In my last post, I noted that developers who are serious about their profession must attend to competency issues in two ways: by achieving real competency, and by earning certification that serves as an objective guarantee of skills and knowledge. Because the institutions conferring certification (in the form, most commonly, of diplomas) are out-of-touch with the challenges of real-world software development, these two goals must be pursued independently.
Ideally, of course, we would address both issues at once. Universities would do a better job of preparing us for real-world challenges, and diplomas would serve as a better guarantee of competence for potential employers. As a bonus, learning institutions could do a better job of serving as matchmakers for graduates and hiring companies.
Today I learned about three developer-training companies that are working to make this vision a reality. Hacker School, Code Academy, and Dev Bootcamp offer training to enhance developer competence. All three schools focus on small batches of students, offering individualized study and focused mentorships. And all three combine their education function with job-placement services. You see them as schools. Employers see them as providers of well-trained, highly qualified developers.
If you're looking to increase your competence or find a new job, you should check out these schools. Yes, you have to be local – Hacker School is in New York, Code Academy is in Chicago, and Dev Bootcamp is in San Francisco. Hacker School is free; the company supports itself on recruitment fees it collects by matching up graduates with employers. Dev Bootcamp costs $12,200, but there are numerous discounts for meeting early-enrollment deadlines and such. And if their matchmaking service gets you a job, they apply the $5,000 finder's fee toward your tuition. Code Academy tuition is $6,000.
None of these programs is a replacement for the full university experience. I think everyone should have to read some Aristotle, analyze some Mozart, and prove some geometric theorems. But if you're looking to jump-start your programming career, these start-ups may be just what the doctor ordered.
Web recommendation: Here's an interesting article from the January issue of the UK edition of Wired. The story details the development methods of Wooga, which creates games for Facebook and Google+. The company's continuous-development model, based on constant feature testing, strikes me as an excellent application of Agile principles. It's a very insightful article. J.D. says check it out.
J.D. Hildebrand has written hundreds of articles for dozens of publications and online communities dedicated to software development. He laments the gradual but apparently inevitable disappearance of bowling alleys.