My story on Coding Bootcamp

If you have been seriously thinking about web development, software design, etc... Chances are, you have probably wanted to (or need to) learn how to code.

Code is the fundamental of great design and performance. There are plenty of front end development sites that you can learn to build on, but what do companies want? The want their back end coding to be unique, clean and most importantly, they want it to work!

So, you know what companies want, and you know what skills you need, but how do you attain these skills? There are plenty of ways to learn. There is the "self taught" method that includes hours and hours of research through Google searches, YouTube videos and even learning from a friend. There is also the college route, where you will spend more money, and have to take all the prerequisite courses that most colleges often standardize. Sure, a college degree looks good, makes you feel good, and is something you can add to your resume, but in all honesty, most tech companies could care less if you have a degree or not. They care if you know how to code, how to learn new frameworks and how to "type" their language. That's where a code bootcamp can really help.

Coding Bootcamps often get a bad rep from companies. They are cohorts designed to teach a person code, usually in under 3 months. It is an accelerated learning environment, which can be intimidating at first, and a lot of companies think you don't learn enough or anything at all, but let me tell you my story...

I have been marketing for a few years, as well as designing websites using frameworks like Wix and WordPress. But, I wanted to further my knowledge and learn how to code. I searched and searched different ways on how to become a full stack developer, and all roads kept leading to a Code Bootcamp. Well, luck would have it, I was contacted by a buddy of mine who is also the founder of a Veterans Non-Profit Organization about a school here in Utah that offered a course for Veterans. Immediately I was intrigued, and so began the research of Code Bootcamps.

Like I said before, Coding Bootcamps often have a bad reputation. I found reviews, blogs and vlogs all over the internet from people who had tried, succeeded and even gave up the pursuit of these cohorts. I was intimidated at first, and wasn't too sure if a bootcamp was the route I wanted to take. I then decided that the worst thing that could happen was I would fail, not for a lack of trying, but a lack of understanding the material, fundamentals, logic, etc. I ended up taking the plunge, and went and met with the school, took a tour, and after our two hour long meeting, I started getting excited. I signed up and waited for the cohort to start.

Not to lose track, but there are a few things you must take into consideration before deciding if a bootcamp is what you want to do.

Before you decide, here is some answers to some of those above questions and statements.

After I finish my story on my experience, I will get to the good part....

So anyway, after I decided to commit, and after I took the 4 items above into consideration, I developed a plan. Aside from attending the bootcamp, I would do as much research on what I would be learning as I could. I took hours of pre-work courses online that I found for free at Codecademy, watch "how to" videos on YouTube, and also reached out to developers in my area to try and learn any helpful tips I could. When school started, it was very apparent that I had taken those previous steps as learning to code was familiar to me.

I attended a very good school in my opinion, and I learned quite a lot compared to what I have heard most schools teach. It was a very hands on learning environment, where we had to sort out and fix our own bugs, recreate front end websites, learn a lot of back end development, learned valuable languages and frameworks, but most importantly, it didn't feel like a school environment. The instructors were very knowledgeable, as well as helpful. The school had a "laid back, no pressure" atmosphere to it, and I didn't wake up everyday feeling that dreadful feeling we all often get. What I realized at the end of all of it, was that I found something I was very passionate about. Even after class was over for the day, I found myself at home coding along with the free online courses, and researching different languages, frameworks and tech/development skills. Still to this day, I am always researching and learning, and I think that is one of the best things about this passion.

The rewards of this bootcamp definitely came after the cohort was done, but man were they worth it. Prior to becoming a full stack developer, I had quite a few jobs. Some a lot more physically demanding than others, but in all reality, they weren't what I wanted to do my entire life. I joined the United States Army before I even got out of High School, and for 6 years thats what I was, a Soldier. I ended up getting sick and eventually was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease which ended my Military Career. After I tried working as a mechanic, a construction laborer and even in retail sales, selling cars, car parts, etc. I only had one other passion at the time, and that was hunting and the great outdoors! Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted to grow up and be two things. A "Military Guy" and a "Hunting Guide". Well, I did the Military part, and after a lot of hard work, struggles, success and proving I was good enough, I finally became a Big Game Hunting Guide. Problem with being a guide is it technically is seasonal, and you never know how many, or even if, you will book clients that fall. So, when I had the opportunity to learn development, I saw it as a means of income in between hunting season. Little did I know, that it would actually turn into a passion.

One of the biggest rewards of attending a code bootcamp and becoming a developer, is it isn't cheap hiring a developer. Which means you have a wide range of wages and salaries that can be made. As a developer, I make as much in one year as I do in seasons of guiding, and the best part is, I am not beating my body up, nor freezing or dying of heat on the mountain for days on end. Am I ever gonna stop guiding? Eventually, when my body can no longer keep up, but until then, it still is a passion of mine. Another reward is I gained a lot of experience and knowledge in a short time frame. I had interviewed with a few companies while still attending the bootcamp and firstly, they were impressed with our curriculum, and secondly, their whole mind set of code bootcamp changed. I also got hired on to a few projects as a freelance developer while I was still in school which helped make up for lost income during the 3 months which was nice.

So, that is my story of my experience with a code bootcamp. Yes it was worth it in the long run, but before you decide to join one, make sure you are ready.

#technology #developers