Coding bootcamps are becoming increasingly popular in the UK, and with good reason. They offer an opportunity to learn coding in a relatively short amount of time as an on-ramp to getting a job.
In the UK, any top tier coding bootcamp will help you find a job, but coding bootcamps with job guarantees are less prevalent than in America. You may have seen that there has been some controversy surrounding coding bootcamps with job guarantees, particularly around the income share agreements that look to offset the perceived risk of not getting a job, coupled with a job guarantee.
In this article, we will explore coding bootcamps with job guarantees, why they are less prevalent in the UK and what any good coding bootcamp can support you to get a job. To fully understand the workings of coding bootcamps with job guarantees and what they mean, we will look into the following areas:
- What a job "guarantee" usually means.
- Income Share Agreements and the "guarantee" you don't pay until you get a job.
- How top tier bootcamps support students into a role
- The role of the student in getting a job during their course and post-graduation
What a job guarantee usually means
When you sign up for a coding bootcamp, one of the things that you are likely to be promised is a job guarantee. This usually means that if you don't find a job after graduating from the coding bootcamp, you will receive a refund, or at least a partial refund. In many cases, a "job guarantee" is more of a "money back guarantee" rather than the promise of an actual job at the end of the course.
If a coding bootcamp in the UK does offer an actual, physical job guarantee, it is important to ask what the job actuall includes. Is the job guarantee dependent on if you are willing to relocate to a specific city. What is the salary range and how does it compare to the general market Make sure that you are clear on what is included in the coding bootcamp's job guarantee before making your decision.
Income Share Agreements and the "guarantee" you don't pay until you get a job
In America, coding bootcamps with job guarantees often rely on Income Share Agreements (ISAs) as a way of ensuring that the student doesn't have to pay anything until they've got a job. An ISA is an agreement between the student and the coding bootcamp in which the student pays back a percentage of their salary for a set number of years. This can be seen as a way of reducing the risk for both the coding bootcamp and the student.
The perceived promise is that if the coding bootcamp doesn't find the student a job, they don't have to pay anything back. If they do find a job, they only have to pay back a small percentage of their salary for a set number of years.
The problem with Income Share Agreements is that they are often seen as predatory lending practices. The accusation is that they can often end up costing students more money than they would have paid if they had just taken out a loan. There have also been cases where coding bootcamps with job guarantees have gone out of business, leaving students with large debts and no way to repay them.
How the UK coding bootcamp works
The majority (at the time of writing, we couldn't find any instructor led bootcamp) of coding bootcamps in the UK DO NOT have job guarantees as part of their courses. However, this doesn't mean that they can't help you find a job. In fact, all top tier coding bootcamps will help you find a job after graduating. This includes techniques such as CV writing, building your GitHub repository, building a real project, interview-style coding challenges, code reviews, pair programming and interview preparations.
At Tech Educators, we understand that the vast majority of our students take a coding bootcamp because they want to get a job at the end of it. We offer a number of support structures to help you get a job whilst on the course, and after it.
CV Writing Support
When you're applying for a coding bootcamp, it's important to have a good CV. Employers are looking for students who are passionate about coding and have the skills to back it up.
A good CV should be clear, concise and easy to read. It should highlight your coding skills, as well as any other relevant skills you have. If you have any previous coding experience, make sure to mention that too.
It's also important to tailor your CV to the role you are applying for. Each business may have different terminology and different role requirements, so make sure your CV meets all of their key points.
We use both recruitment professional talks and CV writing workshops alongside examples of real world CV's to support our students in writing their first tech CV.
Creating a repository of work with your GitHub profile
GitHub is a web-based platform that allows users to store, share and collaborate on coding projects. It is often used by developers to host their code repositories, but can be used by anyone who wants to store and share files.
One of the key features of GitHub is its ability to allow users to collaborate on coding projects. This can be done either by inviting others to join your project, or by allowing them to fork your project and make their own changes. This makes it an ideal platform for collaborative coding projects.
Another key feature of GitHub is its ability to allow users to track changes made to coding files. This makes it easy to see who made what changes, and when they were made. This can be especially useful when collaborating on coding projects.
Throughout your coding experience with Tech Educators, your lessons and projects will be pushed to your GitHub profile, this allows potential employers to see your code, understand how good at your craft you are and can be an excellent conversation piece within your interview.
Building real world projects to "push" to your GitHub
One of the best ways to cement your learning in a coding bootcamp is to build real world projects that you are passionate about. With Tech Educators, this can be done either by working on projects with classmates, or by working on projects independently.
