Table

of Contents
Preface
Chapter 1: Getting Started
Chapter 2: Understanding Your Own Objectives
Chapter 3: Testing the Waters
Chapter 4: Choosing and Attending the Right Program
Chapter 5: Coding Bootcamp Statistics
Conclusion
Preface
There’s no doubt about it: career change is difficult. As software engineers and mentors,
we’ve seen the ups, downs, and unexpected surprises of switching careers. Our hope for
this e-book is to share our experiences and guide new additions in the technology world.
As you navigate your career change, this e-book will be your resource for advice, tutorials,
and tips to help you reach your goals.
Whether you are making a big career decision for the first time or a mid-career pivot, it’s
easy to get overwhelmed. The technology industry is vast, and it can be difficult to choose
a path. In this e-book, we’ll walk you through the necessary steps to find the path that is
right for you. We’ll also help you create a plan and execute it successfully.
We begin in Chapter 1 by providing a risk analysis framework for career change. In
Chapter 2, we ask important questions about your current job and then provide some tips
and tricks on how to get started with your career change research. Coding and technology
careers are not for everyone, so it’s important to be honest with yourself from the start.
In Chapter 3, we focus on a custom multi-week tutorial that takes you through the basics
of software engineering. The purpose of these tutorials is to introduce you to coding, so
you have a better idea of what it’s like to be a software engineer. After you complete these
tutorials, you’ll have a foundation to decide if coding is the right career for you.
In Chapters 4 and 5, we talk about the coding bootcamp industry and the current
movement towards immersive learning. We present in-depth industry statistics from our
own research, as well as information about coding bootcamps and how to choose one.
While career change is full of pitfalls, this tutorial will help you avoid a lot of the common
mistakes that we’ve seen and provide a number of important strategies you should use to
make the right decisions along the way.
Let’s get started!
Best,
The Switchup Team
Chapter 1

Getting Started
You’ve thought about switching careers, but is it time to get serious? Before
we introduce you to coding education and careers, it’s crucial to think through
your goals with care. This section will help you take a step back and look at
the big picture.
Risk Analysis Framework and Career Checklist

C areer change is risky.

You’re deciding to leave behind what you know for something that may be
completely outside your comfort zone. Just as you would approach any big decision, try to
look at career change as a rational, calculated risk. Don’t make big assumptions, and
practice due diligence at every step. In this chapter, we’ll introduce you to a framework
that has helped guide many students and mentees in the right direction.

Is Career Change Right For You?

Y
you.
our workplace makes a huge impact on your day-to-day life. Before you start
researching a new career, carefully assess whether your current career is fulfilling for

T ake a look at our checklist (right) to help you determine your level of career
fulfillment. Write TRUE or FALSE for each item. If you agree with most of the
statements, then you are likely already in a fulfilling career for you. You may not need to
change careers!
f you marked more than five of the statements as TRUE for your current job, then you are
in a decent job already. You will need to think carefully about whether career change is
I worth the risk for you.

B ecause you are already thinking seriously about career change, you probably left most
of the statements unchecked. If you did, it’s likely that you are in the wrong career.
The following chapter will help you understand your goals and take the next steps toward
the best career for you.
10-Step
Checklist Analysis
1. You like spending time with people you work with; either at work or outside of work____
2. You enjoy telling other people about your work____
3. You are proud of the work you do and feel that it is a useful contribution to the world____
4. Your work environment allows you to be efficient and achieve your goals____
5. You respect your supervisor and the company you represent____
6. You are rewarded and noticed when you excel____
7. You enjoy challenges and are enabled to come up with creative solutions____
8. You are compensated adequately to live your desirable lifestyle____
9. At the end of the day, you are energized and motivated to lead an active home life____
10. Your work equips you to be mentally and physically stable____
Chapter 2

Understanding Your Own Objectives

You’ve thought about what a great career should look like. Next, you need to
ask yourself if you are ready to make a commitment. Is this the right time in
your life to make a career change? This section will help guide your initial
thoughts and assessment.
In this e-tutorial, you will use a simple framework to quantify the risks and benefits of
your decision. This process has worked well for a lot of our students and mentees. We’ve
found that it is also a great framework for any major life decision, not just career change.
Start by writing down the pros and cons of switching careers:

PROS:

CONS:

Tallying The Results

Next, you will score each pro and con between 1 and 5, based on the level of importance
for each:
5 - super important
4 - very important
3 - important
2 - not very important
1 - not important
Then, add up the scores from each list and write them here:

PROS:

