What is a bootcamp and how to choose one?

Contents:

• What are bootcamps?
• What are their features?
• What are the advantages of bootcamps?
• Who are they suitable for?
• Bootcamp formats. How to choose the right one
• Free Skillbox bootcamps for beginners
• Tips for those who want to take a bootcamp

In 2021, the global bootcamp market was estimated at $900 million, and it is expected to grow by 14.9% annually until 2028. Today, this training format is in demand and has every chance of becoming a new trend in the field of additional education. We'll explore the specifics of this area and tell you about the free bootcamps Skillbox offers.

What are bootcamps?

Initially, these were army camps in the States where new recruits were trained, but over time, the term migrated to the IT sphere. The first bootcamps for IT specialists started in 2013 - they were organized by the General Assembly school in the USA.

Today, bootcamps cover a variety of areas - from IT and marketing to design and analytics. Their duration varies - from several weeks to several months. In general, these are courses where students immerse themselves in a particular profession in a short period of time.

What makes a bootcamp special?

The main thing that distinguishes a bootcamp from regular courses is the intensity of the training. But that's not all:

• Practice.At bootcamps, students study theory and immediately begin practicing.
• Intensity.Bootcamps provide for a highly intensive training. Students actively study theory and consolidate their knowledge through real-world tasks. Thanks to this intensity, a person learns a lot of new information in a short time and masters a profession.
• Communication. At bootcamps, students usually communicate a lot - with each other and with experts. They work in pairs and groups, ask questions, discuss and create team projects.
• Discipline. With such intensity, discipline is important. Each process has its own deadline. Assignments are constantly checked, and if a student misses a class, it will be difficult for him to continue studying.

What is good about bootcamps?

The obvious advantages of bootcamps are the high speed of learning and efficiency. The processes are structured in such a way that a student can master a new profession in a short period of time, discarding everything unnecessary, and become a beginner specialist as a result.

Among the advantages, we can also note:

• Level of knowledge. To get into the bootcamp, all students must have the same level of knowledge.
• Tight deadlines.As a rule, bootcamps last from three to eight months, but shorter options are also available. This allows students to use their time productively—they focus on the process, study theory, and hone their skills through real-world challenges.
• Active community.Bootcamps are typically attended by motivated learners.
• Value among employers.As a rule, companies value this format of training more highly than traditional courses. This is influenced by the intensity of learning and the motivation of students.

Who are bootcamps suitable for?

Intensive courses are suitable for people who are highly motivated. They want to devote time to learning, want to receive and study new information, and understand why this is necessary. Among them may be:

• schoolchildren who want to master a profession and start earning money immediately after school;
• Students and university graduates who need practice;
• Juniors who need to consolidate their knowledge and gain experience;
• People who want to master a new profession, change an existing one, or build a slash career;
• Experienced professionals who want to improve their hard skills or master new ones.

Bootcamp Formats. How to Choose the Right One

Bootcamps differ from each other in:

Employment options.Bootcamps can be part-time or full-time. While part-time students have the opportunity to engage in other activities, full-time students study throughout the day. The duration of training depends on the type of employment.

Training format. You can study both online and offline.

— In-person training takes place at a specific location, and there are even residential bootcamps. Online bootcamps are held remotely,— shares career expert and career guidance specialist Ekaterina Borovets. — Full-time bootcamps can't be combined with work—these bootcamps take up the entire day. Part-time bootcamps are perfect for those who work—classes are held in the evenings and on weekends. Therefore, when choosing a bootcamp, you need to rely on these criteria. How quickly do you want to learn, how important and feasible is the offline version for you, do you have a job, and are you studying elsewhere in parallel?

Free Skillbox bootcamps for beginners

To give you a taste of a new profession, Skillbox has developed free bootcamps for beginners in various fields—from design, marketing, and management to programming, analytics, and game development.

For example, in just a few lessons, you can learn about the professions of a tester, interior designer, business analyst, or project manager.

— These are short, intensive courses in specific areas with full immersion. Moreover, at some bootcamps, students can get acquainted with several professions at once,says Skillbox Project Manager Ilya Cherkas. — Our bootcamps are suitable for beginners who will study theory during training, consolidate their knowledge in practice, and ultimately gain an understanding of a particular profession.

Tips for those who want to go through bootcamp

To complete the bootcamp, you must be prepared to work in live coding mode, where theory is always supported by practice.

— All assignments are checked, and you must be prepared to redo them. This helps develop communication skills, notice errors in other people's work and offer options for correcting them, — says Ekaterina Borovets. —Bootcamps really help you enter the profession from scratch, but this will not be enough to build a career as a leading specialist. Therefore, keep in mind that further development will require additional education.

To prepare for bootcamp training, Ekaterina advises:

• Make sure you want to study a particular direction.
• Prepare financially if this is a paid course.
• Learn about bootcamps, or better yet, talk directly with graduates.
• Stock up on strength and resources for hard work - you will have to study a lot if you want to get results.
• Come to the understanding early in your studies that after completing bootcamps you will have to carefully look for a job and put in a lot of effort. To do this, you need to prepare a resume and portfolio, learn how to write cover letters, prepare for interviews and analyze the labor market - look for internships and entry-level positions.

To help you consciously choose a profession that is in demand on the market and find motivation for study, the editors of Skillbox.by recommend studying other useful materials with the participation of Ekaterina Borovets:

• How to consciously choose a profession. We have collected recommendations from experts.
• How to find motivation for studying
• Expert analysis of the labor market. What professions will be in demand in 2024