Comparing Swiss bootcamp PowerCoders with Korean bootcamp CodeStates
My name is Chaewon Yoo, and I am currently serving as a web developer intern at Powercoders, a bootcamp program and an NGO located in Switzerland. Within this role, I am actively engaged in the Jobmate project, a job search program tailored for immigrants in Switzerland, while collaborating closely with Iterativ, a web agency in the country.
In 2023, I experienced a period of transition. With a background of six years in IT journalism and four years as a marketing manager at startups, I encountered difficulty securing employment in Switzerland. Despite submitting my resume over 200 times and participating in four interviews with Swiss companies, I remained unsuccessful. Given my desire to continue working in the IT sector, I realized that my best course of action was to pursue further education.
Since there’s a high demand for IT professionals, I decided to embark on a career in web development and began applying to bootcamp programs. In December 2022, I applied to the Powercoders program, even adjusting my wedding date in South Korea to accommodate starting the program at the end of March. However, to my disappointment, I was not selected. This setback led me to explore bootcamp programs in South Korea, my home country.
This decision led me to enroll in a six-month blockchain developer course at CodeStates in South Korea, which ran from March 6th to August 17th. In July, I reapplied to the Powercoders program. Fortunately, after facing stiff competition, I was selected among 22 participants from a pool of 280 applicants. I pursued a 3-month-long web developer course at Powercoders in Switzerland, from September 18th to December 21st. Notably, with Powercoders, I seamlessly transitioned into my internship following program completion, as the curriculum incorporates internship placement. In this narrative, I aim to juxtapose the experiences offered by these two bootcamp programs.
Course/Track
Upon enrollment at CodeStates, participants are presented with various paths to choose from, including Product Management, Marketing, Web Development, DevOps/Cloud, and iOS App Development. Opting for the Blockchain Developer course aligned with my aspirations, primarily due to its unique offering of blockchain training, a feature not commonly found in other bootcamps.
Contrarily, at Powercoders, all 22 applicants initially undergo seven weeks of comprehensive training in web development. Following this foundational phase, a career day is conducted in the seventh week, facilitating the pairing of applicants with prospective companies. Subsequently, participants select a focus track, ranging from advanced web development, data analytics, testing, cyber security, to object-oriented programming. The sequential nature of the focus track, post-company interviews, proved invaluable for me. Initially inclined towards a career in data analysis, I contemplated enrolling in a data analyst course. However, through interactions with companies during Career Day, I discerned a heightened demand for web developers in the German-speaking region of Switzerland. Notably, both companies that extended interview invitations to me were seeking candidates for web developer positions, thereby influencing my decision to pivot towards web development.
Cost
At CodeStates, as a Korean citizen, you can complete the course for free with the National Learning Card (국민내일배움카드), funded by the Korean government. Thanks to this opportunity, I was able to enroll in the most expensive blockchain developer course, valued at approximately 15 million KRW (9’700 CHF), at no cost.
For Powercoders, the training fee is 7’000 CHF, which is later reimbursed to Powercoders in the form of a donation once the graduate has started earning. Graduates are also encouraged to contribute 100 hours of voluntary work to society.
Who can apply?
For CodeStates, applicants must be South Korean citizens to be eligible for the free course with the National Learning Card.
As for Powercoders, residency in Switzerland is a requirement, irrespective of nationality, although the program primarily targets refugees, thereby enhancing their chances of selection. In my batch, consisting of 22 participants, I was the sole non-refugee among them, marking the first instance of a Korean being selected in all 17 batches of Powercoders. Our group comprised individuals from various backgrounds, including Turkish (8), Ukrainian (6), Ethiopian (2), Kyrgyz, Iranian, Venezuelan, Egyptian, Chinese Uyghur and South Korean.
To apply, one must possess one of the following permits: B permit (a residence permit), C permit (a permanent residence permit), or S permit (with a maximum validity of 1 year). It’s challenging for individuals with an F permit (Temporarily admitted refugees) to gain acceptance. A strong command of English, coupled with proficient coding skills, increases the likelihood of acceptance, although Powercoders does not exclusively seek top-tier candidates. The Powercoders team mentioned that if someone possesses substantial work experience, IT knowledge, and excellent social skills, the team believes that the individual might be able to find a job independently. Consequently, they might reject the applicant, suggesting that they try on their own first. However, if the applicant returns, demonstrating that their independent search was unsuccessful, the likelihood of being selected upon reapplication is usually quite high.
