How to get a job after a Coding Bootcamp
Coding bootcamps are a rewarding learning experience with career builder prospects. Such bootcamps are nowadays a fun way to interact with peers, augment new skills and expand your existing knowledge. However, the biggest concern after completing coding bootcamp is whether or not you will get a job after coding bootcamp.
Being a coding bootcamp student, you might wonder how you could put yourself out there in the real world to get a dream job and carve a solid career. If you are in your early 20’s, when you spend a big great slice of time working to support your living, you seek some good fortune in this domain.
So how long does it take to get a job after coding bootcamp and how employable will you appear to recruiters or managers after the bootcamp qualification? This article is focused on answering these questions and suggesting effective ways to get a job after a bootcamp program.
Bootcamp grads from the eyes of Employers
In the eyes of global employers, there is some friction going on between traditional graduates and coding bootcamp grads. A survey conducted by Indeed job search website in 2017 revealed that nearly 70% of employers prefer bootcamp grads over traditional graduates with a degree as equal high-performance candidates.
Merely 17% of them preferred degree holders over bootcamp graduates while 12% considered bootcamp learners as more prepared to be high performers than traditional graduates.
In the favour of Bootcamp grads, Fullstack Academy discovered a positive attitude towards hiring bootcamp graduates in the last 5 years.
Though it took little hesitance for startups to hire bootcamp grads - major brands like Google, Facebook, Amazon, LinkedIn, JPMorgan and Amex started investing in coding bootcamps in 2018. Only middle-scale companies are among the most hesitant for getting them onboard.
From these realistic statistics, we can easily deduce that a big number of employers positively view bootcamp graduates and believe they deserve an equal chance, despite the lack of a traditional computer science degree.
Let’s now move on to the next section: getting a job after attending a bootcamp.
- Impress recruiters with the leverage of your portfolio
Being a coder means you will spend much of your time working online, and it’s no surprise that modern hirers will look to your online portfolio and CV placed on popular professional websites. Use top high-traffic platforms to showcase your best work and assignments accomplished so far. LinkedIn, Medium and Hackathon come in handy to demonstrate your flair. Tell your story, show off your competency and learning capability with polished professionalism.
Your online resume must include:
- Brief bio/introduction
- Contact details
- Active Social media profiles
- Accomplished Project links with documented Github code
- Downloadable CV
2. Add more value with volunteering and part-time contributions
When the competition is thick, the best approach to get over it is to improve your standard through volunteering for nonprofit skills. Before you end up having a big break, it is important to consistently boost exposure with personal contributions of code.
There are a lot of non-profit organizations that provide opportunities for skilled volunteers to work part-time or remotely. You can dedicate your free time volunteering as a developer while preparing for job hunting and interviews. This way you not only contribute your coding service, learn and climb up the career pyramid, but also contribute to organizations focused on a good cause.
3. Get networking drive with LinkedIn
If you need better stamina for effective job hunting, LinkedIn provides excellent aid. The biggest professional networking platforms not only offer you a face in the world but also put you in the competitive limelight, offering potential opportunities in the niche of your interest.
The moment you apply to a job opening, you have a massive chance of being noticed and hired by employers active on LinkedIn. Make sure your profile integrates everything and is complete with all the crisp details including a professional photo, bio, background, work history, strengths, and a resume.
Select the right preferences for career interests and job titles you are open to, whether in freelance or full-time/part-time roles and cities of choice. With the LinkedIn mentorship program, you can easily find a mentor in your industry for career advice based on recommendations.
4. Get a mentor that makes you employable
Job hunting is a difficult phase where any aid, even in the form of mentorship, has the potential to land you a good job. Scour and dig deeper to find a mentor either via online platforms or in your support group. Every bootcamp student and grad has a different approach to finding a good mentor. However, certain coding bootcamp course providers help in the job search process through self-preparation.
Students can take job hunting homework exercises seriously and ensure they have discovered unique ways of engagement. Bootcamp institutes can assess learners’ work progress to determine what else students need to advance their search and implement new moves. Such assignments boost natural confidence and the strategic ability of students at job hunting. Make sure you find a coding bootcamp that provides such efficacious job search activities dedicated to strengthening your personality as a professional job seeker.
5. Show a strong willingness to learn constantly
Learning is the key to become the most successful programmer in the world’s dynamic software development landscape.
According to a Stack Overflow Global development hiring landscape report, those who willingly choose full-time development or bootcamp programs gain the best chance to stay ahead in the job hunt.
To prove your learning potential to employers, it is important to remain flexible and demonstrate your ability to learn constantly. People who join a coding bootcamp often get to perform something meaningful with the language, including those who never studied it before. Employers tend to welcome candidates with learning drive, who are enthusiastic about shaping themselves the way the company expects.
Remember it is not what you need, it is what the company needs that matters.
6. Walk the extra mile and appear at networking events
The key formula is to beat the competition and rise above your peers experienced in their niche and striving to step in. You need to walk the extra mile and put yourself out there. Don’t rely completely on the strength of your application, waiting for some miracle to work. To stand out, you will have to build a social personality by meeting people and sharing similar interests.
The effective way to get a job after a coding bootcamp is networking; a lot of coders have found jobs networking with peers and folks on networking platforms like LinkedIn. You stumble on the first and second-level connections that matter a lot in the programming world when it comes to meeting the right starting point.
Being a total computer geek working solely behind the screen probably won’t win you a great break. Attend events, collaborate with senior and junior programmers who also have high hopes to land a job and build a solid career path. The other best places to discover good people for networking are:
- Facebook groups
- YouTube channels
- LinkedIn groups and connections
- Online portals like Meetup.com
- Online Technology community platforms (Medium and hackathon)
- In-person events
You will begin to appear more in recruiter searches as you connect deeper with fascinating personalities and industry experts while attending glorious local events.
Hackathon and Medium are also a few great platforms for exposure that introduce you to coding professionals, peers, and industry experts.
7. Consult with course providers for post-grad hiring process
To land a job after coding bootcamp, you also need constructive support even after receiving a bootcamp certificate. A good course provider like Xccelerate looks after bootcamp coders and extends their support until the hiring process. While bootcamp course providers don’t usually offer job placement services, Xccelerate is willing to be a helping hand and guide bootcamp grads for better job hunting tactics, making their job easier.
You may seek assistance in:
- Building a professional industry-focused CV and portfolio
- Setting you up with robust technical recruitment partners network
- Preparing you for big interviews with trending FAQs
- Expert advice from industry professionals
- Approaching leaders and peers for networking on LinkedIn
- Internship pre-job graduate placements
Conclusion
Remember, in the end, it is not the bootcamp certificate that affords you a job after coding bootcamp, it is your industry-specific skills, sound technical expertise as well as impressive work portfolio.
Being a qualified bootcamp grad is not always good enough for employers to see a qualified job candidate in you. Professional skills and post-grad contributions coupled with strong work experience and keen insight always precede anything else and are highly rewarding in the end.