Are IT Bootcamps Worth it?

Overview

IT Bootcamps can be enticing, especially if you’re looking for a career change or trying to level up your skills without taking on a 4-year degree. We’ll discuss my bootcamp experience and the pros and cons.

Why did I attend an IT Bootcamp?

When leaving the military, I was allowed to do the Skillbridge program, where you can attend classes or an internship during the last 6 months of your contract. This was through a school named MyComputerCareer; it was in-person and at the same base I was stationed at, so logistically, it made sense. I have always been interested in computers and knew I wanted to change my current career path.

Program Material

This is an important part of choosing the right bootcamp, as this is what you’ll be studying. It doesn’t make much sense for you to choose a program that you’ll study for the CompTIA CySA+ certification if your end goal isn’t more cybersecurity-focused. During the three-month bootcamp, we mostly went over material covered by the CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, and Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) exams.

What was the day-to-day like?

During the bootcamp, the days were 8 hours long and mostly consisted of 3-6 hours of lecture followed by independent study and in-class work assignments. The work assignments also included video lectures in hindsight, I wish I had known and asked more questions about the curriculum, as watching videos and doing homework questions is not my favorite way to learn. Most of the homework questions were just test prep multiple-choice. The best test prep was going over the practical questions for CompTIA A+, Net+, and Sec+, which include setting up email on a user’s phone or configuring a home router. For actual experience, doing these practical exam questions is not a replacement for working experience. The questions and interfaces included are outdated, and in this regard, the bootcamp didn’t do a ton; they mostly teach you how to pass the exams. Which I believe is a skill in and of itself, I’m studying the same way I did three years ago for my next certification.

Certification Testing

Probably the most important part of bootcamp and why you even wanted to attend it in the first place is the certifications. One of the nice parts about my program was that they would cover your first three attempts except for CEH, as it cost quite a bit more than the others. This took a lot of the testing anxiety out of it for me, knowing I wouldn’t directly be paying out of pocket for each exam attempt. Luckily for me, I was able to pass A+, Network+, and Security+ on the first attempt. I tested for CEH but didn’t do very well, MyComputerCareer has since taken that exam coverage out of the program as it isn’t a beginner certification and doesn’t have a place in a bootcamp that is geared towards IT novices.

What I think bootcamps are best at

In today’s job market (especially IT at the time of writing this), it’s extremely competitive, and being able to differentiate yourself from the rest of the pack is important. Certifications are not a guaranteed way to get a job, but having them most definitely doesn’t hurt. From my bootcamp experience, learning how to go at these certification tests has been an invaluable skill.

Was it Worth It?

For me, it was a great jump start to my IT career. During the course, before I even finished, I was able to land my first IT job, and I can bet you that having the CompTIA certifications helped. However, I don’t think certifications are a replacement for a degree and there is a place for both of them. It’s all about what you put into it, if you go in with the want to learn and that you’re going to push yourself, it can be a great way to go. This route is not for everybody, and it depends on what your timeline is. At the time, I didn’t want to commit to a full 4-year degree to a career path I wasn’t sure about. Three years later, I would definitely do it again!

Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
Quickly built a foundation of theoretical IT knowledge	Cost, my program in 2021 was around $24,000
Certifications can look good on a resume	Test questions and some course content can be outdated
In-person course instruction	Not a lot of hands-on/practical experience