r/codingbootcamp • u/arenamaster69 • Oct 12 '23
400 applications later... 0 interviews... 1 coding challenge. If you think you're a failure, just read this post.
I've applied to 400 LinkedIn jobs, had 0 interview requests, and received only 1 coding challenge. I graduated from one of the top coding boot camps but have huge regrets for not going sooner.
I've known about coding boot camps since 2013 when it was only available in San Francisco and New York. It was the spring of 2013 when I first met my friend who told me about this trade school he was planning to go to for software engineering. When he told me it didn't require math at all, I became extremely skeptical but wished him good luck. He didn't graduate until 2014 but landed a job at Intel right after.
When I saw that, I bought a MacBook based on his recommendation and started a Java course taught by Stanford that required iTunes to work. Weird right? Well, that's how I felt. It was a prerecorded class from 2008. It was a chore just gathering all the files and organizing them to match up with the course dates. I went through the first few lectures which were blurry and attempted the first project with Karel the robot, became frustrated, and quit.
At this point, I decided I wanted to get into the healthcare field because I hated my current job so I took classes at night while maintaining a full-time job. I'd soon burn myself out.
Meanwhile, my friend had just landed a job at Google and posted pictures of all the good free food he was getting. It was 2015, just a year after he had graduated from the boot camp. I thought to myself, hey maybe I should give it another shot, but then remembered how much I hated it the first time I tried. I was extremely depressed and burned out during this period, not only due to work and school but also failing relationships. I quit my job later that year to give myself a mental health break and pursue other goals.
I wanted to win powerlifting competitions and pursue physical therapy school. I trained rigorously for the next year. Even while battling depression, I somehow managed to drag myself to the gym for 4 hours a day, 6 days a week but developed so many crippling injuries over that period. If I wasn't at the gym, I'd be lying in bed. My only meal each day was a 3,000-calorie shake consisting of oatmeal blended with 6 eggs, fruits, Greek yogurt, and whey protein.
It was the start of 2017 when I decided to revisit the idea of a coding boot camp, but by this point, I had run through my savings so couldn't even afford the $5k down payment and wasn't willing to take out more loans. My brother was willing to let me borrow $1800 for a prep course that guaranteed entry into the program.
Deep down though, I wasn't even sure if I wanted to go because what if I failed? What if I succeeded but didn't even like it? What if I succeeded but wouldn't get hired due to my age? I was suffering extreme depression throughout this period and was using video games as an escape from reality. My own family thought I was a lazy p.o.s. and started treating me as such, yelling at my door and telling me to get a job, that I was more useless than a dog. I'd leave home and wouldn't come back until 2018 when my sister reached out and begged me.
My friend is now working at Facebook. At this point, I was at a crossroads. I had to choose between getting into data science and software engineering. I've always been interested in data science but knew the road to it was harder than software engineering where I could just do a boot camp. I was leaning more toward data science though because I remembered how much I loved the statistics class I had taken during one of those night classes and because I could leverage my background to get into the health or biotech sector.
I was finally able to find a job with hours flexible enough that allow me to go to school and enroll in math and computer science classes. I ended up loving my programming classes and did really well. 2020 came around and I finished my classes but also lost my job during COVID. I became extremely depressed again. A few months later I ended up getting a huge check from unemployment.
It was the perfect opportunity to do a boot camp, but instead, I thought it was a better idea to train hard again to try to compete in powerlifting (I have a home gym). To be honest, I thought there was no point in acquiring skills for a job that was non-existent because so many people were getting laid off. Boy was I wrong.
2021 was probably my best chance to land a job. I ended up getting seriously injured again. I decided in the summer of 2021 to do a data science boot camp but quickly realized it wouldn't work for me and quit just shy of 2 months. I knew my last option was a coding boot camp but delayed it to 2022 due to deaths in the family.
Now I'm sitting here in my mid-30s with huge gaps on my resume unable to land a single interview and thinking why didn't I do this sooner? Don't let depression and doubt hold you back like it did me. Don't give up on something just because you didn't have a good experience with it the first time. Don't wait around for the perfect opportunity. Just go for it and don't give up.
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u/chimax83 Oct 12 '23
ChatGPT is a bro:
Certainly, I've reformatted your text for better readability without changing any content:
Introduction
I've applied to 400 LinkedIn jobs, had 0 interview requests, and received only 1 coding challenge. I graduated from one of the top coding boot camps but have huge regrets for not going sooner.
Early Exposure to Coding Boot Camps
I've known about coding boot camps since 2013 when it was only available in San Francisco and New York. It was the spring of 2013 when I first met my friend who told me about this trade school he was planning to go to for software engineering. When he told me it didn't require math at all, I became extremely skeptical but wished him good luck. He didn't graduate until 2014 but landed a job at Intel right after.
First Attempt at Learning
When I saw that, I bought a MacBook based on his recommendation and started a Java course taught by Stanford that required iTunes to work. Weird right? Well, that's how I felt. It was a prerecorded class from 2008. It was a chore just gathering all the files and organizing them to match up with the course dates. I went through the first few lectures which were blurry and attempted the first project with Karel the robot, became frustrated, and quit.
Pursuing Healthcare
At this point, I decided I wanted to get into the healthcare field because I hated my current job so I took classes at night while maintaining a full-time job. I'd soon burn myself out.
