Hi Friends!
Has anyone enrolled in a design bootcamp and found success? Or, know someone that has? If so, what’s the best one out there?
I’m interested in enrolling, but I’m just not sure if it’s worth it. I know coding bootcamps are much more prevalent; however, I’ve heard some of them are huge scams. I’d hate to drop a load of money on something that won’t pay off in the long run.
THANKS <3
Design isn’t something that can be crammed in a bootcamp. It takes years of experience to get all the nuance and tacit knowledge.
I don’t know anyone personally, but I’ve seen others in my network attend boot camps who had success and found work after working and searching hard. But I’ve also seen others who have yet to land anything at all after completing a bootcamp.
From my point of view (as a digital designer), it depends on the individual, and what the bootcamp is offering skill wise… In other words, it helps if you already show talent in the area and the bootcamp has a comprehensive curriculum that covers relevant tools and skill sets.
Some people go to these boot camps and have no natural talent or affinity to the field (there just riding on the train for a job).
Same thing for boot camps. Some just want to put out certificates in exchange for your money. They might teach skills and tools but they’re not comprehensive enough to get you employed.
@designzombie is sorta right. You can’t cram everything into a bootcamp. But, you can learn a lot from one. Again, as long as you already have a natural affinity to the field and subject, and as long as that boot camp is comprehensive in its curriculum.
www.coursereport.com has pretty good ratings on bootcamps. I’d check out camps ratings there.
My only suggestion would be Berkeley Bootcamp. There Bootcamp is relatively affordable, and is the most comprehensive I’ve found with a reputable name. It’s longer because it covers more of the actual skills you need to know. It’s actually cheaper than most well known camps out there too.
I’d stay away from places like General Assembly, which is too expensive and not very comprehensive. I also wouldn’t trust online-only camps. You need to be able to work on projects with actual people. So make sure that’s a factor too.
Hope that helps!
Hi there! I’m Genny, I’m currently taking an online UX Design bootcamp with Springboard.
I’ve been enrolled in Springboard’s 6-month program since September 2019. I enjoy the flexibility with the time you dedicate to the course. I’ve been able to pause my course due to vacation and didn’t have to make payments or miss calls with my mentor during this time.
What has helped me the most has been the projects and mentor support. Many projects in the course are individual parts of one larger Capstone project that you work on throughout the course - creating your own app or website as a response to a user’s need of your choice. These are real client projects that you can use to start your portfolio.
Springboard matches you with a one-on-one mentor at the beginning of the course. I rely on my mentor for feedback on my projects and questions I have about project guidelines, design aspects, or specific applications we’re using. It’s been great having someone with experience in the field to guide me.
Another thing that attracted me to Springboard was their career services and job guarantee. The resources available have been helpful for my career search. I can schedule unlimited calls with professional career coaches who give me advice on where to look for opportunities, how to highlight my skills on LinkedIn, interview prep and how to negotiate salary.
In terms of price, I’ve heard people complain because these bootcamps can be pretty expensive to pay upfront. Springboard offers a deferred tuition plan. This allows students to focus on the course and finding a job before committing to paying.
Hope this helps! 