Yesterday, on September 7, 2021, I finished a coding bootcamp. I spent 12+ months in Flatiron's part-time Software Engineering extensive course. I ...
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Congrats.
My path also took a bit longer, I started in March 2020 part time and switched to full time in module 2. Life was thrown at me while I was in module 4. In stead of finishing in September 2020 I started my 3rd cohort (full time again), before they revoked my access to the curriculum I forked all the labs and copied all the lesson material in a word document for mod 4.
As I joined a new cohort I had to wait until December 2020 for them to catch up with me. Meanwhile I had plenty of time to work on my mod4 project.
Mod5 was a disaster again, life was thrown at me once again and I had to rely on public wifi and charge points in the mall to complete the module. Needless to say I was unable to complete my mod5 project on time.
Because of what was thrown at me the materials just didn't sink in.
I was given another 2 weeks to complete, but disaster struck again in the form of the 'Texas Freeze Storm'.
Due to COVID the library was already closed and now because of no power after the storm the mall was closed for almost 2 weeks. Driving around in your car to look for some available public wifi doesn't create a very suitable learning environment.
So it looked like this would be my dead end. I understand that for Flatiron it is a business too and they have to set certain limits to call it quits. But after a good word of my last cohort lead 'Nancy' I was allowed yet again to join another cohort that started in December 2020 (actually was given 2 options).
Because of work I was not able to join all online lectures, but the matter was sinking in this time. Biggest problem was to come up with a subject for the project as I started all over again, but at the end it was the same as I started before.
A cohort assistant 'Chris' spend many hours with me in the evenings when I had time to work on my project. Still was late with turning in the project, and on top of that the first available assessment opportunity was after the final deadline.
But I made it on first try (end of May 2021), I myself was not impressed with the project. But the assessor thought different about that.
Than came the career services, as I only had a job I did part time and now had to do full time to be able to get around and being a 24/7 on call job I was already afraid of matching the requirements of the career coaching. Had not understood that those requirements became active once the job start date was defined. First week after the start date I already failed in that, okay so no longer 'money back guarantee'. At least 1 sorrow less and more time to focus on the other things.
During that time I also had already started to apply left and right, but 3 weeks after the job search start date I landed a job.
Starting it in another weeks time.
I also started doing some codewars kata's in Ruby as that had been the longest time ago. And it sure turned out to be rusty, but after a day things became natural again.
In the bootcamp we showed our skills and I think we will be able to pick up another language as it comes across our path when needed.
Good luck on the job search.
Hi John! Thanks for the comment! I feel like I remember you from "Nancy's" full-time cohort in September-November 2020. I was also in that cohort haha. I am glad you were able to figure everything out and push through. Congrats!!
Connect with me on LinkedIn if you have!!
Hey Adriana, congrats on finishing Flatiron! That's an awesome achievement. I'm looking at Flatiron myself (DC location) for 2022-2023 and found this review very helpful. What resources are you using for Python?
Hey Aaron! Thanks for the comment + the congratulations! I appreciate it. It's great you're looking into Flatiron especially if you are doing in-person classes. I have not started my self-education into Python yet but I was recommended a supposed, great book called "Automating the Boring Stuff: Python". I might start with that or start with freeCodeCamp's curriculum.
I have that book - it’s really good. Al also has a course that follows that book on Udemy I believe and has a Twitch channel if you ever want to watch him code. And you can’t go wrong with fCC either!
Congratulations! I’m currently enrolled in a bootcamp and I’ll be done the 3rd week of October. I am looking forward to being finished but I’m also a bit nervous about my next steps.
Glad that you were successful with the course and can’t wait to hear what comes next for you!
Thanks Anita! Congratulations to you too! Being in a bootcamp is just as difficult as finishing a bootcamp hahah. Do you mind me asking what bootcamp you are in?
Sure! I went to Nucamp. It was totally online and the whole thing took 4 months. I also work full time so I wasn’t able to commit to one that ran longer than that 😀 But that’s the awesome thing about Bootcamps— you can always find one that suits your needs!
