By Kaitlin Bloom
Bootcamp graduates are adaptable, capable, and gritty, making them highly attractive to employers in today’s competitive job market. That was the message delivered loud and clear by Minh Pham, an experienced engineer-turned-hiring manager who spoke during a recent event we hosted online.
Bootcamps graduates are known to be professional, mature, and intentional about their work, according to Pham, who spoke from his own experience based on conversations with other hiring managers.
“Bootcamp grads are awesome because they have very diverse backgrounds,” Pham said. “In today’s world, that is becoming such a premium quality to have.”
Pham said employers appreciate bootcamp graduates’ unique life experiences and their intentional choice to become software engineers.
“That general desire, that general amount of push there that you gave yourselves, really makes a difference,” Pham said. “It means that you are also the type of person that when a difficult situation comes up, you’re going to be the one to push through that as well. Bootcamp graduates show up ready to add value to a team and company immediately.”
During the event, Pham broke down the top traits he sees in bootcamp graduates and what makes them valuable to have on a team.
1. Diverse backgrounds
Diverse backgrounds produce diverse thoughts and perspectives, which leads to more unique ideas and innovation. These graduates typically come from career pivots and bring a wide range of perspectives to the table that help their teams succeed. According to Pham, these graduates often demonstrate a variety of helpful skills that they acquired from their previous careers and experiences.
2. Professional and mature
Pham emphasized that most students who participate in bootcamps are second-career individuals, who already know what it’s like to be an adult in a working world.
“Professionalism and maturity are huge! You know how to show up and not be a jerk at work. These things are surprisingly really nice to not have to worry about in potential candidates,” he said.
You can show up to your first job as a software engineer and already know how to manage responsibility, structure your work day, and function well on a team.
3. Intentional and capable
Pham said bootcamp graduates chose to endure a specifically challenging educational route with a laser focus on achieving their goal of becoming a software developer or data scientist. For this reason, he believes bootcamp grads are especially intentional in their careers and overall life goals.
4. Adaptable and gritty
Bootcamp graduates also tend to be highly adaptable and gritty. Bootcamp programs cover a vast range of topics, and students are expected to not only keep up — but also persevere through challenges. That desire to learn and succeed really makes a difference.
Bootcamps are hard, and if someone voluntarily puts themselves through such a program, it’s safe to assume they’re tough, determined, and gritty.
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