Coding boot camps and their instructors: are any experienced software devs?

coursereport · on May 2, 2017

I work at CourseReport.com - a directory of coding bootcamps with reviews, blog posts etc. We often do Q&As with coding bootcamp instructors and many of them are industry professionals. We see very experienced people becoming instructors - often they want to give back to the community after some years working in the industry. Many coding bootcamps also have a policy of not hiring their grads unless they have a number of years of experience. I agree with an earlier comment that coding schools do often hire their grads as mentors, but not usually as instructors. Examples of experienced instructors: Jarryd Huntley of We Can Code IT has 10 years of industry experience: http://bit.ly/Jarryd-WeCanCodeIT-instructor Liz Howard of Galvanize has industry experience & teaching experience: http://bit.ly/Galvanize-instructor-Liz Austyn Hill of The Software Guild went to MIT and worked for Microsoft: http://bit.ly/Austyn-Software-Guild-Instructor I totally agree that who you learn from is as important as the curriculum. An experienced instructor will not only be able to teach you the course material, and explain how you would use it on the job, but will also be able to give you industry advice and maybe help you find a job.

antonio_zeus · on May 5, 2017

thanks for sharing. I've referred to coursereport many times. great reference.

breathingmoment · on May 1, 2017

I work with Grand Circus, in Detroit Mich., and it's very important who is teaching every coding bootcamp. Our instructors come from diverse backgrounds - our lead instructor has his PhD and works with Wayne State University's computer science programs. Another is a full-stack developer with 20 years experience. We have several others with extensive programming backgrounds.

It's important to do your research. Some coding bootcamps solely employ graduates of previous programs. Some train developers a new language to fill a void in their teaching schedules. You can research folks on LinkedIn and talk directly to teachers. Additionally, read reviews on the specific program you're looking at. Course Report, Facebook, Google Reviews, Skilled Up and others can provide insights on how well the programs are structured to prepare you for a career in tech.

gamechangr · on May 1, 2017

Many are taught by experienced developers. It would be hard to know for sure, but I would guess that all would be.

I have friends that have been through four different programs. All of those had serious long term developers teaching.

It is true that they have "beginners/ex-boot-camp grads" available as MENTORS not teachers. There is a HUGE difference.

Yeah they may teach a feature, but "the teacher" is still in the room.

It's super easy to tell, just read the "bio's" of the teacher. If it says 10+ years as a developer, you're fine.

antonio_zeus · on May 1, 2017

do you mind sharing the four programs your friends attended and whether they told you that they were recommended? Are they employed? Thank you.

gamechangr · on May 2, 2017

Add your email address.

antonio_zeus · on May 2, 2017

added - thank you.

maxmcchesney · on May 1, 2017

You're 100% correct that the instructor is a huge part of the experience. At the moment, all of the instructors at DigitalCrafts (Atlanta and Houston) have over 10 years of professional development experience. While that may not be the case at every school, the top programs are similarly staffed. For bios: www.digitalcrafts.com/about.html

antonio_zeus · on May 5, 2017

your program looks really interesting. who's the day to day instructor in Atlanta.. is it Toby Ho? thank you.