Main image of article Tough Bootcamp Teaches Ruby on Rails

Ruby on Rails is among the most sought after tech skills, so developers are looking for ways to get up to speed fast. That’s why Shereef Bishay started Dev Bootcamp, a hardcore ten-week program based in San Francisco that invites developers at all levels of experience to dive in and swim through more than 400 hours of intense training. The cost: a whopping $12,200, with a $1,000 discount for early signup. (Contrast that with a popular six-week, $2,800 course taught at New York’s General Assembly last year, which is now available online.) Have you considered getting involved with Ruby on Rails? Share your thoughts below.  The goal, as Bishay told TechCrunch, is to create developers who are ready to work by the time the program ends. In fact, the first Dev Bootcamp session, which ended on March 30, culminated with a mini job fair with more than 30 employers in attendance. If that already sounds great, and you’re ready to sign up, be warned that not just anyone makes the cut for admission. As TechCrunch explains:

Of the approximately 200 applications that Dev Bootcamp received for its first session, 20 were chosen to participate in the program, who ranged from teenagers to those in their 40s. As to the selection process, Bishay weeds through the applications submitted and arranges Skype interviews with the applicants to get a sense of how passionate they are, how ready to learn — and whether or not they’re willing to submit themselves to 2.5 months of cramming technical knowledge in between their ears.

But it may be worth the effort. Of the 17 developers that were ready to go to work at the end of the first session, 14 secured job offers with an average salary of $79,000. Bishay receives a finder’s fee for each hire, and he puts the money back into the program while also reimbursing the student with a $5,000 tuition refund. With an 88 percent success rate, the second session of Dev Bootcamp, which runs from June 11 to August 17, is full. Yet applications for the Fall session (October 1st to December 7th), are currently open. The class has since been expanded to 40 students so chances are better that if you're prepared to make this huge investment, you'll get the opportunity to achieve your Ruby on Rails goal. Related articles: