The one thing that Bootcamps have going for them (the good ones, at any rate) is the networking factor as it puts in contact with people with industry contacts. It is especially useful for people who are very shy, but there *are* infinitely cheaper ways to do that.

@cugamer8862

Жыл бұрын

My coding bootcamp had tons of supposed "hiring partners" but when I knocked on their doors I got zero interest. Most wouldn't even respond with rejections. In my experience the networking and contacts aspects of bootcamps are highly overrated.

I'm definitely number 4. I've been grinding like crazy the last few months and today was finally given a full-time job offer with with company I've been interning with.

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

Nice work!

Thanks for mama for saving me from starting the bootcamp. This is exactly what I needed to hear❤️

Thank you for this video. I 'graduated' with a certificate of completion from a bootcamp and I couldn't build a basic website at the end because of how fast paced the program was. one week in html, one week in css and one week in JS. by the time you got to the next subject, u forgot about the previous one. I still owe 10K from it. Please people, dont waste your money. I got more out of freecodecamp and odin project (FREE) and youtube videos than I did a $17K web dev bootcamp.

@briannoh9235

Жыл бұрын

Which boot camp?

@diegor3194

Жыл бұрын

Those bootcamps should be illegal

Wow! Extremely grateful for all the info. I’m here today debating what path to embark upon.

Thanks, man. Great video. This further solidified my decision not to ‘wash out’ when I’m so close!! Keep building, networking and applying, people!

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

You got this!

Literally just pulled out of General Assembly yesterday. When I signed on by the recruiter I I was told that anyone who has ZERO background in tech and coding can join and change their life for the better and be taught properly. I signed up and quickly realized that it wasn't the case at all, I was basically thrown to the wolves and a lot of instructors and teaching assistants have little patience for those who have zero background in tech. I was drowning by the second week, they were more concerned about helping students who were basically already developers in the class rather than the ones who have no background at all. It was extremely disappointing and discouraging because I wasn't told the actual truth and money was spent. Now I'm looking for another boot camp that is actually FOR BEGINNERS. A lot of boot camps are worried about just polishing existing developers and packing out classes to make the most money, not really help those who are making complete lifestyle and career changes into tech. I also owe them money for the days that I went.

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

thanks for sharing your experience.

@leonardoragazini

Жыл бұрын

Where was this? States?

@Harold10ful

Жыл бұрын

@@leonardoragazini Online, due to covid they had us strictly in online classes through Zoom. So everyone was from all over.

Great video! On a side note glad to see you feeling better from your injuries

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

thanks. making some progress.

Hey, I´m glad you're back. Happy to see you well and healthy, thanks for the advice and motivation, I really like that you keep it real. I am self taught and burning my eyelashes reading through mozilla's documentation whilst doing the freecode camp course and projects, it is fun, but sometimes it can be rough, and see why people would seek bootcamps, but so far I haven't seen any need to join a bootcamp other than networking later on after having a solid portfolio, and still my real plan is to volunteer to ongs and start from there... kind regards.

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your experience. Working through documentation can be challenging for sure.

Thanks for this video. I graduated from a coding bootcamp about a year ago. I thought that I would more or less be hand fed a job at the end, but it turns out that it takes graduates an average of 6 months after graduation to get a job. That’s 6 whole months of full time applying and learning and building projects and leetcode grinding in addition to the 3 months of bootcamp. 2 months after my graduation, I wasn’t hearing back from any of my applications. I gave up. I now realize than I had the wrong mindset to code. I risked 20k on a bootcamp, hoping it would be a kind of “shortcut” to getting s high paying tech job. When bootcamp was over, when it had been two months since I graduated, that shortcut didn’t seem like it was working. I gave up. They say that there are no shortcuts to worthwhile thinsg in life. The KZreadr here (sorry what’s your name? xD) studied for nine months before he felt job ready. if I were to try to become a web developer again, I would listen to his advice and not dish out thousands on a bootcamp. Like he said, I would buy some high quality courses and build real projects for real people to showcase my talents. They also say that havjng a supporting community is really important for learning so don’t think that you have to go through this alone, because there are people out there in the same boat as you, or there are developers out there who sympathize with your current struggle, and they want to help. Good lucks guys, or should I say work hard and smart!

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

thanks for sharing your experience. - James

Im graduating from a 6 month fullstack bootcamp here in Texas in 4 days. we spent about 2 months on frontend and the rest was all backend. I was a little disappointed because I have decided to go all in on the frontend, its just more enjoyable to me. So I didn't learn much more than i had already taught myself prior to the bootcamp. (this “zero skills needed” bootcamp required the passing of two 50 question coding tests for admission btw 🤣) ...... there are three things i did like about the bootcamp. 1). i learned design patterns and testing so my code looks better and testing is awesome. 2) pair programming and teamwork, thats extremely valuable because its a whole skill to work on a project with other people and their ego's. 3) and the most important, alumni connections and job placement... I already have 6 interviews lined up before graduation, all because the job placement team worked their magic and 2 interviews came by way of me reaching out to prior graduates on linkedin...

