Dev Bootcamp

Overall, Dev Bootcamp was a great experience for me as I was able to start a great job doing Engineering within 2 months of graduating after having no prior professional coding experience.

The instructors were great and the careers team was really excellent.  Most of all, the times that were shared amongst the students is a lifelong treasure.

I do think that the school needs to continue to modernize and improve the curriculum in order to make more students more employable.

If I was asked, "Given your experience, if you had the choice of going back and doing Dev Bootcamp, would you?" I would say, "hell yeah!" 

I'm not going to lie, the curriculum needs some upgrading. And yeah, I could probably learn everything I learned through online tutorials if provided the resources. However, my DBC experience was all about the people. It was about struggling and learning in unity. I got to bond with my cohort, those who came before me, and those after me. I built connections with the teachers and mentors. I got to network with other folks who were just onsite.

Asides from the community and network, I also gained the structure and discipline. I ended up pushing myself to study code for nearly 70 hours a week. If I was teaching myself, I probably wouldn't have learned at such a fast pace. 

Through my experience, I didn't feel as prepared going into the workforce. I mean, being in the Bay Area, we're competing against CS undergrads from Berkeley and Stanford ALONG with a ton of other bootcamp grads. Sure, there's jobs but there's also a lot of people seeking. It's crazy. However, I do think DBC knows this and is making some changes in the way they prep you for technical interviews. But just be prepared to spend a couple of months after DBC grinding and studying on your own before landing your first gig. 

The SF Careers team is fantastic! They're really invested in all of the boots and although they don't hand out jobs, they sure provide you the tools and support to land your dream job. 

All in all, I enjoyed my experience with DBC. But keep in mind, you get out of it what you put into it. So if you're willing to seek out additional knowledge during AND after the duration of the bootcamp and dedicate your life to code, then you have chosen the right place. 

I spent months getting ready to make the leap into web development.  I debated the worth of bootcamps and the subtle differences between the 6 or so largest in Seattle.  I saved money and decided to come to DBC Seattle.  It was an expensive and scary move, but I can assure you it was likely one of the best decisions I will have ever made in my life.

My biggest concern in jumping into a bootcamp was not being marketable in the job search.  First off, the tides are turning, and bootcamp grads are given more shots in the interview process to prove their worth.  Couple that with a true understanding of the web, object-oriented design, and best practices with commonly used technologies (all of which is taught at DBC), and you have yourself interested recruiters, then interviews, and then... a job in a new industry.

DBC is 5 months and is broken into 2.5 months remote and 2.5 months on campus.  The remote work (Phase 0) is not as demanding, however take advantage of ALL the resources.  That might only be 20 hours of work a week, but delve deeper than that [unless you have a part-time job].  The deeper you explore in this phase, the more success you'll have on-campus, where the slightest faulter could really impact what you can accomplish.  I did wish there were more stretch challenges and resources during this phase, but the onn-campus made up for that.  Also I was doing Free Code Camp on the side which was good Front-End practice.

Then you arrive on campus, which will be tough.  You may be a confident programmer or fast learner, but at DBC there will always be challenges.  Whether they come as interpersonal challenges or stretch challenges, this camp will provide you the means to push yourself and the instructors to make journeying into deeper concepts and technologies achievable. 

For job assistance, there is a career developer which serves to get you on top of the necessities: a solid resume, impressive LinkedIn, and tools for networking.  On top of intermittent career breakouts, there's an entire week of exclusive career services at the end of the program.  Beyond that the team [speaking for Seattle] is extremely supportive and willing to help out even as other cohorts come rolling in.  

I should also mention the Engineering Empathy, which was valuable in really preparing for working in the industry.  There is really a focus on fostering an environment that is inclusive and comfortable for everyone.  Not just for promoting diversity, but also for establishing helathy and effective team dynamics.  As someone who was a bit skeptical of how relevant this was to getting a job, I can see it's VERY important!  It makes you be a better team player, provide good feedback, and really care for your work and the environment that you are a part of.

DBC has definitely changed my life.  I feel prepared to take my new career as a Software Engineer less than 2 months out of the program, and I owe so much of that to the people at DBC who really value their role in making web developers out of all those who take the leap.

TLDR - DBC changed my life and equipped me with the tools to get a job and feel confident in making beautiful and meaningful things!  If you're anything like me in the coding bootcamp search a year ago, take this as a vote of confidence for DBC!

