Post-Dev Bootcamp
I'm not going to talk about what I've learned in DBC or my incredible experiences there. Instead, I'm going to talk about life after DBC because, really, transitioning out of DBC in to the real world (yes, you are not in the real world while at DBC) is actually a lot more difficult than transitioning in to DBC. Below is a list of practices that I believe have helped me extensively after the program.
TAKE A BREAK!
Sleep in all day. Watch a movie. Go to the park. Walk your cat. Sleep in again. Without a doubt, Dev Bootcamp is exhausting. If you've ever heard about the hours of investment bankers - think that. Only difference is, we enjoy what we do (peace, Ashwin!). Nevertheless, no matter how much you enjoy and love what you do, you will get burnt out.
So take it easy on yourself, you'll be coding again in a few days.
Get an Accountability Buddy
Honestly, I was surprised to how effective this really was. Get someone you trust to be honest with you. Set goals for each day or week and tell your buddy about them. Check on each other to see if you've attained those goals. Appreciate each others work.
There were some days where I just felt lazy, but since I knew that I had to show that I've actually been working towards my goals, I was motivated to do so. And even more so, knowing that on the other end, my buddy was working equally as hard or harder. If you know that there is someone out there looking out for you and expecting stuff from you, you just tend to work harder.
Go to Hackathons/Meet-ups/Conferences/Anything
Meet people. Share your story. Listen to theirs. Build crazy and outrageous things with them. I'm an introvert, so you have no excuse.
Here are the facts:
Only about 15-20% of job openings are listed on ads
Only about 5% actually get jobs from applying to those ads
62% of all statistics are made up. Just kidding.
That's about less than 1% of total jobs being secured online. Sure, it never hurt anyone to actually apply online; I highly recommend it. Just don't expect to be one of the lucky 5% that do get jobs. Instead, look for events that interest you, go to them, and build friendships. Don't explicitly ask to be recommended, but do let it be known that you are looking for opportunities. Even if you don't get a job this way, I'll bet that you'll come away from it a better person with a lot more knowledge and friends to boot.
Build Something on Your Own
Dev Bootcamp is all about pairing - and that's great. But chances are you won't be pairing when you get a job. There will be no one to cover your weaker areas and no one to give you instant feedback.
Working on your own will show that you are not dependent on others for your own success and also shows that you are self-motivated. It's also a good way to learn new languages and/or frameworks. Hey, you might just build the next $19 billion app by accident.
Build Something With Others
Just because you're out of DBC doesn't mean that you have to severe ties. Get together with other people and build something - anything. Learn from each other. Teach them all the new cool stuff that you've learned on your own.
If you didn't like working on teams in DBC then it's time to get on it. I haven't heard of any company where you don't work on a team.
Have Fun
Just because.











