Comment by metalgearsolid

The answer to both questions is yes. A bootcamp helped me because it put me into a collaborative environment where I had some kind of obligations to show up and complete projects. Ultimately, you really only need side projects. I'm actually struggling in my job search right now, despite getting my foot in the door and doing great work for about 3 years, as having one company on my resume is not making up for my lack of newer side projects.