I have read they are extremely time intensive (12 hour days/ 6 days per week) and expensive ($12k-$20k). Has anybody been through one? Are they worth it? Does anyone on here work at a company that hires from those places?

I was a semiconductor test engineer for 10 years but was laid off 6 months ago so I have programming experience in a few different languages. Having a tough time finding another job in that field so I thought about doing something radical and jumping into one but it's a heckuva commitment in time and money and a guarantee that I won't have a job for at least another 6 months. Severance covered most of my expenses until now but costs have went up exponentially since the insurance ran out.

hi shertown04,

Does any of this fit your background currently?

• 2 - 5 years development experience in MS SQL Server / Transact-SQL, Microsoft .Net, C#, and either ASP.Net or MVC.
• Would prefer that candidates have experience in Visual Studio, Team Foundation Server, JavaScript and jQuery. Relevant client-server development experience is also preferred.

No. Most of the coding we did at my previous job was some C (several years ago), a custom VB for test, and Perl scripting. I started digging into some Python on my own recently. That's why I was asking if the boot camps are worth it so I can get into JavaScript, SQL, etc. Without a certification or anything at the end I was just curious how companies look at the people that go to them.

I'm not a coder or programmer but I follow this guy on YouTube (Engineered Truth). He does a lot of career videos and has a lot of videos regarding some of the coding orgs...He did the Boot Camp last fall at DEVMOUNTAIN...and I think he is supposed to be teaching at their boot camp they're starting in Dallas.

From what I can tell, the main benefit from these camps is you have a real, legitimate portfolio of projects when you finish. So, no, you don't have certifications but that's not what employers are looking for. They want to see what you've actually done.

How to Choose the Right Bootcamp for You

Applying for one myself... idk which one you're looking at but I had to take an exam and next up another interview...

I was in semiconductors too (and wanted to get out really badly). Started in physical design/layout & switched to design verification because I felt software was a better path than hardware. The low-level processor coding experience helped me finally get out of semiconductors, which was good timing since IoT (Internet of Things) is hot now. Embedded systems & REST is where it's at, as well as machine learning. C & Python covers both; you can "create your own" experience by working on side projects learning from books. I believe learning too many languages becomes counter-productive.

I know University of Texas has one in Houston. I would've done it if I was staying longer.

I went back to A&M for my second undergraduate degree. The first was in Education, the second in CS. My CS degree took two years of only major coursework, during which I was able to work almost full time (until the last two semesters). I just got a job at a great start-up.

Here are some stats from our team: 1/10 engineers went to a boot camp and got hired right out of that to work for my company. He's very bright - clearly learned a lot from and speaks very highly of his experience there. 5/10 engineers are CS majors. The other 4 picked up programming along the way in their careers.

One thing I overheard in the office today, as we're looking to hire more developers: someone mentioned having ten resumes from boot camp grads, and they all looked the same, which made it hard for any of them to stand out.

All of that to say, it really comes down to whatever you make of what you decide to do. Go to a boot camp, teach yourself, go back to school - as long as you put in the effort to learn something deeply and have something to show for it, then you'll be in good shape.

Thanks for the feedback guys. I'm still torn. If I could find a job right now doing what I have been doing then I would just sign up for one of the cheaper options and do it two nights a week for the next 9 months. I've been looking for a job for six months now though and now that severance has ran out I can't afford to sit still much longer without something drastic. If I wasn't in my mid 30s already and didn't have a mortgage and car payment then it would be a lot easier. I did a lot of Perl scripting for data manipulation/presentation at my last job and I did a few self lessons for Python a few months ago.

I am open to a change. The semiconductor industry is pretty tough and I've seen enough in 10 years to know it never changes whether things are going good or bad. I actually enjoyed my Perl scripting tasks and learning new tricks and from my job searches I can see there is plenty of opportunity out there in the software sector. It's just getting over the hump and committing to changing everything you've worked on for 15 years while throwing $15k out the window and having no life for the next 6 months.

Hey AggieData...your description matches with my current work experience...have a lead on some opportunities?

Hi HoustonAg2003,

Look at my profile and send me an email.

You might find Udacity's Nanodegree programs (here) more valuable than a full-time bootcamp; you can complete many of these in less than 6 months working on 10 hrs/week. Specifically, i would check out:

- Front end web developer
- Full stack web developer
- Android developer
- iOS developer

... which are more geared toward getting you an entry level job in those respective trades. IMO These programs are way less expensive and provide much of the same preparation that the other full-time bootcamps do with one exception: the full time bootcamps will almost certainly provide more job recruitment locally (Udacity does offer job placement, but the location is almost certainly in one of the large dev markets; SF or NYC).