@nathangothan601

Жыл бұрын

That’s awesome! Good luck on the interviews. Remember, even if you don’t get one of the jobs keep applying. Some of the best programmers will put out hundreds before they land a job.

@davko1123

Жыл бұрын

Which bootcamp are you graduating ? Good luck🤞🏼

@laxlyfters8695

Жыл бұрын

Good luck in your interviews

@zunny120

Жыл бұрын

@@davko1123 maybe app academy by the half js , half python curriculum. btw congratulations!

@novanoskillz4151

Жыл бұрын

@@nathangothan601 thats actually really nice to remember, because imposter syndrome is real.

Good video, very informative and I agree on the different types of individuals that are getting into this career field. Thank you for planting the seed of encouragement to those that might be questioning their position or journey in this field! You’re giving many people that might be unsure some guidance on how to go forward affordably. Personally, I think this is more of an individual issue than a bootcamp issue. I think there are some coding bootcamps that are blatantly looking for people that are unsure, but there are some really good ones out there. People should only get into something like this if it’s really want they want, regardless of choosing the bootcamp, self-taught, or college degree route. Regarding bootcamps specifically, I don’t think they are all that bad especially if you do your research before you get in one. It’s great for people like me who needed the structure and guidance in the learning process and pushed me towards completion. Look for bootcamps that over personally mentors, tutors, career specialists, longer than 3-6 months, offer deferred payment until you find a job, job preparation course included, and money back guarantee if you can’t find a job. Don’t settle for anything less.

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

thanks for sharing your perspective!

@Yalirandom

Жыл бұрын

Would you be comfortable saying which coding bootcamp you went to? I was first looking into a coding bootcamp from my local college through fullstack, but since finding this channel I’ve played with the idea of doing this myself. The problem is I feel that I would thrive in a more structured environment. So I’m for sure on the fence, I would research this bootcamp as well but I am curious as to which bootcamp you studied through since you seem to have had such a positive experience!

Finishing up my portfolio now. 1:30 This was so Motivational!🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

Insightful. I feel like I’m at this point where I understand it but then there’s things I don’t understand and it knocks me back. Trying to persevere through the mental block. I feel like I’m right there but still got a ways to go

Good to see you back.

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

thanks!

I went the bootcamp route for the accountability. I was going the self taught route and I was not being consistent. Having that schedule to follow and having the Career services support really allowed me to gain a lot. What I also learned early is what you mentioned that no one cares that you have a certificate from a bootcamp what they care is to show them that you are willing to learn and be coachable and show what you have build. Many in my network let me know to not talk about being a bootcamp grad. Talk about being a developer. Also I did not have all the money up front so an ISA (income share agreement) worked for me and in the long run what I pay for will be a drop in the bucket for the rest of my career. There are many ways to break into tech I support what works for everyone and I agree that not all bootcamps are created equal definitely do your research

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

thanks for sharing your experience

@TheSoulCrisis

Жыл бұрын

I like that approach man, nice job!

freaking awesome vid! I was really thinking about attending at a bootcamp! this was exactly what I needed to watch! thanks bro!

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it!

So true. Doubt is what drives people to look for the magic pill and not trust themselves. Great insightful video👍👍

Im in a Front-End Bootcamp and its Module based. For someone who had no to little expierience with Software Developement It gave me a good process to follow and Im encouraged to figure things out on my own alot. What I really like is that its Project based and in the end you have a full Portfolio that you can show and its 100% me. Also paying the price helps me actually stick with it ironically and I apreciate it since Ive always struggled with persistence alot for me its a huge commitment i dont have alot of money laying around so im very determined which helps me stay on the right path for sure. Im fully aware that there are alot of shit bootcamps out there and I agree on alot of things with what you said. But there are also good ones out there and if you‘re someone who likes structure and learning with others and mentors to ask at all times it sure will benefit you.

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your experience!

My man, this video is 100% on the nose. You can get more out of a Udemy course or a Skillshare course than an actual bootcamp in my opinion. I've been a BE dev for 8 years, and it's always natural to start a new job scared out of your mind. I've talked to some insanely talented developers, and even after 20 years in the field they are still scared shitless before starting something new.

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

I still get the imposter syndrome flare up when starting new jobs.

@gabemelgoza2709

Жыл бұрын

@@jamescross you said it took 9 months to get an idea, is that studying full time or part time? Now I try to study as much as I can I work full time:/

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

@@gabemelgoza2709 my goal was 4-5 days a week with 2-3 hours each day. that included studying and working on personal projects. For the first couple months i spent too much time reading books cover to cover.

@loganb1325

Жыл бұрын

Have you ever been to Boot Camp?

@samareshdas767

6 ай бұрын

In INDIA we get udemy courses for 500 INR or less, that's about 7 USD. With 2 udemy courses under 15 USD I got my fundamentals ready and got a job.😇

You seem to be recovering my good sir! Glad to see you back. I had a close call in Woodward recently and it was a wake up call that maybe I shouldn’t be trying to keep up with the younglings 😂

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

Making some progress. Editing the video was more mentally taxing than I would have thought. Totally agree on keeping up with the younglings. Hopefully you didn't get hurt on your close call.