In our batch, participants hailed from diverse professions such as lawyers, teachers, engineers, pilots, with approximately seven individuals boasting prior experience as developers and data analysts. The Powercoders team evaluates applicants based on their demonstrated efforts to secure employment; individuals perceived as capable of finding employment independently may not be accepted.
Selection Process
At CodeStates, it was stipulated that participants must possess prior knowledge of JavaScript to enroll in the blockchain course. Despite lacking proficiency in JavaScript and being unable to provide answers during the test, I was still admitted to the blockchain course.
For Powercoders, the selection process is extensive and demands considerable patience. Initially, applicants are required to provide detailed explanations of their motivations and achievements over the past three years, emphasizing self-driven endeavors. Additionally, a commitment to full-time participation in the 3-month course is mandatory.
Upon passing this initial screening, applicants are tasked with creating a personal website as a coding assignment, following instructions provided via a provided link. Furthermore, a one-minute self-introduction video is to be recorded.
Subsequently, candidates undergo a comprehensive 2-hour and 30-minute Zoom session, comprising a coding test in HTML and CSS, an English proficiency test including reading and listening sections, and a 30-minute interview with Powercoders’ program manager.
Subsequently, participants undergo a preparation period, during which they craft a CV following the format provided by Powercoders. Video tutorials are shared to facilitate learning of HTML, CSS, typing practice, and English language skills. The culmination of this preparation phase involves group presentations on various IT career paths, marking the conclusion of the selection process.
Duration, Hours of Study per Day, Teaching Style
At CodeStates, the course spans over 6 months, with the final 7 weeks dedicated to project work. Daily study sessions run from 9 am to 6 pm via online Zoom. Participants access the course platform provided by CodeStates to engage with extensive study materials independently, which primarily consist of textual content. Every other day, participants collaborate with assigned partners on assignments. Additionally, instructors conduct live coding sessions at 5 pm to review learned concepts and address assignment-related challenges.
For Powercoders, the program duration is three months, with the initial seven weeks focused on foundational web development learning, followed by a career day event and a subsequent group project. The final four weeks involve a specialized focus track. Study sessions occur daily from 9 am to 5 pm. Mondays and Thursdays are designated for self-study, with approximately an hour and a half dedicated to live coding sessions for concept reinforcement and explanation of new topics.
On Tuesdays and Fridays, participants commute to Powercoders’ office in Bern to collaborate in pairs on assignments, meticulously organized to optimize offline engagement. Participants take turns as hosts each week, ensuring the upkeep of the communal space and providing refreshments. Despite the geographical diversity of participants, with some commuting up to 2 hours to the Powercoders office in Bern, the friendship is built among the participants, and offline gatherings are greatly enjoyed. Additionally, workspace is provided in smaller groups in Zurich and Lausanne on Tuesdays and Fridays. Around 4 pm, teams present their project code on a projector, field questions, and receive feedback. Powercoders also supplements learning with their comprehensive slide materials.
Mondays feature Kahoot quizzes, created by various participant groups, serving as a fun and interactive method to gauge progress.
Coding Tests During the Program
CodeStates conducts open-book exams at the conclusion of each course segment, covering Web Development Fundamentals, Web Development Advanced, and Blockchain. Scores are provided for quizzes. The coding exam is more difficult, and at the end of the day, the participants should submit their work on GitHub.
In contrast, Powercoders administers a coding exam in week 6, one week before Career Day, assessing proficiency in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Participants undertake individual coding tasks in the morning and collaborate with a partner in the afternoon to submit joint solutions.
The Projects
For the initial project at CodeStates, teams are assigned to ensure a mix of coding proficiency levels, pairing experienced participants with inexperienced ones. The task entails coding a web3 marketplace for NFTs and crypto collectibles, essentially an OpenSea clone. Similarly, the second project team is also assigned by CodeStates, with the challenge revolving around creating a social media platform and implementing a system to reward users with cryptocurrency. However, for the third project, participants are tasked with forming teams to develop a product of their choice. Due to my limited coding experience, I found it challenging to join teams led by experienced coders, thus collaborating with fellow novices. Despite being unfamiliar with backend development, I assumed the role and faced difficulties without immediate technical support. Although a mentor was available, they served solely as an evaluator, leaving me to navigate complex coding issues independently. Despite seeking assistance through AgoraStates, an online Q&A forum, and reaching out to experienced peers via Discord, delayed responses hindered progress. During the project presentation, I faced public criticism for my inability to integrate the smart contract with the backend, highlighting the frustrations of my first backend development endeavor.
