Article
How to Keep Learning After a Coding Bootcamp
Written By Lauren Stewart
Last updated on February 7, 2020
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Written By Lauren Stewart
Course Report strives to create the most trust-worthy content about coding bootcamps. Read more about Course Report’s Editorial Policy and How We Make Money.
Course Report strives to create the most trust-worthy content about coding bootcamps. Read more about Course Report’s Editorial Policy and How We Make Money.
Learning to code at an intensive bootcamp takes dedication and focus. And even though you’ll reach that finish line (we promise you will!), it’s important to remember that the learning doesn’t end at graduation! Whether you’re acclimating to a new technology stack on the job, or you’ve decided to add to your skillset through online resources, there’s always room to grow. A great developer's job is never done, and the learning will continue. So how do you stay on top of the ever-evolving tech scene? We’ve collected advice from bootcamp alumni and employers in our 8 steps to keep learning after a Coding Bootcamp.
The bootcamp experience leaves you equipped with the skills to take on various coding jobs, but perhaps more importantly, you’ll know how to learn new skills. As a programmer, you may constantly run into roadblocks and you won’t have all the answers. At a coding bootcamp, you should learn to tackle those roadblocks through creative problem solving–here are our suggestions:
You’ve just spent months in a classroom with people who had the same goal as you: to learn to code quickly and come out on top as a junior developer. That network of alumni will become even more important after graduation! Whether you stay in touch via an alumni Slack channel or team up to compete in hackathons or even pass on a resume, your fellow bootcamp alumni and former instructors are a valuable support network. Thinkful alum Joe Reed explains how his Slack channel helped him land a job: “Thinkful got me in the habit of checking job listings every day. But having the Thinkful Slack group was a great resource for that. Everyone is constantly sharing links to databases of companies who were hiring, and pointing out companies which are worth cold calling.”
Here are some ways to keep interacting with fellow alumni:
Software Development Conferences are also important learning events to keep you up-to-date with what’s going on in the industry. You’ll have the chance to meet new developers, hear from industry leaders, and collaborate with others on new ideas for the space. Popular conferences like DevCon or Apple’s WWDC may be pricey, so definitely see if your employer offers an education stipend and will foot the bill! You could also speak at various conferences to build your brand and credibility within the industry. Here are some top conferences to check out:
Those are larger conferences, but keep your eyes peeled for smaller, more niche conferences hosted in cities around the world.
Now that you’ve graduated, it’s time to join, expand, and build your new tech community. Depending on where you’re living and working, meetups are a useful tool to immerse yourself in a community of coders – including experienced coders and newbies. Different meetups may focus on certain themes catering to a specific technology stack or demographic, but overall, these are perfect places to build relationships for coders. Meet new people in the field and learn more about ever-evolving technology in various industries at these Meetup groups:
Don’t forget to find out if your company also hosts internal meetups! In addition to joining Toastmasters to help with presentation skills, Frances Liu explains how she got a promotion after graduating from Hackbright Academy: “I presented at our internal Python meetup about Flask, and it caught the attention of our CTO. He brought me onto his project within the company, which was a Flask RESTful API, and that’s how I transitioned into my second position.”
You know what they say– you don’t truly know it until you can teach it! The best way to prove your understanding of programming concepts is to teach it to a newbie. Several bootcamps hire on their graduates as teaching assistants (check out Fullstack Teaching Fellows, The Grace Hopper Program, and DevPoint Labs). When Maggie Neterval graduated from The Grace Hopper Program, she attributes her interview skills to her time as a Fullstack Fellow: “I did end up staying on as a Fullstack Fellow for an additional three months and was a mentor for the next cohort and sharpened my own skills that I would need in the job search. I feel lucky that I was able to be a fellow, and afterward, I felt really confident going into interviews.”
There are also organizations out there that need developers like you to volunteer your skills for younger coders like Coder Dojo or Code.org.
Even a short guest lecture at your old bootcamp is a great way to reinforce the material for yourself, and have the opportunity to give back to others. We do understand that teaching is a calling, and may not be for everyone, but never forget that when you're sharing your knowledge and experience, someone is learning. It doesn’t matter if you’re at the front of a classroom or mentoring one-on-one, sharing what you know is great for building your expertise.
Competing in Hackathons is a collaborative way to learn more skills. Hackathons are usually 24-48 hour events where programmers meet to create new products that solve a specific problem. Some are even focused on civic hacking where the solution aims to help local communities.
Many local hackathons are hosted by companies, coding bootcamps, and even technology platforms like Docker. These events are an awesome tool to reconnect with the tech community while also brushing up on your skills. Hackathons can be centered on almost every topic, using all sorts of technologies, and many have great prizes. Learn how to crush your first hackathon and see how Sabio grads stood out from the rest. Here are some popular hackathons:
Attending shorter workshops after graduation is a great way to reinforce your skills and dive into new technologies and frameworks. For example, during a JavaScript bootcamp you’ll likely learn the entire MEAN stack, but maybe you realized that you loved working in Angular or React and want to deepen your expertise.
Several bootcamps offer free workshops for their alumni community to support your growth as a developer. Check out workshops offered by bootcamps like Galvanize, General Assembly, and We Can Code IT!
During a coding bootcamp, you’ll realize how many answers you can find online as long as you know how to ask the right questions. After bootcamp, it may be easy to think you’re done with Google and those coding vocab searches, but you should be open to what you still may not know. Online platforms are great ways to revisit information–you can even join online communities with other programmers to practice skills by participating in competitions, along with give and receive feedback on the projects you’re working on. Start with these online resources:
You know what they say–read a book, change your life! The short, intense nature of coding bootcamps means less time to cover underlying theory that supports the practical application of software development, so you may need to fill in gaps with the fundamentals. It’s imperative to have a good understanding of the basics if you want to go far in your life after a coding bootcamp and in your software programming career.
As you search for your first job, keep your eyes peeled for companies that support your learning with a book budget or office library! We suggest reading these books to cover anything you missed at bootcamp:
Learning software development is no easy task, and if you’ve graduated from a bootcamp–you should be proud! Going from zero to hero in the coding industry is challenging, but coupled with an immersive and intense environment like bootcamp, your learning potential is infinite. Always remember that even though your bootcamp days may be behind you, never forget the hunger, tenacity, and determination it took to get you to the end. Life after a coding bootcamp doesn't necessarily get easier, you just get better. Bring that same passion to learning for the rest of your programming days, and your career will continue to grow!
Further Reading:
Lauren is a communications and operations strategist who loves to help others find their idea of success. She is passionate about techonology education, career development, startups, and the arts.
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