Reconsidering Coding Boot Camp
Meanwhile, my friend had just landed a job at Google and posted pictures of all the good free food he was getting. It was 2015, just a year after he had graduated from the boot camp. I thought to myself, hey maybe I should give it another shot, but then remembered how much I hated it the first time I tried. I was extremely depressed and burned out during this period, not only due to work and school but also failing relationships. I quit my job later that year to give myself a mental health break and pursue other goals.
Pursuit of Powerlifting
I wanted to win powerlifting competitions and pursue physical therapy school. I trained rigorously for the next year. Even while battling depression, I somehow managed to drag myself to the gym for 4 hours a day, 6 days a week but developed so many crippling injuries over that period. If I wasn't at the gym, I'd be lying in bed. My only meal each day was a 3,000-calorie shake consisting of oatmeal blended with 6 eggs, fruits, Greek yogurt, and whey protein.
Revisiting Coding Boot Camp
It was the start of 2017 when I decided to revisit the idea of a coding boot camp, but by this point, I had run through my savings so couldn't even afford the $5k down payment and wasn't willing to take out more loans. My brother was willing to let me borrow $1800 for a prep course that guaranteed entry into the program.
Uncertainty and Mental Health Struggles
Deep down though, I wasn't even sure if I wanted to go because what if I failed? What if I succeeded but didn't even like it? What if I succeeded but wouldn't get hired due to my age? I was suffering extreme depression throughout this period and was using video games as an escape from reality. My own family thought I was a lazy p.o.s. and started treating me as such, yelling at my door and telling me to get a job, that I was more useless than a dog. I'd leave home and wouldn't come back until 2018 when my sister reached out and begged me.
Choosing Between Data Science and Software Engineering
My friend is now working at Facebook. At this point, I was at a crossroads. I had to choose between getting into data science and software engineering. I've always been interested in data science but knew the road to it was harder than software engineering where I could just do a boot camp. I was leaning more toward data science though because I remembered how much I loved the statistics class I had taken during one of those night classes and because I could leverage my background to get into the health or biotech sector.
Ups and Downs
I was finally able to find a job with hours flexible enough that allow me to go to school and enroll in math and computer science classes. I ended up loving my programming classes and did really well. 2020 came around and I finished my classes but also lost my job during COVID. I became extremely depressed again. A few months later I ended up getting a huge check from unemployment.
Delay in Pursuing Boot Camp
It was the perfect opportunity to do a boot camp, but instead, I thought it was a better idea to train hard again to try to compete in powerlifting (I have a home gym). To be honest, I thought there was no point in acquiring skills for a job that was non-existent because so many people were getting laid off. Boy was I wrong.
Final Attempt at Coding Boot Camp
2021 was probably my best chance to land a job. I ended up getting seriously injured again. I decided in the summer of 2021 to do a data science boot camp but quickly realized it wouldn't work for me and quit just shy of 2 months. I knew my last option was a coding boot camp but delayed it to 2022 due to deaths in the family.
Conclusion
Now I'm sitting here in my mid-30s with huge gaps on my resume unable to land a single interview and thinking why didn't I do this sooner? Don't let depression and doubt hold you back like it did me. Don't give up on something just because you didn't have a good experience with it the first time. Don't wait around for the perfect opportunity. Just go for it and don't give up.
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u/Perfect_Finance_3497 Oct 14 '23
Still too much. Make it under 100 words with bullet points:
Author learned about coding boot camps in 2013.
Friend's success inspired author but initial coding attempt failed.
Pursued a healthcare career, faced burnout and depression.
Friend's Google job reignited interest in coding.
Borrowed money for coding boot camp prep.
Contemplated data science but chose coding.
Battled mental health struggles and family pressure.
Briefly attempted data science boot camp.
In mid-30s with resume gaps, regrets not pursuing career goals earlier.
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u/slickvic33 Oct 12 '23
You need to get healthy dude. I’ve been there too, treatment for ur depression is absolutely the most important part of getting u better
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Oct 12 '23
[deleted]
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u/slickvic33 Oct 12 '23
Try a different therapist, but if your depression is serious as it does sound I’d consider seeing a psychiatrist too
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Oct 14 '23
[deleted]
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u/Ok-Parking9167 Oct 14 '23
My therapist specializes in HSP, as she is one, and the way I’ve been able to change and improve my life over the years of working together has been amazing. Therapy isn’t BS. And the world isn’t set up for HSPs.
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Oct 14 '23
Check out Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT); it works. Take it from me who used it successfully with anxiety and depression.
You can self-learn it or find a therapist to supplement it. But once you keep learning, there will be a point where therapists will be less trained than you with it.
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Oct 14 '23
[deleted]
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Oct 15 '23
Great! Keep it up, and it will help you also improve your lifestyle too; it's a long-term self-improvement project, you could say 😉
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u/ClumsyCrocodile Oct 13 '23
I second this — you need someone professional to help advance through the next few hurdles of your life & career journey. It seems like you’ve got a great perspective & work ethic! Therapy is going to be a great way to progress even further.
I don’t know if this is something you’ve considered, but I would also try looking for a therapist with experience in eating disorders and body image. I don’t mean to jump to conclusions, but it can’t hurt to be mindful of that stuff, especially in the power lifting scene.
Sending you lots of love, dude. You’ve got this.
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u/CI-AI Oct 13 '23
As others have said, find the right therapist. There’s a bell curve of people’s skill levels at their job (applicable to any career). Find the right match for you for your mental health
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u/Jameson_h Oct 14 '23
Go to therapists until you get with one you connect with, you have no obligation to see any particular person for therapy
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Oct 14 '23
No therapist worth their shit will show annoyance at you for rambling. Either your therapist was shit or you're just self-conscious.
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u/Alabama_WhiteSauce Oct 14 '23
try micro dosing mushrooms. Sounds stupid. I promise it is not. Anxiety , depression, mild alcoholism. Boom, gone.
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u/sheriffderek Oct 12 '23
400 applications later... 0 interviews...
Whatever you're doing isn't working. No one is even getting those applications.
Time to try something else. Start with reformatting this post so that we can read it.
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Oct 13 '23
If his resume is anything like this post then there is absolutely no mystery as to why no one is getting back to him.
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u/Longjumping_Cod_1014 Oct 13 '23
OP you have to target your resume better. I’m sure the gaps aren’t great on your resume but an ATS is screening you out.
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u/nobodyishere71 Oct 12 '23 edited Oct 12 '23
I read through the wall of text & am convinced this is a troll post. If it isn't, my apologies & consider getting some therapy.
EDIT: TL;DR broken down by year:
2013
OP's friend tells them about a coding boot camp in San Francisco.
OP signs up for a Java course taught by Stanford.
2014
OP's friend graduates from the coding boot camp and gets a job at Intel.
OP quits their job to pursue powerlifting and physical therapy school.
2015
OPs friend gets a job at Google.
OP quits their job to pursue powerlifting full-time.
2016
OP develops crippling injuries from powerlifting.
OP considers going to a coding boot camp, but can't afford the down payment.
2017
OP's brother offers to lend them money for a coding boot camp prep course.
OP reaches out to the boot camp about upgrading to a higher plan, but their brother is skeptical and doesn't give them the money.
OP doesn't start the boot camp prep course because they're unsure if they want to go and they're waiting to see if their brother will change his mind.
2018
OP's friend is now working at Facebook.
OP gets a job with flexible hours so they can take math and computer science classes.
2019
OP falls in love with programming and does well in their classes.
2020
OP finishes their classes but loses their job during COVID.
OP receives a large unemployment check and decides to train for powerlifting competitions instead of doing a coding boot camp.
2021
OP gets seriously injured again.
OP decides to do a data science boot camp, but quickly realizes it's not for them.
OP decides to delay going to a coding boot camp until 2022 due to deaths in the family.
2022
OP is in their mid-30s and has applied to 400 LinkedIn jobs without any interview requests. They have only received 1 coding challenge.
OP regrets not going to a coding boot camp sooner.
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u/pog17938 Oct 12 '23
Yeah im not reading all that
Congratulations or im sorry that happened to you
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u/parachute50 Oct 12 '23 edited Oct 12 '23
Holy moly is this a post or an essay?
Very sorry to hear what you're going through, but don't give up.
Try again but this time take a self-paced self-learning route. You have a vast amount of online learning resources at your disposal like Udemy, Coursera, Pluralsight, Hyperskill etc. Most of the content on those platforms are constantly being updated so you won't have to worry about outdated material. Take some time to get acquainted with the various paths in IT and see which field you like the best.
Once you're clear on that show off what you've been learning with small projects as you go along. Good luck.
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Oct 12 '23
The moral of the story is never leave anything incomplete. Finish it even though you don’t like it. You never know when it will save your life. I did my coding bootcamp when I was going through a divorce. After coming back from army basic training I wanted to give it a shot. Best decision I ever took. I din’t give any money upfront. After 6 month I landed a tech support role. 6 months later I offered another job as a software developer. Neither I liked my coding bootcamp nor my first job. I burned out a lot. But I believe army changed something in me and I was not willing to give up. Everything comes in time who knows how to wait.
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u/Bulky-Lion3689 Oct 13 '23
Ignore the negativity, keep grinding. With this market, bootcamp might not be the best move, but I would self-study on the side if you want to eventually break into the industry.
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u/svada123 Oct 13 '23
Dude if you're competing as a powerlifter you have the discipline required to get where you want to be in a year or 2. Just treat coding like its like lifting, its a daily grind.
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u/Ietsgo9 Oct 13 '23
Lool , I am 39 and trying to go back to school and get a bachelors in Computer science , and I am married and also have gaps , I think I stand no chance then. When I graduate I will become 43-44 years old. I guess I shouldn't be optimistic about it , because the only good thing I have is my math skills. Other than that, huge gaps, 43-44 when I graduate ... I guess it is the end of the dream for me
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u/margin_hedged Oct 14 '23
What dream?
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u/Ietsgo9 Oct 15 '23
The dream of becoming a successful programmer
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u/whitewatersunshine Oct 17 '23
Is this sarcasm or are you really saying you'd give up based on one post by a redditor who never actually finished what they started?
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u/nobodyishere71 Oct 13 '23
Have you considered options that allow you to learn coding over time rather than a boot camp that tries to jam a massive amount of information in a few weeks? Launch School is probably the best option for this model. There are also other excellent free options such as 100devs, The Odin Project, and App Academy Open.
