Frequently Asked Questions

17 Apr 2016 . category: education . Comments
#tutorial #education

Since I’ve moved to California, a few people have reached out to me about my experience at Hack Reactor. This post is meant to serve that purpose: to help those that are in a similar situation than I was. There are tons of reviews of Hack Reactor out there and you should probably look into them as you’re making your final decision, but here’s my Canadian perspective. Beneficiaries of this blog post: All I ask is that you pay it forward.



I have no coding experience whatsoever. How do I get started before applying to either Hack Reactor or App Academy?

First narrow down the specific programming language the bootcamp will be interviewing in. For Hack Reactor, it’s JavaScript, for App Academy, it’s Ruby. Learn the basics first using free online resources and try to figure out if programming is right for you. Both of these bootcamps have very rigorous application processes and have since monetized the ‘pre-bootcamp’ phase. Look into these prep courses or deep dive into the technical aspects of the language and practice implementing algorithms on algorithms on algorithms on algorithms.

Hack Reactor Prep Course

App Academy Prep Course

Bonus: If you’re looking to enroll in Dev Bootcamp, Bitmaker Labs, Lighthouse Labs, or HackerYou, you’ll likely only need to know the basics. These bootcamps are tailored to a different market.




How do I guarantee my admission to the bootcamp?

Practice implementing algorithms on algorithms on algorithms on algorithms. Practice after work if you’re working. Practice on weekends. Live and breathe code. Look into App Academy’s prep course. Last time I read, it guarantees you admission to the bootcamp of your choice.




Tuition. %$@*&!#$@$#. Costs. #$$%@!

Hack Reactor: $17,780 USD x 1.3 FX = $23,114 CAD, App Academy: 18% of starting salary (this could very well come out to be the same as HR), Hack Reactor Remote Beta: Financing option available, Dev Bootcamp: $13,950* USD x 1.3 FX = $18,135 CAD, Lighthouse Labs: $9,000, Bitmaker Labs: $9,000, HackerYou: $8,000

  • Housing in San Francisco: $1,500/month if you’re lucky (you can live at App Academy if you go with them).
  • Housing in Toronto: If you live there, probably free.
  • Opportunity cost of the job you’re quitting: Think about it.

Yes, Canadian bootcamps are significantly cheaper. They’re serving a completely different market. A post-secondary education in Canada costs about $5,000 a year. In the US, the average tuition a student pays through college/university is $42,419.

Note: These bootcamps vary in length and offer a different value proposition, so do our research. bootcamps are also not accredited education institutions, so you won’t be able to claim the tuition cost on your tax return, and you won’t be receiving a certificate. Your biggest weapon is your portfolio and your brain.


Since when did a piece of paper actually prove what we know?




How do the coding bootcamps in Toronto compare with the bootcamps in San Francisco?

I can’t speak for the Toronto bootcamps, but I want to say less rigorous. Ultimately though, you get what you make from your experience.




I’m currently working at X company in software. Should I still apply?

It depends — I believe that advancing your skills through work experience is the way to go, but if you’ve looked into transferring to another team/company, and haven’t found a way out, this might be right for you. Having said that, I would definitely look for different opportunities at your company or another company first. Regardless, there is value in attending a bootcamp if the type of software you’re working on is completely different. In which case, you probably should apply.




I am a Canadian citizen and I don’t have an American citizenship or a green card. How will I be able to attend the bootcamps in San Francisco? Will they offer a temporary student visa?

Whenever you travel to the US, you get a 6-month travel visa by default. Bootcamps will never provide you with or help you obtain a travel/work visa.




Does my GPA from my undergraduate or graduate degree impact my admission decision?

These companies are trying to disrupt the traditional ways of education.


Since when should you be defined as a number?




Is there an age limit to apply?

No. And if there is, there shouldn’t be. You’re never too old to keep learning.




How challenging is the bootcamp for someone with no coding experience whatsoever?

You can do it if you enjoy it.


I believe in you.


If you need some inspiration, watch this TED Talk about having a Growth Mindset:




When is the best time to start the bootcamp?

Companies typically release a new budget in Q1. Sometimes companies have hiring freezes. My grandma passed away. Shit happens. The best time was probably


yesterday.





12 weeks of coding is very intense. How did you manage to stay afloat for that long? What tips can you give that will help someone survive?

If you don’t enjoy it, I hope that you’ve already given up. You’re not looking to ‘survive’ anything if you’re passionate about what you’re building.


Theme alert: do stuff that makes you happy.


For balance, meditate, exercise, enjoy some fresh air, and most importantly, remember to spend time with your friends and family.




What is the curriculum like?

A lot of tough work. You should enjoy working with others. Or you will learn to. This is not a profession where you can hide in a cave and code a legacy. You can’t be someone who flips tables when things don’t turn out the way you want it to. You should make the best out of the situation you’re in and accept everyone’s differences.

Specifically for remote, there will be a lot of using Google Hangouts and Zoom. Then you pair program through a synced-up text editor. That’s where your expectations should be at – your experience will be highly collaborative. By far the most important aspect of any successful bootcamp.

Understand that the program won’t be perfect. There are little nuances that annoyed me about the program that could have resulted in a better overall experience. There will be aspects where you wish would have been more cleaned up or perfect, but if you can respect that they’re doing the best they can, and know that they put students’ learning first, then it shouldn’t be a problem. Everything will be okay. Follow what they tell you to do. The curriculum will get you there, you just have to put in the work.




What did you build?

Most of the time, you won’t go back to what you built. But you could work on a startup idea here or an awesome open source framework/library. Regardless, you should focus on


learning.


Inkwell - GitHub for Writers

PrivateTable - AirBnB for private event spaces – search ‘San Francisco’.




Why Remote?

For probably the same reasons why you would want a remote job except that I don’t recommend you travel the world while doing this. I had initially thought that I wanted an onsite experience and that this would be sub-par option. Wrong. Choose remote if you don’t want to pay for the ridiculous housing prices in San Francisco, only to sleep. Choose remote if you believe that you want to use your X hours of commute time learning and building. Choose remote if you want to watch lectures on… you get the idea.


Roll out of bed, code, sleep, and repeat.


I would argue that the learning experience is more or less the same, you get the same resources that you would get onsite, but I can understand where you’re coming from if you can’t make sense of the tuition cost. You’re paying the same price, but you don’t get the benefit of their real estate. I had the same concern — but remember that they’re bringing you the best lectures and recording and editing it for you. I still think that it’s unreasonable, but then again, I also think that you shouldn’t need to spend a ridiculous amount of money on education in general.

Yes, there are aspects of an onsite experience that a remote experience will never replicate, like the physical networking and friendships. But here’s a reality check — you make your own connections. Just like if you were to do onsite, you have to put the effort into friendships. It may be harder remotely because people might be less social, and approaching people might be different, but it all comes down to you.


Friendships and networking is a two-way street.


The only big difference here is not all remote candidates will work in San Francisco, whereas onsite students will very likely work in San Francisco. This, of course, is out of your control.

All in all, I got everything I wanted out of the program, so how can I complain?




Is employment guaranteed? Will I be guaranteed to make $100,000?

First of all, nothing is guaranteed (EDIT: some companies actually guarantee job placement now. Look into them: Thinkful – I can put you in touch with one of their co-founders, Dan Friedman, who is extremely friendly – and Udacity). Second, I hope you’re not trying to get into this profession for the money, because there are tons of ways to make money. If you’re skeptical about the average salary they list, here’s what you should do (remember, these companies are based on San Francisco):

1. Go to a jobs website (like Indeed)

2. Filter by the location that you want to find work

3. Search for ‘Software Engineer’

4. Look at the salary filters breakdowns

From the remote program perspective, you receive the same support that onsite students get for the job search, but you have to understand that


no one is going to hand you a job.


It will require effort and hard work. You are by no means guaranteed a job (at Hack Reactor and App Academy). They will help you with your job search like they help every other job seeker by fine-tuning your resume, cover letter, and providing you with advice throughout the job search process. And if you’re looking into going through Hack Reactor and applying for work in Canada, understand that the program is not prestigious enough to get your foot in the door just by reputation (probably not San Francisco either), but I want to be very clear that the skills you come out with alone, should be able to get you through job interviews. If your interest is to work in the U.S., no bootcamp will help you with a work visa, but they will do all they can to help you connect to companies.




Once I graduate from a US-based bootcamp, will I be able to apply for software engineering jobs outside of the US, like Canada, or will I only be able to apply in the city where I attended the bootcamp?

Bootcamps don’t restrict where jobseekers look for work. You should let them know where you’re aiming to find work so that they can do their best to connect you to available opportunities. The better question is probably…




Which bootcamp has a better reputation?

Hack Reactor has a strong reputation in San Francisco, and other cities in California, but little to no reputation in Toronto and anywhere else in the world. They do have a hiring network, but again, the companies that are part of their network are probably 90% based in San Francisco.

To show how strong their hiring network and alumni network is, I attended an alumni event where they showed how prevalent Hack Reactor graduates are across the industry: 800+ graduates are working at 500+ companies. Numbers don’t lie. The community they’ve built is extremely supportive when it comes to your continuous development and their graduates are really helpful to prospective students, current students, and alumni alike.

Here’s where you need to be mindful when you’re considering costs from a bootcamp perspective. You don’t want to throw yourself in a cheaper, less known bootcamp and flush your money down the drain. I’ve heard many horror stories — search ‘Coding House Horror Stories’.


Look at this as an investment in your future.


I would assume that Canadian bootcamps have some kind of reputation in Toronto, but can’t speak to if it’s positive or negative. I know that Bitmaker Labs offers some free introductory courses (which I’ve attended). They’re very basic, but maybe that’s what you need. If you’re interested in HackerYou, their founder, Heather Payne, is extremely friendly and willing to chat with candidates looking at bootcamps. Reach out to her directly, or I can connect you with her. Their community gave me the best impression, but I can only make the comment from a very high-level perspective.




