How to succeed in coding bootcamps
Eric Cameron's tips for aspiring developers
Hi, Dimos here.
Welcome to the 15 new subscribers this week! 🥳
Today we have Eric Cameron (LI: @ericcameron), a software developer turned educator. Eric is extremely passionate about teaching and has spent the last 20 years training software developers at both community colleges and bootcamps.
Read time: 5 minutes
Eric Cameron
Clifton, New Jersey, United States
Transitioned from software development to technical education
Has authored several academic textbooks for publishers like Pearson
Believes in authentic and vulnerable teaching, openly admitting when he does not have all the answers
So Eric, what's your backstory?
When I was in college, I was undecided between pursuing English and computers, but since I did some Pascal in high school and I was good with math, I decided to major in computer science.
Then I met the chair of a computer science department at a community college, who told me to go teach there once I got my Master’s degree. It turns out I would spend 19 years as a full-time professor for two colleges, before moving to Tech Elevator—a coding bootcamp, where I currently teach.
What are some of the challenges students face when learning to code?
Most students, especially in an intro class can’t get past an if statement. Then come loops and finally recursion that blows people’s minds. If you can get past these hurdles, you’re already ahead of most people.
Are there any differences between teaching at a college and a bootcamp?
The student level is a big difference. Colleges in the US don't have entrance requirements, while bootcamps tend to be very selective. Tech Elevator for example only accepts fewer than 10% of applicants. I would say an average bootcamp student is generally on par with my top students from the community college.
What are some of the characteristics of successful bootcamp students?
They tend to be teachable, not afraid to ask for help, and are passionate about coding. Some of them are working 60 to 70 hours a week on assignments, online code challenges, or personal projects.
Students who commit full-time tend to perform very well. If you just do the bare minimum, you won’t have a portfolio when you come out.
How can one get the most out of a bootcamp?
Use all the resources that are available to you, and this includes your fellow classmates. Network, help each other, and work on stuff together. I always tell my students one of the best ways to learn something is to teach it. And a lot of them take that to heart.
In this environment, you have to be like a zebra. You want to be close to the center of the pack where it’s safe from lions. Don’t struggle by yourself, off to the side.
Do you have any advice for aspiring software developers?
Try out different technologies. Don’t quit just because you didn’t like one language. There are tremendous resources out there like GeeksforGeeks, W3Schools, or freeCodeCamp.
It’s also very important to connect with people, reach out, and network. Every job I've gotten in my life since I was working at an amusement park or making sandwiches in high school, has been through somebody I knew.
Do you have any tips for interviewing?
Research the company you're interviewing with. Spend some time on their webpage to understand their business or their tech stack. Being authentic and showing genuine interest in the role rather than just the paycheck helps a lot.
Consider interviewing like dating; you want to show you're genuinely interested in the company and the position, and not just there for a job.
Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
Start small. Don't aim to write a 1,000-page book right off the bat. My first book was 100 pages, and that turned out to be quite challenging at the time.
You can also consider technical reviewing to help get your foot in the door, particularly in academic publishing. You can’t expect to become a featured author immediately, but publishing companies are always looking for people who can do reviews.
All done! If you enjoyed this, I’d love to know!
Until next Tuesday,
Dimos
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