Aggie Q said:

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You might find Udacity's Nanodegree programs (here) more valuable than a full-time bootcamp; you can complete many of these in less than 6 months working on 10 hrs/week. Specifically, i would check out:

- Front end web developer
- Full stack web developer
- Android developer
- iOS developer

... which are more geared toward getting you an entry level job in those respective trades. IMO These programs are way less expensive and provide much of the same preparation that the other full-time bootcamps do with one exception: the full time bootcamps will almost certainly provide more job recruitment locally (Udacity does offer job placement, but the location is almost certainly in one of the large dev markets; SF or NYC).

---

That sounds a lot more reasonable to me as far as cost and such. Do you know anyone that has used it or been hired after completing it? Since I'm unemployed I would be working on it a lot more than 10 hours/week. I live in the Austin area so maybe that could be one of the areas they have employment help in.

Well, I suppose you could consider me a success story, though I didn't pay for a nanodegree, I just took their very first web course in 2012 (https://www.udacity.com/course/web-development--cs253) and eventually landed a job as a web developer (was previously a high school teacher). I'm currently a senior developer at a startup working remotely - it's a great gig. I can vouch for the Udacity experience as a whole.

Also, you might be surprised at how soon you could get a job given your past experience and knowing some code; most places look to hire smart people and are OK with teaching on the job.

Actually, if I were you, now that I know you are in the Austin area, I'd apply to this job right now: https://sjobs.brassring.com/TGWebHost/jobdetails.aspx?SID=%5eeocyLBrASSPJpWK54nfjxmqoibWW5vpUqK0R5iatMa9h1YgGAoiiI7yYqqEp43XW&jobId=1781343&type=search&JobReqLang=1&recordstart=1&JobSiteId=5492&JobSiteInfo=1781343_5492&GQId=0

Athena health has lots of Perl in their stack, and their Austin office is expanding (I know this because I know people who work there).

This interests me. I've been looking to change careers for quite a while with no success. What are we walking about cost-wise?

Thanks so much for the info. I'm probably going to go ahead and get signed up for one of the classes this weekend. Even if I find a semiconductor job between now and finishing the course I will probably keep moving forward with the other classes during my free time so I can build a portfolio and get out of the industry when I am ready to. My only worry really is not knowing what kind of salary to expect. I realize it would be an entry level job and likely a paycut from where I left off in my last job, I just need to make sure I can pay the bills, haha. I'm also curious about the machine learning/data science classes but I fear stats was too long ago for me to be effective there (plus it is a lot longer class than I can afford at this point).

aggiedata said:

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Hi HoustonAg2003,

Look at my profile and send me an email.

---

AggieData,

I sent you a PM.

I've been a web developer for 15 years. I bet you can learn a good bit in a boot camp and I have a couple friends in Austin that have gone through them and landed good jobs. They mentioned one chick that went from a Starbuck's barista to a $70K programming job.

But if it were me, and I've always been one to maximize value and efficiency in all aspects of life, I would look at getting a microsoft developer cert and do a couple side projects to learn React or Knockout or some other js framework as well as a responsive UI technology like Bootstrap. Back when I loaded up on certs about 5-7 years ago I just studied practice tests and was able to pass the MS tests pretty easily.

I think with your background, an MCSD cert, and some working coding projects to show you'll be able to at least get in front of a hiring manager.

Either way, good luck.

I've started the full stack developer class on Udacity. Made it through the opening lessons and first project in about 5 days. It say you must do pay for at least two months but that's fine if it can give me a solid base with some projects to go into a portfolio and maybe a starting place for a career.

Awesome, good luck!

Since you chose the fullstack route, when you get a chance, send me an email (quentin [at] qdonnellan [dot] com) - I'd be happy to do code reviews for you and talk to you about opportunities in the Austin area [and fill in some gaps that Udacity may leave out!)

I wish I hadn't majored in Wildlife at A&M. I was the computer nerd in HS, writing in C and Pascal. I took the required class at A&M, and the programming was much easier than I had in HS. My best friend went into Comp. Sci - and makes good money. I'm too old and too far gone to change careers.

What would be a good place to start, get experience, do some freelance work, etc? I literally have no idea.

Start here: https://www.udacity.com/course/programming-foundations-with-python--ud036

The course is free. Python is a fantastic beginner language IMO because it can be a gateway to web development, scientific computing, data science, among others.

After a week, start writing python scripts to automate tasks at work or at home. It doesn't matter what they are, or how horrible/simple you think they are. It's like learning to speak a new language; at first you start with 5 words and you sound like an idiot - but it's impossible to get to 50,000 word vocabulary without first going through 5.

Had an electrical engineer friend who worked with me at a Manufacturing facility in Austin save up and do a 10 week boot camp. I think it was like $10K but he now works for rackspace making pretty much the same money he was with the engineering job but he gets to work from anywhere that has wifi and doesnt have meetings all the time. His goal was to put in some time and then try and work for a company in Colorado because it fit his outdoor lifestyle.

I've been debating learning code or going to a bootcamp. The IoT stuff is mind-boggling and I want to be able to contribute.

With blockchain tech being the hot new thing, and massive lack of developers, is anyone pursuing the dew blockchain bootcamps?