I almost fell into the bootcamp path going into it with 0 experience with coding at all but I quickly figured out that Id be setting myself up for failure and he's 100% correct the bootcamp recruits will make it seem like you need them when in reality you don't it just takes grit and persistence. Even after I told the recruit I wouldn't be attending anymore because I wanna get a little coding knowledge before I go she was still trying to convince me why its better to go into the camp with 0 experience. Long story short Im paying 40 dollars a month with code academy and I'm actually learning. I have no idea if I would've stuck with the program or dropped out.

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your experience

@TheSoulCrisis

Жыл бұрын

What's really sad is how everyone wants to cash in on peoples' dreams of liberty and making money......ill preparing them for what they face even if it leads to their doom and despair.

I don't know what group I fall into specifically. I started 5 years ago and got trapped into tutorial hell and was demoralized by being hung up on finding someone with my exact story who was successful. I was focused on checking boxes and escaping my job at that time. I'm returning to try again but this time one of the biggest differences is that I'm focused on building some apps for purposes that would solve problems that I've run into, and I'm also not focused on changing jobs because I'd need to make at least 80k and be remote or 90k in office to be worth it financially. I believe this time I'll be more successful.

Great info!

In my case my family was too much against my dreams to become a programmer, they just wanted me to finish collage and get an easy job by family contacts... and feeling my fate doomed this way for years took me into depression, lost the sense of purpose in a hopeless way. One day I saw this add on facebook about a bootcamp I choosed to belive in myself one more time and work hard for what I want to do, I was delayed on school, my time was running out, Let's do this. Now 6 month later I haven't finish the bootcamp yet but I'm already going to interviews, met many people and have a nice portpholio, I got back the willing to dream and do what I want, working hard every day edit: I just needed a hard push, which I got by feeling the responsability to finish my daily tasks and now I agree with this guy, rigth now I can do so much by my own, but the bootcamp helped me out to get out of that whole where I was, with preasure

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your story!

As a bootcamp student it made me happy seeing how people that went through it transitioned from a totally different career to being a software dev, even our ta’s went through it and have there own job in the day and like to do this in the afternoons. It is definitely tough and fast paced but a bootcamp isn’t a one stop shop, there’s more to learn but definitely enough to get you an entry role, ours was designed to teach us how to learn and be independent, and our best friend is google lol

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

thanks for sharing your experience

It’s good to see you doing well 🙏🏽 Amen HALLELUJAH

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

on the up and up. still got a ways to go.

Most honest review Ive listened to. I almost clicked off of this video until I felt like you were talking right to me.

I'm glad I watch this video, because I was attending a bootcamp as well. 3 stcks accelerated and we only spent one day in html, then css for one week lecture, and then basic js. Felt rushed, and the TA wasn't much help either. I withdrew my enrollment before going thru the other programs.

This is what works for me best in learning to code..Finding a big project on working on it day after day..The caution with bootcamps is information overload..but the knowledge retention is questionable.

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your perspective!

I realize that some people are talking about bootcamps they graduated from and not mentioning which one it was or not finding time to reply to people asking. I graduated from a 4 month full time program from DigitalCrafts and really enjoyed it for those looking to explore some more options. Major pros for me with DC was that my class size was 10 people and we learned a lot of the in demand languages like react and SQL. I spent like 3 or so months trying to find a bootcamp before finding DigitalCrafts and also too much time trying to find one through only KZread. Then I came across Course Report where DC came up. I do recommend this program. I don’t work for them although I would like to become a TA for the bootcamp once they have an opening and if they choose to have me of course, but all around I had a great experience with them. Just make sure you get at least some time in to understand the basics of JS before going in. Some of my classmates did not do this which is not the end of the world, but it definitely helps to get a head start.

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your experience with that bootcamp! I'm sure others will find it helpful.

@mylesdeboer9746

Жыл бұрын

@@jamescross Of course, happy to help. and if anyone has any questions, feel free to ask through this thread. I'll do my best to answer any.

I realized 2 months in that my boot camp was not beginner friendly. I was spending more time on FCC and KZread just to figure out the course material. I was neck deep in React without a concept of basic algorithms or OOP. It did get my feet wet, and help guide me in the right direction to move forward, but ultimately it was my own sweat and determination that helped me learn to code.

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

thanks for sharing your experience!

Props!

thanks for being real!

Me currently... I am giving myself this summer to see how far and much I can learn by myself before even thinking about spending 17k for a bootcamp.

Awesome info. We know that many online courses are distend for people to not finish the courses and to continue purchasing more courses because they’re interest is that people consume more content without finishing it because they’re interest is to maximize profit for shareholders. So when you mention to sign up to high quality online courses which courses are you referring to? and could you make a video about it? Thank you for your awesome work informing us.

One thing not touched on, is some bootcamps have an extensive alumni network. Nearly everyone who went through with me got jobs pretty quickly, some even weeks before graduation, and a lot of that was from other alumni vouching for how good the education was at prepping entry devs

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

good point

@collin4380

Жыл бұрын

And which boot map was that?

@nickjacobsss

Жыл бұрын

@@collin4380 Turing

@collin4380

Жыл бұрын

@@nickjacobsss was it worth it?

