There is a constant debate in the UX community around whether boot camps are a good use of time and money to become a qualified UX designer. I see valid arguments on both sides of this conversation, so I decided to create a list of benefits and downsides of enrolling in the General Assembly (GA) User Experience Design Immersive (UXDI) course.
Ť这里是在UX社区恒定辩论训练营周围是否有良好的使用时间和金钱成为一名合格的设计师UX。 我在这次对话的两边都看到了有效的论据，因此我决定创建一份清单，介绍参加“大会(GA)用户体验设计浸入式(UXDI)”课程的好处和缺点。
I never attended UXDI or any boot camp for that matter, so I did this for my own curiosity. In my quest for answers, I called upon four friends who’ve taken the course at General Assembly to provide me with better insight into whether it’s a worthwhile investment or not.
我从来没有参加过UXDI或任何新手训练营，因此我出于好奇而这么做。 在寻求答案的过程中，我拜访了参加过联大课程的四个朋友，以使我能够更好地了解这是否值得投资。
My attempt to offer a clear picture led me to chat with two GA graduates, Scott and Dayna, and two students who were attending GA at the time of us chatting, Elyza, and Amanda.
我试图提供清晰的图片，使我与两名GA毕业生Scott和Dayna聊天，以及我们聊天时正在参加GA的两名学生Elyza和Amanda聊天。
Although I only met with students of GA, I believe this list applies to the majority of UX boot camps that I’ve seen.
尽管我只见过GA的学生，但我相信该列表适用于我所见过的大多数UX新手训练营。
•优点• (• Pros •)
1.承担责任有助于您完成工作 (1. Being held accountable helps you get shit done)
Elyza, a student in the current cohort at GA mentioned that “the structure is great — to have some someone tell you once a week for ten weeks to work on your resume, do your LinkedIn, apply for jobs, go to networking events, here’s what you should be saying if you get an interview… whereas if I was trying to do this on my own, it would be very easy for me to be like, ah, next week.”
埃利扎(Elyza)是目前在GA的同班同学，他说：“结构很棒-有人每周十周告诉你一次，来写简历，做LinkedIn，申请工作，参加社交活动，这是如果要接受采访，你应该说些什么……而如果我想独自一人去做，下周，我很容易变得像啊。”
Everyone can benefit from accountability and encouragement from peers, especially when breaking into an unfamiliar profession. The alternative is learning these skills on your own through reading, online courses, personal projects, etc. When you’re in a cohort of eager newcomers, it’s often easier to stay motivated as a group since you’re all on the same mission of becoming designers.
每个人都可以从同仁的责任心和鼓励中受益，特别是在涉足不熟悉的行业时。 另一种方法是通过阅读，在线课程，个人项目等来自己学习这些技能。当您渴望新手时，通常会更容易保持团队合作的动力，因为您都在执行相同的任务成为设计师。
Not only will you be accountable to yourself but also to your group members and clients that GA brings in for the final project. When you’re part of a team with a shared goal, you have more to lose than merely your investment in the course. If you find that you work well under pressure and collaborating with team members, then boot camp could be a fit for you.
您不仅要对自己负责，而且还要对GA为最终项目带来的团队成员和客户负责。 当您是一个拥有共同目标的团队的一员时，您损失的不仅仅是在课程中的投资。 如果您发现自己在压力下工作得很好并且与团队成员合作，那么新手训练营可能适合您。
GA provides the foundation to promote the collaborative aspects of design as well as establish the skills essential to working on a team.
GA为促进设计的协作方面以及建立团队合作必不可少的技能奠定了基础。
2.结构和教室环境 (2. Structure and classroom environment)
When beginners sit down to learn UX for the first time, they’re inundated with overwhelming jargon, programs, skills, resources, etc. Boot camp provides a starting point for someone who’s not sure what they don’t know or need to know to become a UX designer.
当初学者第一次坐下来学习UX时，他们会被大量的行话，程序，技能，资源等所淹没。新手训练营为那些不确定他们不知道或需要知道什么的人提供了一个起点。成为用户体验设计师。
A classroom environment with a set agenda and a 10-week curriculum provides a structure that makes learning UX more approachable.
具有固定议程和10周课程的教室环境提供了一种结构，使学习UX更容易上手。
GA also has an attendance requirement — “to be able to put it on the resume that you graduated, you have to attend X number of classes,” Elyza pointed out.
