How a Coding Bootcamp Prepares You for a Job as a Web Developer

With the increased demand for web developers, many people are looking at ways other than through traditional education to secure a job in the tech industry. Coding bootcamps are fitting this niche, with the promise of teaching the skills necessary to prepare their students for a successful career in technology. Though these bootcamps are only a few weeks in length for a full-time course, they’re a more intense and concentrated form of learning that uses a hands-on approach to teaching the specific skills needed in the workplace today.
Let’s look at how coding bootcamps help people get a jump-start on their career in web development

Coding Skills

The first thing a coding bootcamp does is teach you the right skills. There’s a slight variance in what the different bootcamps teach, but they all focus on relevant skills that are needed in the industry today. This relevancy is what makes bootcamps a great educational choice when it comes to learning to code. With a traditional degree that takes years to complete, some of the technologies you learn in school may already be outdated by the time you graduate.
Since the software industry is constantly evolving, so are the needs of tech companies. Code Institute, and many other bootcamps, use working professionals as instructors. These professionals stay current to the latest trends and technologies, bringing their expertise and knowledge of this ever-changing industry to the classroom. Code Institute also utilises an Industry Advisory Council, an industry based working group that helps form our syllabus and give us insights into the exact skills that employers are looking for. We want to be sure our students are learning in-demand technologies that will lead them to a successful career at the end of the bootcamp.

Teamwork

The notion that a software developer does his/her work in isolation from others simply isn’t reality. A career in development is all about teamwork. You’ll be working closely with your colleagues to solve problems, as well as collaborating with other teams within the company.
Another aspect of the job is communicating with clients. This involves listening to what their needs are for the project, keeping them up to date on the progression of things and on any issues that may arise. Many times you’ll be talking with people who know next to nothing about programming, so you need to be able to explain things to non-technical people.
The learning environment of a coding bootcamp gives you practice in communication. You’ll be collaborating with your fellow bootcampers on a daily basis through exercises presented in class, on projects, and reviewing each other’s code. This is a great opportunity to be social – learn from each other’s mistakes and get ideas on how to best tackle problems. All of this will help you develop the communication skills needed in the real world.

Portfolio

Every developer should have a portfolio that showcases the work they’ve done. For those who have some experience behind them, this portfolio would include projects they’ve worked on for their job, open source projects they’ve contributed to, or any personal projects they’ve completed.
A coding bootcamp graduate also needs a portfolio if they hope to get a job. And coding bootcamps know this, so projects coded from scratch are a big part of the curriculum. What good are the skills you’re learning if you can’t put them to use building an application that actually works?
At Code Institute, our students will complete five projects as they move through the programme. These projects are managed on GitHub and are good reflections of the technical abilities of the student. They serve as great additions to a developer portfolio that can be proudly shared with potential employers as proof of the student’s level of ability.

Job Preparation

Getting hired on as a developer isn’t only about the technical skills you have to do the job. There’s other things to consider – the job application process, interview skills, and being able to present yourself in a positive way that reflects the technical skills you have.
Coding bootcamps are built around making their students job-ready and aim to get their graduates hired. This involves helping them build up their CV, improving their interview skills, and sharpening their online profiles. Networking also plays a crucial part in finding a job. Many bootcamps work closely with employers and recruitment companies to find job opportunities for their graduates. During the final week of bootcamp at Code Institute, our students will get to participate in a hiring day – where they’ll meet with employers to start the process of finding the right job for them. 
Coding bootcamps pack a lot of punch in a short amount of time. By using industry professionals, they teach the latest technologies and methods and help students gain valuable communication skills. At the end of it, the students will have a portfolio of projects that showcase their technical skills – putting them well on their way to a successful career in web development.