With technology at the core of everything we do, our teams strive to keep up with changing viewpoints and evolving trends. When it comes to Adobe technologies, the stakes are even higher – recognized as Adobe Subject Matter Experts and with an Adobe specialization to defend, we’re truly committed to deepen our expertise and maximize our talent.
It was this focus that led us to create our very own Acolad Adobe Bootcamp - a four-week program especially designed to onboard new Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) developers and ramp-up team members with different technology expertise, setting them up for success. Our “bootcampers” may come from software engineering backgrounds, be experienced Java developers without specific AEM experience, or seasoned developers with a different skill-set such as expertise in another WCMS.
Through a mix of one part employee orientation, one part software training and one part social club, we immerse new recruits into the company culture, build a stronger team, create lasting relationships and prepare them for the road ahead. Despite the name, there are no push-ups, pullups or squats required!
Bootcamp basics
Anyone working with Adobe’s Enterprise CMS can use a helping hand to get started. The idea behind the bootcamp is to teach new colleagues how we work at Acolad. We show them the fundamentals of AEM and teach them the basics about tools such as GIT, Jira, Confluence and how to work in Agile projects. As a company we provide all new AEM developers with this training, and history has shown us the benefit of our efforts as new recruits are more than ready to join Adobe customer projects after their initial bootcamp.
The goal of camp leaders is to impart as much knowledge as possible to participants, show them the basics of AEM and teach them Acolad’s project management and web devemplement best practices. Team leaders and coaches are more than happy to share their personal experiences as developers and demonstrate real-life use cases.
Each year we improve the content of the training. The tools we use change continuously, so we need to be adaptable. Acolad aims for a high standard of education for our new recruits and by giving them four weeks of training we, and the participants, feel we successfully achieve our goals.
Bootcamp training
Problem-solving is a major component of the bootcamp training. Participants are given job tasks and situations that require them to address and resolve predefined and reality-based challenges. The outcomes provide individuals with a deep learning experience about relationships between their results, their actions, and operating paradigms. Going hand-in-hand with problem solving, is the discovery of new or enhanced technologies. During each bootcamp, new hires are exposed to all AEM-related technologies and collaboration tools, wikis, etc.
Career development and mentorship are a large part of our bootcamp as well. The allocation of a personal mentor to each new hire fosters a feeling of community and company culture between new and existing colleagues. Cross-company meet and greets during the bootcamp weeks enable teams to get the chance to meet the new recruits and guide them through the different departments, projects and activities.
And it’s not all about learning the whole day! The mind needs a little rest every now and then, so the program includes social activities such as team building exercises, group lunches, game breaks throughout each day and during the evenings.
Bootcamp benefits
Every bootcamp provides each individual with an immersive learning experience. Participants are fully engaged with a mix of “classroom” training and “learning by doing” which creates a faster value-add for recruits. The program is designed to focus on what they need to know and do, and show them the best way to accomplish it.
This program also generates greater productivity as new recruits who are well prepared will require less support from team coaches and mentors after training. Likewise, they create an increased consistency of working methodology because through experiential practice and application, bootcampers automatically become “super users” and advocates of key methodologies.
One of the most important takeaways is also about getting to know each other and building lasting relationships. Many colleagues are still in regular contact with other participants even while working in different projects, teams or even countries. Each bootcamp group has their own Microsoft Teams group with all the training material, so often this channel used during training remains available afterward, discussions continue and many questions get asked and answered long after the event has wrapped up.
Lastly, does this type of training benefit customers as well? It certainly does. Well-trained AEM developers play an instrumental role in delivering top-quality digital marketing solutions, professional services and integrated Adobe technologies. Learning that is directly applicable to customer project situations and digital project delivery give recruits the opportunity to learn what to expect from customer interactions, how to address their concerns and meet their demands.
Bootcamp advocates
The feedback we receive from participants is very positive. We encourage recruits to tell us what they see could be improved and what they enjoyed the most so that with every edition, the bootcamp program gets bigger and better. Thereby future bootcamps become a combined effort between trainers and participants.
Once recruits have completed the camp training, they are excited to work on projects right away. Here’s what some of our recruits have had to say about their experiences:
“Through the AEM bootcamp training I was able to recapitulate the things I had learned during my internship, and it has given me access to some new resources and concepts. The presentation + exercises combination was incredibly useful because in my case, learning is always easier by doing.”
Maria Hada, DXM Technical Consultant
Cluj, Romania
“I feel I learned a lot these past weeks. The trainers are great, and it is never too much to ask a question. When there were questions that where good for everyone, the solution was showed using the blackboard.”
Pieter Samoy, DXM Junior Technical Consultant,
Leuven, Belgium
“I really enjoyed the bootcamp presentations. It was good to learn what were some of the biggest challenges on past projects. Also, it’s always nice to see that more experienced colleagues are available to help and open to discussions.”
Tudor Vlas, DXM Technical Consultant
Cluj, Romania
Bootcamp cool-down
Acolad Adobe bootcamps provide an incredible opportunity to learn how Acolad digital experience teams work and how it feels to be part of a fast-paced, value-focused company.
If you’re interested in joining our growing team and experiencing one of our bootcamps for yourself, contact us through the comment below or get in touch with our recruitment team. They’d be more than happy to hear your thoughts!