I studied Angela Lu course before applying to Flatiron, just started phase 2 (react) a week ago . So far no regret for me, it’s tedious but I’ve learnt a lot already also I can explain my code to another person far much better than before. When I completed Angela Yu course on web development, I thought I’ve learnt enough to start applying for jobs but I later decided to apply to flatiron school after 2 weeks of JS I realized that the knowledge acquired from my udemy courses are far below standard. It’s crazy though but I love it. Also I’m a registered nurse here in Texas so I applied for self paced SE program.

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

thanks for sharing your experience!

I’m currently in a Full stack bootcamp I’m having a great time in. It’s very very challenging for me, but the structure makes a much better learning environment for me. I tried self teaching in the past and just kept quitting. Another thing to note is that I’m a veteran so the VA is paying 100% of the tuition. Just thought I’d share my positive review towards the curriculum

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

That's great. Having tuition covered makes it a very appealing option.

@Andrew85or

Жыл бұрын

Also a vet here, what bootcamp are you attending? I'm working full time and am looking for after hours bootcamps, online or community College. Did you use Vet Tec or the GI Bill? Thanks!

@jacrispy219r5

Жыл бұрын

@@Andrew85or looking for the same thing as well

It’d be great if you can make a video on how to build a networking from scratch, I’m currently a student and my LinkedIn got not contacts at all … Great video, love your content 🤘🏻

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

Great suggestion!

I think the value of boot camps is time. Think about it, how many self taught developers do you know that learned what a competent boot camp teaches in that 6 months? Most the ones you see on Reddit, KZread, etc all mention how it took them a year+ to learn some of this stuff. Either getting burnt out, having no direction, or just being lazy. So to most people, time is pretty valuable. Boot camps are only going to give what you put in, they definitely aren’t a magic pill. If you spend the 25+ hours outside of cohort “class” then you’re absolutely going to learn. If you instead choose to not code outside of class then you’re wasting your money.

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

Agree it takes time. No getting around that. Either full time or spread out if you have to work a job, gotta put in the time.

currently in highschool, started learning front end now, still need learn more about js. Also I have 4 more years in college to get more experience.

Thanks man this video was very useful, im doing university but i just can follow the classes and i dont have time to focus on learning what i am supposed to lear. i think is a wast of my time and even more a wast of money i paid 8,695 euros for the first year im i have more 3 to go here in Ireland, but i cant follow the rest of the class ( and is not me, there are others students that cant do it either) i just bought a Udemy Course and finally im learning everything, i honestly think ill gave up from university and focus on the course because is the only thing that is making me understand coding

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

there is a lot of value in a computer science degree. is that what you were majoring in?

I don't know any code. However I have started with free coding resources online to see how far I can go and what is my learning strengths and weaknesses so I can build muscles memory. I already completed college in fine arts, I do 3D modeling and animation, but I met a group of coding students while I was a mentor helping with importing models into a website and I got inspired, however I was already far into my college process, so I finished college first. I hope that the free coding resources will help get me far enough in my personal learning journey. I didn't want to spend too much money in a bootcamp, especially those ones that promises to teach coding in 3 months, I feel like it's too short of a timeframe and too much information will go past my head if it's fast paced. If I ever pay for a bootcamp one day, I'll pick the ones that's at least 6 months long, I believe there's more room for absorbing the information and I can go in my own pace.

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Yeah it’s gotta be an all in decision. It gets easier. Like how speaking a new language gets easier. If you aren’t committed though. You won’t get passed learning how to say hello world.

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

good analogy

.I have always been very fascinated with computers, but growing up very poor we didn't have one until I was almost 18.Graduated high school at 15 and immediately started working full time in a restaurant, then at 18 became a construction worker because I had no money to go to college and no real positive influences to do anything except find a job that pays your bills.After almost twenty years of hardship and witnessing death and maimings on the jobsite I'm done.At 37, i have started with html and css and it's going good I think, but I just have a bad feeling that I'm too old make it ;-/.I know that's a negative outlook but it's just hard to shake

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

A relative of mine is around 40 and just made the switch to web development. Don't be hard on yourself. If you enjoy it, embrace it.

@adammayo5611

Жыл бұрын

@@jamescross Thanks for the encouragement.Its scary changing from a trade that has kept you off the streets.

I have a bachelors degree in Comp Sci. I've done bootcamps hosted by GATech. I've also tried Udemy bootcamps and Udacity courses. I can honestly say that Udemy and Udacity has taught me the most about coding than any of these situations. Universities tend to have really good networks and so do bootcamps. That is the only thing that I can say helps a good amount. Ranked: 1) Udemy/Udacity 2) GATech Bootcamp 3) University

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

thanks for sharing your experience!

Coding bootcamps are interesting, I am enjoying the time I am having on my bootcamp. I do think that the 3 to 6 months is not enough time to be a complete programmer this is because the bootcamp delivers its curriculum at a quick a pace.

I am very interested in becoming a software engineer. I was going to put myself through a boot camp until I started hearing some of my friends say that’s not the way to go. After watching this video, I’ve made the decision to not enroll in a boot camp. Would you suggest I try for a degree or become a self taught engineer?

