Bootcamp grads? In this economy?
Tips for fresh bootcamp grads that maybe you haven’t heard, and that are (hopefully) less vague and anxiety inducing
I am a proud recent graduate of the Grace Hopper Program at Fullstack Academy in Chicago. I finished the program in December 2019, and afterwards completed a teaching fellowship that ended in early April 2020. I’ve recently been in the same spot as many new bootcamp grads, in a tough and unfortunate situation that is affecting literally the world.
I’ve heard the same broad tips that you may all have heard, which can probably be boiled down to:
- Focus on your personal projects
- Keep ‘networking’
- Keep applying to jobs
I get it. No one really knows what to do right around now. But as a self-proclaimed person who is all right at creating structure for herself, I have more specific things that maybe you haven’t tried yet.
Before getting to the list
If you are anything like me, you will write these down and beat yourself up if you don’t do every single one. Please don’t do that!
Think of yourself as a wall, at which I am throwing spaghetti. If anything feels right, and like something you can achieve, note it. If it inspires you to do something similar, or completely different, and it brings you excitement, do it. The hardest thing to manufacture is excitement, so if you can find that in yourself, grasp it.
The Spaghetti
- Use your program to your benefit
Your experience as a new developer, as a career changer, and as a bootcamp grad is unique. It is material that you can use not just in your portfolio, but as subject matter.
Write blog posts about the challenges you encountered while working on a new library, or with other people.
Write blog posts on your successes, and the new concepts you’ve learned in the process.
If you’re not the writing type: maybe record a video or podcast about your experience. Maybe a webcomic?
Think about how you can share your experience with others in a novel medium (pun not intended). The idea is that you share your experience, because people are interested, and because it will grow your connections. Share it with your network if you want. - Learn something new
Everyone and their neighbor has been offering their online course(s) for free lately. It’s a great chance to take advantage and continue your learning journey!
Don’t give yourself the pressure to do a project in an entirely new language if you’re still learning, but maybe add structure to your day by setting a goal to do one lesson or unit a day.
I just finished the regular expressions and SQL units on Execute Program. It’s split up in bite size chunks so I learn something new every day, but I don’t feel overwhelmed. Other (possibly still free) options: Exercism, these games that teach you, CS50, AlgoExpert, Codecademy, Learn… - Do a project by yourself
Here is a list of awesome beginners-friendly projects. I am very sure there are many, many more lists just like this one.
As someone who has completed a bootcamp program, I know that you also probably have at least 50 tabs still open on your browser. Read them. Take notes. Think about what they say. Sleep on it. Get inspired. Work on a thing based on your many many tabs, if you feel like it. If not, maybe close that tab, or file it away for later. (This also helps with mental clutter.) - Do a project with friends
If you’ve got some programmer friends, and they all want to do the same thing as you, and if it’s exciting to both you and them, you might have a new cool portfolio piece, or just a fun thing to do to learn and grow!
There are also volunteer development opportunities. - Chat with your ‘connections’
Being a grad of Fullstack Academy immediately opens me up to a network of a lot of people in the tech industry, most of whom I don’t really know.
I used to be the type of person who did not care to be a ‘connection’ to someone I truly didn’t know, but lately I realize that reaching out to strangers ends up being an important part of expanding my network which, directly or indirectly, will help me find a job.
I am by no means an extrovert, but it bothers me to be connected to people I have never interacted with. So, I will send them a message that creates a low threshold for conversation! Lately, I’ve been asking people about their favorite thing to do at home. It starts a conversation, and if I’m lucky, I’ll build a relationship. And if not, I feel better that I’ve tried. - Hackathons!
This is basically a mini project, but on a time crunch. Maybe the time and financial pressure of a bootcamp is what helped you grow so much in the first place. A hackathon is a great way to simulate this on a small and short (and often more free) scale. A lot of the time, you will have learned something new by the end, and best case, made something stellar for your portfolio online. - Go to meetups and be transparent
Listen, ‘meetups’ these days are real weird. They are quite frequently on Zoom, and the ‘natural’ conversations tend to be a little more forced when in isolation. That doesn’t mean you can’t be honest about your situation, that you are looking for work, and also that you have hobbies and are a human being! (Hot tip: don’t say exactly this, you know what I mean)
It’s still possible to connect with people. It’s not… fun… but it’s still possible. When I do meet someone at a remote networking event, in a breakout room or something, I’ll write their name down, connect later, hopefully with something I remember about them that is interesting.
People who you won’t remember are not going to be helpful: not because they’re not fully interesting humans, but because you will have a hard time manufacturing a connection there.
Of the people I have met, I’ve been open with them about my situation looking for work. I’m always surprised by how many people are kind and will offer help however they can. - Coding practice
This is the usual ‘practice code but not in a project’ tip. I am sure you are doing this already. These sites are great for interview prep: Leetcode, HackerRank, CodeSignal, CodeWars - Retreat for a bit
The world is weird. It’s totally okay to take one or many naps, or spend a few hours playing Animal Crossing, or whatever you want. You won’t be working at your best if you don’t feel your best, mentally or physically. Give yourself time to get to a healthy place for yourself! - Calm the f*** down
This is for everyone but especially for introverts: it’s weird because now there are fewer excuses to cancel virtual hangout sessions. It’s valid to say you want to spend some time for yourself, working on a personal project, or just chillin’. - Self reflection
Know that the balance between self-care, personal growth, and growth as a software developer is hard and also really important.
Me? I don’t know my balance right now. But, it’s not currently bad and I continue to check in with myself about it.
Sometimes ‘healthy’ doesn’t feel like you’re a fairytale princess. Sometimes it feels like ‘not terrible’. But I hope you also sometimes feel like a princess :)
Phew…
Maybe everything on this list feels like a lot.
Take a day. Take two days. Do whatever it is that makes you feel healthy. That doesn’t necessarily mean whatever you want, but you know you. Personally, I need to journal to check in with myself, and I often need to draw or read to clear my mind. Then, I feel ready to take on the world again. Knowing what helps reset you is really powerful.
I hope this was helpful in some way
I kept a version of this article as a mental list for myself, to give myself structure and direction during the job search. I found it helpful to have some options every day or week that I could take as I pleased. This is by no means an exhaustive list (obviously), nor one that should dictate your life.
I hope it might help give you a little direction, if you are seeking it.
