Latest / The Career Change Podcast with Fexingo: Switching Fields, Bootcamps, and Reskilling / How Bootcamp Grads Can Land Government Tech Jobs
Transcript
- Lucas: So here's a stat I came across this week: the U.S. federal government spends over $100 billion annually on IT, and a significant chunk of that goes to contractors. But in the last decade, agencies have started building their own internal digital teams — and they're hiring bootcamp grads. Luna: Wait — the government actually hires people without computer science degrees? I thought they were all about the four-year degree requirement. Lucas: That's the old stereotype, and for many roles it's still true. But there are specific programs — the U.S. Digital Service, 18F within the General Services Administration, and a handful of agency-specific innovation labs — that explicitly prioritize skill over credentials. USDS was founded after the Healthcare.gov fiasco to bring in top tech talent, and they've hired bootcamp grads. Luna: So if I'm a bootcamp grad listening right now, where do I even start looking? USAJobs is a black hole for most people. Lucas: You're right — USAJobs is notoriously tough to navigate. But for these civic tech roles, the path is different. 18F hires through a more streamlined process — you apply via their website, not USAJobs. They look at your portfolio, your GitHub, your ability to communicate. The interview is less about whiteboard algorithms and more about pair programming and a work-sample test. Luna: That's reassuring. So what kind of projects should a bootcamp grad highlight to catch their attention? Lucas: Anything that shows user-centered design and impact. If you built a tool for a nonprofit that helps people apply for food stamps, or a dashboard that visualizes city budget data — that's gold. Government tech is all about accessibility, security, and making things simple for the end user. If your bootcamp project was a weather app, maybe reframe it around civic usability. Luna: And the pay? I've heard government salaries are lower, but maybe there's a trade-off in stability. Lucas: For entry-level, think $70,000 to $90,000 depending on location and agency. That's competitive with many startups once you factor in the pension, the loan forgiveness programs, and the fact that you're not going to get laid off in the next downturn. Plus, some roles offer student loan repayment as a benefit — huge for bootcamp grads who took out income-share agreements or loans. Luna: That's a big deal. What about the culture? Isn't government tech famously slow and bureaucratic? Lucas: It can be, but the teams we're talking about — USDS, 18F, the new Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency teams — operate more like startups within the government. They use agile, they ship quickly, they have modern toolchains. You'll still deal with procurement and compliance, but the mission-driven aspect makes up for it. You're building things that affect millions of people. Luna: So the trade-off is less equity upside, but more purpose and stability. For someone mid-career looking to pivot, that could be really attractive. Lucas: Exactly. And here's a concrete number: in 2022, the Technology Transformation Services at GSA hired about 30 percent of their tech staff from non-traditional backgrounds, including bootcamps. That's not an outlier — it's a pattern. Agencies are competing with private sector for talent, so they're dropping degree requirements. Luna: What about state and local government? Is that a similar story? Lucas: More fragmented, but yes — cities like Boston, San Francisco, and Austin have digital services teams that follow the same model. The Code for America brigade network also helps connect volunteers to local gov projects, which can turn into jobs. One thing I'd recommend: search for 'digital service' plus your city or state, or look at the U.S. Digital Response — they match tech volunteers with government needs. Luna: So a bootcamp grad could start by contributing to an open-source civic project, build a relationship, and then apply when a position opens. That's smart. Lucas: Exactly. And the security clearance thing — some roles require it, but many don't. The ones that do can actually be a plus because fewer people are eligible, so competition is lower. If you're a bootcamp grad with clean background, you might have an edge. Luna: That's a really underappreciated angle. Let's talk about the actual application process — what's different from a typical tech company? Lucas: For the specialized teams, you'll submit a cover letter that's more mission-focused — explain why you want to serve the public. Then you'll do a skills assessment: maybe a take-home project that mirrors a real government problem, like building a simple form that meets Section 508 accessibility standards. Then a panel interview where they ask about your approach to user research and iterative development. Luna: No LeetCode hard problems? Lucas: No. They care that you can write clean, maintainable code, but they're more interested in how you solve problems and work with stakeholders. The hiring manager at 18F once told me they'd rather hire someone who can explain a concept to a non-technical product owner than someone who can invert a binary tree in their sleep. Luna: That sounds almost designed for bootcamp grads, who are used to explaining technical concepts to career changers. Lucas: It is. And one more thing: the timeline. Government hiring can take three to six months, sometimes longer. You have to be patient. But if you're currently working a non-tech job and doing a bootcamp part-time, that timeline might actually align well with your transition. Luna: And once you're in, what's the career progression look like? Can you move up without a degree? Lucas: Within the digital service teams, yes — they have career ladders based on competency, not degrees. You can go from junior developer to tech lead to managing a team. Some people later move to the private sector with that experience and command higher salaries because they've worked on high-stakes, high-scale systems. Luna: So it's not a dead-end — it's a launchpad. That's a powerful message for anyone worried that a bootcamp might lock them out of certain tracks. Lucas: Exactly. And, you know, it's funny — we talk a lot about startups and big tech on this show, but government tech is this quiet alternative that checks a lot of boxes: stability, purpose, good pay, and a hiring process that values what bootcamps actually teach. Luna: I wish I'd known about this when I was making my own career change. It would have saved me a lot of anxiety about not having a CS degree. Lucas: Same here. And on that note — if this episode helps even one listener think differently about where they could take their skills, that's exactly why we do this. We keep the show ad-free because a small group of listeners supports us directly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's not a big ask, just a quiet acknowledgment that this kind of deep-dive content takes time to research and produce. Luna: Yeah, and we appreciate every single person who chips in. It lets us cover niches like government tech without worrying about clicks or sponsors. So thank you. Lucas: Alright — back to the concrete steps. One resource I want to highlight: the Presidential Innovation Fellows program. It pairs technologists with federal agencies for a year-long fellowship. They've accepted bootcamp grads. The application period opens in the fall, so now is the time to prepare a portfolio piece that demonstrates civic impact. Luna: So if someone listening wants to get started today, what's the one thing they should do? Lucas: Go to GitHub and search for 'Code for America' or 'Hack for LA' — find an active project, make a small contribution, and document it. Then use that experience in your application. It's the single best way to prove you understand the government tech mindset. Luna: And follow USDS and 18F on social media — they often post about hiring events and webinars. That's how you get the inside track. Lucas: Good point. I'll drop links in the show notes — though of course our listeners know to find us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo for those extras. Next episode we're tackling something completely different: how to negotiate a job offer when you're coming from a non-traditional background. You won't want to miss it.