The top coding bootcamps provide focused and accelerated training at a lower cost than many degrees. Plus, many coding bootcamps have hiring partnerships with big-name tech companies.

Here, we look at what a top coding bootcamp can do for your employment chances and how to optimize your odds.

Will you get hired after graduating from a top coding bootcamp?

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The best coding bootcamps 2022

A reputable coding camp is an alternative to to obtaining a four-year computer science degree. Graduates of the best coding camps generally are ready for many high-demand jobs.

Many prospective tech professionals ask, "Are bootcamps worth it?" According to graduates' employment success and the two studies below, the answer appears to be yes. 

In their analysis of 370 bootcamps, Switchup determined the average employment rate for graduates at the Big Five tech companies was 6.03% in April 2021. 

The Council on Integrity in Results Report analyzed 24 top coding bootcamps between July and December 2021 and found 71.4% of graduates found jobs within 180 days. 

Results from several well-known programs were even higher, including Launch Academy in Boston at 77.8%, Codesmith in Los Angeles at 83.1%, and Tech Elevator in Cincinnati at 89.2%.

Roles acquired varied. Many graduates took on junior software engineer, apprentice and contractor positions, and software engineer and developer roles. 

Depending on the position and employer, bootcamp graduates may also need a computer science degree, software engineering degree, or vendor-specific tech certifications.

The top coding bootcamps may gain you access to the industry and advance your technology career. As a recent bootcamp graduate, however, you need to highlight what makes you special in your job applications to catch the eye of potential employers. 

Remember to update your resume with the skills and qualifications you acquired in the bootcamp. For example, if you also learned C#at the Java bootcamp you attended, make sure to mention that.

Customize your cover letter to the specific job opening and contextualize your most important and relevant abilities. Finally, create a diverse coding portfolio that shows your skills and interests.

A bootcamp graduate shares his job-hunting experience

Dr. Andrew Graczyk is a graduate of The Data Incubator (TDI). He also earned his Ph.D. in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in December 2017. 

His research specialty in game-theoretic modeling, Bayesian statistics, and time series analysis allowed him to synthesize novel models to capture adverse incentives responsible for behavior that other models struggle to explain. 

Prior to his career in data science, he developed experience working with a wide variety of data and topics. As a senior data scientist at NNData, Dr. Graczyk applies his experience with data and theory to create robust, flexible, and holistic solutions to problems using cutting-edge machine learning and statistical techniques.

Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

ZDNet: How long did it take you to find a job in the field after graduating? 

Dr. Andrew Graczyk: I was quite fortunate to have several promising interviews upon completing my program at The Data Incubator, which culminated in several job offers. I began my first data science position about one month after completing the TDI data science fellowship.

ZDNet: How did potential employers and interviewers respond to seeing the bootcamp on your resume?

AG: I think they responded well. My first job after graduating was as a senior data scientist at Cova Strategies, where several TDI alumni were already employed in their data science team, so my employers were familiar with TDI and the data scientists that come out of its programs. 

But, even in positions where TDI alumni were not already employed, I think the presence of the bootcamp on my resume showed prospective employers that I wasn't just an academic: I was also prepared and qualified to apply my skills in an industry setting. 

ZDNet: What skills or experience gained from the bootcamp have proven most useful to your career?

AG: TDI teaches its students a lot about the specifics of data science techniques, from simple statistical models to deep learning to web-scraping to data visualizations. But, I think the most important skill I learned was how to approach a problem like a data scientist. 

What kinds of data and approaches are even appropriate for attempting to answer a certain kind of question, how to best use data that you have, how to account for the limitations of your data