[lighthousedev]

I went through an internally-run 12-week bootcamp at my current company. I was hired by the company fresh out of college after I had graduated with a BBA in IT Management. I had some exposure to .NET technologies and basic database design in a few classes in college, but I did not have any real-world development experience other than an internship on a database team.

The bootcamp was designed by the company to bring software developers from entry-level to the equivalent of 3-5 years of industry experience within 12 weeks with the goal of turning graduates into software development consultants.

I went through the first run of the program in 2013 and have been a consultant since I graduated. When I arrived at my first client, although I was lacking in domain knowledge, I was able to run circles around developers that had less than 3 years of experience. I was basically at the same technical level as the developers that had been at the client for 3-6 years. Within 6 months, I had guided the client's executive team on how to effectively target mobile devices as well as leading them to build their first responsive web application, which was built for one of the nation's largest retailers. I also now have a bill rate of someone with about 5 years of experience.

Bootcamps can be produce incredible results if they are done well, but ultimately it comes down to having the right people go through the camps and having the right people teach them. The participants need to be inquisitive, hard-working, and quick-learners, and the teachers need to be passionate about their craft and domain experts.

[fecak]

Your experience is interesting to read, but not quite valid to the original post. The poster was referring to developer bootcamps like Flatiron or General Assembly that have a primary revenue derived from tuition (or recruiting fees for some), and are trying to produce developers to be hired by other organizations.

Your bootcamp was to produce developers for your own company. They made an investment in you to bring you on board and pay you, and they had a significant vested interest in making sure you were going to be successful. Your company doesn't make money by providing bootcamp services.

When the bootcamp itself has an investment in the attendee, things are likely to be different.

Consulting companies have been doing what you describe for many years - sending new grads to internal bootcamps to teach them a bit and then immediately bill the newly minted junior 'consultants' to clients. This is not a new thing, and I'd argue is very different from what the post questioned.

[lighthousedev]

Fair, although my experience is still relevant because clients are still hiring developers that have gone through a bootcamp. There is full transparency that the clients are getting developers with limited experience, and they are still willing to pay a premium because of the bootcamp. The underlying concept is still the same - a company trains competent developers and gets a premium for doing so. The only difference is that my company is contracting out the talent instead of looking to get a commission from placements.

"If it's really possible to build a rails developer from scratch in 10 weeks, why not just just do it in-house through an internship program and avoid paying commission to these schools?"

The organizations I have worked with do not have the talent in-house to train competent software developers in a short period of time.

[fecak]

"although my experience is still relevant because clients are still hiring developers that have gone through a bootcamp"

Historically, the clients had little choice who showed up for their projects. Perhaps that has changed substantially. Clients weren't usually vetting Jen and Bill and Joe, but rather they ordered bodies and got "3 bootcamp grads".

I'm curious, since it's been a while that I've dealt with larger consulting firms. Has that changed? Are your fellow bootcamp grads now interviewed and vetted by clients before joining their projects, or do the clients get whoever shows up?

[fecak]

"although my experience is still relevant because clients are still hiring developers that have gone through a bootcamp"

Historically, the clients had little choice who showed up for their projects when working with larger consulting shops. Has that changed? Clients weren't usually vetting Jen and Bill and Joe, but rather they ordered bodies and got "3 bootcamp grads".

Are you and your fellow bootcamp grads interviewed and vetted by clients before joining their projects, or do the clients get whoever the consulting firm decides should be on the team?

[lighthousedev]

We are interviewed and vetted by clients before starting. It varies by client, but usually the interview process is pretty similar to what the clients do when they hire employees.

[fecak]

"although my experience is still relevant because clients are still hiring developers that have gone through a bootcamp"

Historically, the clients had little choice who showed up for their projects. Perhaps that has changed substantially. Clients weren't usually vetting Jen and Bill and Joe, but rather they ordered bodies and got "3 bootcamp grads".

I'm curious, since it's been a while that I've dealt with larger consulting firms. Has that changed? Are your fellow bootcamp grads now interviewed and vetted by clients before joining their projects, or do the clients get whoever shows up?

[fecak]

"although my experience is still relevant because clients are still hiring developers that have gone through a bootcamp"

Historically, the clients had little choice who showed up for their projects when working with larger consulting shops. Has that changed? Clients weren't usually vetting Jen and Bill and Joe, but rather they ordered bodies and got "3 bootcamp grads".

Are you and your fellow bootcamp grads interviewed and vetted by clients before joining their projects, or do the clients get whoever the consulting firm decides should be on the team?

[fecak]

"although my experience is still relevant because clients are still hiring developers that have gone through a bootcamp"

Historically, the clients had little choice who showed up for their projects when working with larger consulting shops. Has that changed? Clients weren't usually vetting Jen and Bill and Joe, but rather they ordered bodies and got "3 bootcamp grads".

Are you and your fellow bootcamp grads interviewed and vetted by clients before joining their projects, or do the clients get whoever the consulting firm decides should be on the team?

[fecak]

"although my experience is still relevant because clients are still hiring developers that have gone through a bootcamp"

Historically, the clients had little choice who showed up for their projects when working with larger consulting shops. Has that changed? Clients weren't usually vetting Jen and Bill and Joe, but rather they ordered bodies and got "3 bootcamp grads".

Are you and your fellow bootcamp grads interviewed and vetted by clients before joining their projects, or do the clients get whoever the consulting firm decides should be on the team?

[fecak]

"although my experience is still relevant because clients are still hiring developers that have gone through a bootcamp"

Historically, the clients had little choice who showed up for their projects when working with larger consulting shops. Has that changed? Clients weren't usually vetting Jen and Bill and Joe, but rather they ordered bodies and got "3 bootcamp grads".

Are you and your fellow bootcamp grads interviewed and vetted by clients before joining their projects, or do the clients get whoever the consulting firm decides should be on the team?

[fecak]

"although my experience is still relevant because clients are still hiring developers that have gone through a bootcamp"

Historically, the clients had little choice who showed up for their projects when working with larger consulting shops. Has that changed? Clients weren't usually vetting Jen and Bill and Joe, but rather they ordered bodies and got "3 bootcamp grads".

Are you and your fellow bootcamp grads interviewed and vetted by clients before joining their projects, or do the clients get whoever the consulting firm decides should be on the team?

[walshemj]

and charging them out at huge rates its the mckinsey model or as Scott Adams put it the "Booz my kidney" consultancy model.