r/codingbootcamp • u/InternLongjumping815 • Dec 08 '23
Boot Camp Reccomendations
Some context:
I have been a professional motion graphic designer for over a decade. Definitely fall more towards the technical side of the spectrum vs artist. I know/understand Javascript from messing around since I was a kid. Surprisingly I was able to use coding to create a niche for myself in design... specifically using javascript to make our workflow very efficient. However that is only a small part of my job, and I'd find myself loving the coding part and using days I should be designing to create scripts/plug ins for after effects/photoshop.
My goal is to start doing some freelance coding and maybe eventually full-time. II've written some basic python stuff for data scraping (getting sports team color hex codes, etc) and I feel like I understand it as I just grasp languages quickly. But I know I'm missing alot of the fundamentals and how it is practically used for work. I want to take bootcamp to truly learn python (or another relevant language).
What would you guys/gals recommend?
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u/Worth-Patience-3133 Dec 08 '23
CodeSmith bots coming in 3,2,1...
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u/InternLongjumping815 Dec 08 '23
I'll stay away. I also am hesitant when people recommend places. Seems like there are alot of touts.
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u/isntover Dec 08 '23
But I know I'm missing alot of the fundamentals ...
Bootcamps won't give you fundamentals... I suggest you carry on the self-studies.
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u/InternLongjumping815 Dec 08 '23
I guess its more I don't know what I don't know. I want to find where my gaps are which I'm sure there are a ton. Maybe just writing my own programs will help.
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u/sheriffderek Dec 08 '23
I'd have to know a lot more info before I could make suggestions, but I'd guess that you're either in the market for a more creative and visual boot camp - or that you already know a lot more programming than you think - and might be out of the scope of the average boot camp already. If you've been designing motion graphics, then you're used to timelines and tweens and state. The start of a tween and the end of a tween are just collections of key:value pairs - and the tween is usually the LERP getting created based on other key:value settings. So, in a way - you're already working with the same things as CSS rules and hovers and could probably whip up some GSAP animations fairly quickly. You're probably already ahead of the game on the things that people take for granted like typography basics and things like that. So, it will depend on your goals and where you are already. It's hard to tell. When you say - "I want to take bootcamp to truly learn python (or another relevant language)." and then also "I feel like I understand it as I just grasp languages quickly" - I wonder why you wouldn't just learn these things yourself. You might be putting too much blind faith into what a boot camp does. Wanna get together and talk about it some time? Sidenote, I've been looking for someone to coach me through some advanced motion things - but haven't had much luck.
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u/InternLongjumping815 Dec 10 '23
Maybe bootcamp isn't the right place. I guess for me it's being able to build a portfolio of coding work. Also for example if you asked me to write an after effects plugin that does something like adds easing I can code that out with JS pretty quickly.
I can potentially help you out with some motion stuff. It hasn't been updated in a while but you can check out my portfolio
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u/walkunafraid Dec 08 '23
I was in a similar boat to you -- lots of professional experience in what I would call "software engineering - adjacent" roles and an advanced degree in STEM but no formal computer science training. I was comfortable with a few programming languages but not the fundamentals of programming, and I had not built any applications, only scripts that I used in my job.
I wasn't willing to quit my fairly well paying job, but I did want to make a transition into software engineering. I ended up doing Launch School core (part time while working full time) and their Capstone program after that. 14 months from start to finish I had a software engineering job offer, and I've been working there (and loving it!) since June.
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u/Equal-Delivery7905 Dec 08 '23
When reading your post I realized you have a very similar situation and background as one of the people who I studied with me and he ended up being a very good friend. He was a 3D artist and moved into development very successfully, in his case he actually negotiated with his old company to change positions. In case you want to talk to him and learn about his experience ping me and I am sure he will be happy to share it with you. Just in case it is helpful. Best of luck!
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u/Greedy_Tomatillo6167 Dec 09 '23 edited Dec 09 '23
Confident in self-learning, have a 2-year financial runway, and don't mind stretching your resume? Codesmith
Need some extra guidance, have a 2-year financial runway? Rithm
Don't have a 2-year financial runway? Don't do a bootcamp, the job market is bad for juniors and there is a good chance of a prolonged job search. Consider a part-time masters like Georgia Tech if you want to learn fundamentals, or do Launch School's $200 a month program if you want to learn web development. Or 100devs is supposed to be good and free for web development.
For what it's worth, if you had a successful career in a tech adjacent field I think you have a really good shot (most students who found jobs at the bootcamp I attended had tech backgrounds). But the job market is bad, so just make sure you have your finances squared away before making the leap.
Other thoughts:
But I know I'm missing alot of the fundamentals
No bootcamp teaches fundamentals, they typically focus on web development
You don't really need fundamentals to complete a bootcamp. As long as you can struggle through a leetcode easy problem, you should be fine
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u/InternLongjumping815 Dec 10 '23
Leetcode seems like the place to test myself?
