This article was sponsored by Hack Reactor. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who make SitePoint possible.
It probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that we here at SitePoint are pretty keen on this whole “everyone should learn to code” idea. That’s kind of our whole thing.
While we’ve been into it for a long time, in recent years the rest of the world seems to have caught up. There are many, many articles, books and presentations arguing that coding is the new literacy, and that it should be taught in primary school along with English and math.
This is usually presented as an inherently good thing — in a world run by algorithms, being able to “speak computer” is hugely beneficial, arguably essential, and learning code can help with learning to think logically and break down problems to their essence. But there’s also no doubt coding is a good way to earn a living.
Right now, competent mid- to senior-level developers are hugely sought-after, with tech firms ready to bend over backwards to court them.
A recent New Yorker article detailed how one gaming company, Scopely, rewards new hires with the following smorgasbord of gifts: USD $11,000 wrapped in bacon, an oil portrait of the hire, and a harpoon gun.
Tech companies want the best developers, they want them now, and they’re prepared to pay well for them.
How do you become a part of this club? Well, there are a few options.
Depending on how you learn best, or what you want to achieve, you could learn a language by reading up on it in popular books, watching a series of videos on a site like Learnable, reading articles like those on SitePoint, or by diving in and getting your hands dirty on your own, with a bit of trial and error.
But if you want results (and employment) fast, consider a course in the real world.
Enter: Coding Schools
San Francisco-based start-up Hack Reactor, which has been described as “the Harvard of coding schools”, should definitely be on your shortlist.
Hack Reactor offers an immersive 12-week course in a state-of-the-art classroom setting. Six days a week, 9am to 8pm, you’ll be put through your paces with classes and project-based instruction.
The program’s emphasis is on continually learning new skills, approaches and languages, as well as how to collaborate and problem-solve in the real world. While it’s an intense schedule, students’ emotional, physical and social well-being is monitored and emphasized throughout the course.
This level of intensity requires an investment — standard tuition for the three-month program is $17,780 — but it pays off, with 99% of Hack Reactor graduates achieving employment as mid- to senior-level engineers at an average starting salary of USD $105,000. Grads have gone on to work for major companies like Google, Facebook, Amazon, Adobe and PayPal.
In its quest to build a network of renowned educational programs, Hack Reactor recently acquired MakerSquare, another top-tier bootcamp, with footholds in Austin and San Francisco, as its first “extension school“.
Classes start every seven weeks onsite in San Francisco or online through Hack Reactor Remote Beta. Apply today.
Check out more information about the program here, and maybe you’ll even end up with your own speargun, oil painting, or bundle of bacon-wrapped cash. Good luck!
Have you considered a coding school? What courses would you focus on?
Adam RobertsAdam is SitePoint's head of newsletters, who mainly writes Versioning, a daily newsletter covering everything new and interesting in the world of web development. He has a beard and will talk to you about beer and Star Wars, if you let him.