CONS:
Finally, you’ll need to do a simple calculation. If the pros outweigh the cons more than
1.75 to 1, then the benefits of attending a coding bootcamp outweigh the risk by a
significant margin. This is a good sign that you should begin transitioning careers and
perhaps apply to a coding bootcamp!
Now that you have looked at this decision objectively, we’ll dive into other factors that
can impact your career change.
“I want to do something I enjoy and can be proud of. Something I call my
own. Too much time is spent at work to not be happy with what you are
doing.”
Erin Barr
Creator of MakeHerSmile.co,
Starter School Alum
Advice From A Software Engineer
“I once had a supervisor tell me that we look for at least two out of three things to
determine whether a job is acceptable: money, friendship and your work’s level of
fulfillment.
At the time, I was a student developer at a digital media lab that helped professors with
creating instructional technology to accompany their curriculum. I was in an interesting
position where I was graduating with the option to continue being a developer at the lab or
take a chance at applying elsewhere. The safest choice was to stay past graduation, but I
had a nagging feeling that I didn’t want to.
I sought my supervisor’s advice and realized that the only thing that kept me at the lab was
the strong connections I made with my coworkers. The work didn’t excite me and the pay
wasn’t worth my time. I decided to leave and spend my time following my passion into
games. If I hadn’t taken it, I would have become comfortable as a front-end developer and
it would have been more difficult to change gears. This advice has stuck with me for a
long time. Without it, I would have been too scared to take a leap into storytelling and
never had the opportunity to craft exciting game cinematics.”
Kathy Tran
Community Manager, Switchup
Money, Friendship, and Fulfillment

A re you motivated by the chance to have a better work environment, or simply a salary
increase?
Although you may think that money is the most important factor of a new career, a study
from Princeton University might give you a different view. After analyzing the responses
of 450,000 Americans in 2008 and 2009, Economist Angus Deaton and Psychologist
Daniel Kahneman concluded that money does affect happiness when a person makes up to
$75,000 per year. People making more than $75,000, however, don’t report any greater
increase in happiness (source).
 Researchers have found that money does affect happiness, but
only when a person’s salary is below $75,000 per year.
Before deciding between money, friendship, and work fulfillment, you need to take a deep
look into your own personality. Your personality helps determine what kind of social ties
you’d like to make, what kind of life you are willing to live, and what kind of work would
interest you for years.

Discover Your Natural Talents and Interests

Every one of us possesses a set of unique talents. These talents give us a special ability to
do certain kinds of tasks with ease, while some tasks are brain numbing. Can you imagine
Michael Jackson as an accountant? It would be unfathomable and a waste of talent!
Natural talents differentiate from acquired knowledge, skills, and interest. Your natural
talents and innate interests remain with you most of your life. Why not use them to your
own advantage?

Additional Resources We Recommend

We suggest the following resources to help match your natural talents and interests to an
ideal career:
• The Switchup.org career matcher.
• Imperative: This website houses assessment tools on finding each individual’s purpose in
their work.
• Other well-known personality quizzes such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Strong
Interest Inventory and Campbell Interest & Skill Survey may give you more insight into
your personality and natural abilities.
If you know who you are and what you excel at, you are in the perfect place to
think about your ideal career. This is the difference between finding yourself
in a job by happenstance and pursuing a career that is aligned with your
purpose in life.
W hile personality quizzes provide great insight, you’ll need to do a bit more
groundwork. Be sure to reach out to your friends, family, and professional network.
Ask a supervisor what you did better than anyone else at your job. Ask your partner which
traits they most admire in you. You would be surprised at what others observe that you
can’t see.
The graphic below details everything you should consider in a career. Underline the work
descriptions that appeal to you (feel free to underline more than one per category).

Geographical Environment:
urban, suburban, rural

Work Environment:
travel, corporate office, remote, coworking, open space, classroom

Organizational Environment:
profit, non profit, government, start up, 1-5 employees, 10-20, 50+,
100-500
 Human Environment:
more introverted types, more extroverted types, young colleagues, older
colleagues, HR effort in diversity, more/less supervision, group work/
isolated work

Pace:
slow, moderate, fast, furious

Responsibilities:
daily decisions, monthly decisions, quarterly decisions, I want to
supervise others, I do not want to supervise other:

Predictability and Variety:

new assignments daily, monthly, quarterly, yearly

Time Management:
part time, full time, overtime is ok, flexibility is important

Challenge and Competition:

learning needs to happen daily, monthly, quarterly, yearly

Work Definition:
undefined objective, big picture defined, procedural detail defined

Rewards
helping people, making things efficient, making things beautiful, fame,
money, stability

