What to do after graduating from a Software Bootcamp?

WebDev Bootcamp

So you’ve eked out months of hard work, study, and practice, and tried your best to commit a portion of your day dedicated to the altar of Let, Var, and Const. Seeing a tentative graduation date looming around the corner you you frantically boot up your laptop, write a few hundred lines of code, read evermore documentation, and submit your final project. And just when you think you wouldn’t make it past the code review…. you pass.

Whew!

You give yourself a pat on the back and a sigh of relief. You did it, and you should be proud. But that was that, and now this is this. What is this exactly? (And no I don’t mean ‘this’, that ever-lurking self-referential keyword used in programming that refers to the object scope). I mean this as in real life, the real world. The world you wake up to. The world in which you get out of bed, take the kids to school, and do your utmost to provide while also being an asset to human society.

Now This is where things get fun. It is very well possible that upon graduation you had the presumption that you and your peers would immediately find yourself working remotely out of Costa Rica, living Pura Vida, and singing Livin’ La Vida Loca… Only to find out that this is not the case.

After turning off the news after about 6 seconds you may have likely encountered news of the 7,500 Tech Layoffs so far in January 2024 (as of writing it is the 22nd. This then means that the job market is significantly more competitive). Or maybe you just went to the store and saw that milk and chicken are higher than they were two hours ago because of inflation.

2024

But fret not. You are weathered and calm under pressure. You recognize this and persist without too much worry. You can be different. You can do this.

So with all of the competition, all of the layoffs, and all of the catastrophes going on in the world, how can you find, and then land your first tech role? As a fellow bootcamp grad myself I can only speak from my observations and experiences but I also hope that these will provide some value to the timid reader. With these recommendations, I invite you to see where you could close the gap and stand out from the crowds. Many of these things should be a daily practice.

1. Code. Code as much as you can. Assuming you came from a ‘Software Engineering’ Bootcamp you need to write and read code DAILY(I add the quotes here because the vast majority should be labeled as ‘Web Development’. You could 100% grow into a Software Engineering role but when you graduate you are likely a Developer rather than an Engineer.) I cannot emphasize the importance of keeping up with your craft. You are here to reach technical excellence. To stand out you will need to know the languages and tools you are to use daily because you or now a craftsman.
2. Code more. We’re talking 4 hours a day if life permits.
3. Get on LinkedIn. Create an account and start networking. Get a great profile picture, and post creative and compelling things. You are your brand. Reach out to people who are doing your dream job. Ask for advice. Prepare to be left on ‘read’. But if you do get a response LISTEN TO IT. That person took time out of their day to give you advice, and it probably helped them get the job they currently have. I would also advise against the ‘Open To Work’ banner. I do this because if you are actively networking, especially with recruiters or with people in higher positions, it may be perceived that you are only reaching out to them to ask them for a job. You should genuinely take networking as an opportunity to expand your perspective and learn from those who are currently in a position that can help you grow.
4. Apply to jobs. This one sounds obvious but I can’t emphasize the importance of quantity. I’m talking about taking 2–3 hours of your day (if possible of course) to apply to jobs. As tempting as ‘Easy Apply’ is on LinkedIn or Indeed, I would spend more time looking at other sites. Everyone and their mother will be applying to ‘Fully Remote’ positions on the sites just mentioned. Not to say don’t apply to them but if you do It may be prudent to look at some of the local postings and apply to those as well. Get experience before looking exclusively at Fully Remote.
5. Build things. This goes with the first point. You will benefit from a portfolio of things that you choose to build, things that you didn’t find a code tutorial for. Tutorials help but you need to solve problems and read documentation. ChatGPT is a tool, not a torch. Don’t rely on it exclusively to light your way or it’ll burn your progression. If you don’t have a personal site up, let that be an early project. Employers will likely check your resume for a personal site to see your creativity and projects.

I could go on about the virtues of writing a solid cover letter and garnering several professional references, and those have their place, but after performing these five recommendations habitually, all you need is a direct resume with your skills and experience and a ritual of daily study and practice and that would be about 80% of your strategy while applying to jobs and growing your confidence.

These should suffice for an initial foray into post-grad life but they should also be post-job practices. Tech is a never-ending journey to technical breadth and depth, that's what makes it rewarding.

If you struggle to find a job you aren’t alone. Many of my peers are struggling but I also hope these recommendations help. The market is brutal right now but if you apply these principles you can start to stand out. Do what you know other people aren’t. Who dedicates 4 hours a day to coding? You do. Who applies to 80 jobs a day? You do. Remember that your skills are everything in this job market and there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You’ve got this.