Published on <a href="https://blog.prototypr.io/choosing-the-right-bootcamp-for-you-6900d98a3724?source=rss----eb297ea1161a---4">| Prototyping: From UX to Front End &mdash; Medium</a> Ahmad Kadhim 
<h4>Accelerated learning is the fastest and most straightforward way to get into the booming tech industry. But how do you make the life-changing choice of which school and course to take?</h4>
<blockquote>“Learn UX Design now!”</blockquote>
<blockquote>“Become a programmer in 8 weeks!”</blockquote>
<blockquote>“Xcelerated Learning School guarantees you a job!”</blockquote>
I’m sure you’ve seen these. I’m sure you’ve heard some version of this basic promise:
Quit your job, give us three months (and $10k+), and we’ll turn you into a highly-paid world-changing employee of the only industry that still has a future.
As with any gold rush (I’m looking at you, ICOs), you have to find the treasure in the rubble.
I chose Bitmaker (now <a href="http://bitmaker.co/">Bitmaker General Assembly</a>) five years ago as soon as it announced its opening in Toronto. But for me it wasn’t much of a choice. I was a designer who wanted to learn development, and Bitmaker was the first and only option in Toronto.
<img alt="" src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1024/1*uO8NlnBZVqRDZ9qi_fSDGQ.jpeg">My “resume” after finishing Bitmaker’s Web Development course in 2013.
Today, as lead instructor of UX &amp; Product Design at Bitmaker, I talk to people making that choice. I hear from people that they’re confused about what course is right for them, and how to tell all the different schools apart.
<blockquote>“I don’t know. I have a job right now, it’s hard for me to quit.”</blockquote>
<blockquote>“I’m not really sure what to do, to be honest.”</blockquote>
<blockquote>“Yeah — I’ve heard good and bad things about each school.”</blockquote>
So here’s my take — what you should think about when you choose a bootcamp course, and what questions you should be asking each school.
<h4>Trust and Honesty.</h4>
You’re placing an enormous faith in signing your life (and savings) over to your school. Do you trust them? Does it feel like their admissions team is trying to persuade you or help you?
A good way to see if their public appearance matches up with reality is to reach out to former students (start by searching the bootcamp name on LinkedIn) and get their first-hand impressions.
<h4>Modern Curriculum.</h4>
Are they teaching what the industry is using right now? How do they keep their curriculum up-to-date? Tech moves fast, and bootcamps have to keep up.
For design today, that not only means Sketch, Invision, and Balsamiq, but also <a href="http://designguidelines.co/">design systems</a>, animation, user research, user testing, and the future of interfaces like AR and VR, chatbots, and AI-enabled products.
Part of the major advantage of a bootcamp over a traditional college or university is that the curriculum should always be updated to reflect the latest tools, methods, and possibilities. So when you enter the industry — you’re not only ready to hit the ground running, you might have something to teach your colleagues too.
<img alt="" src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1024/1*ZSX3FlK7XXgG4eFKCNI11Q.jpeg">More excited than I’ve ever seen anyone get about user research.
<h4>Find the Joy in What You’re Doing.</h4>
Accelerated and immersive learning doesn’t work if you’re not completely committed. Don’t choose to become a designer or developer because it sounds like a good job. Do it because you love geeking out about <a href="http://littlebigdetails.com">little details</a>, thinking with a mixture of analysis and creativity, and the feeling of mastering new skills. Keep your motivation up and a <a href="https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/01/29/carol-dweck-mindset/">growth mindset</a> on.
Attend <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/BitmakerHQ/events/">workshops</a>! Go to <a href="https://www.meetup.com/find/tech/?allMeetups=false&amp;radius=10&amp;userFreeform=toronto&amp;gcResults=Toronto%2C+ON%2C+Canada%3ACA%3AOntario%3AToronto+Division%3AToronto%3Anull%3Anull%3A43.653226%3A-79.38318429999998&amp;change=yes&amp;sort=default">meet-ups</a>. Start reading <a href="http://alistapart.com">tech</a> and <a href="https://blog.usejournal.com/almost-every-product-design-resource-you-need-to-understand-the-tech-ecosystem-3d734f9c1a22">design</a> blogs. Check out <a href="https://dribbble.com/Radium">some</a> <a href="https://dribbble.com/JanLosert">amazing</a> <a href="https://dribbble.com/focuslab">Dribbble</a> <a href="https://dribbble.com/victorerixon">portfolios</a>. Reach out to people in the tech industry to meet for coffee.
The more concrete your expectations are, the more you’ll feel ready to put in the work needed to create amazing work yourself.
<h4>Teachers Who Care.</h4>
Don’t choose a school because their teachers are conference-approved Fortune-500-vetted bearded “thought leaders”. Choose the ones who love teaching, and who make a genuine effort to raise every student they meet to the top of their potential. Choose the ones who love what they do, and stay up late geeking out about it too.
<img alt="" src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1024/1*TcNcV9pMDqj9ioV1O1udng.jpeg">“Surprise! We dressed as you for Halloween.” — my students. Awwwwww 😢♥️😝
<h3>How NOT to Choose a Bootcamp</h3>
<h4>It’s cheaper than the other ones.</h4>
You’re making a big bet on changing your life. Do you want to make that bet based on which school is the cheapest, or based on which school is the most likely to get you where you need to go?
In most cases, your increased salary three years on from graduating will more than make up for the short-term difference. Focus on getting as good as you can, as fast as you can.
<h4>They’ve guaranteed me an internship/job after.</h4>
A great bootcamp doesn’t just get you a job. It teaches you how to interview, build your personal brand, present yourself online, network effectively, and gives you the confidence to know you can get whatever you want for yourself.
Handing you a guaranteed internship? That’s robbing you of an opportunity to learn. And you could likely get a better job yourself — one that’s better suited to what you want and what you need.
Like a good parent, a bootcamp doesn’t hold your hand every step of the way. It gives you the skills to do it yourself and has a hand behind your back waiting to catch you if you fall.
<h4>Their TAs are all recently graduated students.</h4>
I cannot say enough about how dangerous this is. A good teaching team is one that’s seen it all and has a diverse array of perspectives, teaching styles, and experiences to draw from. While it may be beneficial to have the perspective of a recent bootcamp grad at times, you’ll want the majority of your TAs to have real-world experiences and stories to share with you. It’s the best way for you to know what you’re in for when you leave the bootcamp.
After teaching more than 300 students in three years of teaching at Bitmaker, a pattern emerged of the students with the best outcomes. They come in with a growth mindset, a sense of personal control over their destiny, and thrive in an environment where the teaching team is geeking out about the work as much as they do.
A good school will give you the basic skills you need to — hopefully — get a job in a new industry.
A great school will accelerate your learning faster than you thought possible, equip you with all the soft skills you need to move forward confidently, and inspire you with a love and appreciation for your new craft.
I hope this helps your thought process! Have a question or want to chat? Leave a comment below, I want to hear about your experiences considering this choice.
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<a href="https://blog.prototypr.io/choosing-the-right-bootcamp-for-you-6900d98a3724">Choosing the Right Bootcamp For You</a> was originally published in <a href="https://blog.prototypr.io">Prototypr</a> on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Choosing the Right Bootcamp For You

Accelerated learning is the fastest and most straightforward way to get into the booming tech industry. But how do you make the life-changing choice of which school and course to take?

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