Test Your Results

Now that you’ve considered these important aspects of a job, it’s time to try things out.
Testing your skills and interests is the best way to learn more about your ideal career
change. You’ve got to have the guts try a variety of things and push yourself outside of
your comfort zone. Try our suggestions to get started:
Work on Side Projects or Freelance to Test the Waters
If you’re not ready to take the sink-or-swim approach, try contributing to small projects
first. This will allow you to quickly build a body of work and experiment.
Take a Class
Learn or refine the skills that’ll enhance your discovered talents. Local workshops,
accelerated bootcamps, and online course platforms like Coursera or Udacity are just some
of the recent popular options addressing the skills gap.
Complete Our Tutorial In Chapter 3
Our tutorial is intended to mimic the pre-work that many bootcamps assign their students.
It will give you a good taste of what learning to code is like. If you enjoy these tutorials,
that is a good sign you will enjoy software engineering.
Volunteer or Help a Friend with a Project
Volunteer work will help you to gain new skills, boost your confidence and enthusiasm,
and learn more. Volunteering can also relieve the burden of investing in a 3-month course.
Shadow or Interview a Professional
Find connections through your own network or LinkedIn. Ask if you can interview a
software engineer, or even shadow them at work. Being in their workspace might trigger a
positive or negative response. You might also think of questions or concerns that you
didn’t consider in your own research.
“Don’t go in blind. Play around on Codecademy. Look at open source projects
and glance over source code. Look through API documentation. It doesn’t
matter if you understand it enough to use it, but look at it and ask yourself,
‘Does the possibility of making stuff like this make me excited?’”
Avi Gilligan
Developer Apprentice at Thoughbot
Graduate of Metis
No matter how carefully you plan, you’re bound to stumble a
few times. Whenever you hit a roadblock, it’s important to
pick yourself up, get back on track, and move forward. This
process is about trial and error. The goal is finding something
that makes you excited, not succeeding at every project you
try. Before investing your money and time, you need to make
sure your heart is in the right place.
Chapter 3:

Testing The Waters

We’re always surprised by how many students enroll in coding bootcamps
without trying their hand at coding first. Many first-time programmers simply
don’t know how to prepare or where to get started. This chapter is intended to
remedy that!
What follows is four weeks of part-time coursework for anyone who is
thinking about applying to a coding bootcamp. Our tutorials are very similar to
a lot of pre-course work that bootcamps use to prepare incoming students.
Work through the tutorials starting from week 1 to week 4 (don’t skip ahead).
In total, this prep work should take around 10-15 hours per week.
At the end of these tutorials, you should be prepared for your application to a
coding bootcamp. These exercises will also allow you to try out coding in a
rigorous manner. After completing these tutorials, you should ask yourself: Do
I see myself doing this type of work at a job? Did I enjoy these tutorials and
learning new programming concepts? If the answer is yes, then it is a good
sign that you will enjoy your job as a software engineer.

WEEK 1
The tutorials below will help you gain a basic proficiency with Terminal and
VI. (Note: For this tutorial, we assume that you have a Mac. If you have a
Windows computer, you will need to learn about Powershell instead. There are
many Powershell tutorials that you can find online.)
Command Line and VI (8 hours)
Resources:
• Learn Command Line the Hard Way. Knowing how to use the command line (Terminal)
 is a critical skill for a developer, and we’ll be spending a lot of time here. This tutorial is
all about practice. Work through the entire thing.
• Command Line Tutorial. Another quick command line tutorial to solidify the basics and
includes some good tips. Read through this tutorial and focus on sections that are not
familiar to you.
• Quick Intro to VI. VI is the basic text editor for Unix based system. You do not need to
master this tool, but you will need to be able to add some text to a file and save. Tools
like Git (which are used in software engineering) use VI, so it’s useful to know the
basics.

WEEK 2
The tutorials below will help you gain a basic proficiency with Python. We
start with Code Academy Python, which is a great way to dive into this
program.
1. Code Academy Python (8 hours)
http://www.codecademy.com/en/tracks/python
• Complete the exercises up to and including the “functions
module”
2. ‘Python The Hard Way’ Exercises 0-21 (8 hours)
Work through exercise 0 through 21 (functions)
• You will learn basic data-types and basic input/output. On
the first day of your bootcamp, you will likely be tested
on these concepts!
3. Understand Loops (4 hours)
• Read this piece on for-loops:
https://blog.udemy.com/python-for—loop/
• Complete exercises here:
http://www.learnpython.org/en/Loops
Assess Yourself:
• What is an if/else statement?
 • What are the common data types in Python?
• What is the difference between a float and an integer?
• What is standard in and standard out?
• Use a for loop to iterate through an array of integers 1 -
10 and print out all the odd numbers.
• Create a function that takes in an integer and returns
whether it is greater than 5 or not using an if/else
statement.
• Create a function that takes a string and returns the string
with all “e” characters stripped.
WEEK 3
The tutorials below will help you get a basic proficiency with HTML, CSS,
and optionally Javascript.
There are three sections total. You should continue working on this in week 4
if you can’t finish it all this week.

1. Internet Basics (1 hour)

Resources:
• Watch: How the Internet Works in 5 Minutes
• Review: Tech Terms Glossary
Assess Yourself:
• Explain to a family member what happens when you type
www.google.com into your browser and hit enter
• Define the following terms:
• Client
• Server
 • Browser
• IP Address
• DNS
• Front End/ Back End
2. HTML/CSS (10-15 hours)
We want you to know HTML and CSS before you start a coding
bootcamp. We find that students who don’t have proficiency in
these languages are slowed down when we get into advanced
web stuff. A lot of you are already very comfortable with
HTML/CSS - if you find this section too simple, move on to the
next section about Javascript/Jquery.
Resources:
• Codecademy Web Track walks you through the fundamentals
of HTML and CSS by example.
• Mozilla HTML Introduction. A quick introduction to HTML
structure. Read through this to get a clearer idea of how
HTML works.
• Treehouse HTML CSS - We’ve secured a 2-week free trial for
you - Signup, then dig in with some more advanced CSS
concepts through the CSS Beyond the Basics Course.
Assess Yourself:
• Create a basic HTML template structure and check what
this looks like in the browser by opening your .html file.
• Add some content to your page using some basic tags
(like div, h1, h2, p, ul, etc.).
• Add a few hyperlinks to other pages.
 • Link a stylesheet (CSS) to your HTML page.
• Add some basic styling to your page (like different fonts,
different colored text, different types of borders around
your text, different background images, etc.).
• Open it in the browser to see what it looks like.
Challenge Project: Recreate the layout and color scheme of
https://news.ycombinator.com/ in HTML/CSS. Consider using
Twitter Bootstrap 3 - this program is often used in coding
bootcamps.
3. Javascript/ Jquery
Once you are comfortable with the above HTML/CSS basics,
then you should get started on JS and Jquery. These languages
will help you add some animations to your basic webpage.
Resources:
• Codecademy JS walks you through the fundamentals of JS by
example.
• Mozilla JS Introduction. A quick introduction to the javascript
language. Read through this to get a clearer idea of how JS
works.
• Treehouse HTML CSS - We’ve secured a 2-week free trial for
you - Signup, then dig in with some more JS and Jquery
concepts through the Javascript Foundations and JQuery
Basics Courses.
• If the above is not challenging enough, then work through the
rest of the intermediate-advanced JS/Jquery courses on
Treehouse.
Assess Yourself:
 • Explain how basic variables work in Javascript including
the difference between null and undefined.
• Create a Javascript function that takes in an integer
variable and returns a the variable multiplied by 3.
• Go into the console on a browser and using jquery select
an h1 tag and return the string.
• Remove an HTML element from a webpage in the
browser console using jquery.
• Using jquery ‘onclick,’ change the value of another
element ‘onclick.’
WEEK 4
The tutorials below will help you gain a basic proficiency with SQL. You will
also learn how to install Sublime text, which will help you code more quickly.
We will also revisit Python in a quick assessment. If you are not able to pass
the assessment, go back to week 2 and complete all the exercises that were
assigned.
1. Intro to SQL (6+ hours)
SQL is an important skill to know and is used to
extract/save data into a database. You will cover more
advanced concepts in class, but it is a good idea to try your
hand at some basic SQL syntax.
Almost every web app uses a SQL database as its data
store. SQL is also heavily used in data analytics and big
data applications. Most interviews will involve some SQL
questions.
Work through sections (0-3): SQL Tutorial
• If you are confused, the reference tab on the left hand
side contains examples and explanations. If you need
 more reading, email us!
Assess Yourself:
• What does a select statement do?
• How do you select multiple columns from a table?
• What is a “where” clause used for?
• Complete this quiz: http://sqlzoo.net/wiki/BBC_QUIZ
2. Sublime Text install
Different developers like to use different file editors. What’s
important for the course is that you master ONE editor. Many
bootcamps require students to use Sublime Text 2. Please
download and install Sublime Text 2 here:
http://www.sublimetext.com/2
The more comfortable you are with an editor, the faster you’ll be
on your way to becoming a code ninja. An editor will help you
code quickly and accurately!
Assess Yourself:
• Can you open and create files using Sublime?
• Can you edit HTML and CSS in Sublime?
• What is the shortcut key to search for a new file?
• What is the shortcut key to do a ‘find and replace’?
• Open a directory in Sublime.
Hints: CMD+T and CMD+SHIFT+F are very useful shortcuts!
3. Python Assessment (5+ hours)
Getting up to speed with Python is the number one goal of these
tutorials. If you are unable to do the challenges below, please re-
visit week 2.
First, complete all the remaining exercises of CodeAcademy
Python, aside from the “Advanced Topics in Python” and
“Classes”:
http://www.codecademy.com/en/tracks/python. The key parts
are for loops, functions, arrays and list manipulation.
Assess Yourself:
• What happens when you try to add an integer with a
string (e.g. 1 + “string”)?
• Use a for loop to iterate through an array of integers 1 -
10 and print out all the odd numbers.
• Create a function that takes in an integer and returns
whether it is greater than 5 or not.
• Create a function that takes a string (“Hello”) and returns
the string with all “e” characters stripped (“Hllo”). This
stackoverflow example may be helpful:
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3559559/how-to-
delete-a-character-from-a-string-using-python
• What does the return statement inside a function do?
Chapter 4:

Choosing and Attending the Right Program

So, you’ve decided to become a software engineer! You’re about to take a leap
of faith, enroll in a programming bootcamp, and learn a new skillset. But
before you pack your bags, you’ll need to put in a bit more research to make
sure that the experience meets your goals and expectations. This chapter will
help you avoid pitfalls and provide a few tips and tricks for choosing the right
school.
A. History and Model of Software Bootcamps

B efore you get started, you may be asking yourself: What is a bootcamp? Programming
“bootcamps” are a type of vocational software engineering training. The first
program, Dev bootcamp, launched in 2011 after co-founder Shereef Bishay was
challenged by his friend to train job-ready software engineers in nine weeks. Shereef’s
experiment proved a game-changing success: 95% of the first graduating class of Dev
Bootcamp landed some type of part-time or full-time programming job soon after the
course ended.
Dev Bootcamp’s incredible success in 2011 and 2012 resulted in many spin-offs. Some
Dev Bootcamp alumni even went on to found other schools, such as Hack Reactor and
Code Union. As the movement spread, the notion of immersive learning for software
engineers has slowly transitioned into the mainstream.
Although bootcamps have rapidly taken off, some argue that they are not as innovative to
computer science education as they are hyped up to be. Critics say that bootcamps are
simply repackaging a traditional computer science education model with great marketing.
Because the bootcamp industry is so new, potential students must carefully review each
program to find a fit that meets their expectations.
Despite criticism, the growth of the software bootcamp industry has been phenomenal.
Currently, there are over 100 different new software engineering bootcamps around the
world, with an estimated 15,000 graduates entering the workforce this year. The average
tuition price for each full-time program is approximately $10,000 with an average length
of 10 weeks.
The bootcamp model is based around accelerating through the learning curve:
B. What to Research When Choosing a Bootcamp

T here are many elements to consider when choosing a bootcamp. In this section, we
will present the common questions that students face and guidance on how to answer
those questions.

1. Which programming language should you learn?

This is one of the most common questions we hear from new students, and unfortunately
there is no single right answer. Many students assume that learning Ruby on Rails is a
must, since over 50% of programming bootcamps currently teach it. The reality, however,
is that there are many languages a student should consider for various reasons. In this
section, we’ll talk about choosing a programming language that meets your career goals.

Bootcamp Tip:

Aim to completely master one language by the time the

bootcamp ends.
First, understand that some languages are inherently harder to learn than others. Ruby on
Rails has spiked in popularity precisely because it is a great language for beginners to pick
up. Other languages, like C for example, are much more complex and require more time to
master.
You should aim to completely master one programming language and framework after
completing a bootcamp. By focusing on one language, you will gain a deep expertise into
that technology. Also, it will be much easier to pick up new languages and frameworks in
the future.
If you want to build web applications, Ruby or Python are the most common languages
that startups use. For iOS mobile applications, you will have to learn Objective-C or Swift.
For Android applications, you will have to learn Java and the Android framework.
Many programmers will argue that one language is better than the other. In general, ignore
conversations about which language is “best.” Focus instead on your career goals and the
type of company that you want to work for.
To get started, review this table on the common languages that different
companies and products use:

Startups Older/Large Corporations

Web Apps Ruby on Rails, Python, Javascript .Net, Java/J2EE, C#, PHP
Mobile Apps Objective-C, Java/ Android, Swift Objective-C, Java/ Android, Swift

