Confessions of a bootcamp graduate

Attention bootcamp shoppers: Organizing your job search process’ NOW before EMBARKING or AFTER GRADUATING from a software engineering program, like I did. Don’t expect people to point you into the right direction if you’re directionaless.

1. Linked[IN] Profile:
   This is your virtual business card for professional opportunities it requires self-awareness of your brand and hashtags. This is not an opportunity to accept all connections, like a popular dating app. However, society tends to be intrusive, thus if you happen to find that one non-professional person, here is a link to remove connections seamlessly without their acknowledgement. Remember, you are a storyteller curating a concise yet interesting profile that should stand out to hiring managers. #linkedin
2. Not all job descriptions are created equal:
   Most jobs descriptions’ experience are needed by numerical gauges. For example: 0–3 years or 3–5 years of experience, which can discouraged applicants to proceed. However, one should apply regardless of the experiential gauges described because your resume or CV is looked at as a whole. Try not to self-sabotage your potential opportunities.
3. It’s a bootcamp, not a job generator:
   Most of us have seen the advertisements of that one person going to a bootcamp and getting a job in a few weeks. This is called HOLLYWOOD. In the reality of bootcamp novices, it takes diligence, discipline, patience, and excessive networking to land your first gig. If there is anything that the pandemic has taught us, is that most career changers vie for remote employment, which in laymen terms means more competition.
4. The Great Expectations of Career Services:
   Here is the thing, in order for career services to actually work, they have to be adaptable to each graduate needs. Do not go in with the expectations that career services will take your hand and lead you out of the rabbit hole. You must have self-awareness of who you are and where you would like to shine in software engineering. This is the key element for a collaborative mentoring between you and your career coach.
5. Life is complicated, code doesn’t have to be:
   When the average person sees code it is like jibberish and non-sensical, which in this case, many career changers become intimidated. Learning code is like learning any other language. There are different learning styles, educational backgrounds, and attention spans. These are criterias that most bootcamps do not address. For example, if you’ve seen the show, “Silicon Valley”, there is a scene where the main character tried to describe their tech company to investors but speaks in code. This scene shows the lack of accessiblity to a growing platform of tech interested people, which translates to how technology is being taught at bootcamps. Is it more important for students to learn code in their own unique way? Or is it more important to keep the bro-gramming learning culture alive? As technology expands it overtly advertises inclusivity, however inclusivity does not stop at race and/or gender. But different learning variablities from students.

NO CODERS LEFT BEHIND. | Copyright “Silicon Valley” HBO