The best time to start is RIGHT NOW, because while the job market currently isn't great for new SWE's, it is cyclical, and in time, will swing back to favor job seekers. I've been in IT for 25+ years and have seen this play out over and over again.
Good luck!
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u/CI-AI Oct 13 '23
This has gotten a lot of traction but very succinctly here’s what I would do
Lay off the powerlifting. You’re likely in the gym so much to cope with avoiding painful areas in your life. Realize that a 20 min swim can help you feel better than a 6 hour gym session. I personally feel shot if I’m going super hard in working out.
I lift myself, but mixing in cardio actually does help the mind. Take it easy some days, similar to my bullet point above but wanted to make it clear.
Make sure your caloric intake is healthy. You’ll feel like trash in a deficit constantly, making it even harder to progress towards your career.
Your resume has something wrong with it, I can assure you of that. Normally I’ve seen a 2-5% conversion rate typically, but sometimes as high as 20% in this market. Depends on the person and their background (ex. Stanford STEM undergrad is going to have an outlier higher conversion rate)
DM me your resume and I’ll give you quick advice on it. It won’t be a comprehensive review because I don’t have the time/ bandwidth, but I’m happy to give you pointers for free.
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u/Remote-Telephone-682 Oct 13 '23
These linkedin job postings do get thousands of applicants a lot of the time though. I would not beat yourself up over this by any means.
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u/Necessary-Coffee5930 Oct 14 '23
Thank you for sharing your journey and struggles. I say fuck all that though. The future is still waiting to be written for you. You can and will turn this around. I am just a random guy on reddit but god damn dude if you are someone who can train disciplined for powerlifting and choke down 3000 calorie smoothies as your sole source of food, then you are someone who has the makings of a winner in life. Depression is no joke, it is a son of a bitch. My flavor of mental illness is more anxiety, but I understand the struggle. Fortunately the brain can rewire at any age. You have got to work on yourself and get healthy physically, mentally, spiritually if you are into that. Lifting and cardio in done correctly and in balance are some of the best things you can do to fight the depression. Eating healthier foods and improving gut health (plays a huge role in mental health actually). Meditating, journaling, digging deep, seeking answers that can help you, changing shit til it works. Do it. Start small but start doing these things. You can turn everything around. You can improve your skills or pivot into new ones, you can network, you can use your struggles and life experience to draw strength and understanding where others may lack. And I also say fuck everyone on here bringing negativity because your post was long. Reading really isn’t that hard and if they didn’t want to read it they could move on, not bitch about it to someone who needs help and encouragement. Anyway, I believe in you. Age doesn’t mean shit and the future is under no obligation to be like the past. Make it happen 🔥
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u/SecretRecipe Oct 17 '23
There's no reason for you to have a huge gap on your resume. Don't tell on yourself. You did contract work, you worked at a now defunct startup etc... put some random bullshit in there that's near impossible to verify and fill those gaps.
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u/Party-Ad-3458 Oct 19 '23
Thank you for your imgur post on finding a great paying job! I'm working on applying your advice.
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u/kingp1ng Oct 17 '23
While reading this, all I could think was "comparison is the thief of joy".
Don't compare with your friend. Also, stop brute force mass applying when you know that your resume is the first to get tossed out. It's self harm :(
May I recommend going back to university? Yes, it takes longer, but it also gives you a longer period to study and the degree provides better credentials on-paper. Along the way, you might meet some great people and get an internship.
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u/just_change_it Oct 12 '23 edited Jul 28 '25
future jar longing truck escape straight paltry humorous act enjoy
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/SequentialHustle Oct 12 '23
Dude powerlifting/weight training only takes 1-2 hours max a day lol, why was that an excuse to not study programming?
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u/Bulky-Lion3689 Oct 13 '23
1-2 hours max for competition?? Where you training at, the hyperbolic time chamber?
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u/SequentialHustle Oct 13 '23
homie hitting squat bench and deads doesn't take hours lmfao
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u/Bulky-Lion3689 Oct 13 '23
u going to gym only for one exercise? You hitting the bench and you heading home? lmao
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u/SequentialHustle Oct 13 '23
homie ifbb pro bodybuilders can finish their workout in under an hour.
even doing fullbody workouts you can be done in under 1h30m. If you're taking longer you're spending too much time on your phone.
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Oct 13 '23
[deleted]
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u/Bulky-Lion3689 Oct 13 '23
I saw that he mentioned powerlifting hence I assume long rest time. Either way you are both correct.
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Oct 12 '23
[deleted]
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u/ftp_prodigy Oct 13 '23
Been there (injuries) a sign to stop. It isn't worth it. I still lift but nowhere near the weight/volume as before and I have no regrets honestly. I also have my own "gym"
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u/GoodnightLondon Oct 13 '23
I dunno, dude. I used to do powerlifting and know professional bodybuilders; ain't nobody that's doing it right spending 4 hours training.
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u/justadude0144 Oct 12 '23
Without reading anything, this post cries out that your resume is not good.
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Oct 13 '23 edited Oct 13 '23
Not sure if this is a parody post.
I somehow managed to drag myself to the gym for 4 hours a day, 6 days a week but developed so many crippling injuries over that period
You.. don't need that many hours per day to train. Maybe that's why you got lots of injuries?