What about online bootcamps with weekend live classes? Its just around 200 USD 8 month online camp, which at my place is not just a week's food money like in the US but I can definitely manage that amount. The instructor is an established KZreadr which would give some insight, that he would not just fake stuff. Or can I just channel some self discipline and learn all that from a udemy course? What would you suggest I do?

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

That's not a bad price. That could be worth it.

Do I need to know design, UI/UX to be a frontend engineer? because I don't want to do design stuff myself. I only want to focus on development side of things.

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

It's a helpful skill but at most companies you likely have a designer you work with.

So I'm a Mechanical Engineer who loves to code. My company has a software team that I have my eyes on. Is it worth going for a Masters degree in CS? I'm working on getting some prereq courses but I could work on projects after I get data structures under my belt before transitioning to the software team. If I do decide to go to grad school I'd have my company pay for it but the thought of committing to a masters program with Ga Tech is going to make for a long 2 years. Is work experience enough or would having that masters degree on my resume be useful when moving from company to company?

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

Most of the software engineers I have worked with have a cs degree, some other bachelors degree or no degree. Some fields will require higher degrees for research, but if there is a team at your company I would start learning the technologies they are using and look for ways to contribute and work you way in. Totally leverage that advantage. Then if you feel not having a masters is holding you back, consider it then.

Cool video and I love your finishing note! Sounds like you are saying that it is more impactful to your coding career to go out and build useful app than to attend any expensive boot camp. Your ability to succeed is dictated by how much you want it and the work you're going to put in not some certificate that you earned from a course.

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

That's a good way to say it. It really comes down to how much quality time you put in. It can be with or without a bootcamp. One option is much more expensive.

This is my opinion: If you don't have a degree. Do computer science. I had my degree already so so I chose to graduate from a coding bootcamp. Or hell, just do both. The advantages of a coding bootcamp or computer science degree is that it shows employers on a paper that you are job ready. I vote do the coding bootcamp, or the CS degree, or do both. It won't hurt you it will help you. Coding is hard. I find it easier to go to the right direction with the coding bootcamp or college than being a lone wolf lol. You will know what courses to take or languages to start on. You have projects ready, a github, a LinkedIn and be more hireable and job ready. That's just my opinion.

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

I also already had a degree. If I didn't I would 100% get a computer science degree.

@leonseed4464

Жыл бұрын

Do you have your associates or bachelors in CS I’m currently doing my AA in computer science

Protect this man at ALL COST.

I’m getting into a FinTech Bootcamp coming from a 15yr Cisco networking career (expired CCNP). Just need a change. Have (old) BSc (CS) … Do you have any advice for the likes of me?

I have experience with one bootcamp. I think there is an element of truth to your opinions, and I think the best takeaway from your video is "If you have what it takes to succeed with a bootcamp, you have what it takes to succeed without a bootcamp." However, the bootcamp I'm familiar with does provide some opportunities that I think are quite valuable. The curriculum provides time for students to do group projects, and see a project through completion. By the end of the curriculum, groups of students are tasked with creating their own full stack app together. The final outcomes can be hit or miss, but what's really valuable to me is getting the chance to get a glimpse of what it is like to be on a team of software engineers. Could you simulate that without a bootcamp? Of course! But how are you going to organize finding a group of people who are willing to drop everything and work 9-5 for two weeks on some random full stack app for the sake of learning? Sure you could try to join an open source project, but that isn't really realistic for people just starting out. So, among other reasons, I do think this particular bootcamp has provided some great value to a lot of people. But unfortunately, you are right that some people who don't have what it takes enter the bootcamp and lose money. They are people somewhere between group 1 and 2, and then people in group 3 or even 4, who are dealing with imposter syndrome. They might hear your harsh statements about group 1 and 2, and critical thoughts on bootcamps in general, and think "maybe he's right..." and quit. :P But overall you make some great points. I don't fully agree on your analysis of the mindset of your groups of people, but I see where you are going with it and can understand where I think you're coming from. I'd say to those looking to start a bootcamp: - research different bootcamps and find alumni who speak positively about the experience. reach out to them on linkedin and ask directly! Wouldn't hurt to try. - expect the job hunt to last months. some alumni take up to 6 months to get hired. - if that job hunt length will destroy you financially, DO NOT SIGN UP FOR A BOOTCAMP. you gotta have a decent safety net. - if you already have soft skills, like to teach yourself code, feel like you know which type of software you want to be working in - forget the bootcamp and just do courses online. - network with other people in tech ASAP. who you know matters. it will get your resume placed on the top of the stack

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Please don't take this the wrong way, James, but... I love you. LOL! Thank you!

would you be down to have a conversation about this on discord? I'm currently in one(bootcamp) and just have a few questions that I think would take a while to talk over on here.

Have you taken a coding boot camp? Feels like an outside POV, I personally do better with a sense of direction. I’m intending on doing my local universities boot camp in the new year while doing some personal training in the mean time.

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

Nope. But know plenty of people who have including family members.

Hey James I am having some problems in mastering CSS...Could I skip it and jump to JavaScript.

