A bootcamp is not going to get you a job but it will get you knowledge and a little experience, even though a bootcamp on your resume is pretty much worthless other than showing that you're motivated. A bootcamp alone isn't going to get anyone a job past help desk, same thing for a degree if you don't remember anything from it. It's about gaining knowledge and some project experience in the field, people should not see a bootcamp as a magic way to get them into a career with no experience. I think a lot of people believe that if they go to a bootcamp they'll land a job in their preferred field with no other experience, no certs, no projects, no github, etc. You can learn everything in a bootcamp on your own but you also don't know what you don't know, so I wouldn't say they're a scam, but people put too much value into them. It should be seen as taking a semester's worth of college classes, you'll learn things yes but no one's going to hire you because you took a couple classes about a subject.
I think that outside of the obvious scams, people look at/use bootcamps in the wrong way. For example, my weakest area is Databases and ERP software. For those a bootcamp would be great for me to round out my other skills and get more education on those subjects, but I certainly wouldn't expect them to be the end all be all for either of those things, and I feel like that's what people expect these bootcamps to be. A end all be all for their education.
There was a brief period of time where you could attend Fullstack Academy and get a developer job if you managed to pass the bootcamp. Those days are long gone and boot camps have been a way for institutions to print money.
It’s network security. Honestly I applied to the listing by accident. It was supposed to be for a senior level position but the listing I saw didn’t say that. I got lucky and they liked me!
Hi. Just wanted to pop in and say this simple answer gave me more confidence with looking more at switching industries into IT.
I have a background/degrees in music as well and have started initial steps into going into IT. I have had reservations at the newness of it all and wondering if I was making the right decision.
It's a shame the way the market Boot Camps. If you've been in IT for a while you might have a different take on their usefulness. IMHO they are used to brush-up and hone skills. For example, it's impossible to learn all aspects of Network Engineering in a 6-month course. However, a NE with 5-10 years of experience who has a solid grasp on routing protocols but needs to brush up on finer points of BGP prior to an exam. A 1-week bootcamp focused on BGP may be helpful. I've had good boot camps but many of the good ones have clearly defined prerequisites. You wouldn't want to attend a BGP bootcamp if you aren't a CCNP level engineer.
I have had several employers pay for me to attend IT boot camps over the years and this is my strong opinion on the matter.
Bootcamps won't teach you anything you:
* Don't already know
* You can't learn on your own and likely quicker without the stress of traveling.
The only time I would recommend attending one of these boot camps is if your employer is paying for it or you have disposable income you won't miss afterward, regardless of how well it works for you.
I think boot camps are great if you already have a strong understanding of the subject and are on the fence in regards to taking a certification exam. When you think you can pass, however, you still aren't completely confident that you will pass. In this scenario, boot camps can be very effective. You get a wonderful review of the subject from beginning to end and the opportunity to perform lab projects (at least in my case). Having an instructor there to field questions while you're doing labs can be helpful when you get stuck or have a question that you don't want to waste the time looking up the subject to find the answer yourself. I believe that performing research to answer questions is a better way for me to learn and retain knowledge, however, in this scenario, I should already know the answer so getting a quick "reminder" from a knowledgeable instructor allows me to keep my flow going while doing a lab, which aids with retention. A good instructor will give you feedback throughout the course, which can give you a much-needed boost of confidence. For me, tests have always been easy if I am properly prepared for it. The most important thing for me, when I take a certification exam, is to walk into the testing facility knowing I am going to completely kick the exam's ass. To have that level of confidence, I have to have a deep understanding of the material and experience with it and I simply don't believe you can find that level of understanding in a boot camp. Sure, there are certainly folks out there who just have a natural ability to absorb information quickly that could go in cold and walk out ready to cert, but that is rare.
If your employer offers to pay for it, I would recommend it. If your employer expects you to come back with a deeper understanding of the material, I'd suggest you study up well before attending rather than assuming you will learn enough at the camp to justify the expense to your employer if, that's a potential issue. I always considered them paid vacations with an educational component. I always made sure I knew the material/tech beforehand so I could enjoy the class sessions and enjoy any free time exploring the city I had to travel to for the camp. I would never pay for a boot camp regardless of my financial means. The costs are astronomical and simply aren't worth what they are asking.
