Can You Get a Job After a WordPress Bootcamp?

Yes, bootcamps are a great option for those looking for career-oriented training. Bootcamps are targeted classes designed to teach students about a specific topic or skill that one can use professionally. Learners often find that WordPress bootcamps aim to teach students everything they need to know to start building professional websites and graduates can immediately put their skills to use upon completion of the course. WordPress is particularly useful for those who want to go into web development, web design, or digital marketing and its associated careers. Bootcamps are a good way to get started on a career pathway though graduates will need to continue accumulating knowledge, skills, and experience to secure a job as a Web Developer, Web Designer, Content Marketer, SEO Specialist, or other similar titles and positions. 

What Job Prospects and Career Paths Are Available for WordPress Bootcamp Graduates?

WordPress training can be the start or continuation of many in-demand careers in web development, design, and marketing. As with most careers, those taking a WordPress bootcamp will likely need to spend additional time outside of the class building upon and refining their skills. With continued practice, bootcamp graduates can expect to be able to use their skills to build and design WordPress themes and plugins, manage and market content for businesses and brands, and optimize websites for advertising and high search ranking. 

WordPress Development

One of the careers that those with WordPress training often work towards is WordPress Development. A WordPress Developer is a Web Developer that specializes in building, maintaining, and updating WordPress themes and plugins. According to Glassdoor, the average salary in the U.S. for a WordPress Developer is $71,500, before any tips, commissions, or bonuses. This is on par with other jobs in web development and the salary range and career prospects for WordPress Developers and Web Developers are similar. 

A WordPress bootcamp is a good first step on the career path to becoming a WordPress Developer. After graduation, one will want to continue to build a portfolio and take on increasingly challenging website-building tasks to develop one’s WordPress skills. It will likely take 1-2 years of experience working with WordPress professionally before one can apply for jobs as a full-time WordPress Developer, though one can freelance or work for companies in more junior positions building individual themes, working on SEO, and managing websites. 

Web Development

A WordPress bootcamp can be one part of the necessary training to become a Web Developer. The main difference between WordPress development and web development is the breadth of knowledge, as WordPress Developers only need to know how to build websites using WordPress software. Much of the coding you’ll learn during or before a WordPress bootcamp will be an essential part of training for web development, though Web Developers need to learn to use additional tools and programs and need to know how to code websites and applications beyond WordPress. 

While many Web Developers have a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field, there are shorter and more cost-effective certificate programs that one can enroll in to receive comprehensive, career-oriented training in front end, back end, and full stack web development. Some web development certificate programs will include a module on WordPress, so it can be useful to compare WordPress bootcamps and certificate programs to determine the best option for your career goals. In the United States, Web Developers make an average salary of $80,000 per year before any bonuses, commissions, or additional pay. Careers in web development are considered in demand and many front end developers, in particular, find it useful to learn WordPress as part of their core skill set. 

Web Design

Another potential career path for WordPress bootcamp graduates is working in web design. Like web development, this career will require additional training so that learners know how to use design principles to design websites outside of WordPress. Web design is also a career best suited for creative individuals who want to design the layout of a webpage, as much of a Web Designer’s work will consist of designing and prototyping webpages and assets. Web Designers should often know how to design using WordPress software, making a WordPress bootcamp a great option for those interested in this career pathway. The average salary for a Web Designer is $70,000 per year not including any bonuses or extra pay. 

Digital Marketing & Web Optimization

WordPress is an advertising and SEO-friendly platform and those graduating from a WordPress bootcamp can also find careers in content marketing, digital marketing, SEO, and web optimization. Bootcamps will cover SEO, as this should be one of the first considerations when adding content, keywords, and links to a website. Many bootcamps additionally cover marketing and advertising as part of essential knowledge about WordPress. WordPress bootcamp graduates can expect to learn the basics they will need to pursue further education or get started managing, marketing, and optimizing WordPress websites. 

Are WordPress Bootcamps Good for Beginners?

Most WordPress bootcamps are designed for those with no WordPress experience, making them a great option for beginners. With a comprehensive enough bootcamp, beginning WordPress learners can expect to leave the class with a good handle on the basics of building static WordPress websites with HTML and CSS. Some bootcamps will also incorporate how to build dynamic and interactive websites with JavaScript and PHP. Most people who take a bootcamp will need further experience and a more developed portfolio to secure a full-time job using their WordPress skills. Building WordPress websites takes time, effort, and practice to master, and even experienced developers can take hours to days to code one page of a website fully. 

Whether someone can get a job immediately after taking a WordPress bootcamp will depend on their prior education, background, and experience. Those with a background in coding, web development, or web design are the most likely to be able to graduate from a bootcamp and move directly into a position as a WordPress Developer. This is because these people have likely been creating, designing, and managing websites for several years and are seeking to upskill by adding WordPress to their skill set. While a WordPress bootcamp is an excellent way for beginners to start learning how to build WordPress websites, graduates will often need to continue to grow their skills outside of taking a singular bootcamp if they are looking for a good-paying full-time job using WordPress. 

What Career Services Do WordPress Bootcamps Offer?

For those looking for career support and services, a WordPress bootcamp or certificate program is the best option. During a WordPress bootcamp, students often can create or continue to build their professional portfolio of projects, receive advice on navigating the job market, and have opportunities to network with those in the field or who might be their future colleagues. These in-class career services are useful for both beginners and those already in web development and design careers. 

Additionally, some bootcamps will offer out-of-class or after-class services. This can include things like access to job boards or being able to meet with career counselors. These services can not only help one to find or secure a job, but they can also be useful to help students understand the kinds of jobs that WordPress training is useful for. 

