Can You Get a Job After a JavaScript Bootcamp?

Students who complete a JavaScript bootcamp have gained valuable coding skills and are qualified for several related careers. Depending on their bootcamp’s focus, students may be better prepared for certain tasks or positions, such as web development or software development. Career-focused JavaScript bootcamps specifically prepare students for employment, tailoring their lessons to the tools and techniques required for certain careers and adding advice and services to further assist students’ career readiness. The best of these career-focused bootcamps not only qualify students for employment, they help graduates get hired.

What Job Prospects and Career Paths are Available for JavaScript Bootcamp Graduates?

The most common career pursued by JavaScript students — and the most common work featured in JavaScript bootcamps — is web development. Even a general JavaScript bootcamp provides enough background to write the scripts used in most websites, preparing graduates for work in web design or front end web development. A more in-depth bootcamp focused on web development might include additional techniques, libraries, and other tools used in website coding for back end and full stack web development. JavaScript students can also write portable components and applications that other web creators can use. Aside from web development, some JavaScript bootcamps focus on applications for mobile devices, another common use of the language. Professionals who specialize in these types of scripts might be called Software Developers, Software Engineers, or JavaScript Developers. JavaScript skill is also useful for several other careers, such as smart appliance design, data science, and machine learning, but these fields require additional specialized study beyond a JavaScript bootcamp.

Are JavaScript Bootcamps Good for Beginners?

Bootcamp courses can be a good option for beginning JavaScript students, especially the ones who plan to seek a career using JavaScript. Most JavaScript bootcamps assume no prior experience with the language, although they may ask that students know HTML and CSS as a prerequisite, especially for bootcamps focused on JavaScript for the Web. The first part of a JavaScript bootcamp is similar to an introductory short course on JavaScript, explaining the language’s fundamental terminology, syntax, and techniques. In this section, students learn to write simple or ‘vanilla’ scripts, before moving on to more complex techniques and tools that expand JavaScript’s functionality. Note that a JavaScript bootcamp will present these lessons more quickly than a comparable introductory course so that it can reach intermediate material faster. Bootcamps also teach additional tools not included in introductory courses: libraries, development frameworks, and assisted programming interfaces (APIs).

Note that JavaScript bootcamps do omit some advanced material, particularly topics not related to the focus of that bootcamp. They also address few topics outside of JavaScript, especially when compared to more thorough professional training programs. Some full career training programs are equally accessible to JavaScript beginners and provide even more career preparation than a bootcamp. However, career training programs are also considerably longer, meaning that students take longer until graduation and longer until they are ready to work. The same is true for students who first take an introductory JavaScript course and then add advanced coursework related to their career goals. Compared to either option, JavaScript bootcamps are equally approachable for beginners and are the fastest path from no JavaScript skill to career-ready coding ability.

What Career Services Do JavaScript Bootcamps Offer?

JavaScript bootcamps first begin preparing students for employment within their curriculum. Instructors often discuss coding techniques within the context of particular work tasks, identifying the kinds of projects that would need those structures. Similarly, instructors explain tools like libraries and development frameworks, often designed with particular work in mind, in the context of that work. Career-focused JavaScript bootcamps feature the techniques and tools most needed for their specified career while excluding unrelated topics. Bootcamps also tailor their course projects to match the assignments graduates might handle during work. Using these projects, students create a starting portfolio as an asset for their job search. Many career-focused bootcamps also include lessons on interview preparation, providing examples of likely interview questions and demonstrating answers or approaches for each question. Instructors may also discuss careers in detail, ensuring that students consider all options: direct employment at various businesses, consulting work, or independent product development and sales.

Beyond the classroom, bootcamp courses offer other services to assist students’ career preparation and job search. A few bootcamps include private, 1-on-1 consulting sessions with instructors or advisors. Students can use these sessions to improve their resumes, discuss their career plans, or address problem areas. Some schools maintain relationships with employers to assist with networking, and most career training schools can help students find and evaluate potential employers. Finally, schools may maintain informational resources to explain how to begin careers like independent consulting or development. For careers that include JavaScript but require additional skills, such as full stack web development, schools can also help students create a training plan toward that goal.

