Kickstart your web development career with a bootcamp
Web development is one of the most promising careers of the future. According to Glassdoor in July 2021, web developers have a median salary of $69,194, and the pay can reach to over $100k a year across their careers.
Web development also has a positive outlook with the pandemic accelerating business digitalization — 40% of consumers have considered creating a website for their business or side gigs, whereas 64% admitted that they weren’t confident enough to do the web development by themselves (Small Biz Trend).
Therefore, now is the perfect time to start a new career in web development. And the biggest question naturally comes: how and where should you learn web development?
What is a web development bootcamp?
One of the most popular ways to become a web developer is by enrolling in a web development bootcamp. While a bootcamp is not the cheapest way to learn, it is often the most effective way for someone who doesn’t have tech experience to quickly start a new career.
Advantages of a web development bootcamp:
- Many bootcamps train you to become a full-stack developer, granting you the flexibility to switch between the front-end and back-end, opening up additional opportunities.
- Bootcamps are intensive education programs that prepare you for a new profession in a short period, often within three to six months.
- Bootcamps are usually far more affordable than getting a bachelor’s degree.
- Bootcamps teach you how to solve problems in real-world settings, allowing you to build up experience and a portfolio quickly.
- Bootcamps provide you access to a community of mentors, supportive peers, and career coaches who will help you grow.
What will I learn in a web development bootcamp?
Web development bootcamps are often known as coding bootcamps, and will teach you programming skills for front-end web development and back-end web development. Some bootcamps allow you to choose one or the other, but many bootcamps teach you the skills to become a full-stack web developer.
Since bootcamps often use real-world projects as course materials, you will also build strong problem-solving skills along the way.
So, what exactly will you learn in a web development bootcamp?
Hard skills
The core piece of any bootcamp should be the hard skills required to become a web developer. The hard skills taught generally fall into the following categories.
- Coding skills
- Server-side skills
- Demand technologies
- Analytical skills
Next, let’s look into each category individually.
Coding skills
The primary piece that makes up your coding skills is the coding languages. As mentioned earlier, a full-stack developer bootcamp teaches you front and back-end languages, including:
- HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript
- Ruby, Python, PHP, JQuery, Java, and other back-end languages
- .Net, MySQL, or other database languages
You may choose to study one or two languages more deeply to be more competitive in the job market. For example, if you choose to specialize in APIs, you would want to go the extra mile on PHP, Ruby, and Python.
Server-side skills
If you decide to become a full-stack web developer, then you must learn server-side skills as well. The full-stack developer frequently also handles the duties of a network manager or security engineer, depending on the size of the company.
Some things you may learn on the server-side are:
- Communication protocols
- Static and dynamic servers
- Server frameworks
- Access control
- Hosting solutions
Analytical Skills
Analytical skills remain critical as they support programming, infrastructure design, and many other tasks a full-stack developer must handle. Some analytical skills taught by bootcamps include:
- Database skills
- Algorithms and logics
- Statistic and data analysis
- Web analytical skills
Soft skills
A professionally structured bootcamp will encourage the development of soft skills needed for you to succeed in the real world as a developer.
As a web developer, you often work with other departments, such as marketing, design, and sales. Therefore, knowing how to collaborate and communicate with other teams is critical to your success.
To find out more about what you will learn in a coding bootcamp at Flatiron School, download our syllabus.
Who is a web development bootcamp for?
First, bootcamps are intensive programs. Therefore, you must be dedicated to gain proficiency throughout the program period. Second, with bootcamps, you don’t get to create your own schedule — unless you sign up for a more flexible program.
Furthermore, while bootcamps care about student success, instructors cannot help someone who does not ask questions and seek help. There are plenty of interactive sessions in a coding bootcamp. Therefore, a communicative personality will benefit the most from the support system and learner’s community provided by these programs.
Do I need experience before enrolling in a web development bootcamp?
Most web development bootcamps are designed for people who have limited experience. Therefore, you don’t need to feel stressed if you have never done anything web-related before.
If you’re a total newbie, consider trying a free coding lesson. Check out the Intro to HTML & CSS lesson first. The coding basics you learn in this free lesson will help you be prepared for day one of our coding bootcamp.
If you are still unsure, book a 10-min chat with admissions to learn more about the program.
What will my day-to-day look like in a web development bootcamp?
One of the biggest questions prospective students may have is about the day-to-day schedule.
There are two options with most web development bootcamps: full-time programs and flexible pace programs. Flexible pace options allow you the ability to not give up everything going on in your life.
When building your schedule, first block out the time for your online sessions. Then, set some time aside every day for homework and to communicate with other students or advisor
What kind of salary can I expect after web development bootcamp?
Like we mentioned at the very beginning, the web development job market is thriving. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the web development profession will see a 8% growth from 2019 to 2029, which is much faster than the average.
The compensation is quite promising as well. As of 2020, web developers earn a median salary of $77,200 per year, whereas senior web developers can earn up to $156k each year.
How to apply
Before applying, decide which program pace you want. The 15-week program at Flatiron School is most suitable for those with full-time availability, whereas the flexible pace program can be completed in 20, 40, or 60 weeks.
You can also check out our free lessons to better understand what you will learn in our programs.
Curious if this course is right for you?
Learn more about web development bootcamps…
Frequently Asked Questions
The average cost of tuition for web development bootcamp is $13,000. But don’t count out the more expensive bootcamps as there are often added value like live instructors and career services. Most bootcamps offer the option to pay in full, get an educational loan, or even scholarships.
Web development bootcamps are intensive programs designed to help a learner reach professional proficiency in web development in a short period of time. These bootcamps are often called coding bootcamps because one of the significant pieces in the curriculum is coding languages.
Depending on your goal, you can enroll in front-end, back-end, or full-stack web development bootcamps. Make sure you check out the curriculum to ensure it aligns with your goals.
There are many benefits of web development bootcamps like:
- Well structured online classes teaching you everything you need to become a web developer
- A supportive peer community that will help you grow beyond the program
- Helpful advisors ready to answer your questions
- Interactive sessions based on real-life scenarios designed to develop both your hard and soft skills
- Career coaching and resume building help to aid you in landing your first web development job
- Alumni Network
Therefore, our answer is yes. If you’re ready to start a new career, then a high-quality coding bootcamp is totally worth it.
Absolutely. Most learners in web development bootcamps do not have any experience with coding. The whole point of bootcamps is so beginners will be real-world ready by the time they complete the program. Therefore, don’t let a lack of experience stop you from starting something new! Read this article to see if you’re ready for a bootcamp.
Of course, the best program is one that suits your needs. Flatiron School provides a full-stack web development program with flexible pacing options.
Unlike many other programs, we keep your future in mind and provide you with a support system of instructors, a career coach, and fellow cohort members. Therefore, besides teaching you coding, architecture, and analytical skills, we also focus on career coaching and peer support to help you get a job fast.