Not all WordPress bootcamps will offer career support. On-demand bootcamps (self-paced or self-learning classes) rarely offer these kinds of services and those looking for them should consider taking a live online or in-person WordPress bootcamp or certificate program instead. Prospective students should always check to see whether a particular bootcamp or training facility offers any job- or career-related services if these are needed. It is most common to find career-support services with comprehensive certificate programs, so it is useful to consider taking a certificate program in web development or design to help jumpstart one’s career using WordPress. 

What Jobs Will a WordPress Bootcamp Qualify Me For?

WordPress bootcamp graduates should be able to secure entry-level jobs building simple websites or themes for organizations, providing technical support for WordPress issues or even doing administrative work on already existing WordPress websites. Many people just starting with WordPress find it useful to approach local small businesses or nonprofits in their area and inquire about building or updating their websites, which provides useful practice and testing of one’s skills. Bootcamps will not only cover the creative aspects of building websites, but they should also provide students with training about WordPress security features and how to do automated backups, updates, and maintenance work on one’s websites. Graduates can use their training not only to work on building websites but they can work to help organizations troubleshoot their issues with websites and keep them well-maintained and updated. 

Many of the jobs that graduates can immediately find upon completion of a bootcamp may be part-time or freelance work for an individual or small company. These jobs will allow graduates to continue building their skills and professional network while gaining the experience necessary to secure a foothold in their desired careers. A WordPress bootcamp, unlike a certificate program, should be seen as the start of one’s journey to master WordPress and graduates will need to continue to practice their skills and acquire new ones if they want to use WordPress professionally.

Bootcamps are often short, intensive skills-training classes and, as such, they can get students started on the pathway to a fulfilling career but, often, graduates will need to accumulate more experience working with WordPress in the field they are interested in before securing a full-time job within that specific area. Many junior positions, like Junior Developer or Junior Designer, will require at least one year of experience, for instance. Similarly, those looking to pursue jobs as full-time SEO Specialists, Paid Search Specialists, Content Managers, or Marketers will need more proven experience before securing a full-time job with these titles. Once learners have determined their desired career path, gaining experience doing work within that field will be a necessary part of one’s post-bootcamp career trajectory. 

Can I Freelance After Completing a WordPress Bootcamp?

Yes, WordPress bootcamp graduates can pursue part-time or full-time freelance website creation or management. If one has taken a comprehensive WordPress bootcamp, graduates should be able to customize themes and plugins and know how to manage content for a WordPress website and these are skills that can be marketed to pick up quick, freelance jobs upon graduation. Additionally, many can find freelance jobs as SEO Specialists and Content Managers or in tech support and maintenance roles for a website or company. For those looking to freelance with their WordPress skills, consider looking for a bootcamp that explicitly offers career-support services, including providing the means for students to build their portfolio during class, offering networking opportunities during or after the class, and giving access to job boards or career counseling to help navigate the job market. 

The hardest part about WordPress freelancing, whether just starting with WordPress or having advanced skills, is finding clients. Some beginners working with WordPress have found it useful to start by helping a local small business or nonprofit with their website, to gain further experience and practice with WordPress as one continues to transition into a WordPress-related career. Additionally, there are many social media groups and in-person groups for those using WordPress that one should consider joining to start creating a professional network. It is important for those looking to do freelance WordPress work to grow relationships with colleagues and potential clients and to continue practicing, building, and challenging their WordPress skills over time. 

Are WordPress Bootcamps Good for Upskilling?

Yes, it is common for those already doing web development or design work to upskill by learning WordPress. WordPress remains one of the most common ways to build a variety of different kinds of websites, so for those who are already working in web development or web design, it can be useful to familiarize oneself with this content management system. Learning WordPress provides professionals with an additional skill set they can use within their careers and can make them more well-rounded Web Developers or Web Designers. With coding knowledge, those seeking to learn WordPress can expect to learn the software, its block editor, and its customization options more quickly and easily than those with no coding knowledge. 

There are not too many disadvantages to enrolling in a WordPress bootcamp for upskilling. One potential drawback is that one will need to expend time and effort (and maybe one’s own money) to take a WordPress bootcamp, though that is true of learning any advanced skill. One will want to consider whether their current or future job prospects will require this knowledge and whether employers are looking for it. If you are looking to upskill from a non-web development or design-related career, it might be less useful to learn WordPress as many businesses will want professional Web Developers to create and manage their websites. That being said, WordPress is easy to learn, and learning WordPress provides you with skills that can be used for personal and professional reasons, so if someone wants to learn WordPress there are very few downsides to doing so. 

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

A WordPress bootcamp offers many benefits in comparison to college degree programs or other on-the-job training programs. Most WordPress bootcamps are intensive classes taught over a few days or a week and aim to impart all of the knowledge and skills one will need to get started building websites using WordPress. Because of this, bootcamps are quicker, easier, and more cost-effective than many other options to learn the same skills. 

While bootcamp graduates will still need to spend time practicing their newly acquired skills, bootcamps are the fastest way to comprehensively learn WordPress. Unlike college degree programs, students will not need to take further general education classes or pay exorbitant fees to learn WordPress skills and get started building their careers. Additionally, unlike on-the-job training programs, one’s WordPress studies will not disrupt one’s other work requirements when enrolled in a bootcamp.

WordPress bootcamps should allow graduates to jumpstart their careers in web development, design, or marketing. Not only are they the fastest means of learning WordPress, but many aim to teach basic skills and familiarity with the software alongside more advanced ways to build and customize themes and plugins. A bootcamp will provide students with the fundamentals that they can then use to build simple professional websites, manage content in WordPress, integrate advertising and SEO strategies, and make sure their website is up-to-date and secure.