COLUMN: STUDENT FORUM Could a Coding Bootcamp Experience Prepare You for Industry? In recent years, the coding bootcamp phenomenon has firmly established itself as an international response to a perceived shortage of software developers. Some claim this shortage is a result of the growth of the digital economy, 1 while others suggest that it’s somewhat exaggerated and is largely being managed by recruiters. 2 Where a small number of bootcamps had sprung up in the US and across Europe, it wasn’t until the shortage became a hot topic in the media and received the attention of Western governments that such initiatives started to become commonplace. 3,4 In the UK, this resulted in government funding awards for new initiatives, while many bootcamps in the US were given official consent to form partnerships with lenders. 5 The rise of the bootcamp model shouldn’t be perceived as an opposition to the traditional university route into industry, as there are abundant positions available. University graduates remain more likely to aim for developer positions working in the traditional heavyweight languages like Java and C++. These languages are offered by very few bootcamps, as they can’t be easily taught to any degree of competency in a short duration. However, prospective bootcamp participants Graham A. Wilson Moray College UHI Editors: Gustavo Rossi, Universidad Nacional de La Plata; [email protected]o.unlp.edu.ar María José Escalona, University of Seville; [email protected]
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COLUMN: STUDENT FORUM
Could a Coding Bootcamp Experience Prepare You for Industry?
In recent years, the coding bootcamp phenomenon has firmly established itself as an international response to a perceived shortage of software developers. Some claim this shortage is a result of the growth of the digital economy,1 while others suggest that it’s somewhat exaggerated and is largely being managed by recruiters.2 Where a small number of bootcamps had sprung up in the US and across Europe, it wasn’t until the shortage became a hot topic in the media and received the attention of Western governments that such initiatives started to become commonplace.3,4 In the UK, this resulted in government funding awards for new initiatives, while many bootcamps in the US were given official consent to form partnerships with lenders.5
The rise of the bootcamp model shouldn’t be perceived as an opposition to the traditional university route into industry, as there are abundant positions available. University graduates
remain more likely to aim for developer positions working in the traditional heavyweight languages like Java and C++. These languages are offered by very few bootcamps, as they can’t be easily taught to any degree of competency in a short duration. However, prospective bootcamp participants shouldn’t be concerned about their hiring prospects—in a survey of 1,000 employers, 72 percent proposed that “bootcamp grads are ‘just as prepared’ to be high performers as degree holders.”6
Bootcamps tend to be run by former professional developers who might have recognized a potential skills shortage in their area of expertise, or have perhaps been contracted by another organization to help bridge gaps in the workforce. However, setting up a bootcamp undoubtedly incurs significant costs, and these must be recouped. In return for a cash stake, many bootcamps will guarantee a six-month or year-long placement upon graduation. The prospective student should be fully aware of the financial implications of withdrawal or rejection, as some bootcamps conduct a very rigorous process from which only the most dedicated and conscientious will graduate. The typical bootcamp experience lasts 12 to 16 weeks or longer, depending on the nature of what’s being taught. What most propose to deliver within that timeframe is a realistic industry experience, development of professional competencies, and preparation for entry to industry, potentially including readiness for interviews and testing.
Graham A. WilsonMoray College UHI
Editors:Gustavo Rossi, Universidad Nacional de La Plata; [email protected]
WHY CHOOSE A BOOTCAMP EXPERIENCE?There are a number of factors potential candidates should consider when signing up for a bootcamp: financial implications, time scale, location, and level of commitment required. Bootcamps are generally suitable for those who want rapid entry into the sector, to freshen up their skills, or to change their career path. This might include university post-graduates who are struggling to get hired, although undergraduates are increasingly ditching university studies to sign up. The potential benefits of this can include student loan savings, assured industry experience, a fixed-term position and salary with enhanced employment prospects through rapid skills development, and better appreciation of workflow methods, lifecycles, resource libraries, and debugging tools. Bootcamps can also offer opportunities to improve interpersonal skills (which post-graduates often lack, according to employers). While university graduates might enter industry with better technical skills than bootcamp graduates, they will have accrued far greater loans and still lack many of the nontechnical skills that potential employers prize so highly.7
WHAT’S TAUGHT AT BOOTCAMPS AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANTA bootcamp experience is not only an opportunity to develop software development skills. In addition to choosing from a wide variety of languages to learn, bootcamp participants will have the opportunity to experience modern development lifecycles such as Agile, RAD, XP, or Scrum. Working as part of a team is generally considered an integral element of modern development work, as are the associated interpersonal, communication, and self-reliance skills (and soft skills like using office packages).8 Employers aim to determine whether a potential employee can work independently, act professionally, and follow complex instructions competently.
While the interview and testing process offers serious hurdles often overlooked by universities, some bootcamps spend time with potential graduates to prepare them for this vitally important stage. Those that work in partnership with development companies are well acquainted with the interview process and testing requirements.
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR WHEN CHOOSING A BOOTCAMPWhile the language taught is clearly a key consideration when choosing a bootcamp experience, so is the reputation of the bootcamp and whether it is regulated. If the bootcamp possesses a charter and publishes annual figures for scrutiny, there is a greater likelihood that it is reputable. Many bootcamps now sign up for the Council on Integrity in Results Reporting (CIRR), established to bring greater transparency to the sector through accurate reporting.9 Ken Mazaika, web developer and contributor at TechInspiration, suggested that unless a bootcamp has signed up for auditing, any figures they publish could be highly unreliable.10 The trainers’ background and experience should also be scrutinized, as these can potentially lend credibility to graduates as well as enhance the experience. On the flipside, some bootcamp founders might have previously run bootcamps that have folded (as many have in the past, particularly before regulation). In the worst cases, bootcamp founders have actually absconded with their candidates’ signup fees.11
LANGUAGE CHOICEInstead of basing a bootcamp choice entirely on language, prospective candidates should consider what transferrable skills might be gained. Will there be a guaranteed position at the end? Can signup fees be recouped? Is the commitment worth the potential return? On the language question, it might pay to play safe, as there will always be opportunities to learn other languages on the job. The core concepts never change much, so if you’ve learned one language,
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it should be easier to learn another. (A software developer and contributor at 4Geeks Academy proposes a useful chart to help decide on a language to learn.12)
Adasha Verma, co-founder of Fossbytes, suggests that the demand for language skills will remain much the same in 2018 as for 2017, although there will be more positions available.13 There is a growth in demand for discrete programming language skills: Java, C++, and C# (68,000, 41,000, and 28,000 positions, respectively). For web programming, JavaScript developers are still in demand (40,000 positions), but PHP and Perl demand has fallen. The popularity of Ruby on Rails has declined drastically, with many bootcamps ditching it in favor of Java.14 Python, as a multipurpose language, remains very popular, despite a decreasing number of available developer positions.
GETTING VALUE FOR MONEYTwo overarching factors should help determine whether a bootcamp experience is suitable. Will it offer value for money and will it provide future-proofed skills, facilitating a career in industry?
Undoubtedly, some developers are happy to rest on their laurels and remain indefinitely in a position. Ambition aside, skilled developers rarely remain in any position for more than two years, and employers are aware and accepting of that.15 An exciting project with a dynamic team and the opportunity to work with a new language is far more likely to draw the most talented developers. Those possessing intermediate skills are more likely to remain loyal to a company because they appreciate their own shortcomings and consider themselves lucky to retain a position.16
TURNING A BOOTCAMP EXPERIENCE INTO FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENTEven after finishing a bootcamp experience, trepidation will remain as graduates face up to that most daunting of prospects—the job interview. This part of the process is something that most good bootcamps will help prepare participants for. Nevertheless, it’s worth researching a company and matching the job specification against personal experience. Interviews with larger organizations tend to be conducted by HR personnel, who are often more interested in how the candidate comes across personality wise and how closely they match the perceived employee image of the organization than in their technical ability.17
As far as technical skills are concerned, candidates will likely have the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities in some form of test, which a bootcamp can prepare them for. Applicants who don’t have bootcamp experience can still find examples of tests online and prepare for them, as a lack of preparation is immediately unappealing to prospective hirers. Regarding technical proficiency, Hyam Singer, contributor at Toptal, says: “It’s the candidate’s fundamental technical strength and understanding, creative thinking, and problem solving that are critical.”18
WHAT A CAREER IN DEVELOPMENT MEANSApplicants attaining a position should remain alert for opportunities to get involved in exciting projects, or at least to stretch their existing skills. Any development opportunity must be worth consideration, although accepting a task beyond current abilities or knowledge could restrict subsequent opportunities or even be career damaging. While ambition is acceptable and sometimes expected in the software development industry, those who place their own personal ambitions ahead of the team risk alienating themselves.
There is much more to development than just coding, as it’s neither the most lucrative nor the most sociable aspect of the industry. Experienced developers often gravitate toward leadership roles in project management or systems analysis, both of which can be very well paid.19 The risk of burnout has always been high in the industry, as many developers have discovered to their misfortune. While it’s important not to become stuck in a rut, Geoffrey Barnes, founder of Loud Programmer, proposes that complacency, job hopping, passing up promotions, over-specializing,
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and failing to develop a career road map are all potential career killers, but most dangerous of all is neglecting to interact effectively with colleagues and clients.20
CONCLUSIONAlthough a bootcamp won’t be suitable for everyone and the traditional university route remains a very viable option, a bootcamp experience can help participants get past those difficult initial hurdles in getting hired. With a little research and preparation, university post-graduates can equip themselves with the necessary knowledge to get through the interview and testing stages successfully. In the long term, a post-grad will probably make more rapid progress in the industry as their advanced technical abilities start to bear fruit.
