Since Suncoast Developers Guild (SDG) opened the doors to our campus in July 2018, we have strived to push ourselves and our students to put in every effort required to be remarkable. SDG is proud to have graduated 100 students over these past two years, but that doesn't give us a reason to sit back and relax. If anything, knowing we have helped 100 graduates enter the tech community provides us with a purpose to keep pushing ourselves.

While on-campus instruction has been put on hold, SDG, guided by its core values, quickly shifted to on-line instruction to continue to offer a high level of education to prepare their students to enter the tech community over the next few months.

Right now, we are all experiencing something very new and, frankly, kind of terrifying. We want to keep you informed about the steps that we are taking to help protect our students and the community.

From LinkedIn to resumes and how to follow up after an interview, this blog includes a tech career checklist that will help you during your job search as a web developer.

Do you ever stop and wonder what are some things that make great web developers tick? We've developed a quick list of seven things great developers do habitually. Which one resonates with you the most?

We teach people how to be successful as web developers. Part of that means guiding you through the job searching process and the soft skills needed to get (and stay) hired. Last week, we had Erica Woods from Apex Systems come in and talk with the students about how to decode job descriptions. Keep reading for a few takeaways.

Core Instructor Mark Dewey covers major changes in our boot camp's curriculum and why we're making them happen. Keep reading to find out how this will affect the future developers in our community.

Mentoring is the best way to help a junior developer grow their skills, become excellent employees, and in return, grow with your business. As the senior developer or employer, it's up to you to establish the mentoring relationship. Here's are a few ways to be a great software developer mentor...

Meet Corey Grandmaison. He went through both our part-time and full-time program, but making the decision wasn't easy by any means. Within this blog, he walks through how he was feeling before taking the leap and the major role that Demo Day made in his decision. Read here to discover four benefits you can receive from attending Demo Day as a prospective student.

Part of being a software engineer is being a forever student. Once you've graduated code school, how do you keep up to date and continue your learning? We've collected a list of senior developers' favorite code podcasts, blogs, and websites to keep their skills current. Keep reading to discover...

New year, new job? We'll help get you there. Here are three things you can do today to help get discovered on LinkedIn and ultimately, land a job.

Looking for a job? This week, we've pulled 15 full-stack developer jobs in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area. Read to see discover what opportunities are available...

Local employers, this one's for you. Tons of companies are hesitant about hiring junior developers. We were able to talk with Jason Fraley, the managing director of engineering for Kin, to unpack why he's not hesitant to hire SDG grads and also why he's been such a strong supporter of what we're doing.

Ever wondered what the day-to-day life in our coding bootcamp is really like? Or maybe you're worried about the job search once your graduate the program? Joe Baranski, Cohort XIV grad, covers the good, bad, and ugly within this guest blog. Keep reading if you're looking for something candid.

We didn't build an exhaustive list of all the command lines that there is to know. This is specifically for people who are just getting started as programmers and starting from scratch. This blog is meant to introduce you to the command line, why it's important to learn, and a few command lines to help you get started with practicing.

Code schools offer unique opportunities and growth for both the workforce and employers. As a business owner, supporting your local code school means supporting the upskilling of professionals, scaling your business, and more invested employees who are willing to stick with you in the long run.

Hackernoon uncovers the essential skills, technologies, and languages. This blog covers everything from front-end, back-end, full-stack, technical languages, methods, and much more. Keep reading to brush up on the latest so you can get ahead.

St. Pete Catalyst talks about the growing skills gap in Tampa Bay. Ten percent of all tech jobs are vacant and this gap continues to grow. It's time for new ideas and approaches.

Meet three professionals who felt unhappy and unfulfilled with their current careers. But they didn't let it end there. Learn about their journey of taking responsibility for their future, dedicating three months of their lives, and jumping into the tech industry as full-stack web developers.

St. Pete Catalyst covered our One Million Cups presentation where we talked about current pain points of the workforce. Discover how we're tackling them in this blog.

Whether you're a recruiter, a prospective student, or local individual looking to get involved in the tech scene, Demo Day has something for you. See how you can further your own career or company growth while getting involved with the the local tech community Mark your calendar for October 18th at 2 PM. See you there!

