Imagine a world in which you can build knowledge, gain valuable skills and form stronger bonds with your colleagues--without investing a lot of time and money. Now believe it.

The information technology world changes fast, and IT bootcamps bring teams together for professional development that is fast and focused. They're designed to improve the performances of both IT teams and their individual players. And they're awesome.

IT bootcamps train developers and others who work with technology--quickly, efficiently, and effectively. In a world where there never seems to be enough time for training, IT bootcamps are like adding hours to your workweek.

But in order to get the most out of them, you're going to want to have a plan. That means choosing the right area of focus, understanding what you're going to experience, and committing to using your newfound skills and knowledge once you return to the office.

Here's a look at five tips for making the most of your bootcamp experience:

1) Choose wisely

There are literally dozens of IT bootcamp courses. For example, you can choose courses focused on CISCO, fiber optics, IT security, project management, leadership, Six Sigma, building business skills, or Microsoft technology.

In order to maximize the bootcamp training model, you're going to want to choose a course that will improve your day-to-day work and help everyone on the team become more successful.

Which course is right for you and your team will depend on the strengths, growth opportunities and goals of both your team and its individual members. Most IT teams work together to find the right courses.

2) Expect the unexpected

IT bootcamps are unlike any other training activity. Their purpose is to help companies develop an elite team of IT professionals in the shortest amount of time possible.  They'll also take your staff out of their comfort zones.

The term "bootcamp" comes from the military. It literally means "a short, intensive, and rigorous course of training." They are held away from your typical work environment, which allows you to focus solely on the subject matter. They introduce new concepts, techniques, and tools. They force you to work collaboratively with other members of your team.

And then they force you to use them in real-world scenarios.

It's an incredibly effective way of teaching IT professionals to adopt new technologies--together with their colleagues, in a fast-paced environment.

3) Failure is an option

For IT bootcamps to be truly effective, they have to push your limits. The instructors will be experts who will take them through the curriculum. It will be new to your staff, and it will be challenging. That's why failure is an option (at least at first).

IT bootcamps are designed to challenge your knowledge, skills, and habits so that they can go back to the office and hit the ground running, pass the certification tests or simply work more effectively as a team. If the experience is "easy," it's probably not going to help you grow as an IT professional.

So plan for your team to struggle a little (at least at first). And then plan to have that moment when the light bulb clicks on and everything comes into focus.

4) It's not always about IT

This might seem a little counter-intuitive, but sometimes the point of attending an IT bootcamp is about things that actually have nothing to do with information technology. Sometimes its about building a better team.

Sure, IT bootcamps teach new skills and build your employee's knowledge base, but they can also teach teams to be more effective. It forces colleagues to collaborate, step into leadership roles, communicate more effectively, and face stressful situations with professionalism.

Whether you initially realize it or not, your team is going to be learning about a lot more than just information technology. And that's a good thing.

5) Have an after-action plan

A training is only as good as it is practical. Simply attending an IT bootcamp isn't going to make your team more effective unless you commit to implementing the tools, techniques, and strategies once they return to their work space. So make sure you have a solid after-action plan for implementation.

Whatever our objectives, you're going to want to make sure that everyone on the team is committed to carrying them out back in "the real world."

Ready for an intense experience?

If you are ready to improve knowledge, build skills, and become part of a more effective IT team, connect with Infotec today. You'll be able to choose from an array of IT bootcamp options that are intense, efficient, and designed to take your employees to new levels of success.

For more information about Infotec or any of our programs click here: http://www.infotectraining.com/ or https://ops.infotecpro.com/course_schedule/course_schedule.cfm.