Conversely, at Powercoders, the initial project involves dedicating eight weeks to a personal endeavor. The majority of participants opt for web development projects, creating websites. Notably, Powercoders provides robust support, with two Teaching Assistants offering guidance during working hours, Monday through Friday. Weekly 10–20 minute personal Zoom calls with the Teaching Assistants further ensure ongoing assistance. Leveraging this support, I successfully developed and presented a website offering Korean services, such as cooking and traveling South Korea.
The second project entails a group effort, requiring teams to autonomously form. My team utilized the Google Translator API to create a translation tool, with my responsibility encompassing CSS implementation and the addition of a login function, marking my introduction to PHP.
Lastly, the third project, a personal endeavor, aims to showcase advanced web development progress, aligning with the chosen focus track. I designed a website facilitating New Year’s resolutions planning, employing Vue.js and Pinia for date and preference indication, along with incorporating a login feature utilizing JWT tokens.
Getting an Internship
At CodeStates, they provide online-talks on job acquisition strategies, typically delivered by senior alumni who have successfully secured positions. These talks are typically scheduled 2–3 weeks after the project phase concludes. Additionally, participants undergo mock interviews and technical assessments. There’s also a job placement platform that posts open positions to CodeStates alumni. However, subsequent job placement largely relies on the applicant’s individual efforts.
Powercoders offers a distinctive advantage by actively facilitating internship placements. Their team comprises three members (two in the German-speaking region and one in the French-speaking region of Switzerland) dedicated to liaising with and securing opportunities from companies. During Career Day events, they orchestrate one-on-one interviews lasting a few minutes each, involving HR representatives, development team leaders, and other key personnel from 16 companies. It’s common for participants to engage in 7–10 interviews with companies on this day. Career Days are conducted in Zurich for the German-speaking region and Lausanne for the French-speaking region. Notably, many of these companies are globally recognized brands, which was a pleasant surprise for me. As noted in my diary entry on October 31st, during Career Day:
“Powercoders, a Swiss bootcamp program tailored for refugees, is remarkable. Today, during Career Day, I had seven-minute interviews with esteemed organizations such as the Swiss Ministry of Information and Communication, the national hospital Inselspital, Swisscom (the leading telecom company in Switzerland), On Ag (a prominent athletic shoe company holding 40% of the Swiss market share), PwC, Wyssen (a Swiss family business specializing in avalanche prevention), and Iterativ (a web agency specializing in job platform creation).
Noteworthy companies like IBM, Siemens, Roche (a renowned Swiss pharmaceutical company), Galenica (a pharmaceutical and logistics company), and KPT (a leading Swiss insurance company) also participated. It’s incredible to reflect on how, after struggling for over a year to even get my application acknowledged, I now had the opportunity to meet representatives from numerous Swiss companies, all under the prestigious Powercoders banner.”
Following Career Day, I engaged in in-depth interviews with the Swiss Ministry of Information and Communication and Iterativ, ultimately securing a six-month internship with Iterativ. It’s worth mentioning that Powercoders graduates boast a 92% success rate in securing internships and a 60% rate of signing full-time contracts upon completion of the internship period.
More Aspects of Powercoders
I want to emphasize Powercoders’ approach to candidates, not solely from an IT expertise perspective, but also regarding individuals who have the potential to improve themselves and be beneficial to Swiss organizations. Of course, three months are not enough to create an IT specialist. One of the things that Powercoders does is to prepare candidates for the Swiss job market, which has specific sensitivities unique to the country.
Powercoders team focuses on enhancing participants’ social and business skills every Wednesday for three months. This includes coaching on resume building, public speaking, and confidence building. Furthermore, participants engage in sessions on depression prevention, Swiss history and culture, and the Swiss grant system. Fun workshops are organized where candidates collaborate, discuss topics, and present in front of the class.
Powercoders also operates a job coach program, where industry professionals in Switzerland serve as mentors and coaches for participants. During a job coach matching event, participants interact with potential coaches through games and conversations, ultimately selecting their preferred coach. Personally, I was matched with a data analyst at Die Post. These coaches provide support throughout the internship period, addressing any issues and assisting participants in securing potential full-time contracts post-internship.
