LJ works at an internet services company where his clients are primarily technical founders of startups. Due to the nature of his career, LJ saw the value in learning the fundamentals of coding in order to bring more authenticity and effective communication to his client relationships. We sat down with LJ to understand how his new ability to code has impacted his clients and how the community that First Step Coding fosters made it an ideal…

Heather works at a small firm as a UI Designer and although it was never her intention to switch careers she found an interest in coding while working closely with the lead developer on her team. She decided to entertain that interest and curiosity by learning to code with First Step Coding and the support of her coworkers and employer. We sat down with Heather to get the scoop on her experience taking the Bootcamp Prep course while working full…

After four years of working as an Immigration Paralegal, Kevin decided it was time for a career change. Kevin’s original plan was to go to law school but he always had an interest in technology and wanted to further explore that as a career option before applying to law school. Attending a coding bootcamp was on his mind, but it wasn’t until after taking First Step Coding’s Bootcamp Prep course that Kevin felt 100% confident about quitting his…

Before you committed to a bootcamp, chances are you researched different options online. Maybe you read through reviews on a site like SwitchUp , browsed posts on Medium, or even reached out to alumni through social media. Reviews and feedback are extremely important for future students, thanks to an ever-growing number of options for tech education. According to SwitchUp’s research , there are now over 120 in-person bootcamps and hundreds of…

The abundance of coding bootcamps with low admissions standards is a ticking time bomb, and it’s already claiming casualties. Effects of low admissions standards are most immediately felt by underprepared students who later become bootcamp dropouts or unemployable alumni. Beyond that, the feedback loop created by low entry standards is leading to wider harm across the industry. WHO AM I AND WHY DO I CARE? Bootcamps have been my life for the past…

For First Step Coding alumnus Jake Holtz, his interest in programming began in an unexpected place. Jake developed a love of languages and communication as an undergrad at U.C. Santa Cruz, and he went on to graduate with a B.A in Greek and Latin. Jake’s first job after college allowed him to dabble with programming, and he realized that software development was the perfect way to combine his interests in language, technology and innovation…

PREP is a mnemonic for methodically solving coding problems. It expands to: Parameters, Return, Example, Pseudocode. The mnemonic is new, but the underlying technique is battle tested. This is essentially a beginner-friendly version of test-driven development that lends itself well to coding challenges. Let’s get right to it and learn PREP through an example problem! We’ll use JavaScript, but this technique works for just about any programming…

Coding bootcamps have been around since 2012. An estimated 18,300 people will complete bootcamps in 2016, up from 12,100 in 2015. The prevalence of bootcamps has more recently given rise to a collection of "bootcamp prep" programs. In this article, we'll explore these programs and provide a survey of options currently available. WHAT PURPOSE DO BOOTCAMP PREP PROGRAMS SERVE? OVERCOME HIGH ADMISSIONS BARS The most powerful marketing assets…

Top Takeaways from SwitchUp’s 2016 Coding Bootcamp Survey In the past 5 years, Coding Bootcamps & Immersive Courses have gone from an unconventional education option to a thriving industry. With the allure of high paying tech jobs and the recent announcement that Federal Student Loans now cover some Coding Boot Camps , it’s no wonder enrollment is soaring. But are Programming Bootcamps worth the investment of time and money, and will you…