Although bootcamps are definitely worth considering for those looking to make inroads to the industry, it could prove a risky gamble for those who are less than fully committed. It’s unlikely that they will survive any of the better bootcamp experiences that are available. In such cases, it might be better to sign up for a college entry-level course and engage in a broader learning experience to help decide which area of the computing industry is preferred.
REFERENCES1. S.K. White, “7 IT Salary and Hiring Trends for 2018,” CIO, 2 Nov. 2017;
2. A.D. Rayome, “The Myth of the Tech Talent Shortage: Why it’s a Much Smaller Problem than Vendors Say,” TechRepublic, 16 Oct. 2017; www.techrepublic.com/article/the-myth-of-the-tech-talent-shortage-why-its-a-much-smaller-problem-than-vendors-say.
3. “Since its Report Launch Five Years Ago, Next Gen Has Influenced Policy, Rallied Industry and Galvanised Educators to Improve Computer Science Teaching,” Nesta, 2015; www.nesta.org.uk/next-gen.
4. J. Lowensohn and R. McCormick, “Obama Announces $100 Million Initiative to Bolster Tech Hiring,” The Verge, 10 Mar. 2015; www.theverge.com/2015/3/10/8179239/obama-techhire-initiative-100-million-fund-for-tech-hires.
5. J. Walrack, “How to Pay for Coding Bootcamp: 9 Financing Options No One Told You About,” Supermoney, 30 Oct. 2017; www.supermoney.com/2017/10/pay-for-coding-bootcamp-financing-options.
6. “What Do Employers Really Think About Coding Bootcamps?,” Indeed, 2 May 2017; http://blog.indeed.com/2017/05/02/what-employers-think-about-coding-bootcamp.
7. R. Mason and G. Cooper, “Introductory Programming Courses in Australia and New Zealand in 2013—Trends and Reasons,” Proc. 16th Australasian Computing Education Conf. (ACE 2014), vol. 148, 2014, pp. 139–157.
8. M. Weisfeld, “What Skills Employers Want in a Software Developer: My Conversations with Companies Who Hire Programmers,” Informit, 12 Nov. 2013; www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=2156240.
9. “Raising the Bar: Schools That Produce Real Results Aren’t Afraid of Transparency,” Council on Integrity in Results Reporting (CIRR), 2017; cirr.org/standards.
10. K. Mazaika, “The Dirty Little Secrets about the Worst Coding Bootcamps Out There,” Techspiration, 29 Jun. 2015; https://medium.com/techspiration-ideas-making-it-happen/thedirty-little-secrets-about-the-worst-coding-bootcamps-out-there-a894fea33efe#.ftulmdciv.
11. S. Rodriguez, “The Strange and Sudden Disappearance of a Coding Bootcamp Founder,” Inc., 17 Oct. 2016; www.inc.com/salvador-rodriguez/devschool-coding-bootcamps.html.
12. A. Sanchez, “The Coding Bootcamp Syllabus Matters,” 4Geeks Academy, 4 Nov. 2017; www.4geeksacademy.co/coding-bootcamp-syllabus-matters.
13. “Top 7 Most In-Demand Programming Languages of 2018: Coding Dojo,” Fossbytes, 18 Dec. 2017; http://fossbytes.com/in-demand-programming-languages-2018-list.
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14. M. Hughes, “Ruby on Rails Is Out: Major Coding Bootcamp Ditches It, Due to Waning Interest,” TNW, 26 Jul. 2017; https://thenextweb.com/dd/2017/07/26/ruby-rails-major-coding-bootcamp-ditches-due-waning-interest.
15. “How Long Do Tech Pros Stay in Their Jobs?,” Dice, 8 Jul. 2016; https://insights.dice.com/2016/07/08/how-long-do-tech-pros-stay-in-their-jobs.
16. Z. Andresen, “The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly of Tech Job Hopping,” Paysa, 10 Jul. 2017; www.paysa.com/blog/2017/07/10/the-good-the-bad-the-ugly-of-tech-job-hopping.
17. M. Youell, “The Art of Recruiting a Software Developer,” Quartz, 5 Apr. 2013; https://qz.com/70905/the-art-of-recruiting-a-software-developer.
18. H. Singer, “In Search of the Elite Few—Finding and Hiring the Best Software Developers in the Industry,” Toptal, 2013; www.toptal.com/freelance/in-search-of-the-elite-few-finding-and-hiring-the-best-developers-in-the-industry.
19. N. Mowlaee, “Here Are the Top 10 Highest Paying IT Jobs in the Technology World,” Interesting Engineering, 25 Mar. 2017; https://interestingengineering.com/top-10-highest-paying-it-jobs-technology-world.
20. G. Barnes, “7 Silly Mistakes Developers Make That Will Ruin Your Career,” Loud Programmer, 16 Dec. 2016; https://loudprogrammer.net/7-silly-mistakes-developers-make-that-ruin-your-career.
ABOUT THE AUTHORGraham A. Wilson is a lecturer in computing at Moray College UHI. He is a member of ACM SIGCSE and is currently in his final year of PhD studies in computing education. Contact him at [email protected].
