How to Learn How to Code Like a Pro

Are you wanting to learn how to code, but uncertain of where to start?

As an aspiring web developer, you have many options to choose from. But what’s more important is choosing the right one for you - considering factors such as location, logistics, and what type of job you want to have when you complete your coding education.

Here are a few key considerations to include in your decision.

Logistics and Time

An important consideration with coding bootcamps is cost and time required, key parts in the calculation of a program’s overall return on investment (ROI).

Coding bootcamps such as Nucamp offer students the ability to learn coding in a fraction of the amount of time required for a formal four-year computer science program - and often times, at a fraction of the cost. Tuition at some of the top U.S. universities for computer science can be around $55,000. Nucamp, on the other hand, offers courses between $320 and $1,620.

It’s important to note that, due to the difference in time required, traditional CS programs have a different focus than coding bootcamps. CS programs focus on deep-level theory, whereas coding bootcamps are focused on preparing aspiring coders to hit the ground running with a job following graduation. Both are important skill sets, but distinctly different.

Community-based coding bootcamps also offer coding courses online, with localized workshops for students to meet in-person weekly, regardless of their location. Coding bootcamps and university programs that require students to be on-site full-time are often only based in large cities, which could present logistical issues to students in rural areas who are not ready to commute or move. Additionally, community coding classes are not always full-time, meaning that students can still keep a job and support themselves while they are completing their coursework.

Type of Coding Language

When considering how to learn how to code, it’s important to decide what coding language you want to learn - and deciding what type of job you want can help determine this. Different types of web development jobs involve different types of coding language and skills, so ensuring that your coursework aligns with your career goals is paramount.

Nucamp offers three tracks for students:

• Web development fundamentals

• Front-end web development

• Full-stack development

The Web Development Fundamentals course is more of an entry-level bootcamp that can enable you to customize off-the-shelf website templates, build email templates, or work in a role alongside web developers - perhaps as a technical accounts lead or project manager, depending on your outside skillset.

Front-end Web Development takes these skills a bit further, and is the right course for coders who want to be able to build responsive websites, mobile apps, and edit code libraries.

Nucamp’s Full-stack Development course combines coursework for both front and back-end development, and is for students who want to build responsive websites and mobile apps but also build larger-scale back-end systems, such as databases. This also includes developer roles that relate to authentication, security, and user data processing.

Job Opportunities

Once you have figured out what role is right for you, ensure that the program you choose has data about hiring rates for its graduates post-graduation, as well as information about the potential salary increase students experience pre- and post-graduation. According to data from SwitchUp, coding bootcamp graduates on average see a $19,485 (45.6 percent) salary increase in their first job after completing a program compared to the job they had pre-bootcamp. The same data shows that 80.9 percent of alumni are employed after completion of their bootcamp program. Ensure that your program has published data similar to this, and examine how these statistics compare with the average.

Also see if your selected coding program has networking opportunities for graduates. For example, Nucamp provides all coding bootcamp graduates with LinkedIn Premium access in order to jumpstart their job search. Localized workshops also provide students with the opportunity to network with other students in the area as well as instructors, many of whom work as full-time developers.

Overall, coding bootcamps offer students a variety of course tracks to jumpstart their entry into the web development job market. Community-based coding bootcamps take this to the next level, allowing students to complete their program without a time and financial commitment that greatly alters their current living and employment circumstances.

READY TO SEE IF CODING IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

Come check out the nearest community coding bootcamp in your city or town. Click here to get started.