How Do I Choose the Right Program?

This is an entry in our series of FAQ articles in which we answer questions from the community. We’ve changed the names for the sake of privacy, but the things they asked haven’t been touched. So―fake names, real questions. To ask us a question, just fill in the form in our newsletter. Subscribe for the newsletter today!

Sam’s question:
Hi! I think tech is really cool, and I want to join the industry, but here's the thing: I had no idea there were so many specialties. And now I can’t decide which tech specialty to choose. Can you help me figure out the right direction for me?

TripleTen team:

That's a great question and one that's common among students of any industry. Although the people in tech have a lot in common, different specialists perform different tasks. Imagine a team that builds houses — there are masons and finishers, architects, quantity surveyors, and building inspectors. They all are builders in general. Some know a lot about reliable foundations, some about convenience for tenants, and some care about safety and cost optimization.

It's the same in tech — the back end developer writes the supporting code behind the scenes, and the front end developer thinks about the user-facing components. The QA engineer checks if everything works correctly. And the data guys — data analysts, data scientists, and business analysts — observe how it all works, find hidden correlations, and propose solutions to turn a good thing into a great one.

So, how do you get started? Here are three tips to tell you choose the right bootcamp program.

Tip #1: Review your options

Whether you’re looking to expand on skills you already have or learn a new craft, there are various programs to choose from. And even within those, there are different tracks. At TripleTen, you can choose from several specialties:

• Software engineering. Software engineers design, develop, and maintain computer software. They write code and create applications, systems, or websites. They’re who you think of when you think of someone building a mobile app or designing software for autonomous vehicles. 
• Data science. Data scientists extract insights and knowledge from large sets of complex data. They use statistical analysis, machine learning techniques, and programming skills to process and interpret data. Data scientists may work on projects like building predictive models for customer behavior, analyzing healthcare data for disease diagnosis, or optimizing algorithms for recommendation systems.

• Data analysis. Data analysts focus on examining and interpreting data to uncover patterns, trends, and meaningful insights. They collect, organize, and clean data and then analyze it using statistical methods and visualization tools. Examples of their work include conducting market research, performing customer segmentation analysis, or analyzing sales data to optimize pricing strategies.

• Quality assurance. Quality assurance (QA) engineers ensure that software and systems meet specific standards of quality and functionality. They develop and execute test plans, perform automated and manual testing, identify and report defects or bugs, and work closely with software developers to resolve issues. People in QA test a mobile app for functionality, validate the website's responsiveness across different devices, or check the accuracy of financial software calculations.

• Business intelligence. Business intelligence (BI) analysts collect and analyze data to gain insights into business operations and performance. They collect data from a number of sources, create reports and dashboards, and identify trends and patterns that can help make strategic decisions. BI analysts may, for example, analyze sales data to identify growth opportunities, evaluate the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, or predict future market trends based on historical data.

Tip #2: Look for commonalities

Start by assessing your skills, interests, and strengths. Consider the areas of tech you like best and the skills you excel in. This will help you narrow down your options and identify focuses that match your strengths and passions. 

For example, if you like to build things, connect elements together, and think through how and what will work, you'll probably enjoy software engineering. If you have a passion for assembling and connecting data pieces, analyzing their significance, and understanding how they contribute to the bigger picture, then data analysis may be a good fit for you.

Not sure where to start? Take our career quiz to figure out the perfect specialty for you!

Tip #3: Test drive a program

No one expects you to have all the answers when you’re transitioning into tech. In fact, we encourage you to learn more about all of our programs to ensure you find the right fit for you. It's hard to understand something if you don't have much experience in it. That's why we at TripleTen offer a demo sprint_{The TripleTen Demo Sprint: What It Is and How It Works} for those who are attracted to software engineering but don't quite understand what it is.

Tip #4: Ask for advice

At TripleTen, you're never alone when making decisions like choosing your specialty. You'll have an initial one-on-one session with a counselor. There, you'll define your goals to limit the chance of making the wrong choice. And throughout your whole bootcamp experience, we’re here to help.

If you’re ultimately looking for a new career, we’ve got your back. In fact, 87% of our graduates find a job within six months post-graduation, and over half of them land jobs before they even finish the program! Check out our outcome reports for more details.

What to do next?

Don't let your lack of specialized knowledge worry you — only one in eight of our graduates has a STEM background, and the rest come from non-IT fields. Connect with us to learn more about our programs, and good luck on your learning journey!