Open Letter to Employers on Behalf of Bootcamp Grads (and also to Bootcamp grads)
I transitioned into the tech scene through a coding bootcamp — Dev Bootcamp in New York. The process has at times been exciting, frightening, and challenging. At this point, I feel like I have outgrown the impostor syndrome that many bootcamp grads go through. However, comments people make both in person and on social media sometimes put me a little on edge.
A few months ago, a CEO whom I both respect and admire posted something denigrating about bootcamp grads. It basically said that all the new bootcamp grads will finally be able to get jobs now that the government is including tech skills in high school education.
I was shocked to see this. I didn’t feel like I could call him out on it, either. After all, by this time, I had less than a year’s experience in the real world. And maybe he’s right, maybe most bootcamp grads aren’t the best employees when they come right out.
Fast-forward 2 months. Now, I offer consulting to this CEO for his engineering team in addition to my full-time job. Me, a bootcamp grad.
Since my graduation from Dev Bootcamp only 8 months ago, I have achieved the following:
- Published an iOS app on the App Store with +1K users
- Built a mobile engineering tutorial with an open source mobile app
- Landed a full-time job at an innovative and growing startup
- Been recruited by many companies, including Google.
Many others in my cohort and from other cohorts have gone to be major contributors at large companies like Time Inc. and at growing startups like Course Report. Many have founded companies. I could never have achieved any of these accomplishments without the support that a bootcamp like DBC offers, both through its instruction and its community. And I can’t help thinking that when CEOs and managers express their negative opinions on bootcamp grads, that they’re getting it wrong.
Invest in people, not degrees. People can learn new things and grow — degrees are static. As an example, I am putting a team together for the Tech Crunch Disrupt Hackathon. One of the team members has very little / no tech experience. But I think she’s an incredible person; energetic and tenacious. I want to invest in her, more than someone who has a design or engineering background. So she’s learning about wireframing and product design and I look forward to collaborating with her in the future. If employers would look at a bootcamp grads’ credentials in a different light, they might realize that there is a lot of developed skills and potential waiting to be tapped.
Now, a note to bootcamp grads. Not to be extreme about this, but there is a right way and a wrong way to do this. The biggest misstep I see from some bootcamp grads is not stretching themselves above and beyond the curriculum. Here are some things that have helped me keep my skills sharp and marketable while going through bootcamp:
1. Network. Go to meetups; talk and interview real people in the tech field. Know how to approach them without asking for a job, and collect information. You’ll find that people generally like to be able to help others, as long as they don’t feel pressured into something.
2. Find the right compromise between passion and marketability. I agree that you should follow your passion and do what you love. Just try to find projects that are also marketable to employers, that show what you can offer to them. When I was in bootcamp, I chose to focus on ReactJS because I liked the technology and I thought it would pay off for employers (it is, now :)).
3. Hustle. You might get a better fit by trying to find jobs in a non-traditional manner. Nowadays, I find sites like Angelist to be an easier way to meet teams than Indeed or LinkedIn. Another way I’ve landed interviews is by presenting at a meetup. This is a much better way to meet people in the room, rather than just being another guy / girl in the audience. Be courageous and put yourself in front of others. Showcase your talent.
That said, I think bootcamps in general offer a huge value proposition for people who don’t have 2-4 years to transition into a new field. The skills that bootcamp grads already have before transitioning will also add value to a company. Employers should not give in to stereotypical generalizations just because they interviewed a poorly prepared bootcamp grad or two. Focus on what can actually bring value to your team and culture.
Follow @tomgoldenberg.