GA也有出勤要求-“要把它放到毕业的简历上，您必须参加X班课程，” Elyza指出。
3.被批评并告诉你不知道的事 (3. Being critiqued and told what you don’t know)
A critical skill in UX design is the ability to empathize and understand the perspectives and opinions of others.
UX设计的一项关键技能是能够移情和理解他人的观点和意见的能力。
You have to be receptive to feedback given by teammates, managers, clients, and users as well as confident with providing useful feedback to others.
您必须接受队友，经理，客户和用户的反馈，并有信心向他人提供有用的反馈。
Being frequently critiqued by other students, and the teacher gives boot camp graduates an advantage because they’ll be more seasoned with receiving and providing different forms of feedback.
教师经常受到其他学生的批评，这给新兵训练营的毕业生带来了好处，因为他们会更适应接收和提供不同形式的反馈。
EL Fox, a UX designer, and GA graduate, provided her perspective on receiving feedback in her article: “After the class completes each portfolio project, students present their work for feedback and critique. My instructors coached students to tell a compelling story about the evolution of their designs and to stay open to feedback. This turned out to be great interview prep, at least for portfolio reviews.”
UX设计师，GA毕业生EL Fox提出了自己的观点，她在文章中表示 ：“在课堂上完成每个作品集项目后，学生们将发表自己的作品以征求反馈和批评。 我的导师指导学生讲讲有关其设计演变的引人入胜的故事，并保持开放态度以接受反馈。 事实证明，这是进行面试的绝佳准备，至少对于投资组合评论而言如此。”
4.网络和社区 (4. Networking and community)
During my interview with the attendees of GA, they brought up multiple times that GA helps build a solid foundation for networking opportunities.
在我采访通用航空参与者的过程中，他们多次提出通用航空可帮助建立交流机会的坚实基础。
At GA, students are connecting with other classmates, building relationships with companies that GA has partnered with, and attending networking events together.
在GA，学生与其他同学建立联系，与与GA合作的公司建立关系，并一起参加社交活动。
Dayna mentioned that she’d taken an online class with Codecademy and had a much harder time due to the lack of social environment. “I felt very supported in person and enjoyed the community aspect — I think that the way to get hired in Denver is networking, and this is the start of that network,” Dayna said.
Dayna提到她曾在Codecademy上过在线课程，但由于缺乏社交环境，她的生活更加艰难。 Dayna说：“我感到很亲切，也很享受社区的生活-我认为在丹佛的录用方式是网络化，这是该网络的开始。”
Most companies offer generous referral bonuses and incentives, so it makes sense to be out networking and to follow up with those connections to land a job.
大多数公司都提供慷慨的推荐奖金和激励措施，因此与人建立联系并跟进这些联系以找到工作是很有意义的。
GA can help you get started with networking and ease you into something that can often be daunting to tackle on your own. If building a network and finding people who are like-minded to you is something that sounds exciting, then GA can be an ample starting point, but if networking isn’t for you, then I wouldn’t be too hard on yourself.
Google Analytics(分析)可以协助您开始建立网路，并让您轻松解决通常难以独自解决的问题。 如果建立网络并找到志趣相投的人听起来很令人兴奋，那么GA可以作为一个很好的起点，但是如果网络不适合您，那么我对自己也不会太在意。
Having UX abilities and being a master of your craft will pull more weight in the tech industry than merely meeting someone who is hiring at a networking event.
拥有UX能力并精通您的手艺，不仅会遇到在社交活动中招聘人员，还会给技术行业带来更大的影响。
5.辅导和指导 (5. Coaching and mentorship)
Having a mentor is the difference between ‘I’m gonna do this thing’ and ‘let’s do this thing.’ A mentor can be instrumental in providing a less obstructed view of the bumpy road ahead, making the navigation to your destination much more manageable.
有导师是“我要去做这件事”和“让我们去做这件事”之间的区别。 导师可以帮助您更好地阻挡前方崎road不平的道路，从而更加轻松地导航到您的目的地。
A good mentor can help build the confidence to overcome the inherent imposter syndrome that might accompany a newcomer charting into new territory.
一个好的指导者可以帮助建立信心，克服可能伴随着新移民进入新领域的固有冒名顶替综合症。
Your career coach will be your accountability partner who will help you set goals, make a plan for success, and stay on track with your job search.
