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Le Wagon Amsterdam’s Most Frequently Asked Questions
Are you wondering if a tech bootcamp is for you? Dive into Le Wagon Amsterdam's most frequently asked questions and learn more about the application process, what skills are needed for our bootcamps, our student outcomes, our financing options, and what study or work visas are available to you.
Summary
The world's leading tech bootcamp launched in the Netherlands in 2016. Since then, we've trained 500+ alumni locally, taking them through immersive trainings in web development and data, transforming their careers and giving them access to new opportunities.
We spoke to Le Wagon Amsterdam's Admissions Manager, Olivia Bichara to ask her the most frequently asked questions in the admissions process. Dive into our FAQ and get ready to jump into the world of tech!
I want to work in tech, but I'm not sure if I have the right background. Can you please tell me what skills are needed for your bootcamps?
When applying to one of our courses, it's really important that you have a good attitude and are willing to learn above all else. Being able to learn and community in English is also very important as our courses are held in English. Our alumni and students come from all sorts of backgrounds, whether they're a Pilot looking to change careers and become a FullStack Developer, or a an Architect looking to become more data oriented, we've seen it all.
For our web development course, you don't need any technical background, but we do expect that you're very motivated, you're curious to learn, and you're social and ready to work with a team. If this sounds like you then we'll be more than happy to have you on board if you pass the selection process.
For our data science bootcamp, we do require that you have some basic knowledge in programming and mathematics. You must be comfortable with data types and variables, conditions, loops, functions and data structures like arrays and dictionaries. If you know those topics in other languages than Python (like Ruby, JavaScript, C++, etc.), you have the right programming prerequisites! You must also have a minimum level in Mathematics and to be familiar with concepts covered in high school's scientific section. We need you to be comfortable with functions, their derivatives & systems of linear equations. To get up to speed, some additional preparation work will be given to you before the bootcamp start to get a refresh of all these concepts as well as more advanced knowledge on linear algebra and statistics.
Having said this, we do guide students through the pre-bootcamp process, such as learning materials, lectures, and lots of one on one support, in order to have a successful start!
What are the expected student outcomes after a bootcamp?
Luckily, you can actually download Le Wagon Amsterdam's latest student outcomes report. Here you can find the average starting salaries of our alumni, how long it took them to find their first job post-bootcamp, what companies are hiring them, what roles they're going into, and much more!
You may also be wondering about the language barrier if you're a non-native speaker. Well, Amsterdam is one of the world's most international cities, and is therefore a great place for both Dutch and non-native speakers to work. The Netherlands is even ranked first place in Europe and worldwide when it comes to the country’s English level, when compared to other non-native English speaking countries. Although speaking Dutch can be an advantage, it’s not required in many multinational and international companies.
Are you still having doubts? Have a look at our blog and hear all about the Le Wagon experience from our alumni such as Gabriel, who joined our web development bootcamp after working in e-commerce supply chain for three years. Since graduating, he began his new role as a Business Manager at Picnic Technologies, fulfilling his wishes of merging business and technology.
“Like most people, during Covid, we had been working at home for a few years and work became more about tasks to be done rather than an environment to be in. With this feeling in mind, as well as having had some experience working with the product development side of supply chain, I knew that I was ready for a career change. This was really interesting and gave me a lot of energy. With this combination of wanting to change environments and looking to gain knowledge in a new field, the bootcamp seemed like the perfect opportunity to make the change.” - Gabriel de Vuyst
Le Wagon Amsterdam Alumni
Do you offer financial support? If yes, how can I know which one I qualify for?
We offer a wide range of financing options locally. Have a look at what's available to you:
Scholarships: Apply to receive a 1,000€ discount on the total tuition fees. Limited spots for next bootcamp intakes. Eligibility: Dutch residence permit; 18+ years old; must have received an offer to join the bootcamp.
Loans:
These are traditional loans with a 0-6% interest rate, depending on your circumstances. Spread your repayments over 1 - 6 years after you finish your course. Eligibility: Dutch resident; 18+ years old; successfully pass due diligence & credit checks; must have received an offer to join the bootcamp.
Upfront - pay before you start: Pay the full balance in one go and receive a 5% discount on your tuition fees. This is the best option if you want to use your savings and minimise the overall tuition fee. Eligibility: For everyone, you must pay your entire tuition at the time of your enrolment to be eligible for the 5% discount.
Pay in monthly instalments: After paying your enrolment deposit you will be able to pay the remaining amount over the course of your studies. You will be able to pay through debit or credit card, or iDEAL. Eligibility: You must be a resident and have your debit/credit card emitted by any of the following countries: France, Belgium, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Netherlands, Luxemburg, Ireland, or Austria.
I'm not from the Netherlands, but I'm interested in doing one of the courses. Do I need a visa to study or work in the Netherlands?
Here are some resources to study or work in the Netherlands:
Are you an EU citizen? If the answer is yes, then you do not need a visa to study or work in the Netherlands.
Have you been studying in the Netherlands for the past 3 years, prior to the bootcamp? If the answer is yes, this means that you can apply for the residence permit for the orientation year.
Did you earn a Master's degree or Ph.D from a top 200 university within the last three years? You could qualify for a Dutch residence permit to look for a job as a Highly Skilled Migrant.
Are you looking to come to the Netherlands for a short stay, holiday or business visa (a maximum of 90 days)? You can enter your nationality here and find out what the requirements are and what you need.
Are you looking to start working on a self-employed basis in the Netherlands? You can enter your nationality here and find out what the requirements are to work as a freelancer and how to apply for the residence permit for a self-employed person.
I still have so many questions? Where do I start?
As mentioned before, we highly recommend booking a call with our Admissions Advisor who can walk you through the full course specifics, finance options and more. If you’d like to get a taste for the Le Wagon learning experience, we are also hosting a wide range of free webinars where you can try out basic exercises with an introduction to the world of tech.