Not long ago, I had a virtual coffee with @clearlythuydoan, one of the speakers at codeland 2021 conference. She did her bootcamp in Toronto about 5 years ago and has since been a Full Stack Developer. I asked her a few questions with regards to bootcamps and she gave me some advices which I want to share with you all today (with her permission).

Thuy has also created an AMA page on GitHub specifically to answer commonly asked questions about bootcamp. Please go check it out!

The Q&A

The Q&A is written in first person. With me asking the questions and Thuy answering

Q1: How should I get the most out of my bootcamp experience?

A1: During the bootcamp, if you finish the challenge or task of the day quicker than other students, go help out others. Act like a TA. You learn better and you identify gaps of your knowledge when you are trying to teach a concept to someone else. Also, your bootcamp might be recruiting for TAs as there are high turnover rate in these roles. If you have demonstrated your willingness to teach others by acting like a TA, that gives them good reason to hire you as one. If your bootcamp is actively hiring TAs and you manage to secure a role with them, that gives you experience to put on the CV while allowing you some leverage to not be desperate for just any job that comes your way during your job search. You can spend more time to find the right company for you without struggling to pay rent.

Q2: Tips on securing a job after bootcamp

A2: First of use the resources from your bootcamp, apart from that, I recommend checking out Angel List. I was actively looking for side gig while I was TAing. I got a one-month contract in a company. Afterwards, the recruiter of my current company recruited my on LinkedIn based on that experience I have. I stood out amongst other bootcamp grads as I have some experience working on somebody else's code base when most other grads only have greenfield side projects. In your actual job, you will have to collaborate with other developers and work on codes you didn't write yourself. It would be really advantageous if you can demonstrate aptitude in those areas.

Q3: How do you manage doing things on the side (e.g. working on side projects) during your time in bootcamp

A3: While in bootcamp, you should remind yourself that the bootcamp is your top priority. You don't want to jeopardise your learning by doing too much and burning yourself out. If you really want to do something on the side, pick something low commitment. For example, you can tweet or blog about what you've learnt during your day at the bootcamp. Doing that will solidify your learning as well as helping you build an audience whom will lift you up along your developer journey.

Q4: How do you maintain code-life balance? I see so many developers having a well maintained blog, cool side projects, speak and conferences and sometimes even manage a podcast and YouTube channel. How do they do all that while still maintaining a code life balance.

While there are genuinely people who code 9-5 and do all of those things you've mentioned on the side, it is helpful to know that some of those people have jobs which pays them to create content and speak at conferences, these people have jobs called developer relations. So they might not be coding the majority of the day and they might focus more time on content creation. But if you still wish to create content on the side, you should consider the following:

• What is your preferred channel of creating content? Would it be a blog? Twitter? A podcast or maybe a YouTube channel? Find the one you enjoy and do it there. You don't have to be everywhere.
• What is the cadence and frequency that works for you and doesn't burn you out? Do you want to create content everyday? Once a week? Or spontaneously whenever you have free time? The key here is to pick what works for you and don't feel pressured to be everywhere.

Thank you so much for reading this far and special thanks to @clearlythuydoan for taking her time to answer all my questions. Once again if you have any questions regarding bootcamp, you can go check out her AMA for bootcamp developers.

Happy coding!