@jeklo3713

Жыл бұрын

go javascript you dont need to master the css basic is enough sorry for my english

@roytating4915

Жыл бұрын

if you already have a good grasp of inheritance, classes, id's, you'd be alright. You'll need them when you're going to manipulate the DOM using JS.

What if I'm a vet and want to use VET TEC to switch careers? Currently employed full time.

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

If they cover the cost then the ROI changes in you favor so it could be a good option.

I just cannot grasp how to put a problem together in JavaScript. I understand most of the concepts, I’m putting in tons of time and just can’t get past that wall. Any suggestions? I’m going through a free code academy, doing Freecoodecamp and also have begun codeacademy. Am I missing a certain way of thinking to formulate the problems and work then out?

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

At first it can be hard because you don't know how to describe the questions and so can't search for good answers. Over time it gets easier and you start to see more patterns. What kinds of problems are you struggling with?

@ramirorenteria7333

Жыл бұрын

@@jamescross I went through most of the FCC curriculum and I was trying to solve a problem like making a palindrome. I’m having to go back and look up things I thought I had already learned. I’m just not retaining the info

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

gotcha. with algorithm type questions i would try to figure it out and then once totally stuck. look up solutions to the problem. preferably ones that explain what's going on. over time you will start to see patterns and you will at least know how to solve that pattern portion. try to figure out the rest until you get stuck and then repeat the process. over time it gets better. that said, unless you are rigorously studying algorithms, more complicated ones can take some time to process and in real work situations one would search for a solution, a library that provides optimized solutions to leverage and then if your use case is custom, you might have to roll your own. this whole process will be hard at first. what you are experiencing is normal. For the example you gave, to create a simple palindrome you could start with a string, create a copy of the string, reverse the copy and then join the two. To determine if a string is a palindrome if there is an even number of characters you could split the string in half. flip one side and compare the two for equality. if odd number you can't split cleanly so you would have to handle that. there are also different ways to approach things. for example, a different approach would be to focus on the tracking the first and last index values and compare them then iterate toward the center of the list making comparisons at each step. or if it is a palindrome of words in a sentence (not a true palindrome, more of a chiasmus) you would have to do it a little differently since just reversion would ruin the words. you would end up splitting the string at spaces into an array of words and do something similar to early. create a copy, reverse the copy. combine the arrays and then join each work back into a string while adding spaces back in. A lot of times it helps to write it out like i did and then focus on each step in writing the code.

Hey man. Here in the UK we get government funding for various skills bootcamps across different sectors and there’s a coding boot camp I’ve been looking at for a while. So if I get funding for it do you think that makes it worth it? What do you all think?

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

If it's a good program. Sure. This video isn't meant to say all bootcamps are bad or that they don't teach stuff. Often, the cost to benefits don't make lots of sense. So if by funding you mean free money, then that shifts the ratio in your favor.

@Tech_Publica

Жыл бұрын

dude, you live in civilised country... in the USA they are too busy "fighting communism" :P

How is the fact that not everyone can succeed in bootcamps the fault of a bootcamp? If you fail, that's on you. People drop out of college and are stuck paying for it just like bootcamps. Myself very much included. There is absolutely no shortage of warning that the course is one of the hardest things you'll ever do. It's not true that boot camps don't stand out on a resume. I graduated from HackReactor and got a job at FAANG within 3 months of graduation with only an incomplete associates degree in CS. It absolutely helps. Everyone else in my cohort who made it to the end of the program also found work quite quickly.

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your experience. There are some good ones out there, but that's not the case everywhere. Have you considered the influence of your geographic location in this outcome? I'm also guessing you developed some good skills and were able to present that well. My guess is you could have done well without the bootcamp too. By the way, congrats on getting into a FAANG!

@meatuchu2878

Жыл бұрын

@@jamescross Thank you for listening to my experience! Sorry I came off a little hostile - I am just quite grateful to them for the change in my life and I got more defensive than maybe I should have been. A year ago I was making $14.50 an hour managing a Walgreens 40 hours a week. I live in Delaware and work remotely. The biggest part of what got me here is the fact that people saw what I could do and word spread. I was referred to my current position by an alum who had been paying attention to recent graduates. He'd heard about what I did for my final project. I built a webservice running on AWS EC2 that could provision EC2 instances and deploy copies of itself to them without using any external load balancing service. Admittedly, his biggest motivation for helping me and other individuals was getting paid a referral bonus for each hire he helped them find, but a job is a job, you know? The thing is, I would never have thought to build anything like that without being asked. I didn't know that I was capable of it until the pressure to succeed was /ON/.

Hi I'm just starting to teach myself to code and become a programmer in utah. Would love any advice or help

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

Hello from Utah too! This whole channel is about providing tips and advice. If you have any specific questions, don't hesitate to ask!

Coding bootcamps move at 1000 miles an hour. No way anybody can fully understand full stack in three-four months.

How do you know if you're not cut out for programming?

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

probably less about not being cut out and more about not having the needed interests. for example someone commented this on another video: "Relentless passion for problem-solving and high tolerance for frustration required" If you are the opposite of that, maybe it's not a good fit or some people can't stand working on computers and just want to be outdoors doing stuff with their hands. Nothing wrong with that. Everyone is just different. Best way to find out is to dip you toes in the water and see if you like it. If you enjoy something, it's easier to work through the tough patches.