Even for the smartest people, Dev Bootcamp is hard. It will push you to your learning limits. But if you really love coding, want to learn more, and are willing to really work hard, then I think Dev Bootcamp is a great choice. What they really teach you is how to teach yourself. Instructors will help you get unstuck, explain things to you, but you have to be willing to try to solve things on your own first. They do this because this will be your career. You will forever be learning new things and you have to know how to teach yourself. This isn't like a traditional classroom, so expect to do a lot on your own, with help.

You will be on campus seven days a week, for 10+ hours/day (although less on Sundays). Even if you're used to being the smartest person in the room, get ready to be challenged. Throughout it, though, I still loved what I was doing, even when it was frustrating or extremely difficult. If you start to hate it, or don't think you're really that into coding, it might not be for you.

I graduated in January 2017, and met my goal of having a job before the end of March. The careers team is very helpful with reviewing your resume, your cover letters, your LinkedIn, but if you have more work experience you'll already have a good basis for how to find a job you like. 

I can understand why they have set up their curriculum the way they have; they are teaching you to think like an engineer. The only thing I wish they taught a little more is front-end frameworks like ReactJS. So for your final project....use ReactJS (or another front-end Javascript framework). It will help with your job search. DBC teaches you Javascript so pay attention to it!

Dev Bootcamp helped me change my life and despite all the tears, frustration, and sleepless nights, I am happy I did it, and I still love to code.

To start, I should state that I attended DBC a little less than three years ago, before the Kaplan merger and right around the time the bootcamp insustry was starting to explode. Now, three years later, and with little to show for it, I can confidently state that attending Dev Bootcamp was an enormous mistake.

I started coding about four years ago because I was looking for a new hobby and this seemed like a good way to use my mind after a long day of less than satisifying work. And I loved it from the start, it was challenging but not frustrating, and even when it got very difficult the thrill of creating something and making the computer dance more than compensated. Over time I came to see that programming was something I both enjoyed and had some aptitude for. I started to think that I could do it as more than a hobby.

It was about that time that first heard about DBC. It sounded amazing, a place where I could fill in the gaps, learn how programming really works and get a foothold in the industry. I knew I could get in, that was never in doubt. After a few weeks of considering I applied, was accepted and off I went.

Dev Bootcamp nearly destroyed my love of writing code.  I put in a ton of hours, usually around thirteen on the weekdays, eight to ten on the weekends and I was only not in the building 2 days out of my twelve weeks.  The instructors however were only there from eight to five, monday through friday and were often unavailable during those times.  So if you were struggling with something, or a learning tool didn't work, you were out of luck if it was outside those hours.  Even when there was an instructor there the quality of what they could teach was often very lacking. I didn't learn anywhere near what I expected to, in spite of putting in the time. My final project was a joke, something that I'm absolutely ashamed of. It was like the physical manifestation of three months of futility and failure.  Still, I left hoping that I would know enough to get that critical first job, and everything would be all right.

That didn't happen. I applied to a ton of places, and the few that even bothered to respond came back with canned rejection letters. I kept being told that I had to network and go to events, but not living in a major tech hub there wasn't much I could do there. Otherwise, I didn't get much assistance from DBC and really felt like I was on my own. No great connections to companies, no inside track to get me interviews.  I have managed to take a few positions since then but none of them have been as a developer or offered any useful professional experience or growth.

So I'm farther behind than when I started, no job, no prospects. I haven't even had an interview anywhere I didn't get a referral, and even some places where I know people I've still had no luck. Everything I've tried to demonstrate value has been a dead end. Prior to going to DBC I had a job which, while being very unsatisfying, gave me a good wage, insurance, union coverage and a growing bank account. Now I have none of that, minus the sixteen thousand I spent on tuition, and living expenses. Not to mention the mental toll of abandoning my family for three months when they really needed me, and the changeable physical impact I can feel on my well being.

As I said, this was some time ago.  I've spoken to a number of more recent grads and from what I've seen the situation is getting worse for DBC graduates  Another red flag is that the company is refusing to participate in an independent assessment of their outcomes.  Bootcamps are pumping out thousands of graduates every year, and the market simply can't absorb them all.  I would be leary of any bootcamp, but DBC in particular as they seem to be coasting on reputation.  Any company that won't release hard numbers is one to avoid.

People say that DBC changes lives. Well, it changed mine, but not the way I expected it to. I still remember first checking out the Dev Bootcamp website four years ago. "In Nine Weeks" the website said, "You Will Be A Web Developer." Well, I put in more than nine weeks, and I'm sure as hell not a web developer. Some days I don't think I even want to be.

If you want to deeply understand how Web development works, you've come to the right place. The program teaches you the fundementals of the whole process -- from the purely theoretical aspects of object-oriented programming, to the actual skill of how to write an HTTP request from scratch (line by line, really). I think "learning how to learn" is DBC's greatest strength, but this realization comes only once you are in the thick of it and have already put in some time and effort. 

