This month we had a chance to catch-up with Coding Dojo Chicago Instructor Fiaz Sami! Prior to Coding Dojo he was a developer for over 13 years, and an Instructor at Hack Reactor and Mobile Makers Academy. Read on to see some of his insights into the industry’s future and how to make the most of your bootcamp experience!

What is your background? How were you introduced into the tech/web development scene?

I’ve been a professional software engineer since 1997. I was first introduced to development in 1984 with MIT-Logo, a language specifically designed to introduce coding to kids. The distinguishing factor of MIT-Logo was that it was a language that was used to draw pictures on a screen. My first exposure to the internet was in 1994 during my junior year of college. The internet was a very quaint place and I immediately jumped into building out some HTML pages to make my presence known on the internet. This led to my first freelance contract out of college as a web developer for the University of Minnesota Alumni Association.

How did you pick up coding? Was it difficult to learn?

I would buy a book or two every year in high school curating a collection of valuable information. The worst part of learning to code in the 80s was that if you had a bug and your program crashed then your computer might shut down. Another difficulty was the lack of freely available compilers. I would have to go to the computer store and look for old compilers that were discounted by 90%. That meant I could walk out with a compiler for around $50. In general coding wasn’t difficult to learn because it was a hobby for me more than anything else.

Through your experience as a Software Engineer over the past 20 years, how have you seen the Industry evolve? What do you think will lay in the future?

Software engineering is becoming a very broad field as technology rapidly makes its way into every corner of our lives. We have yet to understand the full utility of what we currently have. You don’t have to look very far in the past to understand what this means for us today. Thomas Edison made the first commercially available light bulb in 1879. It wasn’t until 1917 that someone thought a light switch was a good idea! The light switch is something we take for granted nowadays as a sensible necessity. How many similar sensible necessities are waiting to be discovered when it comes to the internet?

I also see that you were an Instructor at Hack Reactor and Mobile Makers prior to Coding Dojo. What made you decide to move to Coding Dojo?

In early 2016 I decided to take a break from teaching and travel the world for a month. Upon returning I was contacted on LinkedIn to see if I was interested in teaching at CodingDojo. My first impression was how well the teaching culture was ingrained in everything we do here at CodingDojo. I met with Mike Bogdanski here in Chicago, and we instantly connected on the main mission of what it means to be an instructor at a bootcamp.

Can you tell us about the structure of CD’s curriculum?

Coding Dojo offers a unique bootcamp experience through its curriculum. We have a 14 week program consisting of four learning units. The first section consists of 2 weeks of the basics of how the internet works. This is prep work for all of the concepts needed for the remaining 12 weeks, which are divided into 1 month each. We cover everything you need to know about becoming a full stack web developer for a specific language/framework combination in 4 weeks. Then you get to do it all over again two more times applying the same concepts but to a different language/framework combination.

What is most impressive about the Coding Dojo’s curriculum is the focus on algorithms and algorithmic thinking. This occurs everyday, first thing in the morning for one hour. Algorithms are done on a white board in much the same way a job interview setting may occur.

What can students expect in the classroom? Can you run us through a typical day for your students?

The typical day for students starts around 8:30am. Students will spend about 30 minutes getting ready for the day. Instructors are usually present to answer any questions about the assignments the students were working on overnight.

From 9:00am to 10:00am we teach algorithms. All problems are done on the whiteboard without the aid of computers or the internet.

From 10:00am to 11:00am we will have either a very brief lecture combined with an open question and answer session, or we will facilitate a group activity to get the students collaborating on the core learning concepts.

From 11:00am onwards the students are focused on working through the course material on their own or in groups. Instructors are available to answer questions as needed. There are times when more than one student will require clarification on a specific concept. In these cases an instructor may hold a break out session, which is a very quick lecture intended to break down the concepts into the most basic elements so students can rapidly absorb the material.

CD has run a ton of successful cohorts - after working with so many bootcamp students, can you tell us what makes the ideal bootcamper?

The ideal boot camper is someone who has the determination to persevere when they are on the brink of failure. Students who are capable of facing their difficulties in learning in such a high paced environment are more likely to succeed than students who have some prior knowledge of coding. Many students who decide to undergo any bootcamp experience are usually looking to make a major life change, and this means they will have a lot at stake when it comes to succeeding. While absorbing the material is important, believing in oneself is equally important (if not more).

