Need help from code savy Sherdoggers

[Macalpinerules]

So I've been looking at some advertisements for so-called "coding boot camps". These are informal schools that teach people how to become code writers in 4-6 months. Many of these places tout their reputation and make lofty claims about high employment rates and high salaries for their graduates. I'm really tempted to try this but there's just a hint of scamishness to some of theses places.

So to those who know a thing or two about the industry, can these coding shops be of any use to someone starting out? Or do they reek of dishonesty to you?

Thanks in advance!

 

[thegreenblender]

I've heard anecdotes about people jumping straight into high paying jobs from camps...but I suspect these people were extremely talented/lucky. The only thing I can say for sure is, a few months preparation won't prepare you for the field (freaks excepted). I did a bachelor's in CS, worked very hard at it, and I came out just slightly less green than a crop full of green candidates.

 

[SherdogGoat]

Programming is not everybody's cup of tea. I've seen really good students despise programming because they just don't get it no matter how hard they try.

I have been a programmer for more than a decade and it's not something you become a master at, in a matter of months. I have a masters degree in computer systems and even in degree programs like that, most of the students downright suck at programming. It takes years upon years to become good at it but if you have the aptitude for it, you can definitely learn enough to land an entry level programming job. As far as claims of landing a highly paid job after a bootcamp, personally it is highly unlikely that I would hire a person like that for anything more than a junior programmer position. It depends on what your definition of a high paying job is though.