[Malta]

Anyone in here that’s a software engineer that did a boot camp or non traditional course.

I’m curious about the experiences of others in the field. Whether it’s a coding boot camp, an online course, or a specialized training program, which ones do you recommend?

Please share the reasons behind your choice, such as the quality of instruction, curriculum, career support, or other factors that made the course stand out.

Your insights could help others make informed decisions about advancing their skills and careers in tech.

Thank you!!!

[Lisa]

I do not recommend web development because it is VERY saturated. I recommend you specialize in a subject like AI/ML, Cyber Security, Cloud, or Data Engineering.

It took me 3 years after graduating in 2017 to hit 6 figures.

[Christopher]

I retired from the field in 2019 at 36. Dropped out of college, got headhunted by a FAANG, etc.

Bootcamps won’t help you.

You’re probably out not cut out for the field; there are mountains of free resources to do development online right now that you should be using to build a non-trivial portfolio.

I recommend finding a program you like.

Love even. Then find the bugs it has. Then try and fix them.

Alternatively, write a non-trivial program and release it for free, and support someone else using it for a bit.

Shipping something, anything, and having even 1 not-your-mom user will get you miles ahead of whatever a bootcamp will sell you.

[Sonya]

I did ages ago. I wanted to work as a SWE to build up a foundation in tech to get into product management.

I do not recommend the bootcamp I went to, however heard great things about Hack Reactor.

That said, it is a very different time now and I would not recommend switching roles/industries.

If you absolutely have to, bootcamps are not going to set you up for success right now, as the market for SWE’s is already oversaturated with top talent.

Getting a degree in CS from a great university with connections to intern programs may be a better bet.

Also depends on your current experience and background.

There may be another path to get to SWE from there, that doesn’t require bootcamp.

[Author]

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