You’ve been scouting the internet for the right coding program for beginners. Feeling inspired to pursue a meaningful career in a booming job market, with the potential to earn a high salary and substantial career growth. After finding a program that appears to be a good fit, a remote 6-month coding bootcamp with an appealing curriculum, great student services, strong networking potential, at around a quarter of the cost of a computer science degree at the public university in your city, you become a bit hesitant to click that apply button. You begin recalling everything you’ve once heard about accelerated learning to acquire advanced tech skills and begin questioning the potential of the program to deliver these promises. There are many misconceptions challenging the potential and utility of accelerated coding bootcamps. However, we are here to dispel some of these rumors, and provide you with an authentic overview of what to expect before enrolling in your next coding bootcamp.

Before diving into the most common misconceptions about coding bootcamps, let us first touch on what a coding bootcamp is, and how they serve their students. A coding bootcamp is a fast-track computer science program that trains students in specialized programming skills transferable to a career in the tech industry. Individuals enrolled in coding bootcamps are taught by industry experts that aim to equip their students with practical, hands-on coding expertise through immersive real-world tech simulations. Once a student has garnered proficiency in their selected track, crafted an attractive portfolio, and developed a network of industry professionals, they are all set to thrive in a prosperous career as a computer programmer.

Coding bootcamps often appeal to individuals that are looking for a way to reach their coding goals in a quicker, hands-on, and more affordable way. Coding bootcamps attract a diverse student cohort of computer scientists looking to amplify their experience and credentials, industry professionals seeking a career change, or freshers looking for an alternative tech-related program without going to college. Despite checking all the boxes for what makes tech training so quick, hands-on, and more affordable, people have preconceived ideas about the coding bootcamp industry, which at times, may discourage potential coding experts from enrolling in a coding bootcamp. For this reason, AMIT has compiled some of the most common myths surrounding coding bootcamps that continue to challenge their ability to create the next generation of tech experts.

As an aspiring coder, you might have been convinced that pursuing a traditional college education would be the most reliable path to secure a position in one of the country’s top tech companies. Individuals may have the idea that going to the college route may lead to obtaining credentials that are more credible and reputable than going through an accelerated tech bootcamp. This brings us to our first misconception about coding bootcamps:

“Credentials from a coding boot camp are not equally respected as computer science degrees.”

More and more coding bootcamp graduates are seeing the same career prospects and salary bumps as individuals with either an undergrad or graduate-level computer science degree. If anything, employers have greater confidence in the specialized skills acquired throughout coding boot camps since they are designed to train students with both soft and hard skills that regular universities have not traditionally done. Companies such as Amazon and JPMorgan Chase have demonstrated their confidence in coding bootcamp grads as they are two of the largest employers of bootcamp graduates. Not only are large corporations taking greater interest in hiring bootcamp graduates, entities within the nonprofit sector and government agencies have also been opening the doors to a higher number of coding bootcamp graduates.

With an emphasis on hands-on learning through project building, tech simulation workshops, and working in groups, bootcamp graduates are able to establish an attractive portfolio that stands out to employers. Acquiring both the soft and hard tech skills through practical and transferable experience is an area that colleges have traditionally not emphasized. Employers are attracted to practical and specialized skills and may not always know how to place tech generalists. This leaves bootcamp graduates with a higher advantage in our booming tech market.

“Only Computer Science graduates can succeed in a coding bootcamp.”

Some individuals miss out on growing and reaching their true potential in tech by feeling discouraged by their limited knowledge of tech-related concepts. There exists the idea that the only people who can succeed in coding bootcamps are those who bring existing knowledge and experience in a computer science-related academic or professional career. However, most coding bootcamps, just like AMIT Coders, deliver introductory courses to help students develop a clear understanding of core concepts related to programming. These courses are designed to accommodate those who are transitioning into coding, or to help those with a background in tech to brush up on their existing knowledge of the fundamentals.

When it comes to a coding bootcamp, it is not a secret that students with existing experience or academic credentials in computer science-related field may have a higher advantage than those who are new to the field. Despite this, it is important to keep in mind that the idea that a coding bootcamp is only suitable for computer scientists contradicts the principles behind the learning methods of bootcamps. Today, a diverse student population usually constitutes the most high-quality coding bootcamps today. This means that students will be immersed in a cohort of individuals who bring experience from a diverse range of industries, coming from different backgrounds and expertise. Prospective students should look at this as a learning opportunity, and a chance to grow not only from the instructors, but from their peers that create such a diverse and innovative cohort.

“Coding bootcamps are unaffordable.”

Another misconception that may discourage passionate individuals from enrolling into their dream coding bootcamp is not knowing how to fund it. There are students that have been misled to believe that funding their coding education needs to be costly. Some individuals are also under the impression that institutions outside of the scope of traditional colleges will not offer similar funding opportunities such as scholarships, financial aid, etc. Funding a quality coding bootcamp designed to equip students with mastery in high demand tech skills is an investment in oneself, and many bootcamps like our own, are committed to help subsidize the cost of coding education. For example, here at AMIT we distribute two scholarships every program term that cover 50% of a student’s overall tuition cost.

Similar to traditional universities, there are bootcamps that provide a variety of funding options to make coding bootcamp more accessible to prospective students. Coding bootcamps around the country offer financial support in the form of scholarships, promotions, student loans, and payment plans. Some bootcamps also offer financial incentives such as no payment requirement until students secure employment or facilitating job placement after completing the program.

“Coding bootcamp graduates cannot become real computer programmers.”

Due to the condensed nature of coding bootcamps, some people believe that they are not equipped to provide the same level of quality tech-related education. In contrast to a four-year computer science degree that emphasizes theories and research, coding bootcamps are designed to simulate on the job training and focus less on the theoretical nature of computer science. Though bootcamp instructors, like at AMIT Coders, have a strong understanding of advanced theoretical concepts related to computer programming, coding bootcamps are meant to be rigorous, and resemble real-life coding projects that lead to skill acquisition.

“Coding bootcamps can guarantee you a job.”

It is undeniable that coding bootcamp graduates have a great advantage in today’s tech job market. As we already know, bootcamp graduates have successfully acquired skills in a specialized track and have designed a portfolio that highlights the students' skills, accomplishments, and demonstrates their potential as a competent coder. Coding bootcamp graduates complete the program with transferable and applicable expertise that appeals to employers seeking to hire data analysts and software engineers with previous experience under their belt. Despite these highlights of most coding bootcamp grads, coding bootcamps cannot and should not guarantee their students immediate employment upon completing the program.

Just like many traditional academic institutions, there are coding bootcamps that practice similar tactics of influencing students to believe that their bootcamp credentials will guarantee immediate job placement, or a high salary after the program. Here at AMIT, we believe that making promises that mislead our students contradict our core values of honesty and transparency. We recognize that there are bootcamps that maintain strong relationships with large companies, startups, and NGOs which enable them to facilitate internships and direct employment opportunities, however, it is important to remember that a student’s ability to secure employment is dependent on the student’s determination. How quickly a bootcamp graduate can land their next tech job is determined by the skills they acquire, their portfolio, network, and patience.

At AMIT Coders, we encourage individuals to do their due diligence to find accurate information to help them gain an authentic understanding of what coding bootcamp entails. We value delivering useful and valid insights to help aspiring tech professionals garner an authentic perspective about tech-related bootcamps, and our mission is to challenge the falsehoods that continue to deter students from pursuing their tech dreams. Here at AMIT, we aim to continue being a reliable source of the information you need to navigate your tech journey at ease.