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Discussion on: How Dev Bootcamps Are Failing Their Students

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codemouse92 profile image
Jason C. McDonald

...because what really are "the basics"?

I'd argue, the war's already lost when "Javascript", or really any language, becomes tacked to the top of the target skills list. It doesn't matter what language is used to teach programming, but programming should not be tied to a language. Algorithms, data structures, patterns, essentials of computer engineering...these are things that one must master at some point to advance from "the guy who writes the Javascript we tell him we need" to "senior developer" (in a broader sense). Whether you learn them in a classroom, from a book, via course, or through self-study and experimentation doesn't matter. But it would seem to me, that is precisely what Bootcamps are failing to provide.

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gregorywitek profile image
Gregory Witek

Very good point!

But it would seem to me, that is precisely what Bootcamps are failing to provide.

Something that just came to my mind: maybe this is where we, the tech leaders, are failing?
In the end it's us who put languages or even frameworks on top of list of requirements in job descriptions. And then we expect people to build an app in that framework during interview. And eventually when we hire bootcamp graduates we fail to provide them the kind of support they need (which is different from support that CS graduates need).

I'm not saying bootcamps are innocent here, they do a lot of shady and misleading stuff.
What I mean is that we know what bootcamps are - they are a response to sudden surge in demand for software developers (and as that demand plateaus, most of them will disappear and only the best will remain), they are X-weeks courses for people who can't or don't want to do longer courses or CS degrees.
They can do much better, and so do we.

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codemouse92 profile image
Jason C. McDonald

I do agree. I don't set strict technology requirements on any job I post, and I know of a few other employers who don't either. It's something we definitely need to push more for in the industry, but that would require companies having technically-minded people writing the job descriptions and posts, rather than entrusting that to HR.