Fortunately, with so many companies struggling to adapt to the more tech-heavy nature of post-pandemic culture, there’s also an abundance of opportunities available. With the wild west nature of capitalistic competition on the internet, companies need web designers, data analysts, and other professionals in net-oriented fields to stay in the game. As such, they’re willing to pay ridiculously good salaries to professionals willing to join their teams and help them transition into the new, tech-oriented world.
Sounds like a really good deal, right? However, changing career paths late in life is no easy task, especially when you’ve already been through a higher education program and have a steady job (even a steady job you hate). So learning quickly and efficiently is ideal. Fortunately, changing career paths doesn’t have to require a massive investment of both time and funds; A coding Bootcamp can provide a cheaper (if not altogether easy) alternative to a four-year degree, spitting you out in months with all of the necessary education and tools to hop right into a job for the prices of a single semester at university. While these programs are intense, there are programs available to suit every lifestyle, with a wide range of possible occupations and prices.
Has that piqued your interest? Here are some more reasons why you might want to consider attending a coding Bootcamp instead of an expensive university degree.
Cost is King: How Much Do Bootcamps Cost?
On average, most Bootcamp programs typically don’t cost more than a single semester at any four-year university; depending on what career path you choose and the extent of your course load, however, they can run anywhere from as low as $500 to as much as $30,000 per program. While boot camps from most providers will provide you with the fundamental courses you need to enter your chosen career field at the base price, you can choose to add specialization courses at your leisure; just be aware that there’s usually an extra charge for that.
Flexible Schedules: Full-Time and Part-Time
Depending on which provider you go with, you can attend as a full-time or part-time student. Most programs have inherent flexibility and are willing to work with you to ensure your education proceeds at the rate you want it to and make sure it blends harmoniously with your daily life and responsibilities. Therefore you could choose to treat a boot camp as a college, attending as a full-time student and completing your education as quickly as possible, or you could choose to attend part-time, taking night classes while working your current day job. Just be aware that if you decide to go part-time, it will likely affect your pace; You will still complete your education miles ahead of university students, but not as quickly as you possibly could.
A Leg Up: Additional Benefits
Many university students who pursue a degree relevant to their major often don’t wind up working in that major after graduation. Coding Bootcamp, on the other hand, represents a direct pipeline to a career path in coding. Many of these boot camps present their students with opportunities to network and work with potential employers, giving them a leg up later on in the hiring process, as well as opportunities to pursue mentorships and craft their own network of colleagues while in the program. Different providers also offer career services, such as resume editing, practice interviews, and the like.
The Fastest Channel to the Working World
You could choose to go to a four-year university and spend a lot of your time and money working to attain another degree. You could also choose to go to a boot camp, spend a couple of months learning what you need to know, attain the necessary certifications and walk right into a job. The choice is yours but consider it carefully. The window of opportunity presented by the labor shortage won’t last forever, and the sooner you switch careers, the better.