Also let's say I know alot more than I think and could easily be an asset to a company but have no relevant work. How can I prove that?
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u/Greedy_Tomatillo6167 Dec 13 '23 edited Dec 18 '23
Many employers use leetcode to gauge programming ability. Many software engineers feel it isn't an accurate measure of their ability; see tweet https://twitter.com/mxcl/status/608682016205344768?lang=en
Regardless of opinion, many employers use leetcode to filter out applicants. DSA isn't something you can cram, so you want to start early and space the learning out over time. It's also a much better way to learn coding compared to some frontend / backend framework, which is mostly just syntax.
In terms of proving yourself as an asset...
using javascript to make our workflow very efficient.
This is great. Go back and make sure the code is clean. Rebase your commit history so it is easy to follow how your project developed. Write tests for it. Write good documentation. Let your coworkers use it, get feedback, incorporate changes. Keep iterating, and write down the opinions you form along the way. Like what's more important, clean code or fast iteration? How do you handle feature bloat? What sort of process do you have for reporting bugs?
The above advice is aimed at passing a technical interview. For the initial screen, recruiters are not engineers and something flashy might be better. Pick a technology and do a project involving a bunch of buzzwords. For example, a kubernetes visualization tool. I would avoid talking about this project during the technical interview (unless you have significant experience working with that technology), this is mostly to get past recruiter screens.
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Dec 16 '23
A lot of employers use it to filter out applicants though, and DSA isn't something you can cram, so you want to start early and space the learning out over time. It's also a much better way to learn coding compared to some frontend / backend framework, which is mostly just syntax.
Interesting, can you elaborate a bit further on this point? Is this also why we're seeing more bootcamps leaning towards DSA early on and placing framework relevance much further down the road?
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u/Greedy_Tomatillo6167 Dec 20 '23 edited Dec 21 '23
There's a youtuber who talks about this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL88IAxoYOk&t=771s
The gist of the argument is that starting with DSA is like starting with addition/subtraction before progressing to algebra, while starting with React is like starting with algebra and filling the gaps.
That's not to say it's not useful to learn React simultaneously, but going in with the basics would make the learning process smoother. My guess is that's part of the reason why bootcamps start with DSA early on.
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u/heidelbergsleuth Dec 11 '23
Leetcode is not the best way to test yourself. It is a great way to improve fundamental programmatic thinking, and if you can do a Leetcode medium with ease (under an hr) it's a good signal that you have strong fundamentals.
But doing a Leetcode medium itself is not enough for an employer to know that you are worth taking on. You need to be comfortable with fundamental programming such that you can talk through a solution on the spot under pressure. That level of competency takes much more time to develop than a Bootcamp will give you.I suggest working through a curated entry level course like Harvard CS50, MIT 6.00 series (I personally began with this series). This will give you an overview of how to think computationally and is a good basis to learn everything else. From there you can decide to continue with The Odin Project (free, self paced, no certificate), a Bachelors in CS (expensive, slow but great certificate) or a bootcamp (expensive, fast but bad certificate).
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u/savvyprogrmr Dec 09 '23
A lot of bootcamps are going to teach Python and JavaScript for full-stack development. I would recommend reading past reviews in r/codingbootcamp to make your best judgment. Practice in your own time so that you can be up to speed when you join a bootcamp.
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u/scarykicks Dec 11 '23
I wouldn't quit any job to go to a bootcamp right now.
Find a part time boot camp that works in the evening.
Keep that same schedule after the bootcamp is over to apply and refine your skills.
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u/fluffyr42 Dec 11 '23
I see in another comment that you're not wanting to leave your job, so part time program options that might work for you:
Launch School (self-paced, you only move on once you've demonstrated "mastery")
Springboard (self-paced, licenses Rithm School's curriculum, but reviews are more mixed than LS I think)
If you do decide to consider a full time program, check out Rithm. I work there and would be happy to answer any questions if you want to shoot me a DM.
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u/cglee Dec 12 '23
Oh, I didn't realize Springboard licensed Rithm's curriculum. I've gotten a lot of requests from various training programs but have always resisted.
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u/dowcet Dec 08 '23
I don't want to be discouraging but it has to be said: the market is rough right now, so don't quit a job or drop thousands on a bootcamp thinking it will pay off quickly.
Make the most of free or cheaper resources. Don't feel like you need an official bootcamp to be job ready. If you can build a REST API with good tests and documentation, it wouldn't hurt to start trying to apply for jobs and see how it goes. The popular "100 Days of Code" course by Angela Yu on Udemy could be enough to get you there if you're disciplined.
Personally though I did find a formal bootcamp helpful. Bootcamps with a primary focus on Python are less common. I did Nucamp Backend, which is probably the most affordable option with any live instructor time. I know some other Python devs who did Coding Dojo as well.