您的职业教练将是您的责任合作伙伴，它将帮助您设定目标，制定成功计划并在寻找工作时保持步入正轨。
When I asked Elyza about coaching at GA, she said, “you’re signing up not just for the course but for two de facto mentors for ten weeks. Our instructor Nick, tells us all the time when applying for jobs, yes they’re asking for a few years of experience but apply anyway.” Dayna chimed in, “he also told me what I’m worth, I am now asking for so much more money than I was asking for before because I didn’t know what UX designers made.”
当我问Elyza关于在GA执教的问题时，她说：“您不仅要报名参加课程，而且还要签约十个星期的事实上的导师。 我们的教练尼克(Nick)总是在求职时告诉我们，是的，他们要求几年的经验，但还是要申请。” Dayna说道：“他还告诉我我的价值，我现在要的钱比以前要多得多，因为我不知道UX设计师的收入。”
Elyza also mentioned having the opportunity to interact with the two GA instructors and ask them about times that they’ve used certain design methods or had to make specific decisions with clients was very eye-opening.
Elyza还提到有机会与两位GA讲师互动，并询问他们使用某些设计方法或必须与客户做出特定决定的时间，这非常令人大开眼界。
Having a career coach is a valuable perk of GA, the career coach holds students accountable and provides a better understanding of the prospective job market, making the transition for graduates more seamless.
拥有职业教练是通用航空的宝贵职责，职业教练让学生承担责任，并更好地了解潜在的就业市场，从而使毕业生的过渡更加顺畅。
Mentors can also provide a clear lens into what you need to improve upon to ensure you’ll be qualified for specific roles. If you’re under the impression that companies are only hiring people with 3–5 years’ experience, then you’ll likely skip over those job listings, or you won’t ask for $150/hr for a contract position because you might think you’re only worth $25/hr.
导师还可以清楚地说明您需要改进的方面，以确保您有资格担任特定职务。 如果您觉得公司只是在招聘具有3-5年工作经验的人员，那么您可能会跳过这些工作清单，或者您不会要求每小时150美元的合同工位，因为您可能会认为您每小时仅值$ 25。
6.投资组合发展 (6. Portfolio development)
Publishing your most compelling UX design samples allows prospective employers to get a better idea of your visual style and process. Having good work in your portfolio supersedes a great resume or cover letter.
发布最引人注目的UX设计示例，使准雇主可以更好地了解您的视觉风格和流程。 在投资组合中有出色的工作将取代一份出色的简历或求职信。
I believe GA does a satisfactory job of laying the groundwork for developing a well-structured display of portfolio work.
我相信Google Analytics(分析)可以为建立良好结构的投资组合展示打下良好基础。
Many grads that I see have very in-depth case studies where they lay out their entire process and provide a very granular view of how they came to their results.
我看到的许多毕业生都有非常深入的案例研究，他们在其中阐述了整个过程，并对他们如何得出结果提供了非常详尽的看法。
A designer’s portfolio is one of the most important aspects of landing a design job, whether it’s freelance, contract, or full time. GA equips students with a real client to design for on their final project, which is an excellent opportunity to obtain valuable portfolio work. It can often take months of marketing and networking to land a client on your own, so this is a very key benefit in GA’s offering.
设计师的作品集是从事设计工作的最重要方面之一，无论是自由职业，合同订立还是全职。 GA为学生提供了一个真正的客户来为其最终项目设计，这是获得宝贵的作品集的绝好机会。 通常需要数月的营销和网络联系才能自行找到客户，因此这是GA产品的一个非常重要的优势。
7.教学生面试 (7. Teaching students to interview)
GA‘s Outcomes program is centered around helping students develop their professional brand, write a noteworthy resume, polish their online and in-person presence, and practice interviewing skills.
GA的结果计划的重点是帮助学生发展自己的专业品牌，撰写引人注目的履历表，完善在线和面对面的面谈以及练习面试技巧。
GA’s website says: “You’ll learn to communicate your new skills and competitive edge, plus gain tactics for overcoming mental blocks standing in the way of your success.” The grads and students that I met with from GA all had overwhelmingly positive feedback about their outcomes coach.
GA网站表示：“您将学会交流新技能和竞争优势，并获得克服克服阻碍您成功的思维障碍的策略。” 我从GA遇到的毕业生和学生都对他们的结业教练给予了压倒性的积极反馈。
The coaches prepare students for fewer surprises when interviewing for UX jobs. Students learn what to and what not to say in emails, interviews, networking events, etc.
