drew's blog

During COVID I was working as an accountant. However I really liked coding and wanted to give it a shot, so I took a 10 week full stack JavaScript coding bootcamp at DevMountain (June to September 2021). In this review I will be talking about the skills I learned in the structured program and how I got my first coding job.

Skills

Over the course of the program, I learned a lot about software development and gained practical skills.

One of the most valuable skills I learned was how to use Figma, a powerful design tool that is used in industry. Through the bootcamp, I learned how to create wireframes, mockups, and prototypes that help guide the development of web and mobile apps.

Another key concept I learned was the software development life cycle (SDLC), which is a framework that shows the steps involved in building software.

I also learned about continuous integration (CI) through CircleCI, which is a process that automates testing and deployment. In addition CI, I also gained valuable experience in test-driven development using Jest.

My cohort was pretty cool and there were people from all over the United States from many backgrounds. It was fun to pair program with my colleagues and I learned alot about different perspectives.

For our final project we built full stack applications in JavaScript using the PERN stack (Postgres, Express, React, and Node). Mine was an Art Explorer using the Artsy API.

Finally, I completed the 100 Days of Code challenge twice, which involved committing to coding every day for 100 days. This challenge helped me develop a daily coding habit.

Getting a job

I had to hustle to get my first job out of bootcamp which involved marketing myself, networking, applying for jobs¹, and working on my portfolio.

Devmountain provided the following support for the job search: a Slack with jobs openings, and online careers fairs for Strayer students, which was quite useful.

I got my first (remote) job at Inovo Studios doing full stack JavaScript as a contractor, which was a really fun experience.

Conclusion

If you’re serious about transitioning into tech, a coding bootcamp can be an effective path. I paid $7,900² for the program, while other programs can range from $15,000-30,000.³ However, it’s not the only option – alternatives routes like an online CS degree (such as OSU’s program⁴), or a self-taught⁵ approach are also viable.

1. I primarily used LinkedIn, Indeed, and WeWorkRemotely ↩︎
2. https://devmountain.com/tuition-and-financing ↩︎
3. https://www.coursereport.com/blog/coding-bootcamp-cost-comparison-full-stack-immersives ↩︎
4. https://ecampus.oregonstate.edu/online-degrees/undergraduate/computer-science-postbacc/ ↩︎
5. https://www.nocsdegree.com/ ↩︎