Coding bootcamps use hands-on training to teach students in-demand technical skills and soft skills. These short-term, intensive training programs are becoming more common. However, it is important that once you complete your bootcamp experience you know how to write the perfect coding bootcamp resume to impress potential employers. As a coding bootcamp grad, you should know how to put coding bootcamp on your resume.
A strong resume will help you compete for the top coding gigs. A typical job description may not mention coding bootcamp as a requirement, but you must hone your technical resume to include your professional experience, transferable skills, and technical skills. You can also talk about your bootcamp experience during the interview process or add it to your cover letter.
If you want to know how to write the best coding bootcamp resume, our guide is here to help. We’ve gathered the most relevant and useful tricks and tips to get your coding resume looking its best. We give you invaluable advice on what to include and what to leave out of your resume for the best results before you dive into the tech job market.
We have also included coding bootcamp resume examples that will place you ahead of the competition. If you follow our advice, you’ll get noticed by hiring managers and will find rewarding and fulfilling programming jobs. If you want to start a career in tech, continue reading, and find out how to enhance your professional resume.
Know What to Include in Your Coding Bootcamp Resume
Resumes are funny things. They represent us to the point that they function as stand-ins when job hunting. Hiring managers only have that page or two of information about you upon which to base their decisions, and you need to make sure that they get maximum impact when they read it. Knowing which items to include and which to leave out is a crucial job-hunting skill and can determine whether you get interviews and callbacks.
While you attended coding bootcamp, you surely involved yourself in a number of software development projects. These projects help bootcamp students to get into the swing of the development cycle and allow them to develop essential technical and soft skills.
You don’t want to overload your resume by including every project though, and simple projects should not be included. Mention a project or two that include valuable contributions from you or that imparted useful lessons that you can use in your work. Collaborative projects are perfect for your coding bootcamp resume as they show off technical and soft skills. What employer doesn’t want a team player!
You don’t need to include every job you’ve ever done or any other irrelevant information. If you find your resume is lacking, you can draw relevant and transferable skills from non-tech experiences. The main takeaway is not to include countless small projects unless you want to clog up your resume and obscure the big accomplishments.
What to Include in Your Coding Bootcamp Resume
- Technical Skills. It is vital you mention the technical skills you learned at coding bootcamp. You can cater these skills to the job you are applying for. For example, focus on programming skills if you are applying for a software developer position.
- Major Collaborative Projects. Mentioning major collaborative projects on your coding bootcamp resume will highlight both your technical and soft skills, as well as your ability to complete tasks. Showing you can work as part of a team and that you successfully completed major projects will impress future employers
- Soft Skills. Ensure that you include any soft skills you learned during your bootcamp experience or from previous work experience. Soft skills include problem-solving, critical thinking, and time management.
What to Leave Out From Your Coding Bootcamp Resume
- Small Projects. While you can mention smaller projects such as simple projects or freelance projects during the interview stage, you should stick to major projects for your coding bootcamp resume. You want a functional resume that won’t overwhelm employers.
- Irrelevant Work Experience. While all work experience is valid, you should focus on work experience that is relevant to the job you are applying for. This will ensure your resume is brief and to the point.
- Bulky Education Section. Your education section should be brief and relevant. For example, don’t go into too much detail about what subjects you took in high school. Keep your most recent and relevant education at the top of the list.
Top Tips for Including a Bootcamp in Your Resume
We have come up with a list of our top five tips to help you with your coding bootcamp resume. These tips will make it easy to adapt your resume and give you the best chance of getting your dream job in tech. So, if you want to know how to put coding bootcamp on your resume then continue reading.
Adapt Your Resume for Each Job
This may seem obvious, but you should adapt and tailor your resume for every job you apply to. This can be as simple as tweaking your work experience and technical skills, or choosing items to leave in or take out. Read the job description carefully and make sure your resume highlights the necessary skills and meets the job requirements.
Strong Professional Summary
A professional summary is a brief overview of your biggest achievements and mentions your top skills. An employer might receive hundreds of job applications so it is vital you can give a brief account of why they are the perfect candidate.
Put Your Bootcamp First
Make sure you put your bootcamp at the top of your most recent experience or education section. You want employers to know you are a recent bootcamp grad. That way, they can be sure you have learned in-demand skills and are job-ready.
Bootcamp Career Services
Coding bootcamps typically have extensive career services. These include job fairs, career partners, and networking opportunities. These are ideal items to put on your coding bootcamp resume and impress potential employers.
Clear and Readable
While listing all your technical skills, education, and previous experiences is vital, you must present your resume in a clear and readable fashion. Don’t use any weird or hard-to-read fonts and use coding bootcamp resume examples to keep your format in line with typical coding bootcamp resume formats.
