I am planning to take one of these 3-month developer bootcamps in person in NYC. Long-term my goal is to branch into UX design but I would like to start out as a developer to get a feel for that side of the business and make myself a more well-rounded candidate for UX in the future.
After scholarships I will receive due to minority status, the full cost of Flatiron School is $13k US. With financing this will cost me approximately $380 monthly over 36 months with repayment due starting the first month I have finished the program. If I do not receive a full-time job offer within 180 days after program completion the tuition cost is refunded.
The program looks about as legit as these bootcamps can get and they offer an independently-audited jobs report on their graduates on their website. It is selective and there is a skills-based interview process. Most of their job-seeking graduates accepted full-time jobs (50%) or paid apprenticeships. For those who took FT positions, all of the salaries reported are more than I make as a flight attendant now. My roommate is a senior developer with General Assembly in NYC and highly recommends Flatiron even though it’s a competitor to her employer.
My other option is Grace Hopper academy, which is free upfront for women but skims your salary at 23% for the first year after you graduate, only if you land a job in the industry. I do think this may be a better option but I feel that Flatiron is more well-known in the NYC tech community and the curriculum is better, although I’m going to review this further with friends in the industry.
My current employment as a flight attendant affords me the ability to work only weekends and/or take unpaid leave with benefits. I have saved 4 months worth of basic living expenses in anticipation of taking one of these courses and I already live in NYC in an apartment that is within my means. (FYI: I don’t have an emergency fund yet on top of this, just a healthy bank account buffer.) My current plan is to take three months off from flying while I take classes. Once I’m finished, I can return to my job to fly as much or as as little as I like while I seek employment in the tech industry. Plus I can travel anywhere in the US for job interviews fo’ free! My only debt is < $3000 in outstanding undergrad student loans and I am unmarried with no dependents.
Would you guys feel comfortable with this? In my mind the fact that I have 100% guaranteed employment when I finish the bootcamp (i.e., my current job) mitigates some of the risk of its expense. I really want to grow and develop my technical skillset so that I can move back into a professional career and think this will have a good ROI.
Submitted January 05, 2017 at 10:36AM by marbleonyx http://ift.tt/2hVnmnj
