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by antiffan 3666 days ago
Love this. Some bootcamps are doing the world a great service, but there are also an increasing number of sharks in the water.

I run a 4-week "pre-bootcamp" program to help advise students on making the right choice. I hold my classes in the evenings so students can try out coding before they make the HUGE commitment of quitting their jobs and shelling out 10-20k for a bootcamp.

Sometimes, the right choice is to not try to be a coder. People get excited about six figure job prospects, but the truth is that coding isn't for everyone. The right approach is allow students to "fail fast," just like a startup. I do believe everyone should at least be exposed to coding so they can make an educated decision about it though.

On a slight tangent, I'd love to see more coding schools putting their money where there mouths are by offering income-based repayment (IBR). I've worked as an instructor at a coding school offering IBR, and I've seen first hand how much of good thing it is for everyone when success incentives are aligned.
2 comments
FLUX-YOU 3666 days ago
If someone would have told me I would suck at coding two years ago, I'd be thanking them immensely.
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antiffan 3666 days ago
Interesting. Would you mind elaborating?
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marincounty 3666 days ago
I met a guy who was looking into a bootcamp. He was over forty.

I immediately thought, I don't care if he's the best student in the class; he probally will have a horrid time getting a job.

I don't think I've ever seen an industry that's so guilty--actually I won't say the word, but if I was offering a bootcamp, I would just mention the game is geared for youth.

I'm not saying you can't take the courses.

Actually, does anyone know anyone who has taken one one of these bootcamps, who's over forty, who got, and kept a job in tech?

(The older guys I know, interested in programming/web developement all had to work for themselfs. I know one guy who made a killing. The rest are barely supporting themselfs. None went to a bootcamp. They couldn't justify the cost. I don't know if they did the right thing, by not going to a bootcamp.)

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