I can't speak much to being a bootcamp instructor, but I'll attempt to address your last question. A bootcamp is not an accredted, degree-granting institution -

I can't speak much to being a bootcamp instructor, but I'll attempt to address your last question. A bootcamp is not an accredted, degree-granting institution -- it's not part of academia in the typical sense, so, if by 'careers in academia', you mean teaching at the university/college level, you're sort of comparing apples and oranges; pursuing experience outside of academia will not be the best use of your time/resources in that case. Teaching at the college level means either attaining a tenure-stream position, or adjuncting. Tenure-stream requires a terminal degree (normally a PhD) and such roles are difficult to get; on the other hand, one can sometimes adjunct with a master's (or possibly even a bachelor's) but there is zero job security, and your'e still competing against all the people who do have PhDs but failed to get a tenure-track role. Nobody 'wants' to be a full-time adjunct, if that makes sense. Either way, you'd gain teaching experience by taking on teaching fellowships/assistantships while pursuing your master's / doctorate. That's not to say bootcamp instructoring would be useless, but it's hard to say how valuable it would be. If you have a genunine desire to teach, my two cents is to keep your day job (I'm guessing you are currently a software developer) and find a way to teach part-time -- part-time adjuncting, after-school tutoring, etc etc. It can be very fulfilling, but I wouldn't stake my financial future on it.