IT, Dev Boot Camps Help Kick-Start Careers

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The sheer number of IT and development jobs posted on popular career sites such as Dice.com and Monster.com reflects a perennial complaint among hiring managers that there's not enough talent to fill the openings. 

That demand creates an opportunity for IT pros and developers looking to change careers or move into new areas. It could even open doors for recent graduates who are looking to gain real experience in the workforce.

But when your skills don't match the skills listed in the job description, what can you do? Educational boot camps are newer options for entry-level candidates and career changers. These programs jam the skills you need to get the job into short full-time courses to get you up to speed quickly. Many of them also offer help with job placement once the course is complete.

[What skills are hot in the IT job market? Read Big Data, Cloud Demand Drive IT Job Growth.]

IT pros who are looking to move into a different functional technology area are using such courses to add new skills they need for new opportunities. Entry-level candidates who don't have the technology background are attending such programs to add those skills, too.

For instance, an IT pro with a business analytics background might be looking to add a new level of skills to make inroads in the data science market.

To get more insight on these educational boot camps for IT and development job-seekers, we sat down with Tarlin Ray, chief operating officer of DevBootcamp, in this InformationWeek podcast.

Ray told us about this growing educational segment, its origins, and why it has gained so much attention in the past few years. We talked about who attends these boot camps, what they cost, why they are attracting so many students, and the job prospects for graduates.