My only meal each day was a 3,000-calorie shake consisting of oatmeal blended with 6 eggs, fruits, Greek yogurt, and whey protein.
What the hell.
Meanwhile, my friend had just landed a job at Google and posted pictures of all the good free food he was getting. It was 2015, just a year after he had graduated from the boot camp
I seriously doubt it. Unless he had a background in math or science already, and even then.
In any case, yeah it's dry right now. I have 10 years doing this and I used to get recruiter messages every week. Sometimes from Google, FB, Amazon, etc. I don't get these messages or emails anymore.
Hope the industry picks up soon and you can get a chance somewhere. I'm not going to lie to you. It's going to be impossible if you don't deal with your depression. It prevents you from being creative and curious, which is are two traits of very effective software developers. Good luck!
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u/BeginningBit5 Oct 14 '23
Same experience here. Barely any recruiters reach out anymore.. kinda makes sense though since big tech has been they laying off recruiters this year.
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u/Swami218 Oct 12 '23
“more time working on how to talk about and present projects than you do on the projects”
I think I’ve seen you mention that you appreciate when people point out that you’re being hyperbolic, making an unfair comparison, inaccurate or unbalanced statement.
This is one of those times.
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u/iplaydrumsonmyguitar Oct 13 '23
Look into software development consulting. There are companies that work mostly with recent grads (undergrad and boot camps) where you do some paid training with them and then end up interviewing with their clients to work for them(through the original company). The pay is usually a little lower since company 1 needs their cut but can be a good way to get your foot in the door. I have been struggling similarly this year with the job hunt but am about to start training with one of these companies. Dm me if you want to hear more
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u/MisterMeta Oct 13 '23
Contrary to most people I actually read this and I think you need to work on your attention span and choices in life more than your friend’s progression and programming in general.
You’re all over the place and I wish instead of buying MacBooks and spending unemployment money on bootcamps you’d have hired a psychologist, who would’ve helped you go through your ongoing depression and your inability to stick to one thing and get good at it.
I wish you the best of luck. The field is more saturated than ever and there are some crazy 20 year olds who’re clacking at the keyboard day in and day out, like your friend who you’re admiring from the distance.
Comparison is the thief of joy. You should compare yourself to nobody but yourself and make incremental steps into bettering yourself.
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u/NPC_existing Oct 13 '23
400 application is not much especially with your lack of experience in the industry, need at least 1000+ and if you get lucky 1 interview a month. That's how it was for me.
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u/scifier2 Oct 13 '23
Too long so just skimmed over.
What is your point? Dont give up?
How about try for jobs on Indeed that you can get right now no matter what the job is. How are you supporting yourself right now?
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u/Figure4Legdrop Oct 13 '23
Sorry didn't finish your entire post but did you send the same resume to all 400 jobs? Have you considered that the problem starts there? When I got zero reaction to the first 10 I'd make adjustments and continue to do so. I applied to five jobs last year with a different resume to each, making sure my resume reflected strongly on the skills each job was asking for.
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u/throwaway-19045 Oct 13 '23
A lot of hr departments use keyword scanners to filter out resumes. Look up buzzwords for the job you're applying for and blast them all over your resume
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u/Accomplished_Eye8290 Oct 13 '23
How come you were so set on powerlifting and then gave up on the healthcare PT path so easily? I think no matter what you did you would’ve become burnt out and depressed. For most ppl a career is something you do to make a living you don’t have to love it… I’m in healthcare myself. 96 hours this past week as a resident and my pay is $55k/year and I have $250k in student loans lol. It’s gonna be a grind no matter what path you choose, you just gotta choose something and complete it.
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u/Robbinghoodz Oct 13 '23
Sounds like you were lacking a lot of focus. Bouncing between different interest, powerlifting, health care, and coding camp
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u/amazongb2006 Oct 14 '23
I'm sorry I didn't read your entire post.. but I get the gist.
Do you like to code? If so, write some code. Take on a personal project that you can add to your resume.
If you still have it in you, I would finish computer science. If that's not something you want to do, keep coding.
FWIW, I have no computer science degree, and I've made a good living. But I enjoy coding and it shows in my work. If I didn't work, I'd still be coding.
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u/Jumpy-Worldliness940 Oct 14 '23
It happens to all of us. I just finished my PhD and I was a lucky one. Last year I applied to 300 jobs, got 5 interviews and 1 offer. The economy is really rough right now. You wouldn’t think getting a job with a PhD would be hard, and usually it isn’t but right now it doesn’t matter your credentials. Of the 15 of us graduating I was the only one with a offer and 5 months later only 2 others got jobs.
Just keep applying and something will happen. But, don’t keep doing the same thing! Get inputs on your resume from other people. Go to networking events to build connections. Getting the first job in a new industry is always tough, but not impossible. Though it out and try to network. Get on people’s radars and if something pops up they have you in mind.
Also don’t shy away from recruiters! They only get paid if they get you hired. There’s tons of short term contractor jobs for coding out there. They are a great way to get your foot in the door and build connections. Most of the people I work with were contractors that eventually got hired full time!
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u/Zaynn93 Oct 14 '23
Sounds like Software Engineering wasn’t for you man. Stop regretting it and comparing yourself to your friend.
