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Ask HN: People who completed a bootcamp 3+ years ago: what are you doing now?

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Re: Ask HN: People who completed a bootcamp 3+ years ago: what are you doing now?

#121

Post by busterarm »

gothrowaway wrote: post #120
busterarm wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Something just didn't sit right with me about this post and it took me a while to find it. > The sad truth is, there are recruiters who will throw out your resume if you associate with bootcamps. Is there _anyone_ in this industry that needs to actively seek out recruiters? The only people I know with strong relationships with recruiters are either at the top of this field or the bottom. Outside of a couple that I kn…

> Is there _anyone_ in this industry that needs to actively seek out recruiters? You don't. Recruiters could also mean the people who pour over resumes when people apply for jobs. The intention is whoever is looking over resumes will overlook candidates merely for attending a bootcamp. Need proof?

I don't need proof. Different companies are skewing for different metrics in their interviewing.

Some companies like to skew heavily in favor of academic computer science knowledge. It's a bias that they have and it may or may not be the correct one. Google skews this way, but Google also interviews and hires bootcamp grads. I also know plenty of bootcamp grads with strong academic computer science knowledge, but in general this is not the case.

That said, throwing out a resume for the sole reason that you saw someone attended a bootcamp regardless of what else they know, have done and are capable of, which is what you are insinuating, is totally stupid and possibly a bit deranged. Whoever is doing that shouldn't have input in hiring. Anywhere.

Re: Ask HN: People who completed a bootcamp 3+ years ago: what are you doing now?

#122

Post by rPlayer6554 »

mabbo wrote: post #35

Note some selection bias may exist in the answers. If you did a tech bootcamp three years ago and it went fantastically, you're probably reading HN today and will see and reply to this. The more success you had, the more likely you're a developer today! If it went terribly, you might still be working at Starbucks and don't read HN very often.

As always, relevant xkcd: https://xkcd.com/1827/

Re: Ask HN: People who completed a bootcamp 3+ years ago: what are you doing now?

#123

Post by lint_roller »

yeahbaby wrote: post #13

I went to a code bootcamp 3 years ago. Now I make over 6 figures doing java in a LCOL state. The code place I went to did a really good job preparing me for the actual work. I am a senior level contractor and actually get to work on interesting stuff. I know over 10 people off the top of my head who also went to code bootcamps and are all making over 70k in LCOL locations. They are thriving and not hack's in the leas…

What's the trick to getting six figure work in LCOL areas?

Re: Ask HN: People who completed a bootcamp 3+ years ago: what are you doing now?

#124

Post by illuminator »

brookside wrote: post #112

I attended a bootcamp Winter 2013-2014, after making a last minute decision not to attend grad school for something unrelated. My choice was almost entirely pragmatic, and was heavily influenced by the book So Good They Can't Ignore You [0] by Deep Work author and Georgetown CS professor Cal Newport. As for the bootcamp experience - I have trouble focusing for long classes, and would have benefited from a couple or m…

Which boot camp did you attend?

Re: Ask HN: People who completed a bootcamp 3+ years ago: what are you doing now?

#126

Post by hkjgkjy »

cagataygurturk wrote: post #125

Why the most of bootcamp grads go to frontend jobs? Is it easier?

I think it's more accessible - my designer friend felt sorry for me when working because I had "no pictures". Front end development usually means GUI programming, where graphics is the first world.

You don't need to learn about data structures, count in binary and you instantly see graphical, useable results. It's a gateway drug.

Re: Ask HN: People who completed a bootcamp 3+ years ago: what are you doing now?

#127

Post by roel_v »

lando2319 wrote: post #117

Bootcamps have a lot of haters who want to nitpick the details, it makes me glad I didn't think about it too much when I signed up, I just thought, "hey I want to code, they teach coding... I'm in" first bootcamp (web dev) 5 years ago, second one (mobile dev) 3 years ago. Unlike most in my CoHort, I had no interest in a dev job, I wanted to provide contract work and perhaps join a startup for equity. > What are you d…

"CoHort"

Sorry for OT, but this caught my eye - did you capitalize like this on purpose? If so, why? Just curious about language oddities like this :)

Re: Ask HN: People who completed a bootcamp 3+ years ago: what are you doing now?

#128

Post by wand3r »

flor1s wrote: post #113
gothrowaway wrote: post #107

I got paid to learn to program. 45k a yr to start off with. Then 70k a few months later. You don't need to pay a school to learn to code. The sad truth is, there are recruiters who will throw out your resume if you associate with bootcamps. Why? Because the quality of the programmers they generate is low. Code camps run like mills. From stories I've heard, they pay instructors as contractors below market rate (20-50k…

I did my masters in Computer Science (graduated cum laude) and am currently in the third year of my PhD. I applied for a few companies but I am having trouble getting through the coding tests, which are sometimes very practically oriented (Android and iOS). Maybe I am not skilled enough as a programmer, or the companies tests are not suitable for me, or the companies themselves are not suitable for me, but I believe…

Why do you think you're having trouble? Presumably you know at least 1 language well and can build shit? Are you looking for competitive jobs and are you trying very hard? In my experience a lot of people get jobs through networks so I wonder if you are quite qualified, feel competent you can do (or learn quickly) the job but simply can't get the opportunity. I feel that way.

I went to a boot camp, know a few languages fairly well, can do a lot with a computer. I think certainly more than enough for entry level. I am trying to break in myself, once "in" I think I could carry entry/jr workloads but getting in is hard

Re: Ask HN: People who completed a bootcamp 3+ years ago: what are you doing now?

#129

Post by xmj »

mabbo wrote: post #35

Note some selection bias may exist in the answers. If you did a tech bootcamp three years ago and it went fantastically, you're probably reading HN today and will see and reply to this. The more success you had, the more likely you're a developer today! If it went terribly, you might still be working at Starbucks and don't read HN very often.

If three years after a bootcamp you're spending that much time on HN it probably did not go fantastically.

Re: Ask HN: People who completed a bootcamp 3+ years ago: what are you doing now?

#130

Post by maddcastles »

good_vibes wrote: post #82
maddcastles wrote: post #80

I graduated from General Assembly in NY 2 years ago. I worked as a junior dev on Long Island for 6 months. Then I hopped across the pond to Berlin, Germany to teach at a Bootcamp whilst I travel Europe. It's been a dream so far :)

They let you teach with only that much experience?

I had 1 full year of dev experience and I had direct bootcamp experience. Also, I'm technically a TA, not the lead teacher. Bootcamps, such as GA, hire teachers and TAs who are fresh out out of their own bootcamps, with a lot less professional experience than I had.

Also, like a lot of bootcamp grads in this thread, I did a lot of programming on my own, getting better and more confident. So I personally believe I was/am a stronger programmer than my years of experience would imply.

There is a stigma with the hiring of developers solely based on the number of years of experience they have. If you are qualified to do something, and the employer has determined that you are qualified for that position, then number of years of experience you have should be irrelevant.

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