of learning; at LavaPi, we have many developers that started out of bootcamps that now work on our outsourced web development projects. Take this as a motivation and after you’re confident within your abilities, shoot us your CV at hr@lavapi.com