Software, Web and Mobile Engineering

Pros: The content was really great; it was a lot to get in in a short period, but it really did teach you the fundamentals of programmingLearning 2 languages and how to use learnings from one language into another; this was a really helpful skill to learn and makes it much easier to pick up other languagesThe coaches and their willingness to help. They really did want to help you solve problems, but also made you independent enough to exhaust all other routes firstDedicated EQ lessons and daily meditation made me incredibly pleased that I chose Makers. It really did set them apart from other bootcamps and has been invaluableCons: The communication and management of expectations was a bit of a let down in places, it felt very chaotic when it needn't have beenThere were times when people at Makers were very disorganised which really didn't support learning

I found the course to be a great way to learn the foundations of Software Engineering. I think it's important to note that a lot of success depends on your own motivation and ability to seek help from peers/coaches if you need it, as a lot of the learning is hands off. Coaches are available to help with the course materials and run a few workshops/webinars. The structure for most of the course of 'solo work' in the mornings and then 'pairing' in the afternoons works well. You get assigned a pair that will either be behind you or ahead of you, and you work on the materials of whoever is behind. This way if you fall behind a bit, you can get guidance from someone that's further ahead of you, and if you steam ahead, you are somewhat forced to reinforce what you've already learned by helping others.Careers support is pretty good, but again it's somewhat hands off. Lots of workshops to help with CV and cover letter writing, application tips, etc, and then ad hoc support when you need it. E.g. if you need a pep talk or technical advice before an interview you can schedule a call with a coach. Also students are allowed to book a (theoretically) unlimited number of 'code reviews' these are like mock technical interviews where you get really detailed feedback on your coding process and where you can make improvements, as well as a full recording of your review. These are done with an external partner so there's no bias. These are really useful so, if you do Makers, be sure to take advantage of these.It's hard to give a fully thorough assessment of the careers support however, as the job market is really in a bad place right now, so the 'getting a job' bit is quite tough at the moment. The careers partnerships team seems, however, to have started bringing in a few nice hiring partners who agree to interview Makers grads, but for a while there was a real drought of any partnerships coming in so there's a bit of a backlog of job hunters in the alumni. General chatter is that the market is picking up again after the bloodbath of layoffs in the sector have started to stabilise, but it could still be a while.Overall, I'm really glad I did Makers and I found a job 2 months after graduating, however some people have been less lucky and are still hunting quite a few months on. With that in mind just be aware of the fact that - given the current market - the job hunt requires a LOT of work to keep coding and keep your motivation up applying to jobs, and also requires a fair bit of luck too.. But if you have the logical mind for coding and the motivation to power through it I'm sure you'll be great.

My life changed after the bootcamp at Makers. I had no clue I was able to learn so much in such a short time and I really love coding and learning about new technologies to make my apps always more awesome! Before the course I wasn't sure I would have been able to become a software developer, for the amount of knowledge ahead and because my attempt to complete university education didn't go very well. How wrong was I! Now I am sure I can create and maintain amazing products and the course finished leaving me experience of hard work but also team work, a lot of new friends with whom I shared my journey, the pride of what I have done and the excitement, curiosity and optimism that are and will be my traits throughout the next future. I love creating software and I am ready to hit the market, thank you so much Makers!

I recently completed the Full-Stack Software Engineer Bootcamp with Makers Academy, and I can confidently say that it was an incredibly rewarding experience. Although the course is self-led, Makers provides tech coaches who are available to help, and answer any questions that may come up. They are knowledgeable and friendly, and they create a supportive and inclusive environment that encourages collaboration and growth.Throughout the course, we followed the industry’s best practices (e.g. TDD and pair programming), worked in agile teams, and participated in tech rituals (e.g. retro-meetings, and stand-ups). We started with Ruby and then moved to JavaScript on Week 7. We learned how to debug and search for answers to our problems, making us confident in learning new languages and technologies both by ourselves and as part of a group. One thing that really stood out to me about Makers was the emphasis they placed on community building. There are always interesting events and activities going on (e.g. daily meditation, weekly yoga, EQ workshops, and community breakfasts), providing a great opportunity to make friends and collaborate with other students who share similar interests and goals.On Week 10 we were given time and guidance on how to prepare a GitHub portfolio, and once we graduated we were able to count on a team of wonderful Success Coaches to help with our CVs and Cover Letters, prepare and practice for face-to-face and tech interviews. They were always available to provide feedback, advice, and support, which helped to keep us motivated throughout the job-hunting process.I managed to get a job offer within 5 weeks of completing this training and while I had a great time at Makers, I want to emphasize that this course requires commitment and dedication. The curriculum is designed to be intensive and challenging, so it's important to be prepared to put in the time and effort required to succeed. That being said, I would highly recommend this course to anyone who is willing to make that commitment. The experience is incredibly rewarding, and the knowledge and skills you gain will be invaluable in your career as a software engineer.