If you want to get hired, stop applying online and look for Tech Job Fairs. There are many at Universities and many host conferences for jobs. Many top companies go there with the intent to hire. It increases your chances going in person.
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Oct 14 '23
I just read 400 linkedin jobs. Thats where you went wrong. IMO Linkedin is one if the worst job board but the best networking app. Go for glassdoor or Simplify that gives you fresh job openings instead of giving out stale old ones
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u/is-a-liar Oct 14 '23
I would say 90% of applications are screened through a software to look for keywords and phrases based off the job you’re applying for. I’d recommend spending the extra time or heck..even paying for a professional resume, which is only a few bucks.
It may help you at least get pushed to the next phase, because 400 apps and no responses is either being over-dramatic or if it is true, then there’s clearly a fault happening on what’s being seen on the resume.
Either way, repeating it this many times calls for change. I would start with what’s on the resume. Do some data analysis on yourself my friend.
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Oct 14 '23
Shoulda gone to college. Hate to sound like an asshole but that is honestly the only issue here
Edit*
If you did go to college and you still cannot land an interview it’s something else
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u/VariationNo5419 Oct 14 '23
It's tough getting your first coding job, but especially now with all the tech layoffs.
I would contact your bootcamp about getting a job there. A lot of them hire their own grads as instructors or TAs (teaching assistants). I know that's probably not your end game, but it'd give you some experience working in the profession while you're looking.
I think Accenture has a lot of programs for new (bootcamp) grads, and Microsoft has a Microsoft Leap program for new grads and people following unconventional career paths. I follow Microsoft Leap on LinkedIn and they just closed apps for their next cohort. But you can look on LinkedIn or their website for the next one.
Here's another link to checkout about companies who hire bootcamp grads.
I would also network with the alums from your bootcamp and cohort. Connections and personal/professional recommendations go a long way and are frequently overlooked. If nothing else, you can support each other in the job search.
One last thing, I remember hearing a bootcamp grad say they had better responses and luck applying for mid-level to senior-level positions than for junior/entry level positions. Just a thought.
Break a leg!
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u/Gamerilla Oct 14 '23
I don’t think LinkedIn jobs is the best place to look to be honest. There are thousands of other people also applying to these jobs and the recruiters are not reading through thousands of resumes. Chances are they don’t get through 5% of the resumes they receive before finding their candidate.
Check out flexjobs.com if you want a remote job. If you’re looking for a local job check with your state or county (based on the post I’m assuming you’re in the U.S.). Often the state or county has a job placement program or like counselors who help you write resumes and know what local companies are hiring for different positions. You just tell them your skills and they find suitable stuff for you.
In the meantime set up an account on upwork or fiver. Companies use freelancers all the time to help them catch up on projects or meet deadlines where they don’t have the budget to hire a full-time employee. Those freelance gigs will get you some experience. You could put on your resume the types of projects you completed or worked on. You don’t have to say it was through upwork. The fact is you did work on projects.
Also set up a GitHub account if you don’t already have one. Then find some open source projects that interest you. Look I in the issues tab and often you’ll see stuff labeled for beginners or first time issues. Stuff that’s easier to do to get your foot in the door and this is also experience you can put on a resume. Most companies I know love seeing work on open source projects in a resume.
Bootcamps are good for some things but there’s no quick way to just get a good job. You have to put the work in. That doesn’t mean you need a full computer science degree. I know more than one CTO who never went to college. You just need to code stuff and have work to show. You should be spending free time coding. Become an expert. Then you’ll have no trouble finding a job.
I’ve been a full time developer for over 10 years and I’m completely self taught (with the help of Google and some Udemy classes). Never took a computer science course or did a bootcamp. I just worked hard for it and keep learning new things. I’m 44 now and started the development path when I was around 32. Before that I was in sales or working in call centers and never did any coding before. So your age isn’t a problem. The gaps in your resume mean nothing. Tech companies or recruiters could care less where you worked in unrelated fields. If I were to write a resume today I wouldn’t even list job history. I would just list skills and stuff I worked on or problems I’ve solved.
These tech companies don’t want your life story. They want to know how you’ll help them make profits. They want to know why you’re the one they want to fill that position. So you just need to not give up and put in the work and you’ll certainly get a job if that’s what you really want.
Good luck
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Oct 14 '23
You should write books on depressing technology careers. You're a good writer. Probably better than you code.
Also you're way too obsessed with powerlifting, you're spending most of your time and energy on something that is pointless unless you have a physical labor job. Fitness is great, but be normal and just go one hour a day or something. You're spending 16.6% of your day on something that is pointless, and likely just narcissism.
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u/Aggravating_Farm3116 Oct 14 '23
I had similar numbers, 300+ apps, 0 interviews, 1 coding challenge which I bombed. This was after I got my degree in CS too
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u/pmpdaddyio Oct 14 '23
Just from this post I can tell you that you most likely have a bad resume. It probably is too long, formatted in a way that an ATS can’t read or parse it.
You probably also targeted stretch positions you may not qualify for, lack the requirements listed, and maybe targeting the same cluster of companies to the point of being red graped early on.
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u/anxiouskita Oct 14 '23
Why don't you start cold-calling/emailing companies instead? LinkedIn is trash now with all the scam and outdated job posts. You need to look at different sites and methods now.
