How To Convince Your Parents To Let You Study At A Coding Bootcamp

So, you want to attend a coding bootcamp instead of pursuing a more traditional option, like a university degree. Broaching the subject with your parents can be tricky. That’s why we created this helpful guide to persuading your parents to support your decision. 

The demand for developers is on the rise

There is an increasing demand for skilled developers in South Africa and globally. Here’s the problem: there just aren’t enough developers to keep up with demand. Enter CodeSpace. 

CodeSpace is one of many global coding institutions that directly address the skills shortage in the tech industry by providing unaccredited, industry-focused training in the form of a six-month to 1 year coding program (AKA a bootcamp). 

Traditional accreditations have not kept up with the requirements of the tech industry. As a result, global tech companies favour candidates with demonstrable development skills over formal qualifications. Tech giants like Apple, Google, and IBM no longer require a degree for a candidate to land a job, proving that accreditation no longer equals employability.

TL;DR: You’re learning in-demand software development skills that the tech industry needs.

A more cost-efficient option

Computer Science degrees require 3 to 4 years of studies and hundreds of thousands of rands in university fees. But by attending a coding bootcamp like CodeSpace, you can go from having zero coding skills to entering the tech industry as a junior developer in as little as six months. By lowering the time and cost spent learning to code while ensuring that you learn exactly what the industry requires, CodeSpace offers a better value coding education.

TL;DR: A bootcamp is more time-efficient and cost-efficient. So you can start your tech career sooner, and your parents can pay less. 

Countless coding career opportunities

When you learn how to code, you unlock access to a whole new world of lucrative career opportunities. Software developers command excellent salaries with exponential growth potential. In a recent report, South Africa’s highest-paying jobs include:

• Software Developers/Engineers
• Pilots
• Lawyers
• Chartered Accountants
• Actuarial Scientists
• Medical Specialists

Most of these jobs require many years of specialised studies and therefore have a massive barrier to entry. However, by dedicating six months to a year of hard work learning to code through CodeSpace, you can gain the skills to land your first job as a developer in the tech industry. 

TL;DR: You can earn the big bucks when you have coding skills. 

Landing a job once you graduate

At CodeSpace, our core purpose is to provide access to high-growth employment opportunities in the tech industry, and we have a 91% graduate employment rate to prove it. 

Our graduates work in some of the most exciting tech companies in the industry, and their earnings increase exponentially over the first three years of their careers. Our ultimate goal is to see our graduates thriving in their jobs, earning well, and learning something new all the time.

We expect our graduates to play an active role in shaping their early careers, so we don’t offer guaranteed job placements. 

As a CodeSpace student, we help you create a code portfolio to demonstrate your skills to future employers and empower you to excel in your first interviews through our career coaching program. Once you’ve graduated, we’ll add you to our employment database shared with top tech companies in South Africa. 

Every CodeSpace graduate receives continued support over the first 1000 days of their tech career.

TL;DR: You’ll get the support and skills you need to land your first job in tech. 

Commitment and passion

One of the biggest fears parents have when it comes to non-traditional education, like bootcamps or online coding courses, is that you’ll quit when the going gets tough. To prove you have what it takes, demonstrate your commitment. Take a free online coding course and show them your certificate at the end of it, or start working on your own coding project. Once they see you’re passionate and diligently putting in the work, they’ll be able to get behind your decision. 

TL;DR: Prove that you’re committed to learning to code by doing self-learning before you start a bootcamp. 

Research and resources for your parents

Be open to hearing what your parents have to say and be prepared to answer their questions. It is totally normal for them to have reservations. Do your research and have resources ready to share with them explaining the benefits behind a coding bootcamp. 

Here are some helpful resources you can share with your parents:

• The pros and cons of a degree vs. a certificate. 
• How to start a career in tech.
• Salary expectations in tech.
• More about CodeSpace.

TL;DR: Do your research and share informative resources with your parents. 

How to convince your parents to let you study at CodeSpace

1. Highlight the high demand for skilled developers and that CodeSpace provides the practical coding and career skills the industry needs.
2. Share about the cost-effectiveness of coding bootcamps.
3. Emphasise the wide range of high-paying career opportunities for someone who can code. 
4. Tell them how CodeSpace prepares you to land your first job in tech with a code portfolio and career coaching. 
5. Prove that you’re committed by doing self-learning. 
6. Do your research and provide your parents with informative resources to answer their questions. 

Convinced your parents yet? Sign up to learn to code in 2024.