I attended the Makers Academy bootcamp and graduated in early 2023. TLDR: Was skeptical of bootcamps before I started but am very happy I did now I've completed it.I had a relatively long and successful career in a different field so I was very worried about making a new start as a SWE. I didn't think it was possible to become a SWE without being a computer science grad. Bootcamps had a strange reputation too - some people loved them, some hated them. After doing a lot of my own research (which I highly recommend to anyone considering bootcamps), I pulled the trigger on Makers and quit my job shortly before starting. The bootcamp teaches you Ruby first, then switches to JavaScript at the end. You get exposure to SQL and MongoDB and there is a heavy emphasis on clean, object-oriented, and test-driven code.  This was the main reason I chose Makers; I wanted to learn and gain experience in as close to a professional environment as possible.  Employers don't want people who write hacky code and have no idea how to test it - which is what a lot of other bootcamps teach. Makers is very focused on making you professionally ready.Not everyone enjoys Makers. It's self-led so students can sometimes struggle if they were looking for the structures of daily lectures/hand-holding. However, most cohorts support each other either through the designated daily pairing sessions or just because Makers students tend to be super nice people who are willing to help each other. I do wish we had spent less time in Ruby because it's quickly becoming outdated but I don't regret learning the core principles of object-oriented programming in it - it's much easier than many other languages out there. But you get out what you put in. If you work hard, you'll be fine. If you want an easy gig to just coast through, then you're going to have a tough time so I encourage everyone to make sure that you can dedicate the energy and headspace to working super hard for those 3-4 months. You'll be glad you did in the end. In aggregate, I loved Makers. I made very good friends and learned a lot. And although the job market is very difficult for junior SWEs, I came out of the bootcamp feeling very prepared to be a "real" SWE. (Also, the alumni community in London is so friendly!)Highly recommend Makers - there's no better developer bootcamp in London.

I was introduced to a number of technologies and enjoyed daily pair programming and support from coaches. Long-term support is also provided after the course, as well as access to weekly code reviews. I met some incredible peers, which accelerated my learning as a beginner.

Throughout the pre-course, I was experiencing imposter syndrome (probably not an uncommon feeling for a career changer). However, from day one of the full-time course, the empathetic and patient environment that the Makers team provided, helped me to overcome those initial fears and realise my potential in programming.With numerous engineering group projects and 'give it a go' encouragement from the coaches, Makers works very well in preparing you for a real-world tech job - so much so, that I was able to draw from many of my Makers experiences when interviewing. The EQ workshops are an invaluable addition, particularly if you're hoping to make the most of those group projects.After 4 months of intense learning and self-development, I wasn't sure if I had much energy left to look for a job but the careers team had that covered. I have never experienced motivation that abundant and readily available. With job-searching being a daunting experience for me, I made sure to lean on the team and their resources as much as possible and I don't think would have found a job as quickly as I did without them.

Pros:Learn javascript + ruby very well and indepth in 12 weeksLearn frameworks and supporting technologies that are high in demand and relevant in todays workplace.Fantastic support in learning via coaches and mentors. They will answer each and every question.Experience working through projects in real-life, work applicable methodologies such as AGILE.Be part of a cohort with like minded individuals who push each other to succeed.Immense job support after the course through 1 to 1 tailored coaching, group sessions and interview advice.Access to an exclusive network of Alumni Makers, many in senior and lead positions today.A rubber duck as a souvenir.Cons:Will require effort. It's a full time endeavour, very intense and will require your full attention and effort.Overall, I had a fantastic experience at Makers. Regardless of the extremely tough job market toward the end of 2022 and beginning of 2023, I managed to secure a very desirable entry level job with one of my favourite languages that I was taught at Makers. There are concepts that I had no idea existed in web development that were taught at Makers and my success singlehandedly goes out to them. If I could do it all again I would 100%.

Makers Academy not only focuses on the technical knowledge but on the emotional welfare of the students. On the technical side I went from having written a few scripts in MATLAB to being able to write a full stack web app from scratch. The course starts in Ruby to give a good foundation which will take you from simple programs to a BnB website. It then moves into Javascript to teach a new language and one perhaps more used in industry. Group projects will have you creating a clone of FaceBook to your own idea from scratch in the final project. The focus is not just on the code but on testing and team practices to prepare you as much as possible for the world of work.On the non-technical side there are EQ workshops (IQ for emotions), and an emphasis on having fun and feeling ok. I had the pleasure of going into the Makers office and everyone there is so friendly and working to help you.The only negative I experienced in my time at Makers was there was sometimes a lack of feedback on submitted work.

An amazing software development bootcamp with focus on industry best practices and collaboration. Provides you with the skills and support needed to land your first role in tech. Would highly recommend!

After a lot of research and speaking with individuals who had completed different bootcamps, I chose Makers due to their emphasis on diversity and holistic approach to education, with wellbeing and emotional intelligence being treated as equally important to the course material. This paid off dividends and allowed me to set a strong foundation for my career and furthered my understanding of the importance of work-life balance. During the course, I met some exceptional individuals who were humble, kind and eager to learn. Being surrounded by like minded folk and working closely with them on group projects taught me a lot and was far more beneficial to me than self-learning online. It is an intense experience, but if you are prepared to test your resilience, it is worth it. Coming from a background in Marketing, the transition was daunting, but I am grateful for having made the decision to enrol. The emphasis on self-led learning prepared me for the realities of software engineering. The coaches and curriculum were outstanding. Just remember that it takes time to solidify knowledge and not to feel overwhelmed, just keep moving forward and don't be afraid to ask for help :).

