This is a presentation that I gave at WordCamp TOronto in September, 2017 about my experience at Code School. I went to BrainStation in Toronto and graduated in June 2017. These are things that you need to know before you enroll in a code school, regardless of which school you attend.
2. ● Recent Graduate, Full Stack Web Dev, BrainStation
● Instructor, Sheridan College & Mohawk College in Web
Design (including WordPress) and Capstone Project
● Serial WordCamper. Went to 7 the last three years,
including Mumbai. Including Co-organizer, WordCamp
Hamilton, 2015-6, Toronto in 2015 and Milwaukee 2016
● Contributor, The WPCrowd
● “Lead Dudette” defined as: "a young woman or girl who
is very popular or admired by her peers”. Thanks
@modmatt!
About Me
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4. 1. 80% of grads were hired within 30 days of graduation,
95% within 90 days
2. Upon completion, competency as full stack web
developers
3. There were partnerships with companies that would hire
grads from the program
4. That there was post-graduation support
Expectations
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19. 1. 80% of grads were hired within 30 days of graduation,
95% within 90 days
2. Upon completion, competency as full stack web
developers
3. There were partnerships with companies that would hire
grads from the program
4. That there was post-graduation support
Expectations
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20. 80% of grads were hired within 30 days of
graduation, 95% within 90 days
● Actual numbers: 66% within 90 days of
graduation.
BrainStation has since changed this expectation as of August, 2017 to say 92% within 180 days,
85% within the field of study.
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21. WDFT June 2017 Cohort Stats
21Thanks to Sholan Narine for providing these stats.
22. Upon completion, competency as full stack web
developers
● “Full Stack” is not what I thought.
● Impossible to learn in 10 weeks
The types of technologies that are being sought are not what I was taught.
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23. Only 14% teach .NET, 39% teach JS 23
Source: 2017 Coding Bootcamp Market Size Study
24. There were partnerships with companies that
would hire grads from the program
● The school didn’t provide the leads to the
companies that would hire us that I thought,
including the parent company
More on this in a moment...
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25. That there was post-graduation support.
● This is on me. I should have done more
research on what they provided as support
after graduation.
But hey, you’re going to learn from my mistakes
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26. ● How to survive a coding bootcamp and maximize your chances of getting hired -
Per Harald Borgen
● DevTO #69: Everything I Need To Know About Life I Learned At Code School -
Open Mic (July, 2017)
● Student Outcomes Report - BrainStation WDFT August 2017
● Why Coding Bootcamps Don't Work - Geoffrey James, August 27, 2017
● Want a Job in Silicon Valley? Keep Away From Coding Schools - Bloomberg,
December 6, 2016
● 2017 Coding Bootcamp Market Size Study - Course Report, July 19, 2017
References & Reading
Here’s some of the stuff I used to come up with this presentation.
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