How do you assess student progress throughout the bootcamp?

We keep a very close eye on student progress throughout the bootcamp through regular code reviews of daily assignments, and testing at the end of each stack we teach. The code reviews are an important tool we use to determine if a student is developing a “coding style”. We usually see a definite inflection point during the second week of each month where a student’s code communicates that they are understanding the material, and more importantly, they are beginning to express their own style of how to execute their ideas using code as a tool.

What is the process if a student is really falling behind? Are people ever asked to leave?

The most important thing students who fall behind must understand is that bootcamps are by their nature very difficult. Students must first be willing to be compassionate towards themselves before attempting to push ahead. When a student falls behind it is best that they ask for help from their peers. The reason for this is two-fold: first it gives other beginners a chance to articulate what they have learned, and second it gives themselves a chance to learn how to be more resourceful with their cohort.

When it comes to absorbing the material students will eventually get it provided they persist. For that reason we don’t see the need to ask anyone to leave because they are falling behind. Despite the plethora of options available to programmers in terms of languages and frameworks, coding is still very much accessible. I’ve have yet to meet someone who is inherently not qualified to be a developer.

Can you share a favorite teaching moment or the best student project you’ve seen?

I have a front row seat to witnessing people recognize something in themselves that they didn’t think was possible a few weeks prior. I’m specifically referring when students demonstrate what they have learned when they form a team and deliver a project in one week. This is a special moment because students start talking like developers. Their productivity goes through the roof and the potential they present for their futures becomes obvious.

What is your personal teaching style?

I will allow students to discover things for themselves. I have to walk a fine line between knowing when to push students, and knowing when to give them space. As the weeks go on and as their understanding expands, I add a few more technical terms when talking with students so they grow accustomed to “talking shop”.

What do you think are some of the biggest challenges facing the bootcamp learning model and how did you overcome them?

The bootcamp learning model is something that is rapidly evolving. The challenges we had a few years ago in the industry are not the same challenges we face today. The idea has proven itself and it’s here to stay. I think one of the current challenges the industry is facing is keeping up with the educational demand.

For our readers who are beginners, what resources or meetups do you recommend if they're thinking about a coding bootcamp?

Startup and design meet ups are great places to start before attending a bootcamp. These are great networking events so they can build a better vision for what their end goals are. By networking with designers they can understand technologies they will focus on. It’s important for beginners to understand that attending a bootcamp means that they will be the developer on a project, not the entrepreneur and not the designer. Once someone is enrolled in a bootcamp then I would highly recommend joining various coding meet-ups and networking like crazy.

Online resources to learn how to code is also a great place to start to see if they enjoy the learning process.

A few good free online resources are:

• Coding Dojo Academy (http://www.codingdojo.com/academy)


• Coding Dojo Algorithm App (algorithm.codingdojo.com)


• Codecademy (https://www.codecademy.com/)

Do you have any other tips or suggestions for aspiring bootcampers?

Develop discipline before entering a bootcamp! This cannot be stressed enough. Coding bootcamps are nothing like high school or college.

You can follow Fiaz on Github and find him on LinkedIn

Here we are, on the verge of a new journey…

Being the Lead Instructor of Coding Dojo, I have had the joy of teaching over two hundred students the fundamentals of programming. However, previously I was a young developer who was looking for a bootcamp to attend, during that time I always had a nagging question of how do I best prepare for that upcoming bootcamp? To benefit others who may be ready to start their next big journey this summer, I wanted to provide a list of tips and advice on how best to prepare for your bootcamp. Here are the 5 ways to prepare for your summer bootcamp.

1. Start Thinking like a Computer Now

Coding stretches you mentally in ways that you might not be prepared for. Logic is the name of the game and most people who join bootcamps may not have actively worked out that section of their mind. There are many ways to practice without realizing it such as Sodoku, Riddles or design work. Now those are just some ways to prepare yourself mentally, the best way is to do some entry level programming. I recommend warming up with our Algorithm App [Coding Dojo's Algorithm App]. For those that are not familiar, algorithms are a set of instructions that are designed to solve a given problem.

