- How can I contribute to Zerocamp?
See the contributing guide here: https://github.com/Zer0Camp/.github/blob/main/profile/contributing.md
- Why is this program free?
This is a not-for-profit volunteer-run initiative by volunteers to contribute back to society and solve the unemployment and skill gap issues in tech.
- How do you plan to expand?
The Bootcamp is entirely free for students. Once a student completes the course and lands a job, they can replicate the program on their own and mentor the next batch of students. This is not mandatory and completely voluntary. Even if 50% of students completing the course give back in this manner, the potential for growth is exponential.
- Why is the curriculum open source?
Our mission is to revolutionize the tech industry by solving the skill gap and unemployment issues. We would like to see our model replicated by others and everyone is encouraged to use, modify, or distribute our resources and boot camp program.
Currently, we are working on adding weekly study modules to our curriculum GitHub repo
- What is open startup philosophy?
Open startups share their metrics and operational details (such as financials & revenues) and aim to be as transparent as possible. Zerocamp follows this philosophy so that anyone can see, improve, adapt, and replicate our modes of operation.
- Are you an alternative to X/Y bootcamp?
Zerocamp is an alternative approach to coding education.
We believe everyone has their own place and there are a number of other bootcamps with well-established curriculums, individual attention to students, and more hiring partnerships.
Zerocamp’s aim is to democratize coding education and prevent entry barriers in tech. Students can join Zerocamp without worrying about any fees or payments, the only requirement is a willingness to learn.
- Is Zerocamp a registered company
Currently, Zerocamp is not a registered company. We plan to register it as a nonprofit org within a few months.
- Do I need to pay anything once I get a job?
No, the program is fully free. Once you land a job, you may choose to give back by mentoring the next cohort of students.
- What languages/tech will I Learn?
Zerocamp curriculum will cover backend development using Python and frontend using Javascript.
- How is the program structured?
The program follows a self-study approach. We will give students a list of weekly topics to learn along with recommended resources (online courses, articles, YouTube videos, etc.). After each week, students will have a call with a mentor who will assess the learning and provide suggestions for improvement.
Daily collaborative learning - We plan to set up daily sync calls with all students in the program each day so that they can discuss their learning and grow together.
Toward the end of the program, students will work on real-world projects and will have mock interview sessions to make them job-ready.
- When will the program start?
The program will start in mid-September and will span 3-4 months.
- How many hours do I need to dedicate to this? Can I do this part-time?
The current program requires a full-time contribution from your end. Once we grow, we can plan for another version of Zerocamp which can be done part-time.
- Do you guarantee a job after completion of this course?
Though we do everything in our power to place you in a job, we cannot guarantee this. The number of open jobs at any time can be impacted by various factors.
We are actively looking to partner with tech companies to make it easier for students to land a job. Along with this, once you complete the course, you are encouraged to apply to open jobs via other career platforms. We will help you with resources to ace job searches and interviews and will provide you with mock interviews.
We (zerocamp volunteers) were involved in hiring many fresher engineers to our teams and we can assure you that we will do everything we can to elevate you as an ideal candidate for any junior roles, provided you are enthusiastic about learning tech.
- How long will be this program?
The course will require you to dedicate 3-4 months to cover the entire curriculum and build some portfolio projects. After the initial 3 months, we encourage you to start a job search and will help you by setting up interviews with our hiring partners.
- What are your qualifications to offer this program/mentorship? How do you select the learning resources?
We (zerocamp volunteers) have experience building world-class products and are aware of the essential skills we look for in junior engineers.
The curriculum is being built based on popular MOOCs, programming books, or other free courses which have been positively reviewed by students all around the globe.
- Are you a registered company? Do I get any certificate for completion?
We are currently not a registered company, so we will not be able to offer certificates. But throughout our course, we will be recommending popular online courses covering our curriculum for you to learn. Since the program is based on self-study, you can choose those resources and you will get certificates issued by the platforms offering the course after completion.
- Are there any risks associated with this? What is the worst that can happen?
Even if you complete the entire curriculum in the planned timeline of 3-4 months, the program can be considered a success only when you land a job.
Job markets and demands can change with time and there may be very few openings at times. Also, interviewing is another skill in itself. You might need to interview with multiple companies before you get selected. There can be periods of uncertainty, but we will support and encourage you to use this time to learn more, enhance your portfolio, and hold on for a little longer.
We can assure you that we will be there to support you throughout the journey.
- Is there a minimum required qualification for this?
No minimum qualification is enforced for the program. But complete dedication and willingness to learn from the ground up is required from your end.
- How is the selection process?
We are planning to intake 5-20 students in our initial batch based on the number of applications and volunteers we have. Once you submit the application form, you will hear back from us within 1-2 weeks. There may be an initial call with you to understand your expectations before we start.