Which online coding bootcamp is best for you?

18 September 2014

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So you’re a Social Sciences major. You’re not a techie, you hate math and you think programmers are some kind of anti-social aliens that you have nothing in common with. But you read the news. And what they say is “tech is the literacy of the modern world”, and “if you want financial freedom, learn to code” and then there was something about a prodigy kid who learned to code on his own and got accepted to an Ivy League university at 12. You try to ignore it, because no way YOU can learn programming, but you can’t help but feel you’re missing out on something huge.

It’s true. The buzz about the tech industry is real and the demand for skilled people doesn’t show signs of slowing down any time soon. But luckily, the odds are in your favour. We’re talking about the growing number of top-notch online developer bootcamps. They’re a great way to get acquainted with technology without having to quit your job, make long-term commitments to studying at a university or giving out huge amounts of money for courses, all before you even know if you can really get along with tech.  

Our very own Tech Sisters volunteer Hanna-Mari has first-hand experience. “After graduating from the university with a degree in education - a field I didn’t want to pursue a career in - I found myself in need for some serious marketable skills. That’s when I stumbled upon Skillcrush - an online mentored program that helps you build your tech knowledge from the ground up, teaching you the basics of web design and development.

The people behind Skillcrush were concerned with the small percentage of women in the tech industry, so their primary goal was to introduce tech to women. Men are absolutely welcome to join, but the student base is mostly female and all the mentors are women too. But the best thing for me was the awesome community of students helping each other out. And of course, the mentors are always there for you too, helping you solve any problems ranging from bugs in your code to career advice. Also, Skillcrush managed to blow that stereotype of programmers as boring weirdos right over. The industry is really full of amazing innovators and out of the box thinkers who welcome newcomers with open arms.

It’s been some nine months since I enrolled in their 101 course and I can honestly say it’s the best career decision I’ve ever made. I’ve been able to take on a lot more tech-related tasks at work and it gave me the nudge to keep exploring the tech world, so at the moment I’m up to my elbows in Android development. I love it!”

How can you get started? Here’s a Course Report webinar with the alumni of all major mentored online programs out there. Check ‘em out, pick your favourite and indulge yourself in the endless possibilities of the tech world. And who knows, you might just end up liking it.

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