Add Bootcamp to Your Work Experience
When you complete coding bootcamp and start your job search in earnest, you’ll be competing against other programmers, many of whom have prior experience. You might have some work experience of some sort or another, but hiring managers need to know that you can handle coding work.
Unfortunately, employers don’t have time to hold your hand. They want peace of mind that their new employee is tested and ready to go. To make sure your resume is at its best, consider using a tool like CV Compiler (enter “Bootcamp Student” as a job title).
Because you probably won’t have paid coding work to which you can point, you’ll want to include your bootcamp in your work experience. This is a nice coding bootcamp resume double dip—the bootcamp training will appear under your education, and you’ll also get to use it as proof that you’ve done this sort of work before.
Don’t just list your coding bootcamp program, make sure you highlight your class performance and any areas in which you excelled. A few lines emphasizing your coding experience can get you in the door and interviewing.
Where to Put a Coding Bootcamp on Your Resume
There are several different places you can put a coding bootcamp on your resume. These include your professional summary, education history, and experiences. Continue reading for further information and coding bootcamp resume examples on where to put a bootcamp on your resume.
Listing a Bootcamp in Your Resume Professional Summary
Listing bootcamp experience on your resume professional summary is a great way to showcase your coding skills and experience. A resume professional summary is ideal for career changers and should be included at the top of your resume, below your contact information.
A professional summary is a quick way to highlight previous coding work experience, relevant achievements, and transferable skills. The following sample resume extract will help you put coding bootcamp into your resume professional summary.
Example of Bootcamp in a Resume Professional Summary
Ex-Sales Assistant looking to transition into web development after completing CalTech Coding Bootcamp. Developed strong communication, problem-solving, project management, and critical thinking skills as a sales assistant. Full stack development hands-on experience at coding bootcamp, including Angular, Spring Boot, and MongoDB.
Listing a Bootcamp in the Education Section of a Resume
If you have recently completed a significant and reputable coding bootcamp, you should put it in the education section of your resume. This is ideal for recent graduates who may lack work experience.
The education section of your coding bootcamp resume should start with your most recent qualification. In this section, include the name of the school, location, and a brief summary of what you learned and achieved. You can use the following example to see how to include coding bootcamp into your resume education section.
Example of Bootcamp in a Resume Education Section
Flatiron School | Cyber Security Bootcamp | Online
In-demand and real-world cyber security skills. Completed capstone project. Collaborated with fellow students to identify and solve a cyber threat simulation.
Listing a Bootcamp in the Qualifications Section of a Resume
If you have completed a short bootcamp program, have lots of coding work experience, or aren’t applying for tech-focused roles, you should list bootcamp experience on your resume qualifications section.
The qualifications section of your resume should be kept brief and to the point, and typically goes toward the end of your resume. The following example is from an entry-level programmer resume, and shows how to incorporate coding bootcamp into your resume qualifications section.
"Career Karma entered my life when I needed it most and quickly helped me match with a bootcamp. Two months after graduating, I found my dream job that aligned with my values and goals in life!"
Venus, Software Engineer at Rockbot
Example of Bootcamp in a Resume Qualifications Section
Certified Coding Specialist (2022)
Web Development Fundamentals Bootcamp, Nucamp (2021)
App Academy Open (2020)
Writing the Perfect Coding Bootcamp Resume
Coding bootcamp gives you the kind of training that hiring managers want to see, but you need to make sure you include it on your coding bootcamp resume. Where to include a coding bootcamp will depend on the job you are applying for and your work experience.
Our guide shows you how to add bootcamp to resume highlights by using relevant coding bootcamp resume examples and gives you the tools you need to land your first coding job. Now you know how to put coding bootcamp on your resume, it’s time to go out and find your dream job.
Coding Bootcamp Resume FAQ
Yes, you can get a job with a coding bootamp. Graduates will learn in-demand and real-world skills to help them apply for positions as software engineers, web developers, and data scientists to name a few. Furthermore, about 70 percent of bootcamp graduates land a job within a year of graduating, according to CIRR data.
Are coding bootcamps worth it?
Yes, coding bootcamps are worth it. Coding bootcamps teach relevant skills in a short period of time. These intensive programs are cheaper than a traditional college degree and often include a career services team as part of their training. Furthermore, coding bootcamps require no programming experience to attend.
Are coding bootcamps expensive?
Yes, coding bootcamps are expensive when you look at the up-front cost. However, most bootcamps offer flexible payment options. There are also a number of high-quality free coding bootcamps.
Should I put coding bootcamp on my resume?
Yes, you should put coding bootcamp on your resume. Even if you are not applying for a tech-specific role, you can include coding bootcamp in your resume qualifications section. Coding bootcamps teach valuable soft skills, as well as technical skills, that can be applied to a wide variety of jobs. Learning how to put coding bootcamp on your resume is a key skill to learn.
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