The Makers Academy course blends learning to code and learning to be a collaborative developer. These are not the same skills, and actually the second set is arguably more important to getting hired as a junior dev. If you wanted you could learn to code alone, using online tutorials, but there's no substitute for having to actually use those skills with other people to build something together. As we found out, a job in software is a team sport, and the course perfectly sets you up to make that career switch.They have fantastic people and culture at makers. The curriculum is well thought out and constantly updated, the  coaching is quality, and the ongoing support after course end to help find a job is strong. It can be a challenge to fit in everything you want to get out of the course in the time you have, I personally could only spare about 40 hours per week and I think it would merit about 50, but you will be fine either way.Highly recommend.

If your goal is to get a job as a software engineer, this course will work The 12 week immersive course prepares you for learning things at a quick pace which is arguably the most important skill you need to succeed in software engineering. The thing that I didn't anticipate when signing up for this course is how much I'd value the team-working aspect of the course, it really simulates how it feels to work on real projects with others which is an invaluable experience in and of itself but especially when you begin interviewing. Some of the cons of the course are that it can be a little hard to get in contact with coaches, they do state that they are only available officially from 9am till 12pm for coaching as they have other duties as well so if you keep that in mind you should be ok - your coursemates should be able to help too.By far the best thing about Makers is the careers support you get to access after the course. The team are amazing, they are always there to help you and support you - they are all kind and lovely people and being around that fosters motivation and the kind of nurturing environment you need at this time. They also really do help you get a job whether that is through advice during coaching sessions when applying for external jobs or by finding companies that want to exclusively hire Makers students. Overall, I'd recommend this course if you want to get a job as a software engineer in potentially 13-16+ weeks. 

My Makers journey was special, from learning and solidifying my understanding of certain concepts to meeting great people. The bootcamp is highly self dependent, so expect to manage the curriculum yourself. It’s intense and the coach support is always available. One key benefit to Makers is the coaching and career support once the course has finished. The team go above and beyond to help and ensure you’re doing the right things to land yourself a job. Overall it was a great experience and I would definitely recommend it for someone looking to move into development.

Makers experience was completely transformational! I came in as a customer service person and I'm leaving as a full stack dev. The course is super tough and not for the faint hearted! But you get out what you put in and it Is all worth it to get to the fabulous job team at the end. 

Being a Makers student was a great experience and exactly what I needed to start my career in Software. I got all the support I could need from the coaches, a lot of experience with both relevant tech in the industry (like Ruby, JavaScript, MongoDB, PostgreSQL and also testing frameworks) and also agile methodologies (daily pair programming and using agile approach during team projects).Another good thing to mention was the support you receive after you finish the course, with another team of coaches being there to support you in the process of getting a job, helping with creating your CV, preparing for interviews or just speaking with you about your concerns.Overall an experience I can definitely recommend to anyone who feels like getting into this industry. It is intense but fun.

I did the Makers Apprenticeship in 2019 and after more than 3 years I can honestly say that it changed my life.The bootcamp is demanding, and you will find that there is no easy answer to any problem. What you learn at Makers on top of basic coding skills is how to approach these problems, break them down and deal with them as best as you can.Don't expect to be taught how to do everything but rather you'll learn how to pick up new skills quickly and put them to use. The coaches were super helpful, they are knowledgeable and they support you to find answers yourself.After working in the industry for over 3 years, I find that I still use the tools I was given at Makers to learn about new tech in my day to day job. After the 3 months bootcamp I started working as a software engineer as part of the apprenticeship program and completed my level 4 software developer certification within a year with the support of my placement coach.This bootcamp and preparing the assignments for the level 4 certification while working was probably one of the most challenging things in my life but it was 100% worth it. 

Very intense, good community, good alumni, would recommend! Syllabus could be better! The syllabus and course content could have been more comprehensive, and easier to understand. If that was improved, it would have been the perfect experience. Be very open to jumping in the deep end and learning how to swim.

Had a great time at Makers. The coaches are knowledgeable and make it a point to always be available for feedback or review. The pace of the course is rigorous but it echoes the sort of problem solving under tight time frames that will occur on the job. There is a lot of emphasis on EQ learning and the job support after completion is incredible. 

Pro's:- Met some amazing people who are great to be with, and having the web of contacts is almost as valuable as the course itself.- I really liked the coaches, I learnt a lot in a short space of time. - Learnt to code!!! - A great way to kick off a career.Cons:- I felt a bit out of my depth at times. I felt when I embarked on the course I wasn't quite ready, and it was so easy to get on the course I didn't think hard enough about how intense it might be. It was worth it in the end but it was a bit like: if you can write a line of code, you're in. A good idea would be to introduce an opt-out at the end of the precourse - because when I did the course I had to pay the fees and commit by the start of the precourse, which I felt a bit pressurised by.