Makers Academy

Makers was an awesome experience and it helped me get my first software development job! For anyone looking to learn the rudiments of programming, build lots of projects and get the foundations for a career in programming (as well as meets lots of cool... Read More people) this is the place for you. The course covers a lot of ground, is very fast paced and very intense. It is also not a typical learning environment where you are handed all the material on a platter. Instead it is very much a self-led learning course where you are taught to search for and understand what you need to know to build your projects and get your code working. You will be frustrated, elated and occasionally driven to despair, but the feeling of getting a program working is magical! Makers does very well in a couple of areas: - Teaching you how to teach yourself and how to solve coding problems (as well as maintaining a positive outlook - crucially important). - Pair programming and Group Projects - Test Driven Development - A diverse range of technologies (in a short space of time) - The makers careers team is fantastic and they have lots of relationships with different companies, through which they offer exclusive junior dev jobs to Makers Graduates (that's how I got my job, while job hunting they were regularly posting new opportunities). - I did the course remotely and I thought it all worked very well. - An extensive alumni network - Great peer community and great coaches Areas of concern/things that may be helpful: - The curriculum needs updating in some areas (but this is a continual process they go through), and it would be good if Makers could introduce a little bit on cloud based technologies, and perhaps a bit more about how the industry works. - Given the nature of the bootcamp (and probably all bootcamps), people are at different levels when they join, some having done a bit more prior learning than others (Also some people learn faster than others). This can sometimes affect how you progress on projects and cause some concern. I do not think this is an issue, as ultimately what is important is learning how to code (debug, TDD, etc...), not necessarily the specifics of how each technology work (you will have plenty of time in your career to pick this up. But, I raise it as it can introduce frustration... - Although most bootcamps are advertised as you don't need to know any / very little coding prior to starting the course. I heartily recommend trying to spend a few months (I am talking part time here not full time learning) before the bootcamp, learning how to program (e.g. Ruby, HTML, CSS, JS), try and build some simple console apps, do codewars, Codecademy, code out of a book, etc... I think this will help you get the most out of the course, as you can move quickly on from learning the syntax, to focusing on the course learning objectives. In my experience those who had spent more time coding before the course, seemed to get more out of it. Some more specific factual details - correct at the time I did the course (Feb to end May 2021 - Remote) The course is split into 3 parts: - The first part is 1 month of pre-work where you cover the basics of Ruby and Git, to ensure you are prepared for the course. This is solo work (although you are introduced to your cohort) - The second part is the 3 month course itself. This was kind of split into two, the first 7 weeks where you focus on learning Ruby and Javascript, completing weekly pair programming tasks and a weekend challenge, you also complete two group projects. The second part is two longer group projects, the first with Ruby On Rails and the second is the final project (you can do anything you want - I did a React.JS and Ruby On Rails web app). - The third part is the post course, and this is where the makers coaches will help you cement your learning, give advice and coaching on job hunting, prepping for interviews and tech tests. Most importantly this is also where the fantastic Makers Careers Team come into the light and they have established relationships with various companies over the years giving exclusive opportunities to Makers grads. During the course I covered/used the following: - Languages: Ruby, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, SQL (Minimal) - Frameworks: Ruby on Rails, Sinatra, various Javascript Libraries, React.js (optional for final project). - Tools: Git, Github, Heroku - Testing Tools: RSPEC, Jasmine, Jest - Programming practices/fundamentals: SOLID Principles, Pair Programming, Agile Working, HTTP, Web Apps, SQL Databases. - Remote working - entire course was done remotely.

Makers has a well-defined program, which works through the various facets of software development in an organised way. There are extensive banks of learning exercises, along with good access to coaches. I would say that there is space for some additional... Read More resources that teach you the topic, rather than just provide exercises for you to practice it. The decision to use Ruby as the primary language is sensible in many ways - it is a straightforward language, and, with the addition of Sinatra or Rails, allows you to build websites. However there didn't seem to be many junior developer roles in Ruby. The course also teaches JavaScript, by translation from Ruby, and encourages students to branch out to new languages/frameworks for their final projects. The after-course support from the careers team is where Makers really shines. Help is available for graduates to consolidate their learning, apply for jobs or interview for jobs, with regular workshops run for each. There are also careers coaches available for 1:1 advice and support. The coaches are interested in graduates as individuals, and focus on helping them to understand and display their most marketable skills. I learnt so much on the course!

