Makers Academy

If you are committed, interested in tech and have a drive to learn new things everyday along with a fantastic bunch of people, then Makers is a fantastic place to do study Web Development. Everyday is a challenge and before you know it, you will have a powerful set of skills to help you overcome them. 

The Makers Team are Experts in their fields and as supportive as can be. Changing careers is never easy, but Makers provides all the tools, along with a great atmosphere to help you achieve this. 

I worked in Education prior to joining Makers Academy. I had no prior experience in any stem related subject so was very nervous about making the switch and if I was 'smart' enough to do the course. Here are some of my reflections: 

• The coaches were kind and willing to explain things to you if you ask. I received help through slack messages and zoom calls if there was something I was stuck on after a workshop or a question I had whilst doing some self learning. 
• There is a heavy focus on pair programming which I found really helpful for practising new skills and understanding how and why certain things work. I was either learning from those more experienced than myself or helping/working with others on a similar level to me. 
• There is also a big emphasis on pair and team work and coming from a job that can be quite solitary I had to really work on my skills in this and with the help of Dana the lovely 'Chief joy officer' I was able to work really well in teams and talk about what I'm like to work with during interviews and sell myself as a good team member. 
• A good range of programming skills are taught. Whilst you only use two languages formally in the course, there is the opportunity to use other languages if you're familiar with them. You complete backend, frontend and fullstack projects and use relational and non-relational databases. 
• The weekend challenges are tough and time consuming but it did surprise me how much I could do and how far I could get independently as a beginner. 
• Finally the careers coaches are lovely! Candida and Hunor have really taken the time to guide me and offer support when I had an interview and they would always check in and ask how it went and follow up with me. 
• It is really hard to come in as a beginner as there is so much to learn and the pace can be quite fast. I think you need to be resilient, organised and really think about your personal goals and what you want from the course. Don't be afraid to try and to ask questions.

The course is well structured, but given there is a lot of material to cover, it's kind of intense, because you have to jump from one big key concept to the next one in a really short amount of time. Having said this, the environment is really friendly, the coaches are very supportive and knowledgable and the entire vibe is just wonderful. I also love how we as a cohort were immediately thrown group projects and had to do loads of pair-programming, it really mimics what it's like to be a real-life software developer. Highly recommended!

Pros - The course is a great experience. It is super intense, and it will push you to your limits but it will be worth it in the end. Although it is very tough, the overall experience is really positive. Cons - It is a self-taught course and whilst I understand the logic behind this, I do feel there could have been more coach support during each week and more lectures covering topics rather than being directed to You Tube.  I felt that the after-course job support was exceptional and was beyond any expectation I had. I would recommend if you are serious about wanting to change career. 

PROS: 
- a holistic approach to learning. Makers recognise the importance of supporting students to care for their wellbeing. Meditation, yoga and EQ sessions are led by the wonderful Dana (Chief Joy Officer)! In my experience, every coach was highly emotionally literate.
- focus on learning how to learn. A lot of time will be spent pair-programming, and completing self-led learning. You set your own learning goals and keep on top of reviewing how you're getting on. The responsibility is on the learner to raise any blockages when they get stuck, or if they want further clarification/ reading materials. This style of learning supported my transition into the workplace where I will be taking responsibility for my continued learning and development.
- you will meet a lot of wonderful people in your cohort, which will provide a support network of junior devs on the other end of the course to chat to about your first jobs! 
- job opportunities and job hunt support. I got a job within 3 weeks of finishing the course through a Makers hiring partner - woohoo!

CONS:
- not a con more a recommendation. The course runs at a fast pace, those who had already learnt some basic code before beginning Makers seemed to have slightly lower cortisol levels. If you aren't massively time pressured for this career change, take your time to learn some basics before starting. I loved the edX CS50 course - but I would say that may be a bit excessive as you'll cover a lot of this at Makers. It was good for me with a slower processing speed (yay dyslexia!) as I could learn through repetition. 
- not suitable for someone who wants to be taught by a coach for the majority of the course. You are left to your own devices with students from your cohort a lot of the time. 

The course is very involved but we'll structured setting you up with the fundamental principles of programming that are universal across a lot of languages. You also work in pairs throughout the course and in groups when it comes to projects, both of which you would do in a professional setting. Projects are run in an Agile way, again, software development best practice. There is a lot to take in and can feel overwhelming but if you trust the process and accept you won't complete everything you'll look back in awe at what you have learnt. Everyone is very supportive as you are all on the same journey and the post course career support is great with CV help and interview prep. I was able to get an offer within less than two months of finishing. A lot of my cohort got jobs much quicker than that. Overall a really great experience that has paid off for me. If you don't enjoy your current job and get a kick out coding - go for it.

I joined Makers Academy hybrid Bootcamp in November '21. I embarked on this adventure without realising what a rollercoaster it would be:
yes, it's very intense, but in the best way possible, we make new friends, we learn loads through pairing and self-learning sessions, we get advice from a formidable team of coaches!