As a developer, you are tasked with solving these types of problems everyday. At essence, this is the foundation of programming. I find it’s is best to jump right into the deep end. I know it’s sunny, I know your friends are calling, but trust me, it’s best to get a head start on these. Plus, you will see them in technical interviews!

As you are preparing for a bootcamp, you should make sure to relax and enjoy the weather. Take your computer to the beach and code! Watch out for the water and sand while you do so but it is important to keep yourself mentally refreshed. You should relax as much as you possibly can as it will do wonders for your coding ability. It might sound crazy but in my experience, some of my most notorious bugs and problems were solved away from a computer. When you take your mind off a problem, it does not disappear into the abyss. It lies in your subconscious slowly fermenting until finally, it clicks. Suddenly that issue you were stuck on for hours has a clear and easy solution. Not only can a good break get you unstuck from a huge issue but it is also a great time to pull out a book and read up on some programming paradigms.

2. What other Tangible Prep Work Can I Do?

If you get through the Algorithm App quickly, it doesn’t hurt to prepare with more prep work! That is obvious. But what may not be obvious is what prep work you should consider. The internet is full of ideas but to help you narrow the scope of material, I have a few personal recommendations from my experience of being a student, a developer, and an instructor.

HTML & CSS

• Codecademy HTML & CSS


• W3 Schools


• Khan Academy

JavaScript

• MDN JavaScript Introduction


• Eloquent Javascript

Python

• Python for Beginners


• Google's Python Course

Ruby

• Ruby In 20 Min


• Practical Object-Oriented Design in Ruby

As you build your skillset there are a great many tools to lean on but at the end of the day, you need to code. Everyone hits the point where something doesn't work; look around the web and you will see another solution for a problem that you were working on. Now, this doesn't mean you weren't on the right track or that your code is incorrect.

Challenge yourself to figure out what you might have been missing or why their code worked the way it is. I was once told that a great developer is a great tinker; what was meant by that is that a developer should find out why something worked or why something is preferred and won't stop until they understand what is happening. It takes a lot of practice to get used to that mindset but practice does make perfect. Always look for a way to sharpen your skillset or improve; either through practicing with new challenges or deconstructing someone else's code base.

3. Get Out of the “School” Mindset

Self Sufficiency should be your goal as a young developer. The difference between an entry level developer and a senior developer boils down to two core ideas. A senior developer has confidence backed by years of experience and the trust to solve a problem. Trust and experience equate to this developer being self-sufficient when tasked with features. A bootcamp will help push you to the point of being self-sufficient. Embrace this new style of learning, and expect to be pushed beyond your comfort zone.

4. Be Ready to Go "All-In"

Summer is here and it is the best time to have fun. The sun is out, and your friends are calling. Get that out of your system as you prepare to go to a bootcamp. Go out with friends, hang out at the beach or park and try to enjoy yourself now. You will be staring at a computer for countless hours and will start to day dream about the outside world. Get as much fun out of this preparation time that you can and as the bootcamp start date gets closer, start phasing out those fun summer activities in favor of focus and tunnel vision. Most students will assume that full-time bootcamps equate to 8 hours a day, depending on your skill level it might be 10-12 hours a day instead. That takes dedication and focus that comes through self-discipline. Do yourself a favor and have a bunch of fun before starting your bootcamp for then it is easier to turn down your friends and family when they want to go on an afternoon hike.

Going all in is about removing distractions. The outside world can have a large impact on your focus so make sure everyone in your support circle are on board with your decision to put your social life on hold for a few months. Once that is complete, clear your computer of distractions as well. The outside world can distract you but so can a game saved on your computer or your favorite YouTube cat video. There is a Zen on Programming you will need to achieve while preparing for a bootcamp. This is the act of clearing clutter and distractions from your workspace. Take the time to clear these distractions before starting your bootcamp as it will help keep you effective.

5. Soak in as Much Tech as You Can

Speaking of distractions, there are great ways to keep yourself plugged into the tech community without too much work. There are countless podcasts dedicated to tech, throw one on in the background while you study, mow the lawn or drive to work. You will be exposed to years of experience with no effort on your part. The more exposure you have in the preparation phase the better, as you can hear about some troubles other developers may have had, what they might be interested in, or where they see the industry headed. The tech community leverages as much as we can in pushing out information and it can be a bit overwhelming. Here are a few podcasts I enjoy:

Code Newbie
Programming Throwdown
Coding Blocks

There are also plenty of Meet Up's you can attend in the tech community that will expose you to developers and their passions. I encourage you to attend any that sound interesting to you. Speak to others at these events, pick their brain and ask for advice. The tech community loves to help each other and share information about their experience and what they do each day. We are a passionate bunch who cannot help but vocalize ideas and concepts.

Good luck on your next adventure and enjoy your summer of coding fun!

If you’re considering attending a coding bootcamp, SwitchUp is a great starting point to learn about your options. Many prospective students typically look at schools’ websites and read through student reviews, but you might be missing a few key considerations.

Before you make the investment, here are five things to consider when choosing a coding bootcamp to help you make the best decision:

1. Choose the environment that works best for you.

Some bootcamps are 100% online, some are 100% in person.
Are you good at being self motivated, or do you work best in a group situation? Do you have a job or other commitments that would interfere with a full-time, in person bootcamp?

Depending on your needs and circumstances, you may find an online bootcamp works better for your schedule, learning style, or financial situation than an onsite program. Some schools, like Coding Dojo, offer both options.

Plus, if you’re considering in-person classes and want onsite instruction and mentorship, you’ll want to make sure the school of your choice has a location near you. Otherwise, the costs of commuting or relocating to a new city may double or even triple your total expenses to complete the bootcamp.

For example, in order to be even closer to students, Coding Dojo recently announced new campus openings in Orange County and Berkeley, CA, adding to its campus locations across the U.S.: Silicon Valley, Seattle, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Dallas and Chicago.

2. Consider quality of education.

Not all bootcamps are created equal. Look for a bootcamp that’s received industry recognition and has strong reviews on sites like SwitchUp or other review sites. Organizations and publications like Training Industry, GeekWire, MIT and others provide third-party perspectives and rankings to help you make an informed choice. And don’t forget to seek out alumni perspectives to see what they thought and where they are today. Speaking of alumni…

3. Think three steps ahead.

What happens after graduation? Like most students, you’ll probably need to get a job! When you’re looking at bootcamps, keep in mind that not all bootcamps offer career services, and if they do, make sure it’s an insightful program rather than the same old high–level career advice. Coding Dojo takes pride in the success of its career services team and alumni. Since 2012, Coding Dojo has helped individuals from a variety of backgrounds and skill levels transform into professional developers who go on to be hired by start-ups and world-class companies like Amazon, Apple, Expedia, Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase, DocuSign and Skytap. Coding Dojo recently interviewed one of its graduates to help you understand what to expect before, during and after enrolling with Coding Dojo, and his experience in finding a job. Coding Dojo helps prepare you for life after graduation. It offers dedicated career services resources, such as one-on-one sessions with a career advisor, open forums with industry leaders and comprehensive job-hunting workshops to help you network, get a foot in the door and land your dream job.

4. Get a taste of the teaching method to make sure it’s the right fit.

Some coding schools offer intro workshops or online courses to give you a sneak peek at how they teach their curriculum. Coding Dojo created its Intro to Code Workshop to show aspiring developers that truly anyone can code. Workshops are held at your local Coding Dojo campus, where you will learn in a classroom environment—just like you would in the bootcamp. You’ll learn how to code a basic website and gain a solid understanding of how programming languages are actually used to build applications.

5. Ensure the curriculum aligns with your career goals.

The languages, technologies and how you learn them can seriously impact your job prospects upon graduation. You don’t want to be stuck in a JavaScript-only coding school, when in fact you’re more interested in Python or Ruby. This is where Coding Dojo’s three full-stack curriculum excels. Coding Dojo is the only coding bootcamp in the world to teach three full technology stacks in a single 14-week program, and one of the highest rated coding bootcamps in the industry because of it. Students can choose to learn three out of six of the industry’s most in-demand web and mobile development languages that Coding Dojo teaches: Ruby on Rails, LAMP, MEAN, Python, .NET Core and Swift/iOS. Coding Dojo also maintains partnerships with employers and technology companies, which helps the instructors customize curriculum in a way that adequately prepares you – the student – for jobs. For example, Coding Dojo recently partnered with Amazon to create an in-person class, video series and hackathon to create new skills for Alexa, the voice service that powers Amazon Echo.