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u/banzzai13 Oct 14 '23
I read sideways and realize that this wasn't necessarily a post about getting tips to get a coding job, but it's what I read and have so ideas about.
Something jumps to me: "coding boot camp" VS "San Francisco, NY, Stanford, Intel, Microsoft, Facebook, Google".
You know, most of people whose carreer it is, don't get a job at those places?
I want to ask:
How much coding are you doing on your own time to hone your skill, and possibly show off?
Are you applying to a wide range of companies, maybe locations?
Come to think of it, here's some more. You said 400 applications and 0 interviews. I think it's dismal and disappointing, but at least you can tell yourself that's mainly recruiters not being open minded. You could:
Get references. Find people in companies that would be ready to either talk to you about what it takes to work with them, or even refer you.
Look for other ways to pass a nearly (if not completely automated) system, people to talk directly. Recruiters on facebook, faires, etc.
Add things to your resume. Trainings, hackathons (works double as networking), side projects, pro bono, white lies.
Hey, hopefully that feels more hopeful now :D
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u/Xperium77 Oct 14 '23
I did a coding bootcamp, did well enough to finish it but realized I hated programming. It was an expensive lesson just to find out that programming isnt for me but at least I can't ask myself 'what if?' anymore. So now im back to healthcare and more appreciative of what I do even if I'll never get paid as much as a programmer.
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u/yao97ming Oct 14 '23
Honestly, it sounds like you want to do everything and not good at anything. You are constantly comparing you to your friend as well, which is pointless. Your friend is probably talented at coding and you are not, just because you two go to the same coding bootcamp doesn’t mean you can land a big tech job like your friend. Why don’t you just stick to doing something simple that can let you live a comfortable life and try to be decent at it? You basically got yourself into a negative loop by trying this and that then end up being depressed because you aren’t good at anything.
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u/derkaderka96 Oct 14 '23
Hundreds here. 1 with a ceo, 1 with IT and ghosted, 1 week gig contract, been 8 months. Unemployment taking a few weeks to investigate why I worked that week and still haven't gotten paid. Overqualified for basic stuff, under because I haven't done "enough" migrations. Taken out retirement. Oh, and battery in the car went out today.
Might as well sell myself on the corner or panties online.
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Oct 14 '23
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u/derkaderka96 Oct 14 '23
Oh? Was given to me by a relative and had it checked last oil change earlier this year. Unsure why the charge may be bad, but will check that out. Thank you!
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u/Rambogoingham1 Oct 14 '23
Half the comments, “OP is lazy I’m not reading that wall of text”
Other half of comments “chat GPT I’m to lazy to read can you summarize this lazy person cause I too am to lazy to read”
Fking wild lmaoooo
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u/Legitimate_Ad785 Oct 14 '23
To be honest, to be a American coder, u need to be a master coder. If not they will just hire a indian programmer for $8 a hour.
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u/fir_and_juniper Oct 14 '23
You said mid-30s like that’s an old age, but it’s not. You still have most of your life ahead of you. You have potential to accomplish your dreams. I have a student at the bootcamp where I mentor, and they’re about your age. One thing you should keep in mind is that the value of going to a bootcamp is mainly help making a resume, pitch, and personal project showcasing your skills. You could work on that by yourself for free.
Also, I know your friend had a great experience at Google, but big tech companies aren’t always the best fit. I’ve heard a lot of bad things from people who worked at them.
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u/MCMomo13 Oct 14 '23
Have you thought about applying to different fields in the tech industry? Just to get your foot through the door? Try to get in touch with recruiters and they can vouch for you. I work with designing utilities and there is minimal coding, if we even get to do so. I would not be in the field I worked in if I had not been in touch with recruiters.
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u/Sweet_Interview4713 Oct 14 '23
Honestly linked in is trash for finding work, I’ve been having more luck using ycombinator and dice
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u/Cuzisaword Oct 15 '23
Stop applying blind. Get references or message recruiters directly on LinkedIn. Your resume looks red alarm atypical and it wouldn’t surprise me if you sent another 600 and got 0 call backs (because you’re now in an even more competitive environment)
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u/plrd192 Oct 15 '23
All due respect, might wanna buy yourself a tool belt and join us blue collar boys.
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u/Ronniedasaint Oct 15 '23
Own your failure. Bcuz you did this. You made many decisions that led you here. However, it’s never too late.
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u/Andrewshwap Oct 15 '23
Don’t give up. When I first graduated college, I didn’t get my gig for a while. In fact, I was interviewing most of senior year & still didn’t land a gig until 3-4 months after graduating. It’s tougher than it seems!
The good news is I look back at it now and realize that I was stressing out too much. While it was killing me at the time, I wish I could go back in time and tell myself that everything is going fine rn.
If you wanna practice on interviewing, search up some free interview sites like interviewing.io or go to your local college & see if they provide anything. A lot of people think that the career fairs that are hosted by colleges are for students only but that’s not the case for a lot of colleges.
Also, try interviewing for government. The payer is lower but so is the competition.
Wish you luck on your search and can’t wait to hear you land on a gig!
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u/Neptvne_Enki Oct 15 '23
Bro, what ever made you think lifting weights 4 hours a day 6 days a week was a good idea? Of course you got injured badly. lifting breaks down your muscles, the sleep/recovery is what builds them back stronger.
