Within a few months of graduation, web development trade schools often promise that you’ll be able to find a job. These types of institutions are on the rise in the U.S. and around the world, and they are in the forefront of tech news. What are web development programs, and how can they help you start a new career or improve the one you already have?
Intensive web development programs are usually full-time, but some offer part-time courses. They are definitely not comprehensive and in-depth study institutions for computer science. However, they provide students with the basic skills necessary to get a coding job. Students attend classes in-person, and they are taught by knowledgeable coders who have extensive experience in the field. Students learn what they need to know from instructors who have been working in the field and know the skills that students will need if they want a coding job.
Coding programs typically take between 10 and 19 weeks to complete. Student should expect immersive, intensive programs. Some models provide students with quick lectures and then a coding challenge they have to solve with their classmates. This gives students the practical experience that employers want applicants to have. This is often more than computer science college graduates get. College students often learn about computer science theory and less about how to actually code.
Some people choose to become coders because they need to understand coding to communicate more efficiently with coders on their teams. Coding schools sometimes provide special courses to professionals who just want a broad overview of coding so they understand the basic requirements of getting an app or program off the ground.
Others want a complete career change, and they opt to take full-day courses in coding in a team-like atmosphere where they work with fellow students to practice writing code. These types of courses can cost over $10,000, and they may require students to quit or take a sabbatical from their current jobs to attend classes. Some schools may offer programs where students work at a company for a certain number of days during the week and then attend classes on the other days.
Coding training programs took in about $73 million in tuition between 2011 and December 2014, according to NPR, and about 50 such programs have been started in the U.S. alone.
Web developers earned a median salary of $62,500 in 2012, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, so taking a few months off of work to retrain for an entirely new career as a coder isn’t such a bad deal. As you consider whether to take the plunge to attend a web development course, ask around to find out which ones have the best reputations as these types of programs are not regulated. They don’t want to be regulated or accredited in general, according to NPR. Compare costs, and get detailed information about the job placement rates of students who complete the program. Ask which companies have hired the school’s graduates. You’ll be better able to determine what kind of job you can get when you graduate.
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