Coding Boot Camp Wrap Up

So, that’s that. I may post a follow-up some months from now, addressing how my new skills performed in a real workplace, but other than that, this is the end of the blog. I’m glad to be done writing it, because it was a lot of work when combined with all the programming I had to do. But I’m also really happy I did it. It kept me focused and it forced me to reflect on each day and appreciate it for what it was, good or bad. And now that it’s over, I will always have a log of the time where I transitioned from being laid off to rebounding with new skills superior to my old ones. Having these thoughts all in one place, I’m able to look at the days spent at TE in one shot and say something that people don’t often say: I’m proud of myself.

Also, this is a record for anyone trying to research what a coding boot camp is like. One of the main problems I had when trying to decide if I should take this plunge was whether or not I could believe what was being written online. I mean, these are technical people trying to sell expensive classes to the non-techs. I was definitely suspicious and I had a difficult time becoming convinced. This blog could also be considered a service, I suppose, a day to day reporting on what you can expect (or SHOULD expect) at a coding boot camp.

And with that in mind, here are my final thoughts and recommendations.

• This worked for me. Like, as well as it could possibly work. I had five months of self-study with coding before TE, and that’s it. I didn’t have the story of always wanting to be in tech, like many of the other students. I needed a better job and I thought that this was a good way to get one. It was. I make way more money now, I have a way nicer work environment, and I’m proud to tell people what I do.
• Will this work for you? Well, I don’t know you. But I can tell you this: it won’t work for everyone. It’s really, really difficult. Most people probably think it’s difficult because you have to be smart to accomplish it. That’s not true. Yes, there is a degree of intelligence required to get in the door, but it’s not some lofty computer genius standard. I was a low ‘A’ high ‘B’ student in both high school and college. What got me through the boot camp was not intelligence, but grit. You have to be the type of person who will not quit and try hard day after day after day. You have to keep a positive attitude in the face of adversity. You have to be willing to be humbled. You will not be the smartest person in the room. That will be Tom. Or !Tom, maybe. If you can clear everything else out of your life, can afford to pay for the class, are at least sort of smart, and have deep endurance for work, then a coding boot camp might be right for you.
• But not just any coding boot camp. I got my job through the matchmaking process at Tech Elevator. I applied to over 25 companies and all of my interviews (save one, which was for a company in Turtle Creek and would have been an hour and a half commute) came from the matchmaking process. The Pathway Program at Tech Elevator is legitimate and essential. Not all tech companies are ready to hire boot camp graduates. That’s a fact. You need someone advocating for you. As of today, four days after graduation, nearly half of the 32 students from Cohort 2 are hired. I’m not aware of one hire that wasn’t the fruit of Caitie and the Pathway Program. If the boot camp you’re looking at does not have something similar, you better have your own connections or it’s going to be a long road.

If you’d like to ask more exact questions about Tech Elevator or what I think concerning boot camps in general, feel free to email me. Otherwise, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed following my journey from retail to programming.