Switch gets you moving forward
Switch is a service that makes it easier to move to a job in technology. Founder of Switch, Jonathan Lau, equates it as the TripAdvisor for switching careers. You simply answer eight questions, and Switch will match your preferences and skills to bootcamps, scholarships, financing, and the chance to network with employers who will likely be hiring from these groups.
This gives you access to nearly everything you would need if you are ready to switch into the tech field. Also, it gives you a good idea of which field you would be best suited towards, even if you want to do more outside research on your own before taking the plunge.
Why a bootcamp?
It is less expensive than the traditional college route, but give you a good overview of basic skills and know-how. Lau attended a bootcamp at Launch Academy, to pursue his passion for programming after receiving degrees in engineering. This bootcamp helped him secure a job with a local startup, and thus began his interest in creating Switch. A bootcamp has the potential to change your career trajectory in a matter of weeks, sometimes months, rather than years. It is also a good way to “test the water” before you take a fully immersive course load.
Switch serves up an eight-question quiz to discover your work style, which type of technology you prefer, and how you problem solves, to give you more personalized recommendations. At the end of the quiz you will receive your “cheatsheet” and see which bootcamp is best suited to your need, or if you would be better off going the less-traditional route and learning what you need through books and other resources. Switch offers courses to non-tech/coding people as well.
Finding a fit
There are other services like Switch available: BootCamper, SkilledUp, and more; so it will be interesting to see what additional services Switch offers to make a definite name for itself. As of now, the one perk I see with Switch is that ability to Skype with a mentor (coming soon) as this can really help you get a feel for the field you wish to enter. If for no other reason than curiosity, Switch could be a good first step to seeing which tech field would be a good fit for you.