Once the Bootcamp was over, I had a dedicated career team who helped me get a job just after three weeks. They organised a career fair where we could meet and talk to potential employers, a golden opportunity for junior dev to network and meet other alumni.

Not to forget, we get emotional intelligence training which helps us develop our confidence. We get much more than an education in software engineering when we join makers; it's a life-changing experience; we improve so quickly when surrounded by exceptional people!

Makers is an intense 16 week Bootcamp but in the end, you are in a good position to look for that first job! The support throughout the course is fantastic and you do learn to trust their process as the weeks go on. When I did makers the course was fully remote, I wasn't the biggest fan of studying remotely but I know some people preferred it so that's down to personal preference. Once you complete the course the team that help you with the job hunt are fantastic. It took me 3 months to find a job :) 

I'm happy it's over.  I'm glad I did it.  If I had to make the decision to take a bootcamp and with Makers, I'd definitely do it again. 

Pros: 
Guided curriculum throughout the course
Schedule maintained with few last minute or short notice changes
A lot of resources and tools offered
Feedback is available when it is requested
Assistance with finding a position when the course has been completed
At least 20 other intelligent, highly motivated individuals in your cohort whom you can use as a resource, chat buddy, etc. 
Great Coding Review platform
You are given the opportunity to have a mentor (typically someone who is 2 months ahead of you in the program)
Pair programming offered from the beginning of the structured course (not pre-course)

Cons:
You may not be reminded of some of the awesome resources and tools, which means you don't benefit from them (i.e. the Coding Review platform is available at any time.  I believe you are told about it in the initial paperwork and hub links/resources you are provided but then you may not get another reminder.  I was reminded about it from another student 6 weeks into the course after he had done his first one and I asked what he was referencing).
Sometimes you just need an answer provided to you and that is not the way the coaching system works.  It is designed to help guide you in the right direction and to help you learn how to find the answer yourself.  
If you are not a go getter and actively try to find ways to receive feedback, you will not receive it.
The website states there are daily workshops.  I interpreted this as coding or tech workshops.  It is not.  There is generally 1, sometimes 2 coding workshops per week.  There were daily EQ meditation sessions that were at least 15 minutes
Although this is a coordinated, semi-scheduled program, there does not seem to be oversight as to whether someone is actually engaging, participating in pair programming, etc. - i.e. you're not in school and you're not receiving emails noting you were not in class today.  ; D

I chose Makers for their approach to teaching; the coaching is brilliant and thoughtful, and it prepares you for coding beyond the bootcamp. The EQ training helps everyone work better together (pair programming and working in teams is a huge focus of the course). What I didn't know when I chose Makers was how supportive the careers team would be when you graduate - the opportunities and guidance they provide is incredible, and it makes a whole new industry feel accessible! I'm excited to be a part of Makers alumni.

After 5 years in an unrelated field (advertising), I decided I wanted to move into software development. After 2 months of self-directed learning, I joined Makers to get relevant skills necessary for employment. 

Pros of Makers: 1) they do an excellent job of integrating you into a cohort of students, ensuring open communication is easy and exposing you to pair-programming, an essential skill for working in software that you can't get from working alone; 2) they cover a wide range of skills, and I felt I learned a lot of technical skills I wouldn't have been able to through self-directed learning; 3) by the end of the course, I had a portfolio I was proud of; 4) the job-hunting part of Makers, which kicks in after the course is done, was excellent... I had a well-paid job within a month. 5) One-on-one reviews with a coach are absolutely invaluable, and improved my coding skills immensely; 6) As someone who has always used a PC, I was advised to borrow a MacBook from Makers for the course. Although I was annoyed about this at first (I'm not an Apple fan and avoid using their products), I now think this was very useful for me so that I am now equipped to code on MacBooks and PCs. 

Cons of Makers: 1) It would have been good to know the course was MacBook-based before going into it (I bought a new Microsoft Laptop for the course, which I didn't need!) 2) the course is designed to include more content than anyone can actually complete. This is to make sure no one ever had nothing to do, you're not expected to finish everything. However, it can be hard to figure out the minimum level of knowledge required, so it's not always clear if you're on track; 3) the group projects can be stressful.

Overall, despite some cons, I still highly rate this course, and if I went back in time 4 months' I'd definitely do it again. Recommended to anyone who wants to change their career and move into software development.

I attended Makers, starting the bootcamp in March 2020 (just as the Pandemic hit). Makers managed to transfer the bootcamp to be an online course which was really great and fostered a strong online community in our cohort. 
I had spent about a year learning Ruby ahead of the course starting as I tried to get as good a grounding as possible but the amount the course taught me I think would've taken at least a couple of years to reach on my own. 
I loved the meditation every day and the holistic approach to the course gave me a really good mindset for appropriating coding problems.
I also loved out bootcamp mentor and my placement coach Carina who went out of their way to make sure I was well supported in the transition to working at a company after the bootcamp ended. Overall I would recommend the apprenticeship to anyone, it gave me a great place to start my career and working in industry taught me a lot.

