I went from a career in software sales to teaching english in Japan, and from there I became a freelance writer and travel blogger, and now I’m opening up my mind to computer programming. It’s been a weird, interesting, albeit challenging transition as I move from a career focusing on English-language-based services to something more abstract. If you know anything about me as a person, then you won’t hesitate to assume that my decision was overly researched. I split hairs on small choices, folks, and this wasn’t one of them. I’m not made of money, but I didn’t want to skimp out on a great programming bootcamp just because it was a little more expensive than others. If you are looking into a career in remote work, want to become a digital nomad, freelance worker, or just locationally independent, then computer programming might be the best route for you too. Here’s how I chose my bootcamp:
How to Choose a Computer Programming/ Development Bootcamp.
There are literally thousands of options available. Finding one appropriate for you is going to be the largest portion of your decision. Here are a few questions you need to ask yourself first:
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- How much are you willing to spend on a bootcamp? What can you afford?
- How much time can you spend at said program?
There are many different options for the length of programs, what they teach, and how much each program is. Since I live in the USA, and most schooling is notoriously overpriced, I immediately decided to begin searching for something I could do abroad. Here’s what I found:
- In the US, there are quite a few highly-ranked programs that range from 15-weeks to 1-year
- These programs run anywhere between $10,000 – $28,000
- There are many options for ‘intensive bootcamps’ that are shorter, much cheaper, and run year-round. These programs are both inside the USA as well as abroad.
- Intensive bootcamps are anywhere between 9 and 15 weeks long.
I also found websites dedicated to ranking computer programming schools, bootcamps, and other options available. These were by far the best resources I can recommend for finding the program right for you!
- SwitchUp: The Best Bootcamps of 2018
- Switch Up compiles all sorts of information from graduation placement rates, overall satisfaction levels, price, and scholarship/financial aid information
- CourseReport: The Best Bootcamps of 2017
- Similarly, course report is dedicated to finding the best value for your money. They have been researching bootcamps since 2013 and will help you find a program that fits your needs/desires
- Here are a few secondary resources that also rank intensive bootcamps and programs:
If you decide to train within the US, there are quite a few programs that, while pricier than other options, often offer scholarships for POC and other minorities, and Women in tech.
There is actually a free development school in Seattle, WA just for people that identify as female. (My decision as to why I chose NOT to attend this program is below, as well!)
Some of the other great options in my area included CodeFellows, Coding Dojo and General Assembly.
But here’s the real scoop on why and how I chose my programming bootcamp:
How I Chose My Programming Bootcamp, Le Wagon
Life ain’t cheap. Though there is a completely FREE program in Seattle that I could have applied to (it’s highly competitive), they only offered cohorts every 6 months to begin training, and each cohort takes a full year to graduate (6 months of learning, 6 months of an internship). This means that if I chose to go to school at ADA, I would have forgone a year of earning potential before seeing any returns on my investment.
The other programs, Coding Dojo and Code Fellows, still came out to $15-21,000 in tuition costs, even with the potential scholarship opportunities for being female, or a race other than white. They also had longer courses, ranging from 18 weeks to 6 months or so. Thats a lot of money and time to invest, just to stay in Seattle. As a digital nomad, I’m really not down to stay put for that long. Being location independent is important to me…I’m not ready to give up this nomadic lifestyle yet!
I also looked at moving to another city within the USA, but couldn’t find anything even half the cost of just staying here, in Seattle, to train. So, I began to look abroad. Here’s where SwitchUp and CourseReport played into my decision:
- The cost of Le Wagon Intensive bootcamp is $5,900
- The Le Wagon bootcamp is taught in over 20 cities worldwide (in English- some programs are in French!)
- The cost of living in some of their bootcamp locations would be up to 500% cheaper than staying in the USA
- The opportunity cost of foregoing salary and other earning potential while going to an intensive, 9 week program is significantly lower than other, longer programming bootcamps
- The graduation placement rate for a Le Wagon graduate is 98%, with some getting hired even before completing their programs!
After some conservative assumptions, my best guess is that I will be spending a grand total of $9,000USD for a 9 week programming bootcamp. This includes tuition, flights, cost of living, and other miscellaneous expenditures. If my estimations are correct, I’m going to save roughly $10,000- $15,000 of the cost to live in Seattle and attend a program here! Plus, I’ll be able to explore Bali, Indonesia for a few months on a student visa, and have the chance to really learn about their culture!
I hope this helps you make a decision towards a career change to the tech industry! In comparison to some other continuing-education options I was pursuing, this decision saved me years of schooling and time invested.
Check out some of my other blog posts about:
- How I became a Digital Nomad
- How I prepared for my Programming Bootcamp
- How I learned to Travel Blog (Coming Soon!)
- How to Make Money Online (Coming Soon!)
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