Keeping Ahead of the Curve

T he world of software engineering changes rapidly. Keep in mind that some languages
may suddenly become obsolete as others come into vogue. Apple’s new programming
language Swift, for example, is bound to disrupt the use of Objective-C in iOS app
development - even though the latter language was named one of this year’s most popular
languages. Wired Magazine even predicts that Swift could achieve mass adoption with a
speed that “surpasses even the uptake of Sun Microsystems’ Java programming language
and Microsoft’s C# in the late 1990s and early 2000s.” In a few years, Ruby on Rails may
also wane in popularity as other frameworks such as Node.js and Django catch up.
Fortunately, there are many resources to track each language’s popularity. The Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers recently released its 2014 list of programming
languages, ranked by popularity, growth, employer demand, and use by open-source and
social media hubs. You can read more about their method here. Across IEEE Spectrum’s
various lists, Java consistently ranks first, followed by C and C++. Java, which offers
cross-platform compatibility and a solid foundation for understanding object-oriented
programming (also seen in C++, Perl, Python, and PHP), is widely used for a variety of
purposes, including web and Android apps. We’ve reposted the lists on the next page, but
be sure to visit IEEE Spectrum to play around with the original interactive and even create
your own custom rankings.

IEEE SPECTRUM OVERALL:

1. JAVA
2. C
3. C++
4. Python
5. C#
6. PHP
7. Javascript
8. Ruby
9. R
10. MATLAB

TRENDING:
1. JAVA
2. C
3. C++
4. Python
5. C#
6. Javascript
7. PHP
8. Ruby
9. Shell
10. Go

IN DEMAND BY EMPLOYERS:
1. JAVA
2. C
3. C++
4. Python
5. C#
6. Javascript
7. PHP
8. SQL
9. Ruby
10. HTML*

POPULAR ON OPEN-SOURCE HUBS & SOCIAL MEDIA

1. JAVA
2. C++
3. C
4. Python
5. Javascript
6. C#
7. Ruby
8. PHP
9. Shell
10. Objective C
* HTML is technically a markup language. It determines how data is presented,
but does not create instructions that rewrite input data into an output, as is the
case for programming languages. IEEE senior editor Stephen Cass explains the
inclusion of HTML: “I think part of that is that there are a lot of places outside
coding where some HTML knowledge is important even without the other
languages—to pick a local example, even though most blogging systems
provide some kind of WYSIWYG editor, any journalist who blogs is expected
to know enough HTML to be able to tweak the source of their posts, but by the
same token would be discouraged/disabled from dropping any homebrew
javascript in.”

2. Consider the Class Size and Instructor-Student Ratio

We’ve found that for the majority of students, the class size and instructor-to-student ratio
are the two most important factors in a bootcamp. Programming bootcamps come with a
rugged learning curve, so the opportunity for one-on-one time with an instructor is
essential. While curriculum design does matter, most programming bootcamps follow a
similar curriculum and use exercises that could be found in any programming book.
Access to the instructor can make all the difference. In the bootcamps we’ve surveyed, the
student ratios ranges from 1:4 to up to 1:25. Be careful when choosing a program with few
instructors and a lot of students. While these programs may be cheaper, you will likely
find less value in them.

3. Talk to Alumni from the Program and Read Reviews

An alum’s experience can have a huge impact on your decision to attend a particular
bootcamp. Start by reading through reviews on the bootcamp’s website, especially reviews
about your desired class or instructor. Next, don’t be afraid to reach out to graduated
students on Linkedin/Facebook/Twitter or email. Most former students will be happy to
talk and lend their advice. Use the following questions to get the conversation started:
i. What type of job/experience did you have before?
ii. Do you think you got a good value from this program?
iii. What was the culture like at the bootcamp?
iv. What was the instructor/curriculum like?
v. What were the job outcomes for yourself and fellow students?
You’ll gain much more insightful information from face-to-face time with an alum than
from reading info online. There’s nothing that replaces a coffee meeting to gain insight
and dirt on the schools you’re applying to!
“Most of us are scared of drastic career changes. I didn’t let that fear stop me
only because I was a miserable, self-loathing, unhappy human being. I knew I
needed a way out, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do.”
Gulnara Mirzakarimova
Software Engineer at Jibe, Hackbright
Academy Alum
4. Who is Teaching You?
Good instructors make a big impact, and the quality of the instructor can make or break
your experience. Because of large turnover in the industry, teachers don’t often stay at
schools very long. This, unfortunately, results in a lot of new and inexperienced
instructors.
Make sure to thoroughly research each instructor to make sure he or she has experience
both in the industry and in the classroom.

C. Financing Your Bootcamp Education

Because the programming bootcamp industry is not regulated under the traditional higher
education category, students are not able to obtain traditional student loans. However, the
rise of peer-to-peer and alternative lending means that you will have multiple options for
financing. We’ve put together a list of lenders you may want to consider (shown below).
Each one of the lenders in this list will have different screening criteria for loans. If you
apply, pay careful attention to the loan terms and interest rates that they offer.
To start the process, first apply for a loan to a broad selection of lenders. Once you have a
few options and offers on the table, find a mentor with a finance background to advise you
on which terms are the most favorable.
Examine the loan terms and the amount of money you’ll need to attend a bootcamp,
including your living costs. We recommend setting aside at least 2-3 months of savings for
your post-bootcamp career search.

