June 17, 2022 | Career
Considerations with UX boot camps
What 20+ years in UX taught me about answering the question everyone asks.
I’ve been in UX for over 20 years. In that time, I’ve had more conversations than I can count with people asking some version of the same question:
Should I take a UX boot camp before I start applying?
My answer is always the same: it depends.
That’s not a cop-out. It’s genuinely the honest answer, and the factors that tip the decision one way or the other are worth thinking through carefully, especially before spending several thousand dollars.
When a boot camp makes sense.
Consider it if any of these are true:
- You want to move into UX but don’t have a clear picture of what the next step looks like.
- You want a solid foundation in the basics and aren’t sure which resources to trust.
- You need a structured curriculum you can reference as you’re getting started.
- You’re struggling to build a case study portfolio and need guidance on how to do that effectively.
- You don’t have the time to hunt down and vet everything you need to learn on your own.
- You’re aware that you don’t know what you don’t know, and you want to close that gap before you start interviewing.
- You have the money set aside, and the return on investment feels worth it for your situation.
Boot camps exist for people who aren’t fully confident about where to start. They fill gaps, build structure, and can give you the confidence boost that makes the difference when you’re applying for your first role.
When a boot camp probably isn’t worth it.
Skip it if any of these are true:
- You’ve decided to move into UX and you already know your next step.
- You’re coming from a design or tech role and have enough adjacent context that the basics won’t surprise you.
- You’re a self-directed learner who will actually talk to people already working in the field and get honest, current feedback about what the day-to-day looks like.
- You think most boot camp curricula are already behind the curve — and you’re probably right.
- You’re confident you can figure out portfolio development with some focused research.
- You have access to free resources and the discipline to use them.
- The cost doesn’t feel justified given what you already know and how you learn best.
In Conclusion
The decision is personal. Nobody else can make it for you based on a list.
What I will say is this: if you have the initiative to learn without a structured program, use it. Connect with people who are already doing the work. Ask them what their actual day looks like, what they wish they’d known, and what they look for when they hire. That kind of direct input is harder to find than a boot camp syllabus — and worth more.
If you don’t have that confidence yet, a boot camp can help you build it. Just go in with clear eyes about what you’re paying for and what you’ll need to do with it afterward.