Let’s face it. A coding bootcamp is a serious life decision, and for many students it’s hard to differentiate one from another. No matter what you do, always do your research! Ideally, these five extra tips to consider were worthwhile and will help guide you to make the best decision possible about your future career.

Want to learn more about Coding Dojo and its three full-stack curriculum? Visit Coding Dojo's website!

You’re in. You’ve committed to a coding bootcamp, and now you’re a few weeks away from getting started. So, what’s the best use of your time? Investing in preparation now can lead to a more fruitful experience in the months to come.

We asked Coding Dojo alumni for their advice on how students can get a leg up before a coding bootcamp begins.

Clear your plate

That woodworking project you’ve been working on? Get to whittling and finish it off. That indoor soccer team you play on? Set aside your Cristiano Ronaldo or Alex Morgan aspirations. It’s time to focus on becoming the next Steve Wozniak or Marissa Mayer.

Our alumni agree: getting the most out of the program means clearing your plate so you can focus on your personal growth and spend the next three months hyper-focused on your programming career.

The more time you make available to fully commit to a coding bootcamp, the more results you’ll see.

Expose yourself to code

It’s a no-brainer: the more you expose yourself to code, the more comfortable you’ll be in the early stages of the program.

There’s no shortage of options for learning the basics of programming. Coding Dojo’s Intro to Code workshop sets you on the right track and helps you understand the big picture of web development. You’ll also gain HTML and CSS knowledge so you can build a basic website.

Of the numerous video learning courses available, our students picked out three that were especially helpful for them:

- Udemy is a marketplace for online learning and offers on-demand courses in a number of programming disciplines.

- CS50 on YouTube is Harvard University's introduction to computer science and the art of programming.

- Code Academy is another digital tutorial course, offering interactive courses on how to program in Python to Ruby to JavaScript.

An Olympic athlete invests time in training before the games. You should do the same before day one of the program.

Focus on algorithms

Do you know what an algorithm is? Do you know how algorithms work? You’ll need to develop a mastery of algorithms during your journey in becoming a programmer.

Algorithms are the basic building blocks of all computer programming, and the emphasis on them throughout the Dojo program is one of the ways our bootcamp sets itself apart.

The bootcamp program will grow more difficult as it wears on, and the more you can wrap your head around algorithms from the start, the better off you’ll be in the long run.

Try Dojo's Algorithm Platform to master the fundamentals before your bootcamp program begins.

Attitude really is everything

It’s not just a poster at a dentist office.

Remember why you started down this track in the first place. You’ll encounter roadblocks along the way that may frustrate you. You may spend hours upon hours debugging code; but for many of our students, the outcome is a reflection of the process.

Enjoy the process of learning and creating. Those hours of squashing a bug in your code is what makes you a better developer and programmer in the long run.

Let’s face it, the post-bootcamp job search can be a job in itself!

With 40 hours or more a week of networking, scouring sites for the perfect gig, then submitting dozens (if not hundreds of applications) it should be no surprise the entire process can begin to feel overwhelming.

One of Coding Dojo’s alumni, Kelly Howard, recognized this, and created an awesome website as her final project in the 14-week bootcamp where job seekers can keep track of their job search all in one place.

Land IT, gives bootcamp grads and other IT job seekers everything they need to make their job search more efficient by:

1. Keeping notes on companies, job positions and interview questions.
2. Offering helpful tips and resources to aid in the application process.
3. Tracking the status of each application.
4. Documenting offers and salary information.

One of the more time consuming parts of the job search process is creating customized cover letters. Land IT simplifies that process by walking job seekers through helpful tips on how to craft the perfect cover letter, and even offers a free downloadable template to speed up the process!

Kelly said there are near-term plans to add a tool for job seekers to pull salary information based on taxes and cost of living in certain states, and then use that information to aid in their salary negotiations.

Beyond being packed with extremely helpful features, Kelly focused on creating a pleasurable user experience by incorporating design elements that keep the website simple and cheerful -- a contrast to the job search process which tends to be complicated or dreary.

Take a look yourself by watching the demo below, or jump right in and sign-up here!