| | Philip Johnson | I was in the Viking 2016 immersive program and am currently working as a software engineer at a large financial firm. Before this I had gotten a degree in English and was working as an editor and teacher. So I had quite a career switch.
Also, I should probably mention that whilst looking for a job after the program, I actually ended up working part time for Viking as a teaching assistant, aiding the primary instructors by helping students squash bugs, etc. and covering some office hours in the evenings. I even made a few humble contributions to the curriculum.
Anyway, I looked at several schools before choosing Viking, but I ended up there for three reasons. First, it fit my schedule/location because it was, of course, online. Second, the deferred tuition allowed me to afford the course and also ensured I would become skilled enough to actually be hired, since the school’s fees were contingent on my getting a job. Finally, I was extremely impressed by the clarity and depth of the free prep work.
I took the Ruby/AngularJS curriculum, but really I think the specific technology wasn’t especially important; I work mostly in Angular and C# now, both of which I learned on the job. What was great about Viking was that I was taught not just specific coding syntax but how to think like a developer—how to approach problems, how to write maintainable code, how to architect an application, how to work with other developers, and that all important skill of development—how to Google for solutions. Learning so much so fast during the program taught me how to learn new skills on my own.
Viking isn’t for everyone. One really has to be self-motivated, because, frankly, it’s a ton of work and long hours for many weeks. It was difficult to keep up, especially at the beginning. And there are naturally ups and downs during the course—days you feel dynamite and others when you’re convinced you’re hopeless. The program was worth the effort, however: I came out solidly prepared for the job. My manager has said I far exceeded his expectations (thanks?), and I’ve heard similar stories from classmates. (One company I applied to informed me during the interview that I was the only applicant ever to get 100% on their take-home problem set.) I’ve also encountered students from other bootcamps and have been a little stunned by the shallowness of their programs’ curriculums. So I’ve been so floored with my selection of Viking.
As for the job search afterward, it was definitely not easy, and for whatever reason (maybe my location, maybe luck, maybe that damn English degree) I was one of the last people in my class to find one. But in the end I had a couple companies interested in hiring me and I now not only love my job, but also feel right at home talking shop with the rest of the developers.
So, long story short—I couldn’t be happier with my experience at Viking. It has a superb curriculum and a terrific community, myriad Slack emoji, and offers a life-changing opportunity. |