在面试UX工作时，教练为学生们准备了更少的惊喜。 学生在电子邮件，访谈，社交活动等中学习说什么和不说什么。
Amanda, a current student at GA, mentioned that she had interviewed with a startup before starting the course and felt unprepared. “When I had my interview for the startup in Boulder, it was all day, and I was not expecting that. They had me doing culture fit, meeting with the CEO, design leads, and being interviewed by several people at once. I was not prepared because that’s a different interview process than I’m used to, so it caught me off guard. I felt very drained that day,” she pointed out.
阿曼达(GA)目前的学生，阿曼达(Amanda)提到，在开始课程之前，她曾接受过一家初创公司的采访，感到自己没有做好准备。 “当我在博尔德对这家初创公司进行面试时，那是整天的事，我没想到。 他们让我适应文化，与首席执行官会面，设计负责人，并同时接受多人采访。 我没有准备好，因为那是与以往不同的面试过程，所以让我措手不及。 那天我感到筋疲力尽。”她指出。
•缺点• (• Cons •)
1.信息免费或在线便宜地获得 (1. Info is free or cheaply available online)
The truth is, GA doesn’t teach any revolutionary knowledge or UX methods that aren’t readily available on the web.
事实是，GA不会教授网络上尚不存在的任何革命性知识或UX方法。
There are thousands of free resources on YouTube, Medium, Udemy, etc. or other courses that are marginally cheaper than attending boot camp.
YouTube，Medium，Udemy等或其他课程上有成千上万的免费资源，比参加新手训练营便宜。
One of the most important aspects of working in the tech industry is the ability to learn fast and efficiently.
在技术行业工作的最重要方面之一是快速有效学习的能力。
Because UX is continuously evolving, it’s vital to have the foundational design skills as well as the capacity and willpower to be a continuous learner. Being an autodidact is an essential trait that every designer in our fast-paced world must have to evade displacement.
由于UX不断发展，因此拥有基本的设计技能以及成为持续学习者的能力和意志至关重要。 自动驾驶是我们快节奏世界中的每个设计师都必须规避位移的一个基本特征。
Companies aren’t merely hiring candidates who have the skills they need; they’re hiring people who they believe can adapt to the changing landscape and grow from their current foundation.
公司不仅仅是在招聘具有所需技能的候选人； 他们正在雇用他们认为可以适应不断变化的形势并从当前基础发展的人。
Many of our standard practices today will be outdated tomorrow, and we, as UX designers, need to be prepared for that.
今天，我们许多标准实践将在明天过时，作为UX设计师，我们需要为此做好准备。
2.昂贵 (2. Expensive)
Cost is subjective, but I’ll assume the average person reading doesn’t have $14,000 to dish out for a course that may not have an ROI.
费用是主观的，但我假设普通人的阅读量不会为没有ROI的课程投入14,000美元。
GA does have payment plans, grants, etc. but no matter what boat you’re in, you’ll have to consider whether it’s a worthwhile investment. It’s still cheaper than college, though.
GA确实有付款计划，赠款等，但是无论您乘坐的是哪艘船，都必须考虑这是否是一笔值得的投资。 不过，它仍然比大学便宜。
My recommendation is to try UX on your own part-time for a bit. By practicing UX in your free time, you can assess whether it’s something you genuinely enjoy, and you can even teach yourself some of the skills on your own. There’s no rush; the UX space isn’t going anywhere.
我的建议是尝试兼职UX。 通过在业余时间练习UX，您可以评估它是否是您真正喜欢的东西，甚至可以自己教一些技能。 不必着急； UX空间不会消失。
Being able to learn new skills is a skill in and of itself, so since your education won’t stop at GA, so why would you wait for it to start at GA?
能够学习新技能本身就是一种技能，因此既然您的学习不会在通用航空停下来，那么为什么还要等到通用航空开始学习呢？
3.花点时间完成人生 (3. Takes time out of your life to complete)
If the price tag for UXDI isn’t an issue, then you’ll need to consider whether you can commit to a 10-week lapse in your work life.
