What makes Bloc’s Web Developer Track special?
Bloc has been in the bootcamp space since 2012. Since our inception, we’ve relied on feedback from the industry and Bloc students to make our programs better.
If you’re reading this, you’ve probably found Bloc through Google, Facebook, or review sites like Course Report and SwitchUp. No matter how you found us, you’re probably wondering, what makes Bloc special? With so many bootcamp options and different types of learning, why is Bloc the best?
We want to take you through the 5 reasons why Bloc’s Web Developer Track is the best coding bootcamp on the market:
1. 360 Support: more than mentorship
What Bloc is doing:
360 Support is our secret sauce here at Bloc. We offer something none of our direct competitors have: equal levels of emphasis on various support channels. Learning how to code is hard and it’s not going to be a walk in the park. We’re confident that 360 Support is the best way to tackle the challenges you’ll experience as a student.
360 Support includes expert instruction & guidance, accountability & structure, and community. Through this, students have access to career workshops, group sessions, mentorship, and live Q&A. To learn more about 360 Support, click here.
What others are doing:
Other bootcamps place a large emphasis on mentorship alone. When bootcamps focus solely on this, it usually results in longer wait times for the student to get answers (mentors are human too and need time away from mentoring). Many students use these mentor meetings to solve bugs in their code when they should be used for discussing the coding world and tips for progressing their career. Even if a student has 2–3 mentor meetings a week, there will be times when they’ll have questions and their mentor isn’t available.
2. Career Service support for life
What Bloc is doing:
Bloc has Career Prep Curriculum woven into our programs so you start building soft skills early on. We want you to be prepared and confident once you’ve completed the program. It also gives students the ability to start their job search sooner. Just this past year, we’ve had multiple students get jobs before completing the program. In addition, you’ll get Career Service support for life!
What others are doing:
Other bootcamps offer Career Services but usually start the process later in the program or have it separate from the curriculum. The downside to this is that students may not be job-ready by the end of their program. In addition, some bootcamps set a time limit for Career Service support (i.e. their support may expire after 6 months).
3. 130+ code reviews to help you master your skills
What Bloc is doing:
You’re not going to start and end this journey alone. Throughout the program, you’ll have assessments and checkpoints where you’ll prove out what you’ve learned. The code you submit is thoroughly reviewed by a professional developer with feedback included. With over 130+ code reviews, you’ll leave Bloc confident in your skills and your ability to write and explain code.
What others are doing:
The bootcamp industry doesn’t talk enough about the importance of code reviews but it is crucial for your mastery. If you receive less feedback, it could potentially lead to a student who is not comfortable writing code on their own or a student who writes sloppy code.
4. Personalized paths: better job opportunities
What Bloc is doing:
If you do a coding search for top programming languages for 2018, you’ll get a ton of different answers. Which language is the best? Depending on where you’re at in the world, some programming languages are more popular than others. That’s why Bloc has created personalized paths where students can choose which path to take based on languages popular in their job market. At Bloc, you’ll be able to choose between Express and Node.js or Ruby on Rails.
What others are doing:
Most bootcamps focus on a specific stack. Rarely, they’ll allow you to choose your path based on what stack is popular in your local job market. Given many bootcamps are offered online, it’s important to have flexibility as one stack may be more desirable in a specific job market vs. another.
5. Flexible pace without sacrificing support
What Bloc is doing:
We strive to provide the same caliber of education in a part-time program as a full-time program. Now, Bloc allows students to pick their pace based on the time they’re able to dedicate to the program. No matter what pace you choose, the support remains the same: the same amount of mentorship, group sessions, and live Q&A support.
What others are doing:
Many bootcamps offer an immersive full-time program and a part-time program. The difference is, the part-time program usually has less support. Just because you’re in a more flexible program, doesn’t mean you deserve less support!
