Many new Pythonistas find themselves floundering after they finish a boot camp or other course intended to launch them into their new career. Life gets in the way of continuing their learning, their new skills become rusty, and they may find themselves loosing hope as they face a steady stream of job application rejections – if they managed to work up the courage to apply in the first place, that is. In an attempt to help them get back in the proverbial saddle, the “Unbootcamp method” was devised to help pin-point knowledge gaps and devise strategic plans for achieving their goals.
This talk presents suggested methods to support adult learners entering the field of programming, particularly those from non-scientific or non-technical backgrounds. Drawing on insights from industry practices, a survey of over 30 career switchers, and the results of the small “Unbootcamp” cohort (a group of adult career switchers who had previously completed a coding boot camp but had yet to receive an offer of employment), this talk first addresses common challenges faced by newcomers, such as navigating best practices, understanding the application process, and transitioning from learning basics to building meaningful projects. The presentation then explores solutions to these problems by suggesting quality resources, ideal learning pathways, and achievable outcomes for students. Special emphasis is placed on strategies for overcoming “tutorial purgatory” and fostering real-world skills through portfolio-building projects. The talk wraps up with a summary of what we can do as a community to support learners and a humbly suggested draft of "The Zen of Python Education". This presentation is aimed at educators, mentors, and individuals looking to assist others in learning programming, as well as those seeking to advance their own careers by acquiring Python programming skills.