如果UXDI的价格不是问题，那么您将需要考虑是否可以在工作中坚持10周。
There are alternatives to the UX intensive like their part-time course that meets at night or their online course. However, if you’re doing the 10-week course, and leaving a job to do so, then it will cost you more than $14k. You’ll have to take into consideration the opportunity cost of missing 10-weeks of pay, which could cost you $10–20k on top of the $14k for the course, depending on your salary.
UX密集型课程还有其他选择，例如夜间聚会或在线课程。 但是，如果您要进行10周的课程，并留下一份工作，那么将花费您$ 14k以上。 您必须考虑错过10个星期的薪水的机会成本，根据课程的薪水，这可能会花费您$ 10,000到$ 20,000，而不是课程的$ 14k。
Not to mention, if you’ve left your job, then you’ll need to find a new job after the course which generally takes time as well.
更不用说，如果您离开了工作，那么在学习课程之后，您通常需要花费一些时间来寻找新工作。
4.成为一名毕业生，与众不同可能是具有挑战性的 (4. Differentiating yourself as a grad can be challenging)
When I asked Scott if anyone in his cohort didn’t graduate, he emphasized that almost everyone graduates from GA, “I think like one person in the last ten cohorts didn’t graduate.” Amanda echoed this sentiment: “they’re really driving the idea that no one is going to be left behind.”
当我问斯科特(Scott)的队列中是否有人没有毕业时，他强调几乎所有人都从通用航空(GA)毕业，“我认为就像最近十个队列中的一个人都没有毕业。” 阿曼达(Amanda)回应了这一观点：“他们的确推动了一个想法，即没人会被抛在后面。”
This is a downfall because if everyone taking the course will graduate, then this lowers the value of the certificate awarded to students.
这是一个失败，因为如果每个参加该课程的人都可以毕业，那么这会降低授予学生的证书的价值。
This also may deter employers because they receive such a wide variety of applicants with the same GA certification in their resume. It’s tricky to distinguish the dimes from the duds.
这也可能阻止雇主，因为他们的简历中收到了各种各样具有相同GA认证的申请人。 区分角钱和哑角是很难的。
With the bar being low enough for almost all of the students to cross the finish line, it robs those individuals who are genuinely talented and qualified for a career in UX.
由于门槛太低，几乎所有学生都无法越过终点线，因此剥夺了那些真正有才华并有资格从事UX职业的人。
Abby Covert, a leading independent information architect, isn’t sold either, she wrote: “I feel like I want UX to be a teachable set of skills and places like GA are trying to do that, but I worry that their business models demand a turn around time for these skills that is not reasonable, which means they likely turn out a lot of graduates that think they are ready to work, but in many cases, they are not.”
她写道，领先的独立信息架构师Abby Covert也不被出售，“我感觉我希望UX成为一套可教授的技能，而GA等机构正在尝试这样做，但是我担心他们的业务模型要求这些技能的周转时间不合理，这意味着他们可能会发现很多毕业生认为他们已经准备好工作，但在许多情况下，他们却没有。
最后的想法 (Final thoughts)
All in all, GA and other boot camps are providing a unique educational opportunity for a fraction of the price of college.
总而言之，GA和其他新兵训练营提供的独特学习机会仅占大学学费的一小部分。
GA provides a well-rounded education that covers a lot of bases in 10 weeks. Although it may not be enough time to develop as a designer fully, it can create a strong foundation for any willing UX designer to grow from.
GA提供了全面的教育，涵盖了10个星期的许多基础。 尽管可能不是足够的时间全面发展为设计师，但它可以为任何愿意的UX设计师成长奠定坚实的基础。
Whether you decide to go to boot camp, college, or be self-taught — how you enter UX isn’t important.
无论您决定去训练营，大学还是自学成才，如何进入UX都不重要。
Anyone with the ambition and motivation to become a UI/UX designer can learn in 2 years or less.
任何有志于成为UI / UX设计师的雄心和动力的人都可以在2年或更短的时间内学习。
If you’re willing to be an autodidact and push your creative limits daily, then you’ll fit in just fine, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
如果您愿意成为自动编辑，并且每天都在限制自己的创意，那么您就可以适应，并且不要让别人告诉您。
A career in UX design isn’t rocket surgery — it’s practice, and it’s work.
用户体验设计的职业不是火箭手术，而是实践，是工作。
翻译自: https://uxdesign.cc/the-pros-cons-of-general-assemblys-ux-boot-camp-8c50bf92802e
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