Call all Data Science/Analytics Bootcamp Grads

June 10, 2021 8:58 AM

I would like to hear what worked/didn't work in your program if it was online. Specific camp recommendations/not recommendations are very welcome.
posted by OnTheLastCastle to Education (1 answer total)

I see that no one has answered so let me jump in with some caveats. I am not a bootcamp grad; however, for 8 months previous to this I ran the fully online, fully asynchronous bootcamp programs that my company offers including ones in data science and data analytics. I am since in a new role, which is still connected to that and I'm not going to push my company's particular programs. There are tools like CareerKarma which can help you evaluate your options, and lots of talk about bootcamps in other online forums.

What I can tell you about is why people like or don't like our programs and who succeeds in them. The first mistake a lot of people make is that they see 'bootcamp' and their brain translates it to 'shortcut'. Yes, they take less time overall but they are usually much harder than people expected and take much much more intense, sustained effort than your average undergrad program. There's no fluff, everything you do it hardcore learning.

You also need to be clear on your ability to put in the time for the length of the program. We have two models of program, one which takes 40-50 hours a week; the other is ~30 hours per week. When we say it takes 30 hours a week it sure does. It really really does! And depending on your aptitude, it might take MORE time. Most programs won't allow you to get far behind and stay enrolled. And many don't allow a lot of breaks. If you're employed fulltime, are you capable of doing another whole fulltime job? Don't underestimate what it takes to do this every day for 6+ months.

The other thing people don't fully understand is what their needs are as learners. Folks who are just taking their first fully online course are often challenged by that way to learning. Some of our programs are self-paced which means you don't have classmates and some people find that difficult. Online learning often really requires a lot of advocacy and resource discovery of your own and many people are not used to being that kind of self-directed learner. So a lot of what I'd encourage anyone looking into bootcamps to think about is less about the bootcamp but more about yourself as a learner. Once you know those things, you can evaluate the options to see if any meet those needs.

Finally, depending on your desired outcome and background you may want to investigate which program - science or analytics - is right for you. Our data science program grads who go off and get jobs quickly have some stem or business background/experience/degrees; that's not so much a requirement for data analytics.
posted by marylynn at 8:41 AM on June 16