In the past year or so, I became aware of code bootcamps. These are essentially 9 week intensive programming courses. They cost around $12,000. The number of hours of instruction is intense and they require that you complete a project before graduation. The goal is essentially to take everything you NEED to know that you might learn in a college and condense it into the smallest block of time possible. The bootcamps also have active outplacement functions and it appears that the vast majority of graduates find good jobs at graduation.
The two big dogs in this space are App Academy and Dev Bootcamp.
http://www.appacademy.io/#p-home
http://devbootcamp.com/
Both of them claim similar placement statistics. Roughly 90% or so of graduates finding jobs starting at over $80,000.
Dev Bootcamp has campuses in San Fransisco and Chicago. App Academy has campuses in San Fransisco and New York City.
The application process is similar for both. They both involve a brief application form. App Academy requires you to learn some Ruby programming language, and then take a test on it. I took the test, submitted it, and was rejected within about 30 minutes. Hahaa! Ooops.
Dev Bootcamp required a video. I have an interview scheduled with them (via Skype) in three weeks. After I submitted my application, they had me complete some ruby instruction online before agreeing to schedule my interview. They said they just wanted to make sure I'd be happy writing code. That was a little mystifying given that I had previously been a computer programmer for 4 years. Still, it wasn't a bad requirement.
Acceptance to both camps is pretty low. Somewhere between 10 and 20% of all applicants are accepted.
Now I should probably elaborate on a few questions that seem to pop into people's heads on this.
First, would I quit my job to go to a bootcamp?
If I am accepted, if push comes to shove, yes, I will quit. I would prefer to use a combination of vacation (I should have maybe tree weeks worth), and Leave Without Pay. However, LWOP is discretionary. If they won't grant it, then I would have to quit.
Second, do I really want to change careers away from Government Contracting and back into Applications Development?
Really, the furloughs after sequestration had a lot to do with this. Basically, congress couldn't get their act together and for 11 weeks, my pay is being reduced by 20% due to the mandatory furloughs that are occurring. I don't see anything that indicates that in the future, this will be a rare thing. Losing 20% of my pay is a disaster. If it happens again, it will be another disaster.
Government pay isn't bad, but it's hardly extravagant. At the moment, I make $48,000 a year (GS-9 step 1 with Dayton Locality). So, a 20% pay cut really, really stings. Now, in a month, I'll get my raise to GS-11, which is more like $58,000 a year, but that's presuming we don't face another furlough. Even at GS-12 pay, which I will get in a year, that's only $70,000 a year.
I know that sounds terrible to say that $70,000 isn't great pay, but I have a lot of obligations: child support, transportation back to Toledo to see my son when I can. At 70,000 a year, I can keep myself afloat, but again, that presumes no whammies.
I just have no faith at all that the government will not screw up in the future.
It's a pity because I love working for the Air Force and DoD. I love my co-workers. I've never worked with such a great bunch of people before. But just like pretty much anybody who works for a paycheck, you can't screw with somebody's pay without causing serious pain to them, economically. I just can't afford that. My margin for error is nil and I can't be in a situation where circumstances outside my control will throw my personal finances into a tailspin at any given moment.
As for my career in applications development, I rose rapidly through the ranks the last time I did this. Getting back into applications is really the best logical fit for my background. At this point, I have worked on 3 startups (2 tech startups and a non-tech startup.) I was the lead on 2 of those startups. I've had 4 years as an applications developer, 3 years as a project manager and 4 years as a division IT Manager. And now, I can add 8 years of Chief Executive experience (non-IT) to the mix.
I hope I can use this background to move up quickly in web applications development.
Overall, the difference in pay is a bit too substantial to be ignored, too. New Ruby developers are getting $80,000+ and experienced ones regularly get $120,000-ish.
Apparently, the better developers in the hotter markets can command $150,000.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/developer-little-insane-well-paid-125410909.html?bcmt=comments-postbox
So, even in a high cost of living area like New York or the Bay Area, it doesn't take a lot of budget stretching to afford a small $2,000 apartment and periodic airfare home on $150,000 a year.
If the opportunity presents itself, yes, I will take it. It's not a total slam-dunk, but I feel that this is a better direction for me instead of government contracting. I don't mean to take anything away from government contracting. Like I said, I love the people I work with and I love the sense of purpose that I get from working towards the mission. If the applications thing doesn't work out, I'd gladly keep working for the government.
It's just that applications development is a better fit.
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