Additionally, Powercoders fosters a strong alumni community, with quarterly events organized by a dedicated team member. These gatherings provide opportunities for networking, job search assistance, and advice sharing among alumni. I attended an alumni meetup in Zurich, where I connected with a dozen of alumni employed at prominent companies such as UBS, SBB, and SIX, who were very friendly and were open to share their experiences.
Finally, it’s important to point out that Powercoders is an NGO. The 3-month-long coding program is possible because it receives support and funding from many Swiss companies. You can read more about the impact it’s making through this 2023 Impact Report (https://powercoders.org/impact/). Apart from Powercoders program, the company is offering Futurecoders program for teenagers, and Women Connect for immigrant women in Switzerland. Remotecoders program, a sister organization, connects African developers with Swiss companies. They focus on “Quality Education”, “Decent Work” and “Reduced Inequalities” from the Sustainable Development Goals Agenda 2030.
Graduation Ceremony
CodeStates conducts the graduation ceremony online at the final hour of the zoom session, where participants simply download a PDF of their diploma.
Powercoders elevates the experience by renting a hall for 100 people. Graduating participants can invite two guests each, including family and friends, to join in a buffet dinner celebration. Participants receive their Powercoders t-shirts and a file containing their certificates and transcripts. This ceremony provides a memorable experience, allowing participants to celebrate with loved ones and receive their certificates on stage, basking in the spotlight.
Conclusion and advice
In the case of CodeStates, if you already possess some coding knowledge, are disciplined, have a strong will, and exhibit good self-control despite the course being online, you can quickly acquire new skills. In my case, it was an online course that lasted six months, so there was no one I could turn to and ask questions when I didn’t understand something. It was a bit difficult to learn the written explanations of development language concepts. I have only once or twice solved the problems in the practice problems on my own. And since there are times when the people I’m paired with don’t respond, there was a time when I was frustrated to whom can I ask questions to. While coding “ah, this is how it works!” — such realization came to me even more when I was working on a project and later during training at Powercoders. As I watched previous batch alumni who successfully found employment through CodeStates, I thought that their will was truly amazing. Since preparing for employment after graduation is entirely up to you, you can prepare for this by completing projects well and preparing well for interviews.
Powercoders, as a boot camp program targeting refugees in Switzerland, necessitates applicants to demonstrate their immigrant status and efforts in German language acquisition and job searching within the country. (I mentioned that I had been trying to find a job for 1 year and 6 months.) While the program caters to individuals with no prior coding experience, taking online courses beforehand is advisable. I will tell you the reason later. Because the 3-month Powercoders course includes coaching and activities to improve on business skills, you can get an internship in Switzerland with a higher success rate than at CodeStates.
However, the 90% success rate mentioned by Powercoders refers to the probability of finding an internship within 9 months. Therefore, in my opinion, the probability of finding an internship within the first 3 months, that is, on the first career day, is about 60%. I want to note that this estimation is based purely on my experience in my batch. Powercoders team said they had batches where the internship rate directly after the bootcamp was a lot higher. When I look at my friends who got jobs on their first attempt, most of them had decent English skills and pretty good coding skills. So, before starting Powercoders, I hope you have already solidified your coding basics through various online courses. This is because before starting the Powercoders course, you must already write a resume and indicate whether your level of development language knowledge is basic, intermediate, or advanced. At Career Day, companies interview people who already have some level of development skills based on their resumes. Therefore, before taking the Powercoders course, I recommend that you already complete several online courses and work on at least one project to raise your development language skills to an intermediate level. If I had known how important the development language skills mentioned in this resume were, I would have ranked it higher.
Six weeks after the program started, and one week before Career Day, there is a Coding Day exam where the Powercoders coding instructor scores our coding skills. I received fairly high scores in HTML, CSS, and Javascript, while Git scored slightly lower. I thought that companies would take this report card into consideration to some extent and still regard my skills as somewhat high even though I was marked as basic on my CV. But no. Powercoders provides participants’ report cards only to companies that request them.
However, as soon as you improve your coding skills to an intermediate level, technical questions corresponding to intermediate development skills will be asked during the main interview, so you must prepare well for these. If you do not find an intern position at the first career day, you will enter the connecting program with the goal of joining the second career day. You must successfully complete this connecting program and finish the assigned tasks in order to participate in the second career day.
So here I wrap up the post comparing CodeStates and Powercoders. I express my heartfelt gratitude to the Powercoders team, batch 17 participants, CodeStates team, and blockchain engineering batch participants for their support and contribution to my journey. Good luck to those who are trying to change their careers to IT careers.