What Jobs Will a JavaScript Bootcamp Qualify Me For?

Several careers have JavaScript programming as their primary skill, and completing a JavaScript bootcamp qualifies graduates for entry-level employment in these areas. Web design, front end web development, mobile application development, and general JavaScript development are all jobs a JavaScript bootcamp graduate can begin right away. These entry-level workers can then gain further experience while earning a living, eventually progressing to more senior positions or seeking additional education to qualify for related jobs. Web Designers build websites, choosing the contents, design elements, interfaces, and other interactive features of each page, as well as the overall appearance and flow of a website. Front End Web Developers perform similar duties but are more skilled at creating interfaces, data management structures, and other coded elements that support the appearance and functionality of websites and websites. A Mobile Application Developer, or Mobile Developer, creates applications for smartphones and other mobile devices. Most such applications, including games, social media apps, and work tools, are written in JavaScript and only need to be adapted slightly to work with each device’s specific hardware, primarily its interface structure (i.e. touchscreen input and display type). A JavaScript Developer works specifically with JavaScript. A JavaScript Developer could have similar duties to a web developer or mobile developer, or they might create web-based applications, write components for other developers’ use, build libraries or other tools for other JavaScript programmers, or adapt JavaScript itself to add new functionality. 

Other positions start with JavaScript training but require additional study beyond a single bootcamp. In some cases, students with suitable prior experience require only a JavaScript bootcamp to prepare themselves for these jobs, while other JavaScript students may be able to start in an entry-level position and learn other necessary skills while working. Other areas of web development, back end development and full stack development, use JavaScript but also require knowledge of server programming, database management, and security measures, as well as additional coding languages like Ruby, PHP, Java, and Python. A Back End Developer builds the server side of a website, integrating its pages’ features with the site’s various functions, such as secure logins, sales systems, or data storage and retrieval. A Full Stack Developer handles all parts of web development, both front end and back end.

Another career open to JavaScript bootcamp graduates, but which requires additional study, is software engineering. A Software Engineer is similar to a Software Developer but may handle more than just coding, being responsible for the design and planning of programs, the coordination of multiple creators, and the evaluation of finished programs. Finally, JavaScript has uses in some high-demand careers like data analysis and machine learning. A Data Analyst collects and analyzes information from a variety of sources, identifying and communicating patterns. A Machine Learning Engineer writes, trains, and improves programs that can learn to act on their own by revising their own code, generating new code, or producing complex outputs based on simple user requests. Both fields use JavaScript to create helpful tools for their work, but the language is especially useful for gathering and sorting information, particularly online.

Can I Freelance After Completing a JavaScript Bootcamp?

Freelance work is a viable career option using the skills gained in a JavaScript bootcamp, although it requires some extra attention and self-promotion. Using their knowledge of JavaScript, bootcamp graduates can directly sell services like web design, web development, application development, and JavaScript support. These freelancers may work with individual or corporate clients to build requested products like websites or apps, maintain or update a client’s existing services, or assist a team in developing a larger project. 

It helps if a student knows beforehand whether they are planning to work on a freelance basis, to get the most help from a bootcamp. They should also consider what kinds of services they plan to offer. These considerations should guide their choice of bootcamp, to make sure its lessons and career services fit their goals. Even if a student isn’t sure about these choices in advance, they should keep them in mind while beginning a bootcamp. An instructor might offer additional guidance to help students decide whether they want to pursue freelance work and what services they could offer. The instructor will also be better able to advise on important topics and additional resources that could benefit students’ plans. When students begin working on class projects, they can better shape these projects to the kinds of products they intend to offer, creating a portfolio to attract clients rather than to persuade recruiters. 

