Are Software Engineering Bootcamps Worth It?

Software Engineering bootcamps are short, intensive classes with a narrow focus that can help you gain skills quickly. Bootcamps are useful for upskilling or exploring a possible new career path.

What is Software Engineering?

Software engineering is a rapidly growing field offering a wide array of career opportunities such as Software Engineer, Full Stack Web Developer, Data Scientist, or Machine Learning Engineer. With technology continually evolving, learning software engineering can equip you with in-demand skills, open gateways to lucrative compensation packages, and offer constant learning opportunities for professional growth.

Software Engineers use programming languages to develop software programs and applications. From system software to web applications, Software Engineers create operating systems, like Mac OS and Android, and video game systems, like the Nintendo system software, which allow video games to run. They also design application software to carry out specific functions. For example, Spotify is an application software that allows you to listen to music or podcasts. Engineers use high-level programming languages like Java and Python to write application software. 

What Can You Do With Software Engineering?

Software engineering can open up opportunities in a variety of industries. For example, Software Engineers are needed in the tech, retail, government, education, marketing, media, transportation, healthcare, and finance fields, just to name a few.

Whether you are pivoting into a software engineering career from another field or are looking to upskill, many careers use software engineering skills to power their computer programs and software solutions. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, software engineering jobs will grow by 22% over the next decade, which is much faster than average for most occupations. A few potential careers you may land after adding software development skills to your toolbox include: 

• Software Engineer: These engineers develop software using their extensive knowledge of user experience design, operating systems, and programming languages. They can create different types of software, from games to operating systems. After analyzing a client's needs, they design, develop, and test software to meet those needs. Software engineers can be divided into two distinct career categories: application engineers and systems engineers.

• Full Stack Web Developer: These developers can manage both the front end (user-side) and back end (server-side) of websites. Working on both ends of development allows engineers to tap into their creative and analytical skills, as they are concerned with what the user will see and how things integrate behind the scenes to keep the software running.

• Data Scientist: We live in a data-driven world, and companies generate large amounts of data about their consumers. Data Scientists use scientific methods, machine learning algorithms, and other analytical tools to make sense of this data. Businesses use the insights from Data Scientists to inform business decisions. 

• Machine Learning (ML) Engineers: These programmers research, design, and build artificial intelligence (AI) systems. Examples of AI systems include Apple’s Siri, Tesla’s self-driving cars, and Betterment. ML Engineers use large data sets to create algorithms capable of learning to automate prediction. 

• Development and Operations (DevOps) Engineer: DevOps engineers oversee code releases and deployments in collaboration with developers and IT staff. In addition, DevOps works across team siloes to ensure new updates and features to software can happen seamlessly and without bugs. These IT professionals have a wide range of knowledge of the software development life cycle and operations.

Why Learn Software Engineering in a Bootcamp?

Software engineering bootcamps are intensive classes focusing on specific topics to help you learn skills quickly. Experienced instructors lead the class in hands-on projects designed to build competence in software engineering best practices and help students gain confidence. You can take bootcamp classes in person or online, and the courses are a much less expensive way to change careers than a college degree.

Bootcamp vs. College

You can learn software engineering skills by enrolling in a college or university and majoring in computer science or information technology. College degrees can take four or five years to complete, and while you get a well-rounded education, they are very expensive. A year of college tuition costs between $10,000 and $50,000, while bootcamps cost between $300 and $1,500. If you want to change careers quickly at a reasonable cost, bootcamps provide instruction only in the coding skills you need over the course of a few days to a month.

Bootcamp vs. Self-Paced Courses

You can also sign up for self-paced courses to learn software engineering. These are prerecorded video sessions that you can watch anytime and anywhere. They are usually accessed through a subscription platform, some of which offer a limited free trial period. Unlike bootcamp courses, self-paced classes don't have a live instructor to answer questions or clarify assignments. They also can become out-of-date quickly because digital tools and platforms change frequently.

Bootcamps vs. Free Training Options

There are also free software engineering training options, like YouTube tutorials, podcasts, and blogs. It is possible to teach yourself coding through free materials and trial and error, but that will take much longer than enrolling in a bootcamp class. Like a self-paced class, there is no instructor to turn to with questions, and you have no way of knowing how current the class content is.

Learn Software Engineering Skills with Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop's Software Engineering Certificate can give you the skills you need to start a new career in the software development industry. This program is divided into four sections: front end development, React Development, and Django (Python) Development. In this program, you will learn the most pivotal skills needed to secure a career in software and web development. The assignments in the course are designed to help you create a portfolio of projects, and the course also includes interview preparation, practice responding to common interview questions, how to polish your resume and LinkedIn profile, and tips for applying to jobs. 

Noble's Full Stack Web Development Certificate covers developing every aspect of a digital application or webpage. You’ll learn how to program the visual appearance of a web application (the front end) and the infrastructure that allows it to function (the back end) to create complete webpages. In this course, you’ll learn how to use programming languages like HTML/CSS and JavaScript to program memorable, interactive webpages. You’ll also use the MERN tech stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React, and Node.js) to add databases, APIs, AWS and other server environments, and interactivity for those web applications. The Full-Stack Web Development Certificate provides students with a robust programming education that can help them break into the in-demand world of web development, software engineering, and computer science.

This is a project-oriented course that teaches students how to code a website from scratch. By the end of the course, you’ll have developed a portfolio of working web applications that you can take with you onto the job market. This course also includes portfolio and job search help. You can also attend Noble's SQL and WordPress Bootcamps for free as part of this certificate course.

If you prefer, you can take these Noble classes included in the certificates one at a time. Web Development with HTML & CSS covers building websites with HTML & CSS; creating multi-page websites with text, images, and graphics; styling with CSS; and uploading files using FTP. 

Advanced HTML & CSS includes important CSS concepts like positioning, advanced selectors, and relative type sizing. You will also learn to work with multiple background images, transparent color using RGBA, CSS gradients, and shadows. The course also covers creating animated effects with CSS transitions and transforms.

Flexbox, Grid, and Bootstrap covers laying out and aligning website content with CSS Flexbox. Learn CSS Grid to layout websites and Bootstrap to build layouts quickly.

JavaScript for Front End teaches you to make dynamic and engaging websites with JavaScript and GreenSock. Learn the basics of JavaScript and how to use free pre-made JavaScripts to add functionality. Create animated slideshows and build animated image enlargers.

Noble's Python Programming Bootcamp covers built-in data types and their behavior and Control Flow Statements, the programming essentials used across many languages. You’ll also learn how to professionally structure your programs and solve real-world challenges by creating objects in Object-Oriented Programming. In addition to covering these core programming concepts, we’ll also discuss the most common coding interview questions and demonstrate the best programming practices used by professionals. Throughout this course, you’ll practice these new skills by working on programming exercises with instructor guidance. By the end of this course, you’ll have a portfolio of projects and code samples on GitHub to show to employers.