Over the past couple of years, I’ve had the fortune of managing the data science and data analytics programs of a leading coding bootcamp.
Before this experience, I was skeptical of the market. I thought only a traditional academic institution could offer a worthwhile program.
But now, I openly support the bootcamp space and encourage younger professionals to consider enrolling in them. Universities still have their place (I will dicuss this in a later post)… but so do bootcamps.
The common objections to coding bootcamps range from the misguided to the misinformed. I will bust some common myths below, but if you have other concerns/hesitations about the bootcamp space, let’s discuss them in the comments.
Some disclaimers: I am not an industry expert and am speaking largely from my experience, which is with the data programs of one particular bootcamp. That said, the positive experience I’ve had is backed up by solid career outcomes and grad placements.
“You don’t know who is writing the curriculum”
This is a frequent charge: that the instructional assets for the bootcamp could have been written by any old hack.
I think what this is really getting at is that the quality of the instructional material may be subpar or unpredictable, and there is not the normal transparency of authoring as with many media.
While I do think that bootcamps could do a better job in signalling the merit of their instructional assets, I do not see how this matter for the students or the outcomes.
What are the alternatives for getting instructional material these days? You could go to a textbook, which undergoes a rigorous vetting and review process, but those are expensive and often written unapproachably.
So, how about a blog or YouTube channel? Those can quite honestly be better than most textbooks, but guess what? Anyone can author those assets, too! So why is this a deal-breaker for where bootcamps source their content?
Once we parse the real objection behind “Anyone can write the material,” it’s easy to bust this myth.
“They don’t have educational backgrounds”
This one may be easier to bust than the last one!
The idea here is that the authors and educators may not be any good, since they don’t go through the rigorous vetting process of academics.
Yawn.
Guess what? By and large, academics don’t give a damn about teaching. It is a nuisance to them which distracts from their research.
And when academics do get dragged into teaching (Hey, the school has to keep the lights on somehow!), it’s not like they’ve been trained for it!
There are lots of ways to be good at teaching, and academic experience isn’t a guaranteed one. With the internet, anyone can learn how to teach well, and practice.
So, this is another objection that doesn’t stand up.
“I could just learn it myself”
This objection is harder to take down, because it could be true. It is indeed possible to be a totally self-taught data analyst or data scientist. But I wouldn’t recommend it. Why?
One of the best ways to learn is to make it social. A good bootcamp will give you a podium to work through ideas with mentors, educators and other studetns. This also has the benefit of building a network, which is needed to get hired.
So, this one isn’t so much untrue as it is overlooking the benefits of not going it alone.
So what are the downsides?
It wouldn’t be fair in an article like this not to mention the downsides of a coding bootcamp.
Bootcamps are designed to help candidates get their foot in the door of an industry. And for that, the track records are good, and getting better.
I am less optimistic that a bootcamp education can help candidates keep their foot in the door. Bootcamps are effectively vocational training, which I have no objection to.
But in a rapidly evolving economy, vocational training may not be enough. I believe that professionals are best served to weather their careers with the depth and breadth granted by a liberal arts education. If that sounds nuts, check out my post on creating the future with the liberal arts.
Bootcamps on balance..
But the thing about a liberal arts education is it doesn’t get your foot in the door. So, back to the bootcamp. (See what I mean about bootcamps and traditional learning institutions each having a role to play?)
Every program has its costs and benefits. At least with a bootcamp, you won’t need to uproot your career and way of life to do it. And, upon closer inspection, many of the dissimilarities to traditional education aren’t such downsides after all.
Yes, bootcamps have a way to go, and I’ve heard some stories that would probably change my tune about them if they’d happened to me as well.
That said, if there were nearly as much scrutiny toward colleges and universities as there is toward coding bootcamps, then the bootcamps may be the shining beacons.
So, have I convinced you? What else causes you concern about bootcamps? Or maybe you’ve bought in and want to share your reasoning or experiences? Let’s discuss.
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