The best coding bootcamps will encourage their students to build real world projects. This can be done through a variety of ways, such as providing a specific real world challenge or idea, or by providing access to coding frameworks and libraries that are used in the industry.
Building real world projects is not only a great way to learn coding, but it's also a great way to show employers that you have the skills and experience they are looking for. It can also be a great way to network with other developers and professionals in the industry.
Interview style coding challenges
A coding challenge is a question or task that is designed to test your coding skills. They can be used to assess your skills, or to see how well you can solve a problem.
Coding challenges can be in a variety of formats, such as multiple choice questions, true or false questions, code reviews (where you give suggestions or ideas to improve someone else's code) or challenges that ask you to replicate or build a specific element.
Coding challenges are often used by employers to assess the coding skills of potential employees. This can be done in a number of ways, such as through online coding challenges or by asking coding challenges in an interview.
We are implementing coding challenges within our course and offering access to graduates to prepare them for what actually happens in an interview situation.
Interview preparation with mock interviews
A mock interview is a simulation of a job interview. They are used to allow individuals to practise and prepare for job interviews.
Mock interviews can be conducted in a variety of ways. They can be conducted over the phone, in person, or even online. They can also be conducted with a friends, family members or hiring managers.
Mock interviews are often used to help individuals prepare for job interviews. They allow individuals to practise answering questions, and they also allow individuals to practise their body language and how they present themselves. Mock interviews can also help individuals to identify their strengths and weaknesses.
Whilst there is no "job guarantee" as such, a top quality coding bootcamps will do everything in their power to help you get a job after graduating.
The role of the student in getting a job during their course and post-graduation
Whilst coding bootcamps do everything they can to help students find jobs, it is ultimately up to the student to put in the hard yards to get a job.
This includes putting in the hard work during their course and applying for roles once they have graduated. A good coding bootcamp will employ all the techniques listed above to make that happen. However, it is ultimately down to the student to take advantage of these resources and find work. Here are some tips for students to get as close to a guaranteed job post graduation as possible.
Set a schedule for searching and applying for jobs
This is why it's important to set a schedule for yourself and stick to it. This means dedicating a specific amount of time each day or week to searching for jobs and applying for roles. This will help to ensure that you don't miss any opportunities and that you are putting your best foot forward when applying for jobs.
It's also important to be organised when it comes to your job search. This includes keeping your CV up-to-date (have you been practising a new coding skill in the evening?), tailoring your cover letter and being active on your LinkedIn profile. It's also important to keep track of the jobs you have applied for and the interviews you have attended.
The last thing you want is to miss out on your dream job because you didn't have everything organised and ready to go!
Prepare for the interview
The importance of preparing for an interview cannot be overstated. This includes researching the company and the specifics of the role.
It is important to know as much as possible about the company you are interviewing with. This includes their history, their products and services, and their values. It is also important to know about the role you are interviewing for. This includes understanding the responsibilities of the role, and what skills and experience are required.
If you can demonstrate that you have done your research and that you understand both the company and the role, you will stand out from the other candidates. This will show the interviewer that you are serious about the job and that you are invested in joining their company.
Check in with your bootcamp instructor and cohort
When it comes to finding a job, having support from those around you is invaluable. This includes having support from your coding bootcamp instructor and cohort.
Your coding bootcamp instructor will have a wealth of experience when it comes to job searching. They will be able to provide you with advice on how to improve your CV, how to prepare for interviews, and how to network.
Your coding bootcamp cohort will also be a valuable source of support. They will understand what you are going through, and they will be able to provide moral support as you undertake your job search. Having a supportive group of people around you will make the process much less daunting and much more manageable.
Whilst there is no coding bootcamp with a job guarantee in the UK as of now, the ones that exist come pretty close. The role of the student is important and it's up to them to put in the hard yards to get a job after graduating. However, coding bootcamps do everything they can to help students find jobs, including tailoring their CV and cover letter, preparing for interviews, and giving support from instructors and cohort mates. With all these tools at your disposal, it shouldn't be difficult to land a job post-graduation.
If you are interested in a career in software development, then you should try our one day coding bootcamp taster session, you will find out if a career in coding might be for you, the support that we offer as an organisation towards getting you a job and meet the team to see if its a good fit for you.
About the Author
Tim is the course director at Tech Educators and brings with him almost a decade of experience working in various tech sectors, as well as the added benefit of being an alumni to a Full Stack Bootcamp.