10 months of experience as a Software Developer, still can’t even get an Interview. I’m not sure if this is about market or my resume, or both lol?

@jethya3640

Жыл бұрын

Which country?

@wearywillie3675

Жыл бұрын

Get more creative in your resume about your work history. But tbh, that's weird as hell. Here in Australia people are ready to employee the janitor to do coding, that's how high demand is..

@bez1196

Жыл бұрын

What's your portfolio looking like? Anything that would interest a potential employer or the run of the mill stuff (Todo app, calculator etc)?

@creitosfl

Жыл бұрын

@@jethya3640 USA

@creitosfl

Жыл бұрын

@@bez1196 I have 10 projects total on my resume, I just don’t understand. It must be something about my resume wrong.

is the UCR coding bootcamp any good? I'm saving up for it since it seems very legit

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

not familiar with it

The Odin Project is great and it's Free

freecodecamp and the odin project

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

good options

everybody wants that pay.... not everyone will put in that work.....

@jamescross

8 ай бұрын

yup

Hi there! I work for Davis Elen Advertising and we would love to speak with you about a paid campaign opportunity. What would be the best email to reach you regarding this brand deal? Thanks!

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

I am flattered. However, I am not really interested in doing sponsored videos at the moment. Thanks though.

the only problem here is you... man that line got it thru me...

I think the comparison with the "guru/coaching courses" is actually not fair. There is A LOT of substance and hard work that goes into designing and delivering coding bootcamps. The real problem, like you said, is that only a fraction of the general population has what it takes to be a programmer. Not because coding is rocker science, but because it is a vey particular, very specialised activity. It is not a "general purpose job". The problem is in the admission selection process, which most bootcamp do not do scrupulously enough. But the solution is simple: perspective bootcamp students should choose a bootcamp principally on the basis of how hard it is to be admitted, and also they should do a few months of self-study with a popular language like JavaScript or Python. Some folks do actually need an expert guidance and the supporto of a group of fellow students to get through the journey of becoming a developer, but they can surely do the first few steps alone, with the support of the plethora of free educational material available online.. If they cannot even get started with basic programming alone, or if they find out that they find it boring then there is NO WAY they can do it even with the support of a bootcamp.

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

I agree that most bootcamps probably offer more education than guru coaching courses, but I think that a lot of the approach to the financial aspect and who they target is similar.

@Tech_Publica

Жыл бұрын

@@jamescross I see your point, but I would make the distinction that while those "guru" programs are 100% fraud, bootcamps are very solid IF you have an inclination and an authentic passion for programming. I would also add that if someone enters such a program with no idea about whether he or she likes programming and could be good at it, then it is also "a little bit" his fault, but bootcamps should be very much more selective than what they are now. I think it would serve them as well, since that will help build up much more reputation than the average competition.. but I guess most of the management is short sighted and only understands marketing...

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

you make some good points too.

The KZread coding industry misleads people into thinking that there are so many vacancies for 6 figure jobs and that with 6 months of hard work, you can get 6 figures. It’s praying on peoples ambition. smh 🤦🏾

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

When have I said that? I've never said that. I share my job history with salary at each step. It was a lot longer than 6 months. There are a lot of six figure jobs, but unless you live in a high paying high cost of living metro, it will usually take a couple years experience to get there. At least where I live, 2-3 years.

@cjsport1254

Жыл бұрын

@@jamescross Not you. But many others have though. No your channel is great. Doesn’t mislead like that. I signed on for a boot camp not exactly looking for magic pill but looking for mentorship and community. But the camp failed drastically. Took the L.

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

@CJ Sport It is unfortunate when people mislead. Sorry to hear about your bootcamp experience. That's not cool.

@cjsport1254

Жыл бұрын

@@jamescross You are one of the few influencers that have been totally honest about this. For me after about 2 years of development study, I am finally at the point where I am building my own apps without using tutorials.

@cjsport1254

Жыл бұрын

@@jamescross yeah there are people out there who prey on on peoples ambition.

I don't know what is these groups of people. I mean why would you spend thousands for funsies or flare? I don't know if bootcamp or free online learning is better. There is a cheaper way for vets through Vet Tec if they qualify but videos like these make me doubt. I know that there is this culture within coding/online communities where they either pretend to be elite programmers online and then the other camp who call them 'script kiddies' etc. But this sht just confuses people. I mean this stuff is expensive and I'm not just going to pay that money to play around like that online... ? Do coding bootcamps actually have effective courses or not?

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

There are a lot with good coursework. It's just expensive. If you have it paid for through a vet program then that's cool. Makes the return on investment way better.

@ChronoSerum

Жыл бұрын

@@jamescross Thank you for answering that. I have decided to go with The Odin Project (free bootcamp?). I want to do the free stuff first before I dive into a paid bootcamp. I want to be completing full projects and then see if I need a paid bootcamp after. It's very valuable that there are experienced developers making videos on youtube. Helps a lot.

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

@@ChronoSerum That would be a good approach

Hum!