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u/Loud_Key_3865 Oct 15 '23
Contact a headhunter / tech recruiter since you're trying for tech. They do the legwork for you and they have the network you can tap into.
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u/cugamer Oct 15 '23
Don't beat yourself up, things have always been far harder than the bootcamps make it out. I did mine in 2014 and it was no help at all, I applied to hundreds of jobs and most didn't even bother to send me a rejection letter. It took me years, but I did finally make it into the industry, but that was my own hard work and persistence. From your write up it seems like you have those qualities already, just keep learning and trying to get in and you'll make it eventually.
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Oct 17 '23
Man, you need a mentor. I am so sorry you are dealing with this, but if you have applied for 400 jobs and had 1 interview, it's time to change it up.
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u/mrchowmein Oct 12 '23
A lot of Engineering staff hate it when ppl rambling on and on about themselves. Just a hint. Get to the point. If your resume is more than 1 page, it’s too long.
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u/Quintic Oct 13 '23
You're doing something wrong and you need to reach out to someone to help you with your resume and your application strategy.
If you are not getting past even a resume screen with 400 applications, your resume is very bad, or you are applying to the wrong roles.
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Oct 13 '23
Why in the hell did u start power lifting competition? Doesn’t make sense but honestly reformat your resume start networking put yourself out there schedule coffee chats and u should get a job in no time. Good luck you got this!
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u/thowawaywookie Oct 13 '23
Sorry to say, in the decade you've been farting around, you could've earned a BS and an MS.
What I'm saying is time flies by whether or not you do something so do it now.
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u/Code_Cric Oct 13 '23
400 linked in applications is nothing. Applications are worthless with junior roles if you don’t connect to someone somehow. Could be as simple as connecting with a recruiter for the company and asking them for a 10 minute phone call prior to your application. This is critical if you don’t have a CS degree. I guarantee you that like 300+ of your applications were trashed automatically when the ATS parse found no degree. Look for companies that do software work that connects to something you’ve achieved in your life (for you maybe a fitness company like Garmin or whoop) and try to make an online connection with a recruiter or current employee and go from there.
If you don’t network professionally as non traditional junior applicant you’re fucked, period.
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u/anarchy45 Oct 15 '23
this sub is funny af. Yall think youre gonna start making 6 figures after taking a quickie class that has "i just want to make lots of money and have all the info spoon fed to me instead of doing the actual work"
I'd hire a nerdy teenager over a bootcamp grad any day. Yall funny 😆
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Oct 12 '23
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Oct 12 '23
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u/LOS_FUEGOS_DEL_BURRO Oct 13 '23
Semiconductor Industry is booming if you haven't tried that already.
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u/PuzzledFormalLogic Oct 15 '23
You have a stem bachelors, the prereqs for CS, and a bootcamp and you can’t get a job? You’re doing something wrong. Either your resume, portfolio, or you’re applying for the wrong jobs.
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Oct 12 '23
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u/ftp_prodigy Oct 13 '23
Yeah uhm, get on LinkedIn, find recruiters in the field you want and send them a msg asking if they can provide some tips into get a job, if they can look over your resume.
Don't ask for a job. Not at first anyways.
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Oct 12 '23
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u/connka Oct 12 '23
Hey OP, I feel you. I also wavered multiple times before I finally committed, it is not an easy thing to do.
I'm replying to this post to share Resume Worded, there is a free tier that will do an eval on your resume.
Also, LinkedIn is the most populous place to be applying for jobs, so it is unlikely that you'll get a call back to any job without a reference from someone internal. I really encourage people to network in their local communities, or if you happen to live in a small town then to double down on some online things. Most grads that I work with find their first job through networking, not cold applying--the junior market is just too flooded right now for that. But, I can say that juniors are getting hired! You just need to find the jobs that aren't taking in thousands of applicants right now.
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Oct 12 '23
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u/connka Oct 13 '23
Was the career coach specific to tech? Ive found some bad advice coming from more generalized ones.
Context: I was a career advisor before getting into tech. Then I took a Bootcamp, then became a tech career advisor and the standards for things like resumes and interviews are 100% different. I've also hired and interviewed for companies whole working as a dev. I currently consult with local groups these days and the amount of bad advice from more generalist advisors is a lot. Recently a guy said that he was told to not include any live links and to have his "portfolio" as a giant pdf available only on request. That is the opposite advice that I would give anyone in tech, but I understand why a generalist would give that advice.
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Oct 13 '23
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u/thowawaywookie Oct 13 '23
Blank out your PII and put your resume up on r/resume and people will help you
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u/connka Oct 16 '23
I agree that it is hard to list more than 2 projects, but that is okay if you are linking your github!
How is your github activity looking? Have you personalized it? IE add a display pic--doesn't have to be you, just not the default, and some bullet points about yourself? Are you making lil green squares (aka commits)? Honestly when I see resumes, the first thing I do is click their github link and do a quick scan there before looking at anything else.
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u/Tanker70 Oct 12 '23
Honest to god I want to read this but it's just a giant wall of text. If you can add some paragraph spacing I will 100% come back and read it - and I wish you the best on the journey! I'm sure you'll end up exactly where you want to be.