I undertook the Makers course as my career was stagnating. I learnt so much in a challenging and engaging environment and Makers go above and beyond to make sure the new entrants of the white, male world of tech are diverse and know to be inclusive. Even... Read More though it was remote I felt connected and have made lots of new friends and perhaps most importantly am now employed within three months of leaving!

The intensity of the course set me up to push myself and create a substantial amount of work for my portfolio. Although I would personally change some aspects of the course, the general layout provided was significantly valued. Teamwork and pair programming... Read More is essential to this program and the lessons taken away from this were invaluable. To improve, I would allow more time for independent study, such that students can have time to solidify their understanding.

Makers was one of the most challenging things I did in my life, and so worth it. I went from being a waitress to a software developer in 10 months. I found a job at a company I really like and I am now on my first weeks of being a software developer.... Read More Looking back I would do it all over again.

This course is intense but will prepare you for the real world of development. It changed the way i aproach problems, interact with people, etc. The weekly challenges are amazing, great support from the coaches! I may say this where the best 16 weeks... Read More that i had i a long time.

Pros: Pre-course material - helps get you up to speed. Support - teachers are always there if you need them. Cohort - you are a team, not individuals. You will meet people in the same situation as you. Pairing - you will always get asked about pair programming... Read More in interviews. Mediation - a nice way of relaxing even if you think it's not for you. Careers Team - you get help with anything, they will also check up on you to see if how you are doing. Cons: Fast paced - you need to be dedicated or you will struggle.

Makers Academy is a brilliant place to learn programming and change your career. I feel that attending Makers Academy has made a huge impact on my life and changed it for the better. Pros - Perfect place to develop if you learn by being hands on - Able... Read More to rapidly learn different languages, common practices, pairing and other important software development skills - Brilliant CV and Cover letter workshops - Great support from Coaches - Helpful and insightful workshops - Great wellbeing workshops and information Cons - Due to the time constraints of the course, you are only taught the surface level of some topics - Feedback from career staff regarding job roles applied to through Makers can feel lacking and unspecific at times

I am extremely happy that I chose Makers to guide me in becoming a software developer. I think it was definitely worth the cost. The curriculum covers a range of useful topics to make us into well-rounded professionals, including a focus on important... Read More Emotional Intelligence areas such as teamwork, feedback and health. I learned about Agile, testing, CD/CI, clean code, and pair programming. I loved the daily pair programming and getting to meet a new person each day, especially during Covid. The Makers experience is based around self-learning so that we get comfortable not knowing stuff, researching, and asking for help. It’s an intense course with a lot of material covered. Prospective students would do well to have studied basic HTML and CSS before starting, as well as the required Ruby. The curriculum isn’t perfect but Makers are updating it currently. After graduating I am now forever part of the Makers Alumni professional network, which will be invaluable for job hunting and networking throughout my career. I was also pleased to discover that 1-1 support and workshops are available for job hunters.

If you’re like me then you will be considering a bootcamp as a time efficient way to switch careers into software development, and for me this was the only box the bootcamp really had to tick. Now looking back after my first few weeks at work, I can say... Read More that Makers achieved this for me. Without Makers, I would certainly have been a lot slower getting that first job for the following reasons: - knowing what to study - the course introduces you to a selection of technologies and practices that give you a good springboard for following your interests, and give you enough direction to study for the interview process. Without this direction I would have not really known where to begin, and it certainly would have been less efficient - practicing techniques that are difficult to self study - there was a strong focus on pairing and group work (including using relevant tools e.g. git) which would have been difficult to self-organise and taught you useful skills. Furthermore they ingrain best practices (eg TTD and OOP principles) into you. It would be hard to get your head around these, understand their benefit and get feedback on them without the framework of a course in my opinion. - navigating the job hunt and post course support - this was the real kicker for me. Completing the course is definitely not the hardest part of the journey - having the mental resilience to push through the job hunt definitely is! The post course support at Makers is pretty thorough, and without the advice and direction they gave me, plus the network of fellow students supporting each other, that job hunt would have seemed significantly longer and more hopeless. If you factor in the opportunity cost of the extra time spent job hunting and studying rather than working, then attending a bootcamp makes a lot of sense vs self study in my opinion. