A Full-Stack Developer‘s Guide to Thriving in Your First Year After Coding Bootcamp

As an experienced software engineer who has now hired and managed dozens of developers, I‘ve seen first-hand how the coding bootcamp model has transformed the tech industry and opened doors for people from all walks of life to transition into software development. I‘ve been consistently impressed by the grit, determination and aptitude of bootcamp grads. At the same time, I know how challenging that first year can be as you take your skills from the classroom to the real world.

In this article, I‘ll share some of the most crucial lessons and advice for not just surviving, but thriving in your first year as a professional developer. Whether you‘re on the job hunt, already working, or considering a bootcamp, I hope this guide serves as a roadmap for accelerating your growth, contributing meaningfully to your team, and building a successful long-term career you love.

Bootcamps by the Numbers

Before we dive in, let‘s take a look at some key statistics on coding bootcamps and outcomes for grads:

• There are now over 100 in-person and online coding bootcamps in the US alone [1]
• The coding bootcamp market grew 11% in 2019 and is estimated to reach $309 million in revenue [1]
• Over 23,000 students graduated from coding bootcamps in 2019 [1]
• The average tuition price of a coding bootcamp is $13,584 [1]
• The median salary for bootcamp grads is $65,000 [2]
• Bootcamp grads report an average salary lift of 49% or $23,724 [3]
• 83% of bootcamp grads are employed full-time in-field within a year [4]
• The average time to hire is 1-6 months [2]

These stats paint a compelling picture of the positive impact and ROI bootcamps can deliver. At the same time, breaking into the industry is far from guaranteed. Like any educational path, you get out of it what you put in.

The Technical Skills Employers Want

Source: StackOverflow Developer Survey 2020

Bootcamps differ in the languages and technologies they emphasize, but most aim to equip students with a solid foundation across the web stack – HTML, CSS, JavaScript on the front-end and a server-side language and framework like Python/Django, Ruby/Rails, Java or C#/.NET on the back-end. You‘ll also dive into databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB), version control with Git/Github, and dev principles like algorithms, OOP, and test-driven development.

This full-stack foundation served me well in that first year on the job. As a junior, you‘ll likely be tasked with a wide variety of bugs, features and responsibilities touching multiple parts of the codebase. You want to be able to jump in and contribute wherever there is a need.

That said, it‘s also critical to start developing some deeper expertise and specialization, especially as you look to grow beyond junior level. Based on the data, I‘d recommend focusing on these core in-demand skills:

• JavaScript is far and away the most popular and versatile language. Get extremely comfortable with modern ES6+ syntax, APIs, and working in both Node.js and browser environments.
• Specialize in a JS framework like React, Angular or Vue. React has exploded in popularity (see chart above) and I expect that trend to continue. Many bootcamps teach it and the ecosystem of related libraries is extensive.
• On the back-end, get proficient in at least one language and framework. Node.js/Express is popular for all-JavaScript stacks. Python and Ruby are also very marketable. Comfort with SQL and NoSQL databases is a must.
• Be a command-line wizard. Mastering CLI tools like grep, sed, awk, and getting efficient with Bash or Zsh will pay dividends and impress your colleagues.
• Learn the fundamentals of networking – HTTP, REST, web security, performance and optimization. You don‘t need to be an expert but should know the basics of how the internet plumbing works under the hood.
• Embrace automation, testing, and DevOps principles. Learn unit and integration testing techniques. Get familiar with CI/CD tools like Jenkins or CircleCI. Understand how your code is built, tested, and deployed.

Here‘s an example of some code I wrote recently that pulls together a few of these key skills. It‘s a React component that fetches data asynchronously from a REST API, renders it in a table, and incorporates a unit test:

import React, { useState, useEffect } from ‘react‘;
import axios from ‘axios‘;

const UserList = () => {
  const [users, setUsers] = useState([]);

  useEffect(() => {
    const fetchUsers = async () => {
      const res = await axios.get(‘/api/users‘);
      setUsers(res.data);
    }
    fetchUsers();
  }, []);

  return (
    <div>
      <h2>User List</h2>
      <table>
        <thead>
          <tr>
            <th>ID</th>
            <th>Name</th>
            <th>Email</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          {users.map(user => (
            <tr key={user.id}>
              <td>{user.id}</td>
              <td>{user.name}</td>
              <td>{user.email}</td>
            </tr>
          ))}
        </tbody>
      </table>
    </div>
  );
}

export default UserList;

And here‘s the corresponding unit test using Jest and React Testing Library:

import React from ‘react‘;
import { render, screen, waitFor } from ‘@testing-library/react‘;
import ‘@testing-library/jest-dom/extend-expect‘;
import axios from ‘axios‘;
import UserList from ‘./UserList‘;

jest.mock(‘axios‘);

describe(‘UserList component‘, () => {
  it(‘renders a list of users from the API‘, async () => {
    const users = [
      { id: 1, name: ‘Alice‘, email: ‘[email protected]‘ },  
      { id: 2, name: ‘Bob‘, email: ‘[email protected]‘ },
    ];
    axios.get.mockResolvedValueOnce({data: users});

    render(<UserList />);

    expect(screen.getByText(‘User List‘)).toBeInTheDocument();

    await waitFor(() => {
      expect(screen.getByText(‘Alice‘)).toBeInTheDocument();
      expect(screen.getByText(‘[email protected]‘)).toBeInTheDocument();
    });
  });
});

Of course, the technical skills are only one part of the equation. Equally important are the soft skills needed to collaborate effectively on a team…

Strategies to Accelerate Your Learning

With how rapidly the web development ecosystem evolves, the learning doesn‘t stop after bootcamp. Your career growth will be largely determined by how well you can adopt a skill of continuous learning. Here are some of the most effective strategies I‘ve found:

1. Build side projects to stretch your skills and stay up to date with new technologies. Reinforce what you‘ve learned by applying it to real projects. Have a GitHub full of code to discuss in interviews.

