Galvanize

I want to be clear about what a bootcamp is and what it is not: it's not a silver bullet that will make you employable and professional. Your diploma is not an 8 1/2'' x 11'' ticket you turn in for a job and neither is a bootcamp certificate. What it is is a place to build yourself up and a community that will move there with you.

When the pandemic hit I learned as much programming as I could, but after a while I hit a wall. I found myself without direction or motivation. I decided to join a bootcamp and picked Galvanize because they were the best, simple as that. I didn't just learn the latest and most "need to know" algorithms (though believe me it's all there). You can't just learn data, you need to learn how to be a scientist. I got classmates, I got deadlines, I got new software, I got critical feedback, but I also got the skills to be a team player and to rise to the challenge of all the others. My resume now has all the buzzwords like "responsibility, achieved, passion, leadership." I also can't stress enough how important the community is. My peers and instructors kept me motivated because they wanted to see me succeed. Galvanize knows this and make it a point to foster community.

A note on the technical side though: a bootcamp is baptism by fire, so be ready. Again, I studied on my own for a while and I couldn't have made it through without doing that first. I don't have a technical degree or any tech experience but I can say with confidence that a data science career change is difficult but possible. Some bootcamps have absolutely zero barrier to entry which is honestly a red flag. Galvanize has a pre-course so you can gauge if you're ready, then take on the interview. Good luck!

Overview:

My experience in the Galvanize Full-Stack Immersive was highly productive, engaging, and enjoyable. I went into it hoping to maximize my learning and trusting the process would help me build the tools to find the "right" software engineering job for me. After three months of interviewing and talking to a variety of companies, I recently accepted a great offer from a fantastic company.

I chose to attend Galvanize after researching bootcamps for about a year, and I was most compelled by their instructors and curriculum. Having six months of class (vs. three months, which seems to be far more common) was also a factor, since I knew more time immersed in learning would result in a deeper and broader set of skills come the end.

There were some bumps along the way, as other reviewers have mentioned (Associate Instructor turnover, unproductive hiring day), but I'm honestly not surprised by this, given how new the industry is. For me, the core experience of being and class and learning was excellent.

Instruction:

Schools are only as good as their teachers, and Liz Howard and Tyler Bettilyon were a fantastic instructor team. Their lectures and assignments were focused and well thought-out, they were always open to my questions, and they often worked with me individually when I asked for assistance. We regularly were asked to provide feedback through surveys, and I know both Tyler and Liz were genuinely interested in using this to gauge their past instruction and plan for the future. They're both fansatic individuals, and it was a pleasure to spend six months in their class. 

Curriculum: 

Prior to Galvanize, I spent a year and a half teaching myself, and during the program my pace of learning was far greater than what I achieved on my own (meaning, per amount of time spent learning, I was much more productive in the bootcamp). The curriculum was scaffolded such that new concepts built on those we previously focused on, and they were paired with meaningful exercises that allowed us to practice implementing them. I was able to build the tools to create full-stack web applications and to continue learning on my own. This skill is arguably more important than the specific technologies I learned, given the current pace at which new technologies are being adopted throughout the whole industry.

One area I would like to have spent more time was computer science fundamentals. This feedback was given by me and many members of my class, and the cohorts that started after mine now have more CS built in.

Jobs:

Michelle Lai, the Career Services Manager, and I communicated regularly thoughout my whole search process, and she connected me with a number of companies that I eventually interviewed with. She was a great sounding board for thoughts and ideas on search strategies, interview preparation, and negotiation. After my course ended, Michelle hosted weekly group meetings for alums to help support our respective searches in whatever way was needed.

Recommendations to Individuals Researching Bootcamps:

Before commiting, spend a bunch of time coding to a) find out if you like it, and b) prepare for a bootcamp: the more you come in with, the more you come out with. Nearly all the work you'll be doing builds on your basic coding ability, so a shaky foundation will result in a shaky experience.

Ask lots of questions before committing. This is a really new industry, and it's easy to get excited about the hype. Make sure your idea of what you will get from a bootcamp is in-line with what a bootcamp will teach you and provide for you.

Ask lots of questions once you're in class. This is how you can advocate for yourself and your own learning. If something doesn't make sense, ask about it. Many times my mental model for a concept was initially incorrect, but by asking questions about things that stood out to me as not making sense, I was able to quickly correct my thinking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.