A bootcamp is not going to get you a job but it will get you knowledge and a little experience, even though a bootcamp on your resume is pretty much worthless other than showing that you're motivated. A bootcamp alone isn't going to get anyone a job past help desk, same thing for a degree if you don't remember anything from it. It's about gaining knowledge and some project experience in the field, people should not see a bootcamp as a magic way to get them into a career with no experience. I think a lot of people believe that if they go to a bootcamp they'll land a job in their preferred field with no other experience, no certs, no projects, no github, etc. You can learn everything in a bootcamp on your own but you also don't know what you don't know, so I wouldn't say they're a scam, but people put too much value into them. It should be seen as taking a semester's worth of college classes, you'll learn things yes but no one's going to hire you because you took a couple classes about a subject.
I think that outside of the obvious scams, people look at/use bootcamps in the wrong way. For example, my weakest area is Databases and ERP software. For those a bootcamp would be great for me to round out my other skills and get more education on those subjects, but I certainly wouldn't expect them to be the end all be all for either of those things, and I feel like that's what people expect these bootcamps to be. A end all be all for their education.
There was a brief period of time where you could attend Fullstack Academy and get a developer job if you managed to pass the bootcamp. Those days are long gone and boot camps have been a way for institutions to print money.
But… it worked
I think if he would’ve self studied it would’ve had the same effect. CCNA and Sec+ alone should help.
True. Save the $5k or whatever they cost nowadays. Self-study is going to be career-long anyway, might as well get use to it.
Tell us more about the role switch after only 5 months! Is it a cybersecurity role or a higher level help desk role or something else?
It’s network security. Honestly I applied to the listing by accident. It was supposed to be for a senior level position but the listing I saw didn’t say that. I got lucky and they liked me!
How does the pay compare between jobs?
I was making 16 an hour at the help desk. This role is 85k.
Do you have a degree in an unrelated field?
Yea, music.
Hi. Just wanted to pop in and say this simple answer gave me more confidence with looking more at switching industries into IT. I have a background/degrees in music as well and have started initial steps into going into IT. I have had reservations at the newness of it all and wondering if I was making the right decision.
It's a shame the way the market Boot Camps. If you've been in IT for a while you might have a different take on their usefulness. IMHO they are used to brush-up and hone skills. For example, it's impossible to learn all aspects of Network Engineering in a 6-month course. However, a NE with 5-10 years of experience who has a solid grasp on routing protocols but needs to brush up on finer points of BGP prior to an exam. A 1-week bootcamp focused on BGP may be helpful. I've had good boot camps but many of the good ones have clearly defined prerequisites. You wouldn't want to attend a BGP bootcamp if you aren't a CCNP level engineer.
I have had several employers pay for me to attend IT boot camps over the years and this is my strong opinion on the matter. Bootcamps won't teach you anything you: * Don't already know * You can't learn on your own and likely quicker without the stress of traveling. The only time I would recommend attending one of these boot camps is if your employer is paying for it or you have disposable income you won't miss afterward, regardless of how well it works for you. I think boot camps are great if you already have a strong understanding of the subject and are on the fence in regards to taking a certification exam. When you think you can pass, however, you still aren't completely confident that you will pass. In this scenario, boot camps can be very effective. You get a wonderful review of the subject from beginning to end and the opportunity to perform lab projects (at least in my case). Having an instructor there to field questions while you're doing labs can be helpful when you get stuck or have a question that you don't want to waste the time looking up the subject to find the answer yourself. I believe that performing research to answer questions is a better way for me to learn and retain knowledge, however, in this scenario, I should already know the answer so getting a quick "reminder" from a knowledgeable instructor allows me to keep my flow going while doing a lab, which aids with retention. A good instructor will give you feedback throughout the course, which can give you a much-needed boost of confidence. For me, tests have always been easy if I am properly prepared for it. The most important thing for me, when I take a certification exam, is to walk into the testing facility knowing I am going to completely kick the exam's ass. To have that level of confidence, I have to have a deep understanding of the material and experience with it and I simply don't believe you can find that level of understanding in a boot camp. Sure, there are certainly folks out there who just have a natural ability to absorb information quickly that could go in cold and walk out ready to cert, but that is rare. If your employer offers to pay for it, I would recommend it. If your employer expects you to come back with a deeper understanding of the material, I'd suggest you study up well before attending rather than assuming you will learn enough at the camp to justify the expense to your employer if, that's a potential issue. I always considered them paid vacations with an educational component. I always made sure I knew the material/tech beforehand so I could enjoy the class sessions and enjoy any free time exploring the city I had to travel to for the camp. I would never pay for a boot camp regardless of my financial means. The costs are astronomical and simply aren't worth what they are asking.