Should I attend University of X or Hack Reactor?

This is a tough one. Let’s compare using University of Waterloo solely on tuition.

Hack Reactor: $17,780 USD x 1.3 FX = $23,114 CAD. Waterloo: $12,800 + $610 + $1,300 + $2,000 = $16,710 for 8 months of study

  • Excludes residence and meal plans.
  • From what I know, Waterloo offers five year curriculums, but let’s be conservative and cut that down to four. Some people get scholarships and bursaries, and have an RESP (there are rarer education funding opportunities for bootcamps) which will knock this down a bit or a lot, depending who you are.

$66,840 CAD for four years. That’s a lot of money.

Look, I’m not trying to bash Waterloo in any way. I think they have a great program. They have a great reputation here in San Francisco, too. The co-op option is great. You get to work and pay off your student loans. What I don’t agree with is that this needs to be done over a span of four years, and


what I don’t agree with is high-stakes education where you’re evaluated by a number to prove what you know.


The bigger question is: why does university need to be the platform to meet new friends, build a network, and build student maturity?

So this really comes down to you. What do you want?

Are you looking to learn practical skills that you use in the work environment? Are you looking for the fastest way possible to find a job? Are you sure software is something you’re passionate about? Then you probably want to go with a bootcamp.

Are you looking to stay in academia to invest thousands of dollars to ‘advance your education’? Are you looking to be a generalist and broaden your knowledge of… everything? Are you still exploring what you’re passionate about? Then you can probably explore university or college.


But don’t let it be your only option.





What does the work visa process like?

You can’t just fly over to the US and expect to work there for an extended period of time without a work visa. By default, you’re issued a travel visa when you enter the US. This visa allows you to be in the US for the duration of half of any one year. That’s great, but under this visa, and while you’re residing in the US, any work that you perform for an employer is illegal.

So allow me to introduce to you the visas you should look into. Ideally, when you accept your job offer, your company will take care of all that’s required for a work visa.

If not, here are the things you should consider when hiring your own immigration lawyer or preparing the support documents yourself (immigration lawyers charge about $2,000 for this and I would let them do it to avoid the headache):


TN: A work-intent visa exclusive to Canadian and Mexican citizens.

Work-intent means that the visa is solely for work purposes in the US. There is no limit to the number of TN visas issued, but they are specific for Canadian and Mexican citizens.

Who this is for:

  • People with a Bachelor degree relating to Engineering
  • People with a Post-Secondary Diploma or Certificate and 3 years of experience
  • People with ‘theoretical knowledge’ through at least two years of training documented by diploma, certificate, transcript, or relevant work experience

If you have any of these, then you qualify!

TN Visa General Occupational Categories

Engineers

In order to qualify for the Engineering profession, you need a Bachelor’s degree or a license. Note that the process is a lot more straightforward if you have a Bachelor’s degree directly relating to Engineering such as the following: Engineering, Computer Science, or Mathematics.

Computer Systems Analyst

A more lenient option for those that don’t have a bachelor’s degree is the Computer Systems Analyst profession, where you can leverage your work experience. For this profession, you need a Post-Secondary Diploma or Certificate and 3 years of experience. This option is good for IT graduates (like the IT degree at Ryerson), or a college diploma/certificate (like the IT diploma at George Brown).

Scientific Technicians

The most lenient option is the Scientific Technician profession. For that, all you need is to prove that you have ‘theoretical knowledge’ through at least two years of training documented by diploma, certificate, transcript, or relevant work experience. This option is good for students that have graduated high school and took Advanced Placement courses, accompanied with some work experience.

Remember that this is not a pick-and-choose process. Your job description needs to match up with the job duties that fall under these professions.


H-1B: A dual-intent visa restricted by a lottery cap.

What I mean by dual-intent is that under the H-1B visa, you can work in the US while also applying for permanent residence. Most of the time, this really won’t apply to you. The important points of the H-1B, as the title suggests is that you are going to be part of a lottery with everyone else applying for the H-1B from China, India, etc.. And as the name suggests, it caps out, so if you don’t get picked the year you want it, then you’ll have to try again next year. You have to file the H-1B before April, get selected and then you can start working in September/October of the same year.

Who this is for:

Canadians that don’t fall under any of the professions above. And non-Canadians of course.




What are you doing now? How did you get to where you are now?

I flew out to San Francisco after the three months were over to look for work. It was a lot of practising whiteboarding algorithms (not how I would judge someone’s competency, but you have to play the game… or change it) and interviewing.

Whatever you decide on, getting through 3 months of anything does not solidify your career as a software engineer. You have to keep improving – technology moves extremely fast in this profession – and learn to be independent just like you’ll be doing those 3 months. You should be excited about how technology is touching the world, the differences that it’s making in peoples’ lives, turning archaic industries upside-down and disrupting them. I’m contributing to this mission at SolarCity.




There you have it. Hope this helps!

Please reach out if you have any other questions!


Me

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