Certifications and Bootcamps: How Software Developers Can Gain In-Demand Skills for 2019

There’s an expression that says: If you aren’t improving, you’re falling behind.

Working professionals must constantly learn new skills to keep up with industry demands. Because let’s face it, what you learned even a few years ago may not be as relevant today as it once was. Perhaps nowhere is this more true than in the tech sector. There is a massive demand for developers who possess a variety of modern coding and programming skills, like machine learning and mobile development.

If you’re a developer looking to strengthen your resume, or someone interested in a career change, here’s a list of certifications and bootcamps you should investigate.

Certifications

Let’s start with why certifications are a good idea and the type of person who should get them.

In any hiring decision, the manager will be concerned whether the applicant has the requisite talent for the job. Certification is a great way for developers to demonstrate their proficiency with a particular skill an employer is looking for.

When deciding what certification to pursue, here are a few things to consider. Look for what skills are in hot demand. Right now, that would be certifications geared towards Deep Learning and Machine Learning. But if you want a job with a particular employer, find out what tools they use, and then seek certification courses for those specific tools.

Here is a list of 8 certification programs:

• SAP Certified Development Associate
• DataStax Professional Certification on Apache Cassandra
• Cloudera Certified Professional (CCP) Data Engineer
• Oracle Platform as a Service (PaaS) Certification
• Puppet Certified Professional
• AWS Certified Developer – Associate Level
• Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer (MCSD) Certification
• Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect

 

Bootcamps

Just like the name suggests, bootcamps are an intensive training program meant to help you learn new skills in a condensed timeframe.

For many, bootcamps serve as an alternative to traditional, four-year college programs.

There is some debate if bootcamps are the best means of helping you become a professional coder. That’s a decision you’ll need to make after weighing all the evidence. But here are a few things to think about:

• 72% of surveyed HR managers considered bootcamp graduates just as prepared and likely to perform as computer science graduates.
• According to SwitchUp, bootcamp alumni enjoy an average $19,485 salary jump after graduating from a program.
• Bootcamp tuition can range between $5,000 and $20,000. That may seem like a lot, but when you compare that to the price of college tuition, bootcamps are a great value.

If you decide the bootcamp route is best for you and your schedule, your next task is choosing which program is right for you. There is a vast amount of coding bootcamps available, but you’ll find that the programs below are constantly rated as a top choice.

• Ironhack
• AppAcademy
• Bloc
• Le Wagon
• General Assembly

Looking for a career as a developer or software engineer? Check out who is hiring in your area.