Common Questions From A Prospective Coding Bootcamp Student

In trying to answer a few common questions for a prospective student, I looked down and realized my email to him had become a lengthy article well-suited for our blog. They were great questions and it's my hope that below you will find adequate answers that are helpful to all!

THE QUESTIONS

1. Some of the other bootcamps I have looked at have broken down their courses by front-end or back-end. I understand that [DigitalCrafts] is more of a full-stack course, but in comparing curriculums, would you say that your program tends to lean more front-end, back-end, or should I truly expect to come away with the skills to be a full-stack developer?
2. Upon successfully graduating from the class, what job titles would I be looking for? Will it be "Junior Developer" with the appropriate programming languages in the job requirements?
3. Since I am going through a career change, what type of resume assistance will be available? I'm not sure how to position the education of the bootcamp and projects versus my previous career experience.

Some of the other bootcamps I have looked at have broken down their courses by front-end or back-end. I understand that [DigitalCrafts] is more of a full-stack course, but in comparing curriculums, would you say that your program tends to lean more front-end, back-end, or should I truly expect to come away with the skills to be a full-stack developer?

Upon successfully graduating from the class, what job titles would I be looking for? Will it be "Junior Developer" with the appropriate programming languages in the job requirements?

Since I am going through a career change, what type of resume assistance will be available? I'm not sure how to position the education of the bootcamp and projects versus my previous career experience.

THE ANSWERS

Great questions! Our curriculum can be broken down as follows:

We spend about 6-7 weeks on units 1 and 2 (front-end) and then 6 weeks on units 3 and 4 (back-end). That leaves the final ~3 weeks for final projects and advanced topics. As you can see, the divide is pretty even. If I had to pick one topic that we really try to focus on the most, it is definitely Javascript, as it is the most in-demand developer skill today and applies to both sides of the web stack (thanks to Node.js).

I will say, though our curriculum is pretty evenly divided between front-end and back-end projects, in reality it may slightly favor front-end skills. This is because the first two units don't include much, if any, "back-end" work, but by necessity front-end skills continue to get honed throughout units 3 and 4 (otherwise you wouldn't be able to see the results of your back-end efforts!). Also, students tend to favor different areas, so that can impact how they divide their efforts as well.

Regarding job titles, I encourage successful students to apply to junior and mid-level openings, in some cases outside of the languages covered in our program. Having to learn Ruby, for example, after working with Javascript and PHP is not a deal-breaker for some employers, while C++ or .NET openings might not feel the same way. Also, this is not to say our average student leaves with mid-level skills, but rather that job postings are often asking for more experience than they are actually willing to consider. All that said, for some students an entry-level internship might be considered a win. You have to keep an open mind!

Getting a job in a new industry is definitely tough, but not impossible. You have to really want it, put in the effort (both in school and after), and come in with the right expectations. If any school tells you otherwise, I would exercise caution; if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Concerning your resume, we provide templates and will proof-read / edit resumes and LinkedIn profiles to the best of our ability. Some of our students have experience in differing, unrelated fields, and we do our best to help them focus on the portion of their work history that tells the most compelling story. That said, one nice thing about this industry is your portfolio trumps your resume every time.

We also have a "Meet & Greet" coming up in addition to a few other events you can't miss out on! Check out our MeetUp page for up-to-date info on events.

Do you have any other questions? Let us know at hello@digitalcrafts.com!