2. Pair program with your colleagues, even if it‘s just for an hour a week. Watch how senior developers approach problems, the shortcuts they use, how they debug.

3. Read other people‘s code, whether it‘s your team‘s codebase, popular open-source projects, or even code you find on StackOverflow or blog tutorials. Try to understand the design patterns and techniques used.

4. Go deep on fundamentals like data structures, algorithms, system design. Don‘t just learn the how but the why. Pick up a classic book like Cracking the Coding Interview and work through problems.

5. Write about what you‘re learning. Start a blog on DEV or Hashnode. Answer questions on StackOverflow. Giving back to the community is rewarding and you‘ll reinforce your own understanding by articulating it in writing.

6. Stay curious and aim to learn one new thing every day, even if it‘s small. Listen to podcasts on your commute. Explore a new GitHub repo. Read Hacker News. Small increments of daily learning really add up.

7. Find a mentor, whether that‘s a more experienced engineer at your company or someone you admire in the industry. Don‘t be afraid to reach out, ask for advice, code reviews, etc.

8. Go to meetups and conferences when you can. Meet other developers, hear about the latest trends and tools. I met some of my best friends and future colleagues this way. There are tons of free and low-cost options.

The most successful engineers I know all have a genuine spirit of curiosity and love for the craft. Learning shouldn‘t feel like a chore but something you really enjoy.

Mindsets for Success and Avoiding Burnout

Adopting some key attitudes and behaviors early on will also support your growth and happiness:

• Be a sponge, soak up knowledge from everyone you work with. Ask lots of questions and don‘t worry about seeming inexperienced. Assume everyone has something to teach you.

• At the same time, start to build confidence in your own skills and trust your ability to figure things out. You‘ll be constantly pushed outside your comfort zone. Get used to tackling problems you‘ve never seen before. Persevere through the struggle.

• Communicate proactively. Don‘t spin your wheels too long before asking for help. Let your team know what you‘re working on, where you‘re stuck, what you‘ve tried. Learn to articulate problems clearly.

• Embrace feedback gracefully. You will have a lot to learn and your code will be critiqued in code reviews. Don‘t take it personally. Practice active listening and assume positive intent. A good team wants you to grow.

• Find ways to add value from day one. Take on that unglamorous bug no one wants. Volunteer for that tedious manual testing task. Be a team player and pitch in however you can, even if it‘s not a shiny new feature.

• Protect your physical and mental health. The tech industry glorifies long hours and constant hustle but that‘s a recipe for burnout. Prioritize sleep, exercise, nutrition and offline hobbies/relationships. Your work will suffer if you neglect your wellbeing.

• Celebrate your wins and progress. Acknowledge how far you‘ve come since bootcamp. Try to find some short-term goals and milestones to strive for, not just huge career goals.

• Be patient with your progress. It takes time to get really proficient and for concepts to fully click. I‘ve seen too many new devs get frustrated by unrealistic expectations.

• Comparison is the thief of joy. There will always be people who seem to be progressing faster than you. Focus on your own path. Everyone has their own unique timeline.

• Remember your bootcamp network. Stay connected to your former classmates. They‘re a goldmine of support, referrals and camaraderie. Some of my strongest industry friendships are with my bootcamp cohort.

You‘ve Got This!

Whew, I know that was a lot! If you‘re still with me, you‘re already well on your way to an exciting and rewarding journey.

Let‘s recap the key points:

• The job market for junior devs is competitive. Focus on in-demand skills, work your network, and create a strong portfolio to stand out. Don‘t get discouraged by radio silence or rejection – it only takes one yes!

• Once on the job, soak up as much knowledge as you can. Ask questions, pair program with senior devs, read lots of code. Take on whatever tasks you can to add value from day one. Be a sponge and a team player.

• Prioritize continuous learning. Build side projects, write blog posts, contribute to open source. Attend meetups and conferences. Find mentors. Always be learning and stretching yourself.

• Master the fundamentals – data structures, algorithms, system design. Develop some specialization and go deep on a particular language/framework/domain.

• Adopt the mindsets that will keep you happy, healthy and growing – patience, perseverance, humility, communication, confidence, and protecting your well-being.

The first year will be full of challenges, no doubt. But it will also be incredibly exciting and rewarding as you grow into a contributing member of the software community. You have a unique perspective to offer. Your bootcamp has equipped you with the skills to succeed.

Trust the process and enjoy the ride. I‘m rooting for you!