Possible Lendors:

1. Prosper.com
2. Upstart.com
3. Lendlayer.com
4. Earnest.com
5. Globus.com
6. ClimbCredit.co
Depending on your situation, it may be sensible to ask your employer if you can take a
leave of absence during the bootcamp. Many employers will see your new skills as an
asset, and be willing to grant you job security in order to learn these skills. Some
employers will even sponsor their employees to attend a bootcamp! It certainly never hurts
to ask.

D. Preparation
You’ve done it! After a few applications and interviews you’ve been accepted to a
programming bootcamp. Now, it’s time for the real work to begin!
You’re about to navigate a career change and charge full speed into learning a new
skillset. It won’t be easy, so preparation is key. Here are the top five things you MUST do
before attending a programming bootcamp:
1. Try Programming
It’s essential that you use online or offline resources and try your hand at code before you
attend a programming bootcamp. Almost all bootcamps will recommend this. If you start
from scratch having never worked with code before, it’s going to be tough to learn all the
material in 8-10 weeks and compete for a job afterwards.
2. Reach Out to an Alum
Talk to an alum: Nothing beats a face-to-face with someone who has been through a
programming bootcamp. There are many friendly people in the industry who are willing to
help. Try cold emailing people on LinkedIn, Quora or Facebook - you’ll be surprised at
how many people are happy to give a few pointers or tips.
3. Talk to Your Future Instructors
The instructors’ personalities, attitudes, teaching philosophies and experience are key to a
successful class. Ask them about their experience, in both the industry and the classroom.
Given the high instructor turnover rate in the bootcamp industry, this research is especially
important.
4. Meet with a Software Engineer
It’s imperative that you research the specific jobs that might be right for you. Reach out to
your network, and set up a meeting with someone who can give you feedback.
5. Do Your Homework
Complete all the prep work that the bootcamp assigns (this could include reading, online
tutorials and various programming exercises). Don’t slack off. Programming bootcamps
move quickly, and it may be hard to catch up once you’ve fallen behind.
Chapter 5:

Coding Bootcamp Statistics

Over the past few months, we have surveyed more than 300 graduates about
their experiences at coding bootcamps. The full paper will be published in a
peer-reviewed economics journal in partnership with researchers from The
University of Texas at Austin and SRI (formerly Stanford Research Institute).
What follows is a teaser of our work, presented in five takeaways:
Overall, the data showed a lot of positive signs in the fast-growing bootcamp
education space. The survey indicates a more balanced gender breakdown,
positive job placement outcomes, and affordability. In addition, we’ve begun
to notice a fascinating correlation between student satisfaction, tuition price,
and job placement outcomes.
1. A majority of coding bootcamp graduates reported an increase in salary.
Around 59% of graduates reported an increase in salary after attending their programs. On
average, the salary difference for a person before a bootcamp and six months after a
bootcamp was $7,000. The average salary increase for the subset of graduates who
reported an increase in salary was $23,000.

2. A vast majority of graduates were satisfied with their bootcamp education.

For an industry that’s still relatively new, coding bootcamps show a very high level of
consumer satisfaction. Over 86% of students reported being satisfied or very satisfied with
their education. Only a small minority (7%) were dissatisfied.
3. Coding bootcamps offer more intimate learning environments than one may
find at large universities, with more opportunity for interaction with instructors
and fellow students.
The average class size at a coding bootcamp is 27 students, though some offer classes as
small as five and others as large as 60. This is comparable to average class sizes at
community college, which are typically smaller than four-year universities.
The average number of instructors per class in a coding bootcamp is 3.5, with an average
student to instructor ratio of 1 to 8. In comparison, the average ratio of students to
teaching staff at American tertiary education institutions was 1 to 16 in 2012.
While the jury is still out on just how much class size affects education quality, various
studies indicate an increase in student engagement and achievement for smaller classes.
Additionally, the National Survey of Student Engagement has noted that student-faculty
interaction is an important predictor of success in college.
4. Coding bootcamps are a far cheaper, accelerated option than learning to
code at a university.
The average price tag was $8,000 per course and the average length of the course was nine
weeks. In comparison, studying computer science at a private four-year college would cost
$31,231 per year in tuition and fees on average.
Be reminded that the $8,000 figure is based on tuition, and not what students actually end
up paying out of their own pocket. Scholarships and financial aid opportunities, which
many bootcamps offer, help offset this cost. In addition, more than half of coding
bootcamp students are able to pay off most of their tuition within the year from an increase
in their salary.
Also worth noting: Price was not correlated with changes in salary after the program.
More expensive programs did not result in better job placement outcomes.
5. Women are learning how to code, but even more work can be done to
include and empower minorities.
One of the great things about the bootcamp industry is that women are participating in
much higher percentages than in traditional computer science classrooms. Encouragingly,
our survey reports 41% of attendees to be women.
Several high-profile companies have recently found themselves under heavy scrutiny, after
disclosing workforce demographics that suggest employment gaps for women and
minorities in the tech sector.
On the other hand, disparities remain in bootcamp attendance by minorities
underrepresen-ted in technology. Whereas the U.S. workforce average for African
Americans and people of Hispanic descent stands at 12 and 16 percent, respectively, while
bootcamp attendance for those two groups remain at 6.6 and 0.51 percent.
Emphasis on diversity has shown some success and we expect these numbers to improve
further as the industry gains more momentum and credibility.