As they near the end of their JavaScript bootcamp, a student planning freelance work should be writing their business plan, listing services, setting prices, and planning their approach to clients. After graduation, they will need to put these plans into action, preparing a workspace, advertising, networking, and establishing a professional reputation. Bootcamp programs that offer additional career services can help students even after classes are over, especially if those programs offer specific support for freelance careers. When comparing JavaScript bootcamps and reviewing provider descriptions, potential freelancers should look for programs that offer these services. One of the most useful kinds of support for freelancers is help networking with tech companies. Through these early contacts, they can evaluate the industries and clients their services will support, shape their offerings by setting appropriate service descriptions and prices, and possibly even confirm their first clients. Bootcamp providers may also provide direct career guidance for freelancers, advising them how to set up a business, start promoting services and seeking clients, work effectively to meet project goals, and bill properly for their time. Bootcamps that include 1-on-1 sessions with an instructor or advisor are most beneficial, giving each student more personalized attention and help with their business plans.

Are JavaScript Bootcamps Good for Upskilling?

Many people already employed in technical fields take classes to update or improve their professional skills. They may need to learn these skills to manage or contribute to a new project, to prepare for a new role, or to qualify for promotion. For example, learning JavaScript — or learning more advanced JavaScript skills — can advance a coder from web design to front end web development, give a business owner the knowledge to write web or mobile applications, or enable a marketing analyst to use JavaScript to collect and review web advertising data. For many professionals who need to learn JavaScript, a bootcamp is the most efficient option, since these courses are designed to teach the most necessary skills in the fastest possible format. If speed is a concern due to a deadline and a worker can be spared while they prepare, a full-time bootcamp ensures the fastest completion. Alternately, part-time bootcamps can help to avoid interference between work and study. Bootcamps focused on particular careers or products can be even more useful for upskilling since they ensure that students receive more tailored instruction, especially when compared to thorough professional training programs and college courses.

Still, for some current workers who need JavaScript training, a bootcamp is not the best option. Some workers may not need the depth of knowledge covered in a bootcamp. If their needs are served well enough by an introductory JavaScript course, they can complete that study faster and for less cost than a bootcamp. Other workers cannot spare the time necessary for a bootcamp, even on a part-time schedule, and need a shorter course. If the costs of their study are not covered by their employer, some people cannot afford a bootcamp’s cost. In these cases, professionals may need to take an introductory course first, then schedule additional classes as time or funds permit. Alternately, they might need to seek a more flexible or less costly alternative such as on-demand study through prerecorded lessons. Finally, for programmers already familiar with JavaScript, the introductory portion of a JavaScript bootcamp could be redundant and unnecessary. These experienced students might prefer a more advanced course focused on the specific techniques and/or tools they need to add. These courses are typically shorter and less costly than a full bootcamp. Some specialized or advanced topics are also not covered in bootcamps and require separate coursework anyway.

What Does a JavaScript Bootcamp Offer Over Other Means of Finding a Job?

Most workers know that their job prospects won’t change if their skills stay the same. To find a new career or advance in their current profession, a worker will need to keep learning. There are multiple paths to new knowledge and a better career, each with advantages and disadvantages relative to one another and to each person’s circumstances. Common considerations are length of study, cost of training, ability to schedule around work, course contents, and career readiness after graduation. These considerations can each emphasize or exclude certain kinds of study, but for many who need to learn JavaScript for employment, a bootcamp is the best overall choice.

First, bootcamps are shorter than several kinds of courses teaching JavaScript. A college degree program including JavaScript would not be limited to just that language. Instead, degree programs like computer science, software engineering, or web development address JavaScript as one unit among many. A full college degree typically takes three to four years, including multiple classes a student might not need, and is expensive, costing $100,000 or more at most institutions. A two-year degree is shorter and less expensive, but likely still includes more study than students need if they just want to learn JavaScript. A few colleges offer single-subject courses, usually as part of their ongoing adult education programs. These courses are more limited and even less expensive, but again, would include more material and cost far more than a JavaScript bootcamp. College courses are also less likely, in general, to allow part-time scheduling. Students must attend classes as scheduled, which can be inconvenient if they have work or other responsibilities. 