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-09-08/blockchain-bootcamps-emerge-with-rising-demand-for-software-pros

I've only found em in NY and LA/SF. I would imagine that a physical bootcamp rather than virtual would suit me better, having attempted numerous times thru udacity, Coursera and other online formats I can't force myself to commit to learning...too many distractions...

Aggieq, was it a struggle to get thru the online course? Or were you able to power thru it?

It was not a struggle - but I had also made up my mind on day 1 that I was going to complete that course no matter the distractions (and I was a high school teacher who started that course near the end of the year, so there was no shortage of distractions/grading/EOY-crap to do).

The format of Coursera/Udacity courses works great for me, but only because I've become very intentional at minimizing distractions in order to make those formats work (setting aside a time early in the morning before the rest of the family gets up, etc.). I won't assume that these formats work great for everyone, though.

If you are frequently distracted by things, then making a career switch will likely be difficult unless you quit your job and focus on the transition full time (i.e. doing the bootcamp route), but that seems extremely risky to me. I'd prefer to set aside 2 months, and create a routine of waking up early and just doing 1-2 hours of study each day.

Also - I would advise against targeting a sexy tech industry (IoT, blockchain, whatever) at the beginning; those jobs are hard to get and even harder with no previous experience. Instead you should map out a 10 year plan:

• Months 0-6: Learn to code (probably basic web/mobile development)
• Year 1: Get a job doing any kind of programming, get paid a good salary (in Austin that means 70-90k entry, elsewhere in Texas maybe a 5-10% discount on that)
• Years 1-3: Identify and start learning sexy tech (IoT, VR, Blockchain, Autonomous driving, whatever)
• Year 5: Get a new job with "senior engineer/developer" title/role (110 - 140k)
• Years 5-7: Develop relationships in desired sexy tech industry
• Years 7-10: Get a job in desired sexy tech as a lead/senior developer (150-200k)

Aggie Q said:

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It was not a struggle - but I had also made up my mind on day 1 that I was going to complete that course no matter the distractions (and I was a high school teacher who started that course near the end of the year, so there was no shortage of distractions/grading/EOY-crap to do).

The format of Coursera/Udacity courses works great for me, but only because I've become very intentional at minimizing distractions in order to make those formats work (setting aside a time early in the morning before the rest of the family gets up, etc.). I won't assume that these formats work great for everyone, though.

If you are frequently distracted by things, then making a career switch will likely be difficult unless you quit your job and focus on the transition full time (i.e. doing the bootcamp route), but that seems extremely risky to me. I'd prefer to set aside 2 months, and create a routine of waking up early and just doing 1-2 hours of study each day.

---

Cool, good to know a teacher (I'm a teacher) has made the transition. I'll probably spend this summer on it.

Great points!

I second aggieq's recommendation on setting a routine. I just spent the last 2.5 half years earning my masters from Georgia Tech online. Even with grades , deadlines and tuition cost as motivators it is easy for the rest of life to distract you. Set a side time every day and make it a habit.

Another note on udacity and coursera courses completation rates are terrible for the free versions . There just isn't alot of motivating factors to keep students engaged. so if you take the free route make sure you setup your own motivation system.

OMSCS?

Yep the Omscs program. Highly recommend it for any one that already has the background and looking to continue their education.

Cool - not to derail but I'm keenly interested in opinions from those who have completed that and perhaps how to weigh that program with smaller Udacity options (like the Machine Learning nanodegree).

What did you think of the program? (and now that you've completed it =>) What are you targeting career wise? (or perhaps a better question: where were you before the program, and what are your aspirations now?)

In a lot of ways your advice on boot camps applies to the nano degree versus masters. If you're interested in skills/practical application go udacity nano degrees or the likes . If you want a stronger background/your looking to go into research or phd go the masters route. Just make sure linear algebra doesn't scare you. If udacity had been offering the nano degrees when I started in 2014, I might of gone with one of those instead of the masters as the time commitment is a lot more reasonable. However doing the master introduced me to machine learning, AI, computer vision, security and more. The range of topics we covered, I would never of done via a nano degree or on my own. One of the big questions most people have is how does it compare to an on campus masters. From my experience the course work is the same. Online you might not get to play with the latest cool robots in the lab but the exams are just as hard and you have similar access to the professors. One unique thing is the online student body. The OMSCS program has every one from recent undergrads to people that already have PHD's in math or statistics or 25+ years of experience in the field. There's a lot of value in that.


I'm still trying to figure out on the future. When I graduated A&M, I was a network guy , after 13 years with the same company they turned me into a full stack web developer. My hope is to use the masters to pivot to something new in the Security Space or the Data analytics space. Which probably would be an easier pivot in Austin or San Francisco then Houston. Your note about developing relationships is a big key . If any one in houston wants to network let me know.

I'd be more then glad to answer any questions you have in another thread or you can email me at network with aaron at gmail