The instructors are great -- always willing to answer questions, and even if you are in a time-crunch they will make themselves available to you. Their knowledge and experienced perspectives really shine through when you engage.I might not suggest this course for someone whose stated goal is to become a "highly-paid engineer" as quickly as possible. But who knows, with team emphathy as part of the curriculum, you may find yourself surprised by what you get out of it...

My experience at DBC Austin was incredible and totally got me ready for my career change into programming.  I live in New Hampshire and decided to travel out to Austin for the onsite portion of the program.  After I graduated, I returned back home and was able to find a great job in NH.  It is totally possible to find a job in other cities and other parts of the country.  I could not have done it without the amazing support from the DBC staff, instructors, and my classmates.  Even while not being local to Austin, DBC regularly checked in with me to see how my job hunt was going and to see if there was any assistance they could offer.  I am forever greatful to DBC!

The program is intensive.  You will be pushed.  You will be tested.  But this is what you SHOULD want.  You will be so much better for it.  Making a career change is not easy.  DBC knows this and they get you prepared for whats to come when you graduate.  They will teach you how to learn things quickly and effectively and be confident with new challenges (employers love this).  You will have multiple projects to show off.  Your resume and LinkedIn will be sharp and professional.  You will do mock interviews to get you ready for the real thing.  You will also have access to an extensive alumni channel.   

DBC wants to see you succeed.  They get excited to see the timid newbie transform into a confident programmer.  They want to make sure you have all the tools and resources you need to reach your goals while in the program and while job hunting.  If you are serious about a career in programming and are looking into bootcamps - you will be doing yourself a GREAT service by reaching out to DBC.  You will be impressed!

I was making $30k a year doing something that was boring and unfruitful. I taught myself enough Ruby on codeacademy.com (not relationship to the Code Academy bootcamp) to know that I liked programming, and narrowed the field of training programs to Dev Bootcamp and Code Academy.

The instructors, culture, curriculum, and fellow students were all fantastic. I can't overstate what a positive environment it was, and how effectively all of these factors instilled in me a functional skillset to begin a real career as a web developer. The interactive training portal and classroom flow work very well together, and the collective learning environment offers so much that you can't get alone in front of a computer, no matter how good the site or application or e-book is that you're learning from.

I found a job 11 days after graduating, and started making over $70k/year in the Denver/Boulder area doing .NET development!

There's no such thing as a magic bullet in almost any part of life... but when it comes to career, if you get an education like this, in the software/ web field, and you don't have a job... its because you haven't tried. Period.

I really can't stress how categorically good-natured, competent, and fun the staff and teachers of Dev Bootcamp are. I know it can be daunting to shell out 12k for a certification, but neither I nor anyone in my graduating class (that I know of) regretted the investment in ourselves and our careers.

I am a recent graduate (as in 2 weeks ago) from DBC, Chicago. I can honestly say it was the most rewarding, stressful and life changing experience. It's only been 2 weeks so I can't properly speak on the job climate but so far one interview has already resulted in an offer, which is promising.

Going from a minimal background in Ruby to learning JavaScript, SQL & PostgreSQL, HTML, CSS and most importantly Rails. They set you up from the beginning to get into good Git workflow, deploy to Heroku and work in Agile teams. The main take away for me personally was they taught me how to teach myself, as the world of programming can't possibly be covered in 9 weeks.

I will emphasize that the course is a lot to take on, and you have to really bring yourself and commit to want to learn. My one criticism is the curriculum could probably be better about front-end JavaScript, maybe incorporate ReactJS a little? Either way it's a great foundation to leave and continue to build on. Will definitely recommend DBC to anyone looking to get into the world of software development. 

If you're willing to put the time and energy into learning, Dev Bootcamp is a great way to learn the basics of web development. They really focus on teaching you how to learn indepently, with help when you need it. The first nine weeks help you get a feel for the basics of Ruby and setting up your development space, which help you easily transition into the more intensive nine weeks on site. It also helps you decide if this is something for you before you actually quit your job and go all in. The structure of the nine weeks on site is helpful, as you build up your Ruby skills before learning the basics of Rails and then dive right in to your final project. After you finish, the career coaches help you hone your message as to why a company should hire you and perfect the cold outreach that will help get you a job. The one thing they could work on is getting more reliable companies on their employer platform, as there most of them never got back to me or were looking for devs with more experience. Saying that, I did get an apprentice developer job seven weeks after graduating thanks to the other career services they offer!