I'd like to note that the comments from my experience are from 2020 and some of these things may have changed since.
Pros:
It was great to have my cohort supporting me and helping me at times when I was struggling.
Coming to the office and the pairing sessions was for me the most valuable experience, I've learnt a lot from paring with colleagues.
I'd like to specifically mention Alice as a great coach, her workshops were really informative and she always made sure we understood the concepts with student interaction.
The support from the careers team has been so much better than I ever expected! Becks & Toby supported me right through to when I got a job and kept me motivated. This was one of the most invaluable benefits of studying with Makers.

Cons:
I think that there could be more one to one support for students that have more difficulties during the bootcamp.
I found that what I got out of the workshops varied greatly as the quality wasn't consistent. This could be improved by facilitating more group interactive work during the session and trying to appeal to all types of learning styles. 
The same would go for the 1-1 support from coaches some were fantastic at providing support and others not so much.

Makers gives you the tools needed to begin your career as a software engineer with no prior experience. The course is very intense with different weekly learning topics, lots of pairing, challenging weekend projects, and group projects. It was amazing to be surrounded by like-minded individuals who were also career changers, there is a real positive and supportive vibe. The EQ curriculum was amazing and totally unexpected too, I didn't know I needed it until I experienced it for myself! Overall the course puts you on the right path for life-long learning and continual self-development, the community is the cherry on the cake.
Pros- Positive vibes, great network, alumni community- EQ curriculum- Feedback culture- It's not like school, you're treated like an adult- Course content is super engaging- Talented and experienced coaches with a real passion for tech
Cons- If you are expecting to be lectured at for 12 weeks then this is not the course for you

I was on the first post-COVID hybrid cohort that combined remote and in-person learning. A big factor for me was definitely wanting to be able to learn in an environment of others passionate to learn with support of professionals on hand.

It was definitely an up and down experience, with highs and lows. You have to complete the pre-course in the month before starting Makers to get everyone on a fairly level playing field, but the first few weeks definitely ramp the difficulty up as you are thrown into the deep end somewhat (as you'd probably expect from a bootcamp). It can definitely be frustrating at times as a lot of the learning is very much self-led. Makers do provide you with suggested learning materials and challenges each week, but the main issue was that there never felt like there was enough time to complete it all! There were coaches there to support you, though I found that especially during the remote weeks I didn't make enough of it, mostly because I couldn't remember everyone we met on day 1 and maybe it wasn't clear enough each week who was assigned to your cohort that week. Support definitely varied, and we did have to push back to get extra content on certain topics, but some coaches also really went out of their way to put on extra workshops. My feedback for Makers going forward would be more technical workshops during the week, especially on complex topics and especially given the amount paid for the course. Regarding the course materials, these were usually fine though with the initial JavaScript weeks, I think we were the first (at least one of the first) groups to use their new syllabus, and at times it did feel a little incomplete (missing some solutions / additional guidance). I know a big focus is teaching us how to learn, but also for me, personally, if I can't self-assess myself against a solution written by a professional, I find it hard it gauge what I need to improve. At times, it did feel like the blind leading the blind when trying to figure something out with other learners, but of course satisfying if you do figure it out (much like the real world!).

One of the best parts of the course was the external code reviews where an assessor watches you code and gives you really good, insightful and actionable feedback to improve your overall process. I just wish a bigger thing had been made of these as I only took my first review after the bootcamp had finished and think it would have helped me massively to do them during. 

The post-bootcamp support is obviously a big part of the overall experience, and that was overall a good experience. While some of the workshops were a bit more basic, I understand Makers have to cater to all levels, especially those who are maybe fresh university grads or haven't applied for jobs before. However, the real value comes from being able to reach out to the support coaches, get your cover letters and CVs reviewed and get help in preparing for interviews.

And overall, I can't complain too much since I got hired into a tech role through one of the companies that Makers arranged to give us a lunchtime job talk, something which I wouldn't have imagined possible so soon after finishing a bootcamp!

Doing a Bootcamp with Makers was an intense experience that not only led me to acquire technical knowledge and exposition to essential programming topics but also helped me grow into an independent learner.
But Makers' support didn't finish with the Bootcamp. I can still count on a lot of support (technical support from coaches, access to external reviews, support on job hunting, access to a huge community of Makers Alumni, etc). 
However, I would like to emphasize the importance Makers give to emotional support and how, as a job hunter, it has been crucial to growing my confidence as a junior software developer. Both Becks and Candida have been amazing in the endless support they've been giving me and that's something I truly value! 
For all these reasons, I highly recommend Makers Academy!