Alternatively, some technical and career preparatory schools offer professional training programs including JavaScript, for careers such as web development, software development, or JavaScript development. These courses are typically shorter and less expensive than college courses and have the advantage of being more career-focused. For some students, professional training programs are a better alternative to JavaScript bootcamps, if they want a deeper study of the language, additional knowledge about related tools and languages, and preparation for a career that uses more than just JavaScript, such as back end web development. However, these training programs are still much longer than JavaScript bootcamps, double their length or more, and cost several times more. They are also more difficult to schedule around work hours, though part-time options are sometimes available. For people who only need fluency in JavaScript, a professional training program's additional time and cost are usually not worth the extra material covered.

Some options are less expensive than bootcamps, but each of these has corresponding drawbacks and cannot be considered equivalent to a bootcamp. In some cases, employers offer on-the-job training, to reskill employees for new projects and duties or otherwise encourage employees to improve their skills. For JavaScript, this internal training could be provided by another employee or a hired instructor teaching on-site. Typically, on-the-job training is free for employees and is scheduled to accommodate their work hours and other duties. However, on-the-job training is limited to the instructor, curriculum, and timing provided by the employer. If workers want to learn something different than is offered, they will still have to study on their own time and at their own expense. Naturally, training through an employer is unlikely to include career support! 

Another less-expensive option is on-demand study, where students learn from written and pre-recorded video lessons. Students can complete these lessons at their own pace, more easily working around limited or irregular availability. Some on-demand courses even cover the same material as a bootcamp course. However, on-demand study has several drawbacks, particularly due to the limited feedback from an instructor or advisor. Students with questions or coding errors have to wait longer for help, which can make an in-depth course take much longer than an equivalent bootcamp. On-demand courses also typically include less direct career guidance. Finally, the quality of on-demand courses can vary widely, and pre-recorded material is less likely to be updated to match current JavaScript releases and tools. The same problems apply, to a greater degree, when considering free resources like tutorials from coding websites or social media sites.Free resources offer few guarantees about quality and provide little or no feedback or career support.

Learn JavaScript with Noble Desktop Bootcamps

Noble Desktop’s JavaScript Programming Bootcamp teaches JavaScript with an emphasis on web development. Students should be familiar with web design or front end web development, or at a minimum, have experience coding in HTML and CSS. This class takes several weeks to complete for full-time students, but it ensures that students are fully prepared to use JavaScript. The instructor first introduces JavaScript’s important features, syntax, and programming techniques. Then, the course addresses several commonly used JavaScript libraries and features added to newer JavaScript releases. This bootcamp concludes with several practical projects that help students practice their skills and create a starting portfolio. The instructor will also discuss interview preparation and career planning for jobs that use JavaScript, and each student can schedule a 1-on-1 mentoring session for further career discussion or questions about difficult topics. The course provides a supplemental workbook and awards a certificate upon completion. Students may also retake this course once for free, for up to a year afterward.

Noble Desktop’s JavaScript Development Certificate program, a complete, career-focused certificate course, combines the JavaScript Programming Bootcamp with two other bootcamp courses and two additional units, at a discount for the full program. Like the initial bootcamp, this program is centered on JavaScript’s use in web development and requests that students be prepared with knowledge of web design or front end web development. Starting with the JavaScript Programming Bootcamp’s introductory and additional lessons, the certificate program then adds a second, more advanced unit on JavaScript development. This advanced section teaches the Node.js and Express.js libraries used for website building, the MongoDB database management system, and JavaScript techniques for creating website security features and user interfaces. The third unit in the program, the React Development Bootcamp, teaches the React JS library, which enables the creation of reusable web components. Finally, this certificate course includes a full unit on career preparation for web development, including portfolio preparation, plus a bonus bootcamp on SQL, a data management language used in web development. In addition to proprietary workbooks and access to class recordings, participants receive eight 1-on-1 mentoring sessions with an instructor, usable for career preparation or discussion of difficult lessons. This course awards a certificate of completion, and participants can repeat the class once for free for up to a year.