Bootcamps de programação valem a pena?

A definitive guide on whether you should spend thousands of dollars on a traditional programming Bootcamp. Learn the pros and cons of Bootcamps, how to get accepted, and salary data. You’ll find an in-depth discussion on making it through the Bootcamp (and your early programming career) successfully, and tips for deciding the best program and how to prepare Yourself to get the best out of it. So, postpone your episode of Squid Game, and dive into this story!

I am a Bootcamp Alumni and currently a Software Engineer in Tokyo. I wrote a whole article here about how I landed my job in Tokyo with no Japanese proficiency. I will try to use my experience and some data and statistics to show if this is the right choice for you. Hope it helps!

If you landed here, chances are you are considering applying for a coding Bootcamp or even asking yourself if it is a good idea to go for it. I understand, I have been there before. As a foreigner living in Japan, with no Japanese proficiency, I asked myself the same question.

The answer is solid YES. At least for me. I do not hold a CS degree and I was looking for a career I could love working with and that has a high demand for professionals. I learned that Japan is running out of prepared professionals in IT, so it was another reason to go for it.

While a degree in CS would cost around $59,124, a 9 week Bootcamp would cost around $10k, or less, depending on your location. I know it is a lot of money, but thinking this as an investment in myself was the reason I worked harder during the 9 weeks. If it hurts on the pocket, you will behave, trust me!

A straight answer from data: $70,698/year, according to this Course Report article. It will depend on your city and it may vary, but honestly, you will be able to find a job substantially easier if you have the skills after the Bootcamp.

Coding Bootcamps are fast-paced, intense, and get you working more than a full-time job time would do. Skills like Full-Stack Web Development, Data Sciences, and Career advice are given all the time. Due to this aspect, 80% of students from Bootcamps say they have found a job that used a skill they have learned in the Bootcamp. So, if you are aspiring for a junior dev position, to get started in Web Dev or data sciences, a Bootcamp is a good option for you.

And average coding Bootcamp is about $12.000, and some students can get some discounts if they submit early. This was my case and I got a good discount to buy my bento during classes. As told before, it will vary depending on your location. In Japan, I searched and found prices varying from $7500. Be advised this is my experience from September 2020, and the prices may have changed. A good reference to prepare your budget is to contact Bootcamp directly and ask them for prices and the possibility to have discounts. I did, don’t be shy. For example, at Le Wagon, there is an Early-bird Discount of ¥50,000 (US $450), if you apply 1,5 months before the beginning of classes.

The answer is solid YES. At least for me. I was chasing a career I loved before I try to work in a job just for the sake of having a salary. My urge to work and have money, made me decide to invest the savings I had and 9 weeks of time there, and I can’t complain. The course was in English, and you will work on real projects with very experienced teachers.

Short answer: Stick to your goal, and work harder!

You will be disappointed when the code crashes and answers are not given away if you don’t try before. There is some weird magic happening here. You are not in an easy spot, it not comforting to fail, and yet, you will be put into situations you may find in the real world. Your colleague will make a ‘commit to GitHub’ and you both will have to solve a conflict to get the whole parts working. Trust me, this is very basic when you work and it is not even a problem to solve with your colleagues. But here is where you start discovering how strong and resilient you can be. Push your limits, there are many people in the Bootcamp seeking the same goal as yours. This is a priceless feature of going out of your comfort zone!

Long answer: Well, you know lots of stats so far, but what do Alumni actually think about Bootcamps? A simple search on Google Reviews on your fav school could give me a very positive impression of Bootcamps and also, I personally found tons of reviews from Reddit and Course Report!

Many people from Marketing, Sales, Recruitment and other areas claim that the Bootcamp was not only about the technical skills learned, it was also an increase their network and think what is really important to learn: work in teams.

I am not saying that you are doing wrong if you want to study at home, using Youtube, Coursera, Udemy, or other amazing courses out there. The fact is that you will be exposed and eventually have to deal with the human factor. I learned that making mistakes during the Bootcamp is the best way to get feedback from real people, that would leverage my career by providing me with meaningful feedback.

Yes!
Businesses want to get things done, not only seeing the diploma. Wait up! Again, I am not saying that a Bootcamp will replace a Computer Sciences Program, that would be lame. Bootcamps focus more on practical skills, like HTML, CSS and JavaScript, Github, Deployment, and Frameworks to get work done. It does not mean it is easier but definitely is what companies need to get much of their work done.

See what experienced devs say about Bootcamps.

Pro tip: Once you are done with your Bootcamp, keep working hard, but smart and you will be seen as a good developer sooner than you think. Seriously, this is a cliché that will boost your career after completing a Bootcamp. Even though the schools will provide you with a certificate of accomplishment, the companies want to see these 3 basic elements on your set of hard and soft skills.

I hope this article gives you some directions and light before taking your decision to get started in a Bootcamp. I can tell things are hard when you join the course, but it is the most rewarding experience you can ever have.

In order to succeed after Bootcamp, think a lot about yourself and your ability to learn new things along the way. Your resilience is as powerful as the hard skills you are about to acquire.

Good luck and tell me in the comments if you have any questions, or share your personal experience.

Cheers!

Original text from Medium