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

🤔

What if you go to coding bootcamp for free?

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

That could be a good option.

I want to learn how to code so I can finally stop asking Microsoft for technical support...

I am a wanna be coder 😭

coding bootcamp is a scam please be careful

@Brandon-tz5pn

Жыл бұрын

Lol no

I’m glad we all agree that watching KZread channels that are 99% advice and 1% coding are at best a complete waste of time; and at worst, a massive grift gaming the KZread algorithm because they get suggested alongside code tutorials. At least this guy occasionally sounds like he has the expertise hidden somewhere behind all the accent lights and videos about “5 sKillLs yOu nEEd to bE a wEB deV” (then just suggesting React like that’s helpful) Step 1: pretend to be a coder until you get a few thousand subs Step 2: get hired as a “Developer Advocate” so you never have to code and nobody realizes you never knew how. (Again, that’s not this channel, but I bet we can all think of one like this 😂)

@bez1196

Жыл бұрын

Some advice channels are definitely useful. As you said, this one does actually have some solid advice for novices. He paints a realistic picture of what they can expect to face and some good ideas for how to navigate. If you need to tutorials, you can just search for them.

@vulpixelful

Жыл бұрын

On youtube, most advice channels are a better use of time than code tutorials, outside of coding specialty channels like freecodecamp's channel. A lot of coding tutorials on here are from inexperienced people or people who haven't worked in the industry recently, so their coding standards are mid, tbh. Look at them as a starter, but don't think people will actually code like that in the industry. Recorded conference talks, however, are top tier swe content.

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

I'll pass on commenting on other channels, but here's some insights into mine. I am a full time software engineer with a specialization in front-end single page applications. I am also a dad with 5 kids who deserve my attention. This leaves me with a limited amount of free time for hobbies. Sharing my perspective on things lets me use the creative side of my brain (making videos) and combine that with something else I enjoy (encouraging friends to relatives to consider software development). So, why don't I do tutorials. There are a couple of reasons. First, my employment agreement states that my employer owns the code I write, unless I go through a process to get permission through their attorneys. (Too much hassle). Second, there are a ton of good coding resources out there. Third, it takes a lot of time to produce quality tutorials. Fourth, I've done a couple of tutorial style of videos for my employers and for me, making that style of videos is boring, which seems strange because I really enjoy writing software. I'm just not going to cut into more family time to reinvent the wheel on something I don't enjoy and would enjoy even less if I had to involve attorneys. Instead I share my perspective on my specialization and the path I took to get there since that can be helpful for people who are in a similar situation and considering a similar path. The industry is so large and everyone's paths will be different so naturally my perspective won't be the right answer for everyone. I'm not going to pretend to be an expert in areas outside of my zone. Even within my my specializations there are differences of opinions, especially since no framework or library is perfect for everything. Do you choose to focus on learning the best framework no one uses or an imperfect framework that is popular when trying to get a job? Also, everyone is at different stages in the journey, which requires different levels of explanation. Naturally, it's impossible to make videos that work for everyone's interests, priorities and skill levels. Sounds like your priority at the moment is tutorials, which is great. I hope you find some excellent ones. That won't be my channel. If you aren't interested in single page applications with React or Angular then there's probably other channels that better fit your needs. Either way, thanks for stopping by and sharing your perspective. I'm sure a lot of people share your same feelings or frustrations. I hope you have a great day and wish you success on your journey!

@NorthernChimp

Жыл бұрын

@@jamescross This all makes sense, and I'm glad to see you can go to such lengths on keyboard just days after your accident. ...Did you really mean that your employer owns every line of code written by you, private person, even outside of work👀???

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

@Northern Chimp yeah. Think i over did it today typing. Have a headache. This will probably be my last response for the day. It's quite common for employment contracts for salaried software engineers. I saw a similar clause in four other offers i had received around the time when i was interviewing for my current job. There may be states where this is not allowed. My guess is some may not enforce it unless there is a clear conflict, but who knows.

"Don't buy expensive laptops" : has referral link to $1800 macbook pro :P

@jamescross

11 ай бұрын

Share what I work on because folks like to ask. I learned on a $300 windows laptop, but am not in a place where I can buy a better laptop. Everyone's budget is different. My suggestion is to use what you have until you find out what types of projects interest you and then get something that will work well with that. What do you like to work on?

devsmak please consider opening a tiktok/instagram/twitter account, it would help the community a lot! (all those 3 social platforms) 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 Mainly the tiktok and twitter ones would be VERY important.

Needless to say It gives you guidance , resources , networking and make you accountable to meet due dates and finish the course within confined period of time. If one seriously put time in to it it’s possible to excel in those skills and land on great job otherwise waste of time and money ! Pray for me I just finished my Bootcamp and applying for jobs , got two interviews to do tomorrow 🥸😳😳

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

Wishing you the best on your interviews!

Spoiler this video target : Clev£r q@zhi,, Coding Ph@se😅 5 years completed in this community many people only flexing You are doing great thing 👋 Good knowledge Thanks for the video many people don't know about this

@jamescross

Жыл бұрын

Wasn't picking on any one in particular, but glad you liked the video.