As the largest one-day technology event in Florida with more than 1000 attendees, Barcamp offers much more than just five benefits to you or your company for attending, but we had to keep this blog short. So here's what you or your company can actually gain from attending and participating in Barcamp on October 5th, 2019. Spoiler alert: we're giving away a free part-time class at this event!

Technology moves fast. It seems like it's changing every minute. So if you're someone who works in the digital industry, it's essential to keep your skills up to date if you want to be a valuable employee or business owner. Here are five things you can do when you feel like you're falling behind.

We're working to narrow the gap between the skills companies need and the actual skills that the workforce has in order to boost the tech industry as well as the overall economy. How do we do this? We partner with local companies to provide specialized corporate training and a curriculum that caters specifically to their needs. We interviewed Chief Technology Officer of Clarity Services (a part of Experian), Jim James, and gained insight on why Experian paid for employees and community members to go through our code boot camp.

John Callaway, Microsoft MVP and Suncoast Developers Guild Advisory Board Member, talks about what this academy means to him and the mark it's made on the tech industry.

With such a skyrocketing demand for web developers, the opportunities that are available to people who know how to code are astonishing and there's no sign of the demand slowing down. But we get it... It can be intimidating to dive into web development especially if you have zero experience in tech. It's important to remember that it's not out of reach. You could even get started today. The first step is tossing out your excuses and setting your mind to being determined to learn.

College focuses on the theory behind writing code, but doesn't typically teach students how to apply their learning outside of the classroom. So, if college isn't the recommended route for aspiring web developers then what is? Continue reading to discover what Jody Haneke, President of Haneke Design, suggests as potentially cheaper and more efficient routes to get you to your dream web development career.

What happens when Tampa Bay's tech talent isn't up to par with what local companies need in order to thrive? How are we collaborating with other organizations in order to empower people to "get a slice of the tech pie"? Discover the role we're playing within this blog as well as a feature on our President and Alum.

Traditionally, Florida has been known for its golf courses and theme parks. Now, it's evolved into an ideal place for startups and tech companies. How did this transformation happen? Who was responsible and what can we expect next for our small tech hub? In this blog, we interview Suncoast Developers Guild President Toni Warren and gain insight on all things Tampa Bay tech.

Burned out of Silicon Valley? As a web developer, you're not limited to living in the major traditional tech hubs. There are plenty of cities that are often overlooked that will make your paycheck go much further and provide an amazing quality of life outside of work as well. Keep reading to discover our top picks for cities to live in as a web developer.

Are you a React developer searching for work? Check out these 15 job openings from companies across the Tampa Bay area.

Suncoast Developers Guild Instructor Mark Dewey discusses what React is, the benefits of learning it, and why it's utilized by so many companies from Netflix to Spotify and even small companies, too. In this blog, you'll discover how learning React ensures job stability and success in the long run.

Celebrating one year of Suncoast Developers Guild and the community for making it happen! Throughout the year, we've had numerous wins and just as many learning opportunities. Here's why we're celebrating and what we've learned in a single year of operating the only immersive code school in Tampa Bay. Cheers to many more years and most importantly, to YOU for making it all possible!

The benefits of producing tech talent extends well beyond just creating new developers for recruiting companies. The growth of technology and the talent supporting it boosts opportunities and innovation to stimulate the overall economy. Here is how Suncoast Developers Guild is making a meaningful change to the technology scene in Tampa Bay.

The bottom line is that a full-time code bootcamp offers benefits that you could never get from learning online. It all depends on your own goals, but if you're in a career that you're unhappy with, attending code school will help speed up the entire career shift process while making sure you're nailing all of the essential concepts and establishing a solid foundation to be a killer developer.

Good news! The days of sitting in a classroom and thinking, "When am I ever going to use this in real life?" are over. Having a dynamic and responsive curriculum allows us to properly prepare students and directly cater to the needs of companies who are seeking new web development talent. Read more to learn about the real impact of a flexible, updated curriculum.

Have you discovered that you no longer have an interest or passion in your current career? You're not stuck. Making a career shift may seem daunting, but it's possible. In fact, here are three alumni who did it successfully.

Hailing from various professional backgrounds, we talked to four alumni about shifting professions and getting their coding career rolling. Read about how Suncoast Developers Guild graduates made successful transitions into the web development world.

Are you a web developer looking for a job this summer? Check out these 30 employment opportunities from St. Petersburg and Tampa, Florida tech companies.