Yes! I agree. There are so many out there now -- both online + in-person. I haven't heard much about Nucamp but they should be able to provide you the tools + resources for your next steps post-grad/post-bootcamp completion! There's also countless amount of resources online for resume building, networking, personal branding.... etc. You can also talk to me for help also! I am still learning + always will be!
Ooh, congrats on completing the bootcamp!
Reading the comments I'd like to throw a few little tidbits in for the crowd.
Coming out of a bootcamp you've got the chops to do the job.
This, sadly, is quite different from being able to GET a job.
As you go into the process, remember that the whole interview process you'll experience is nothing like the job itself. You will quite literally spend days or weeks discussing what word goes in a button or what to name a table. In an interview you'll build Twitter in < 20 minutes.
If you find that getting a job after your bootcamp is not going smoothly, check out some of my articles on the subject, or my book, or class, or whatever. It can be real rough experience getting a job, even if there are plenty out there. Don't beat yourself up, be kind to yourself, and remember it has nothing to do with your ability to do the job.
I hate seeing good developers struggle to get jobs they're more than qualified to have. Sadly, that's how our industry is right now.
Great input Ryan! Thank you for sharing -- you are very right!!!
Congrats on that extensive program. Way longer than mine. I appreciate the insight you provided and a lot of what you mentioned are things I'm starting to realize myself.
I'm within three weeks of wrapping up my Python boot camp and I'm certainly nervous of future interviews and gaining employment. This is due to the lack of confidence (somewhat) in being proficient in the languages I learned. I have been reassured by a friend who went the same route about 3 years ago and he says that you learn everything at your first job anyway. I hope he's right but nailing those interviews are, to me, the biggest test. Opinion?
Have you started down the interview path yet? If so, any advice??
Hi Erik! Thanks for commenting. With Flatiron School's programs, post-graduation, you are given a "career coach" that helps you begin the interview + networking + resume + portfolio process. So, yes I have began this process, but I have not yet applied nor interviewed. I definitely agree that nailing the interviews are my biggest hurdles, as well. I think with time + more failure mixed with some helpful feedback, there shouldn't be a problem getting a job in tech. Unless, one really doesn't know coding. It sounds like you and I do!! I am definitely going to go on my first interview scared as heck -- but from doing the bootcamp I have learned that failure is a big part of this industry!
Awesome. Thanks for the reply and good luck with everything!
Great review! The more I learn about "bootcamps", the more I appreciate having NEVER tried one, and I don't plan on it.
Thanks for the comment! There's a lot of free resources out there to self teach but if you need some guidance then bootcamps are not terrible!! Keep doing what's best for you !!! :)
Great! Sorry for the late reply. I have pretty bad social anxiety so I'd shut down rather quickly in that environment. Plus, learning something vs exposure to information & regurgitating it involves literally different parts of the brain... Which is why our traditional learning systems are so bad. I'm going off on a tangent now, I know! If it gets you job ready so be it, but I'm already in the IT field. Doing tech support, which is not respected nor compensated well. :( Good luck and I hope you do very well!
A big congratulations!!!
Glad to hear another recommendation Python, when I eventually have some free time to start learning more that's that's what I'm going to dive into.
Thanks for the comment Kristin! Yes me tooo! :)
Thanks for the very detailed report. I'm planning on going to Flatiron soon, but read mixed reviews on the staff and the learning/learning styles.
I'm leaning towards doing a part-time online course, but coming in to the NYC location to do the learning/homework.
I feel that this may be the best way, since:
The reasons to do the full-time in-person course are:
I still haven't decided, and tonight (after reading some reviews on Reddit, and this one) am starting to doubt whether Flatiron is the right choice, or if I should look into General Assembly again. I spoke to the admissions team at GA for a couple weeks, and went to two info sessions (one online, then one in person).
The advantages of Flatiron are:
Bottom line, I'm not so sure on what course (no pun intended) of action to take. I want to be a full time programmer one day (hopefully very soon), and feel that a boot camp is the best way for me.
I'd really love to hear your opinion on this matter, if you'd be so kind. Thanks again for your great post, and I wish you all the best!
TL;DR: I'm having trouble deciding on 2 points:
Congrats!
Thank you Imia!!