Can DigitalCrafts Help Me Get A Job?

The numbers don’t lie—web developers are handsomely paid. According to sites like Payscale and Glassdoor, junior developers make around $40,000 a year, while more senior developers working for bigger names like PayPal, Google, and Apple are paid upward of $100,000 annually.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics also predicts an amazing 8 percent growth in the sector from 2019 to 2029, a much faster rate than the average for all occupations. 

Roles that can be explored with web and software development knowledge are continuously sought after, too. Three of these roles—Full Stack Engineer, Back End Developer, and JavaScript Developer—even made it to LinkedIn’s 2020 Emerging Jobs Report list, which indicates the sector’s growth and demand for fresh, talented professionals. 

A tech career not only provides a good paycheck but also job stability and the ability to work creatively. At this point, you may be wondering: “How do I get there?” and “Can a coding bootcamp really help me get a job in the tech industry?”

To answer these questions, we’ll be looking at DigitalCrafts, a highly rated bootcamp that transforms aspiring developers into full-stack software engineers.

Realize Your Dreams with DigitalCrafts

DigitalCrafts was established by good friends Max McChesney and Jake Hadden in 2015. The former, who was a prospective bootcamp student himself, was looking to make his own jump into tech but wasn’t able to find a school that resonated with his expectations. 

That was when a lightbulb moment hit, and he began to think of ways to fill in the gap as an industry player. The duo then focused on building a technical school “that trains students in software development as quickly and efficiently as possible,” Mr. McChesney revealed in an interview. 

It was also important for the co-founders to have a school that puts a personal approach at the forefront of their operations, which is why DigitalCrafts employs a direct communication policy. The team meets with the students and lends their assistance every step of the way—from the very moment they set foot on campus, all the way through their job search and beyond. 

Today, DigitalCrafts is a well regarded coding bootcamp, winning students over with a comprehensive curriculum, dedicated staff, and Student Success team that is committed to helping students gain the relevant skillsets to secure their dream jobs. 

The school has since established three campuses; Atlanta, Houston, and Tampa. DigitalCrafts has also extended its services to include online offerings.

Invest In Your Career with DigitalCrafts

A Strong Track Record

The best way to measure a school’s credibility and performance is by looking at its track record. This is how students are able to gauge the effectiveness of a school’s offerings and subsequently, their own potential success if they decide to enroll. 

DigitalCrafts has released its 2019 Student Outcomes Report which was evaluated by independent accountants. According to this report, the school boasts a graduation rate of 94%. On top of that, 80% out of the 133 students who actively sought a technical role during the year succeeded within six months. 

DigitalCrafts’ graduates have received offers from companies both large and small, ranging from Slack, IBM, and The New York Times to smaller companies like Big Nerd Ranch, Storj, Greater Sum, Narwhal Digital, Ware2Go, and many more.

Nat Sharpe, a father of four, is one of the many graduates whose lives have been changed after enrolling at DigitalCrafts. From having no income and being on food stamps just a couple of years ago, he is now a full-time software engineer.

“I was trying to apply for jobs but I don’t have a college degree. I looked into software engineering, but the thing with software engineering is that it’s based on what you can do. I tried to teach myself online but I couldn’t do it on my own,” he said in a video explaining the impact learning to code has had on his life.

“DigitalCrafts is the real deal…they will give you the rundown for what companies are hiring for right now. As soon as you leave, you’ll be able to get a job based on the knowledge you have.”

Student Success Team

In line with its mission to produce top-tier developers, the school has a special team dedicated to its students’ success. It takes more than technical skills to land a job as a software developer, so DigitalCrafts strives to teach its students interviewing skills and how to build a portfolio and resume that stands out from the crowd.

With a commitment to helping students get prepared for the job search, DigitalCrafts’ Student Success team conducts portfolio and resume reviews, teaches students how to set up GitHub and LinkedIn profiles that attract the attention of hiring managers, and plans presentations from industry leaders so that students know what hiring managers are looking for. 

Natalie Cataldo, Student Success Manager, said the school recognizes the need to equip its students with other skills outside of coding to complement their toolboxes and help them achieve the success they seek.

“The Student Success team helps students build resumes and portfolios that demonstrate the skills that employers are looking for, and we also show people how to effectively search for a job. 

“Our career prep focuses on teaching students to create an online presence and improve their interviewing skills, and we also have hiring managers or industry leaders give talks so that students can get insider information about working in tech,” she said.

The school places a heavy emphasis on this part of the overall DigitalCrafts experience, making it compulsory for students to receive a passing review on their portfolio and resume in order to graduate. 

The team also works to nurture soft skills such as communication, problem-solving, and leadership skills among students—the non-technical abilities that will further boost their employability and set them apart from other job applicants.

