Coding bootcamps have become a popular option for those interested in learning to code. The primary goal of coding bootcamps is to provide students with the necessary technical and soft skills needed to land a job in the tech industry. However, jump-starting a career in tech can be intimidating for recent high school graduates or those looking to transition from a non-tech industry career. Many coding bootcamps have begun to offer career service support to their students to help them get a leg up in the job market upon graduation.
Types of Career Services Offered
Personal Branding
Coding bootcamps provide students with the technical skills needed to succeed in tech but they will need to know how to effectively communicate their new technology to employers to land a job in the tech field. Most coding bootcamps will help students build a personal brand that showcases their skills and makes a good first impression with employers. This can include assistance in polishing a student's resume, cover letter, and portfolio to showcase skills that can help them gain a competitive edge in the job pool.
Having a credible digital presence is also important in the tech field so many coding bootcamps assist their students with creating or updating their LinkedIn and X (formerly known as Twitter) profiles. Additionally, career services can help you build a voice via platforms, like Medium, which has been used by those in the tech industry to showcase their first-hand experiences and learning in the field.
Interview Preparation
Top employers look for employees who are excited about the work they are doing in the classroom and can communicate that to them. Interview preparation can help students effectively convey who they are and why they are the best candidate for the job. Coding bootcamps career support teams typically focus on both hard and soft skills. Students will be prepared to ace both kinds of interviews:
- Technical Interview: This interview can be different from employer to employer but can consist of a remote and/or on-site coding assignment or whiteboard challenge. The purpose of these interviews is to understand whether a prospective candidate can use their technical skills to tackle real-world problems.
- Cultural Interview: In addition to assessing your technical skills, employers want to be sure that you will fit the team dynamics and overall organizational culture. While technical skills are important, many coding bootcamps stress the need for soft skills as employers want to hire people they will enjoy working with. Showcasing your interpersonal communication skills and being personable throughout the interview can help you land a job more easily.
Networking
Coding bootcamps assist students in networking in the tech fields through a variety of means. Students can take advantage of their coding bootcamp’s alumni pool or employee-partners to grow their connections. For those unfamiliar with formal networking strategies, career services can help students develop a plan to reach their job search goals, whether that be attending large events, taking part in hackathons, or setting up one-on-one meetings.
Compensation Package and Salary Negotiation
When an employer extends a job offer, they will typically provide a compensation and benefits package that outlines your salary, benefits, special arrangements (sign-on bonus, remote work, or moving expense allowance), and a description of the role. While it may be exciting to receive an offer, you want to be sure to negotiate your package so you don’t leave any money or other benefits on the table. Coding bootcamp career service teams will be aware of industry salary and compensation trends based on geography, role, and experience. They can help you build a solid case for additional compensation, perks, or benefits, and help you effectively communicate it to your potential employer.
Career Coach and Mentors
Some coding bootcamps provide students with a designated career coach to assist them in navigating the job search process. Some coding bootcamps pair students with their coach at the beginning of bootcamp, whereas others may wait until the program’s midpoint. Career coaches will help students hone in on their career goals and create a job search strategy that will help students land a job after graduation. Career coaches help hold students accountable to their job search and can help students stay motivated through the process.
Questions to Ask Coding Bootcamps about Career Services?
Each bootcamp offers different career services to support their students in changing their careers. As you explore different coding bootcamp options, it’s important that you choose a bootcamp that can help make the career transition easier with career support. Here are a few questions to consider asking admission representatives as you explore your coding bootcamp options:
- What types of jobs do graduates of your program typically land?
- What is the average starting salary of a graduate of your coding bootcamp?
- What companies or industries do graduates of your program work for?
- Does your bootcamp provide career services support? If so, what kind?
- When does career service support begin in your program?
- Do you provide career services to graduates of your coding bootcamp?
- Does your bootcamp offer a job guarantee?
- What do employers like about graduates of your coding bootcamp?
- What is your job placement rate? How is this accessed?
- Does your bootcamp have employee-partners?
Coding Bootcamps with Career Services Teams
CareerFoundry
With immersive courses in UX design, UI design, web development, and data analytics, Career
CareerFoundry aim to educate the next generation of tech talent.
Coding Dojo
A global leader in technical education since 2012, Coding Dojo offers bootcamps in software development, data science, and cybersecurity.
Eleven Fifty Academy
Eleven Fifty Academy is a nonprofit coding academy that exists to help close the nation’s growing technology skills gap through its mission of creating an ecosystem of coding talent that benefits the individual, their employer, and their community.
Flatiron School
Founded in 2012, Flatiron School trains passionate, creative people so they can launch a new career in code, data science, or cybersecurity.
Galvanize/Hack Reactor
Galvanize is an untraditional organization that aims to bridge the gap between ambitious students, industry partners, and world-class education. After successfully operating coding bootcamps for five years, Hack Reactor was acquired by Galvanize with the goal of building a stronger ecosystem of support for students, alumni, and employers.
General Assembly
General Assembly (GA) has been cultivating diverse talent since its launch in 2011. Launched as a coworking space in NYC’s Flatiron Districts, GA offers courses in 40+ cities across 7 countries and boasts over 80K alumni.
Le Wagon
Le Wagon aims to bring coding skills to creative people who aim to create their own startup or add technical know-how to their skillset.
Lighthouse Labs
Created in 2013, Lighthouse Labs was created by a team of software developers with a passion for code, mentorship, and education. Their mission? To continuously find the best ways to train the next generation of developers and transform the way tech education is delivered in Canada.
Tech Elevator
Tech Elevator is an intensive in-person, and virtual live remote education provider helping individuals and companies acquire in-demand technology skills for the modern workforce. More than 2,000 professionals have graduated from Tech Elevator.
The Software Guild
The Software Guild was launched in 2012 by software developers and was modeled after medieval guilds, where skilled masters passed on their training to apprentices in a rigorous, hands-on process that produced more talented craftspeople. Today, The Software Guild is part of a global learning community that equips apprentice graduates with relevant, employable skills in coding.
Thinkful
Founded in 2012, Thinkful is an online education platform with career support that aims to get its students new jobs and lifelong careers. With 1-on-1 mentorship, living stipends, portfolio workshops, interview training, a strong employer network, and a job guarantee, their bootcamp put the success of its students above all else.
True Coders
True Coders’ mission is to provide a comprehensive program that will guide students all the way from hands-on classroom education to being placed into a satisfying career.
We Can Code IT
Championing social equity through technology, We Can Code IT teaches people how to code with a focus on inclusion in tech. They offer accelerated training in software engineering and web development to adults, then help our graduates find new careers in tech.
Ready to start your coding career?
Are you interested in finding the coding bootcamp that’s right for you? Check out Noble Desktop’s coding bootcamps. You can take in-person classes at Noble’s location in NYC or attend a live online coding bootcamp from anywhere in the world. You can also find other coding bootcamps in your area using Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me tool.