5. Overall Findings
In general, the coding bootcamp industry appears to be quite healthy. Student satisfaction
and job placement outcomes showed positive signs. The diversity of the student
population — while it could always be improved — has been encouraging. Coding
bootcamps appear to be an increasingly suitable pathway into technology for a majority of
students attending these programs. Understandably, not all students received positive
outcomes from attending a coding bootcamp and a small number of students were unable
to find employment in the technology industry. There’s still work to be done.
In our opinion, there is no doubt that 21st century technology education is trending
towards transparency, outcome-driven metrics. However, key questions remain: Can the
type of salary increase seen from the data be sustained in the long-term? As supply of
developers increases to match the demand, do we expect the job market to get tighter over
time, or will the creation of tech jobs continue to outmatch the supply of developers over
the next few years? And, finally, can the bootcamp industry uphold ethical standards and
improve transparency?
Whatever the outcome, Switchup will be there to contribute to this discussion. Our survey
is ongoing and we welcome more alumni participants:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/altechedusurvey.
It has always been our mission to add transparency to this industry and this survey is one
of the ways we give back. Please remember that the results presented in this section are
preliminary and subject to change.
Conclusion
Remember our pro and con framework from chapter 2? Now that you know
more about coding education and careers, you’ll want to complete this
assessment again. You’ll be able to compare both assessments, and see how
your thoughts on switching to a technology career have changed.
Start by writing down a list of the pros and cons of switching careers:

PROS:

CONS:
Next, you will score each pro and con between 1 and 5, based on the level of importance
for each:
5 - super important
4 - very important
3 - important
2 - not very important
1 - not important
Add up the scores from each list and write them here:

PROS:

CONS:
Finally, you’ll need to do a simple calculation. If the pros outweigh the cons more than
1.75 to 1, then the benefits of attending a coding bootcamp outweigh the risk by a
significant margin. This is a good sign that you should begin transitioning careers, and
perhaps apply to a coding bootcamp!
Now that you have worked through this assessment twice, go ahead and compare your
results. How are your “pros” and “cons” different? Have your goals changed now that you
know more about coding education and careers?
 “I think one of the hardest things in life is to decide whether to try harder or
admit that something isn’t right for you and give up. I’m determined to do
things wholly and completely, so whenever I would find a new interest or
possible career path it would be hard for me to give the idea up and admit that
it wasn’t for me. I kept thinking I just needed to try harder to get better at it or
to learn to love it. I’ve learned to trust my intuition more and do what I like,
rather than what I think I should like.”
Aja Harris
DESIGNATION Alum
Stay Focused And Confident

R emember that whenever we’re at a crossroads, fear and uncertainty tend to creep in.
It’s important to stay focused, and not be intimidated. For those who are making a
mid-career change, do you recall having sluggish mornings where you dread going to
work? Don’t ignore that dissatisfaction, because you owe it to yourself to have a career
that makes you excited to wake up and challenges you to be at your best. The keyword is
you. Although the steps are here, only you and your own determination can make this
happen.
If you’ve thought it over and do not think that it’s the right time to make a leap, don’t give
up. We recommend creating a plan for yourself and setting short term, intermediate and
long term goals. For example, what do you hope to accomplish toward your career change
goals in 3, 6, or 9 months? You can always set milestones and hold yourself accountable to
a plan. Set measurable, specific and realistic goals to not overwhelm yourself.
As you work toward your goal, be sure to find a close friend to be your support system.
After all, we all need a good push and encouragement to be productive! With your friend’s
help, keep yourself on track and accountable. With the right plan and support system in
place, you’re sure to succeed!
We hope you enjoyed this tutorial and feel confident as you move forward. On
behalf of the Switchup team, we wish you the best of luck with your career
change. Thank you for reading!