“Communication, for instance, is such a valuable skill, and it’s something everyone can work on, even if you’re more advanced in your career. The ability to explain things clearly comes in handy when you’re walking a hiring manager through the projects you’ve built, or explaining how you’d work through a technical challenge,” Ms. Cataldo said

“Employers want to hire developers who know how to solve problems and who are self-starters, so junior developers should practice answering those kinds of questions. We seek people with these qualities in our own admissions process as well,” she added.

Casey Fayard, a DigitalCrafts alum, said the Student Success team pointed him in the right direction and gave vital insights into the dos and don’ts of a job search. 

“In the current climate, having an online social presence is more important than ever. DigitalCrafts really taught me everything that I needed to know to build and maintain my online presence, whether that is LinkedIn, GitHub, or my social media,” he said.

“I recently sent the Student Success team a resume that was more on the creative side. Their feedback was to make it more compatible with the applicant tracking systems a lot of companies use. Until that point, I didn’t realize why you’d choose one format over the other. I really appreciate the continued support after graduation!” he added.

At DigitalCrafts, a student’s journey doesn’t stop when their courses end. The school encourages alumni to reach out to the Student Success team when they’re looking for a more advanced role, even if it’s years after graduation.

Attesting to this, alum Eddie Atkinson said: “I graduated from DigitalCrafts over two years ago. My web development position was put on hold indefinitely as a result of the pandemic, and I reached out to DigitalCrafts. Within a day, I had multiple interviews, and a week later, I accepted a new position! I strongly recommend this program to anyone of any background.”

Another perk is that the Student Success team will connect students with its Employer Network, an ever-growing group of 100+ companies who hire its graduates. This is designed to offer exclusive access to open technical roles that would not have been advertised elsewhere.

Exclusive Elective Training

Another unique benefit of learning at DigitalCrafts is their elective workshops, training that is available only to DigitalCrafts students and alumni.

With these electives, students and alumni can deepen their tech expertise, learn networking skills, or hear talks from hiring managers and developers at companies like Mailchimp and Netflix. DigitalCrafts’ own alumni sometimes share in these electives their own experiences in growing in the tech industry.

Focused Attention

The classes at DigitalCrafts are intentionally kept small, with a 1:8 instructor-student ratio. This enables the instructors and teaching assistants (TAs) to provide one-on-one attention to students. The TAs—DigitalCrafts graduates themselves—are familiar with the challenges that students face, and are able to help students overcome them, thanks to their experience.

The school strives to provide the best by constantly checking its own performance. Students and instructors are given the chance to fill out official evaluations twice per cohort. There are also multiple check-ins and meetings to discuss students’ progress, on top of weekly surveys. Instructors and teaching assistants offer office hours for those in need of extra help with their coursework.

According to DigitalCrafts, the school is truly invested in students’ success. These factors, along with a proven curriculum taught by veteran instructors, might just be the key to unlocking an exciting future ahead. 

Where Can I Go After DigitalCrafts?

DigitalCrafts works to help aspiring coders get to where they want to be, usually in just months. Take Matt Raines, a DigitalCrafts alum who went from working in sales to landing his first technical role within weeks of graduation. 

Mr. Raines follows in the footsteps of his two brothers-in-law, who also graduated from DigitalCrafts, and is now a software engineer at a logistics company. In making the decision to attend a coding bootcamp, Mr. Raines said enrolling at DigitalCrafts helped him gain financial freedom for his family.

“I’ve always had a passion for programming and in tech, in general. I’ve had two brothers-in-law who went to DigitalCrafts and successfully changed careers. I was at a point in my life where I needed to make a change, to move forward. I decided this was the best choice for me and my family, so I went full speed ahead. 

“The biggest thing that we learned was how to learn. Every day, something new will come up at work. Now that I have the knowledge and experience on how to pick up new technologies quickly, I am able to apply that to my day-to-day job,” he said.

There are many career opportunities outside of software or web development that prospective students can explore. Since the courses at DigitalCrafts are designed to cover the most in-demand technologies of today like JavaScript, Node.js, Python, and more, students can expect to apply them to many technical roles that require the above.

Join DigitalCrafts Today!

Hundreds of DigitalCrafts graduates have found success in the tech sphere. The school has carefully curated its offerings to help give you the technical knowledge needed to thrive in the industry. Graduates are always welcomed to seek support from the Student Success Team when looking to venture into bigger, more advanced roles. 

“Our classrooms are full of people coming from different industries: nonprofits, finance, education, food service, you name it. Regardless of where you start, a coding bootcamp gives you the opportunity to change your career—and your life,” Ms. Cataldo from the Student Success Team said.

Check out other success stories on the school’s official website and YouTube page. If you’re interested to learn more, start your application process today.