A note from Daniel James Scott, the Executive Director of Tampa Bay Tech, about why it's such an exciting time to be a web developer in the Tampa Bay area. The industry is not only thriving but is also one of the most active, diverse, and inclusive tech hubs in the nation. Scott also reveal the mosts important soft skills to have in order to stand out in an industry with such rapid growth.

Discover the advantages and disadvantages of learning web development in-person versus through online courses and resources. Diving into code is a major decision that demands an investment of both your time and money. Before making any commitments, we aim to make sure you’re well informed so that you can make the best choice.

It's not enough just to make the decision of attending code bootcamp. Now, you have to decide whether you want to dive into the immersive full-time program or if you'd like to brush your skills up in our brand new part-time courses. This blog will compare the two and help you determine which is best for you and your needs.

With three weeks left to go in the program, Jason Rocha (Alumni from Cohort X) covered some of the potential struggles and solutions that may come with being in an immersive code bootcamp.

Chris Packett, who is now an SDG Alumni and Developer for Proforma, shares a firsthand account of what life is really like when attending SDG's coding bootcamp. Follow Chris from 7 AM to 5 PM for a full day of stand-ups, Code Wars, and of course, coffee.

We're so excited to announce that we now offer part-time courses! The courses begin the week of March 16th and not only cover web development but also user experience and digital marketing. This blog will help you get to know our new instructors and what they're most excited about going into the new classes.

It's never too late to learn a new skill and coding is no exception. Many dwell only on the disadvantages of learning to code at an older age and they fail to think about all of the advantages that it has. The experience and knowledge that you have built will actually help you and possibly put you ahead of the curve when you start your journey to becoming a developer.

Recent SDG Graduate, Dylan Attal, gives a concise overview on how to create a database on Structured Query Language (SQL). Not only does his blog serve as a detailed walk through on how well known sites (such as IMDb) store data on movies, but it also gives a glimpse into his learning and training throughout his time at SDG.

From mathematic and writing skills to organizational and perserverance, learning to code teaches children lessons that go way beyond what traditional curriculum teaches. Additionally, the skills they will learn through programming will stay with them throughout their entire life and be especially useful for their future in the workforce.

With the demand for developers booming, it introduces a gap in the workforce. It is difficult for companies to find enough people to build their technical teams with enough power and skills that are neccessary for growth. Learn about how SDG's coding school education model and partnership with Proforma resulted in a tailored course and developers who were ready to contribute from day one.

As an educational institute, there are many issues we have had to take into consideration. One of the major concerns for the Academy at SDG focused on whether to accredit or not. Denise Roane uncovers why SDG decided to stay community focused and not pursue accreditation.

Being involved in a code school can provide learning and growing that extends well beyond coding. From real-world problem solving to the importance of community to networking, SDG covers it all. Team member, Lauren Mabra, shares her experience and insight at SDG thus far.

Women in tech is a movement that isn't as widely discussed as others, but it's still a huge deal. From Grace Hopper to Dorothy Vaughan, it's evident that the computer science industry was dominated by women up until very recently. Denise Roane provides insight on what drove this change.

SDG took the non-profit route in order to provide a service to the community but also include the community. Our alumni and advisory board are part of that community and SDG rely heavily on their participation. Their participation is what will help keep the program and the community moving forward, improving the education provided and sending talented new developers into the workforce.

At SDG, we are training folks to become junior developer ready in 12 weeks. That is no easy task. After several iterations, the instructional staff, supported by the community, have determined that a "full-stack" developer curriculum produces pretty solid results.

Open source software typically builds upon the efforts of others and extends it. This is our goal for our curriculum. As we continue to develop our curriculum we will be inviting our alumni, local community, and community at large to contribute. We are excited to share our lessons, assignments, and approach with the community and look forward to your contributions.

When our team first decided to launch our school in Tampa Bay it was absolutely paramount that we operate it as a not-for-profit. Our CEO, Jason L Perry, talks about why.

It has been a year since The Iron Yard, the largest national coding school and boot camp, announced it was ceasing all operations and shutting down fifteen campuses nationwide. At the time our campus in Tampa Bay had the highest enrollment and job placement and was operating successfully with a team of seven employees and ~150 alumni. Although the announcement took us by somewhat of a surprise, the code school industry is still emerging and navigating the path to a successful model.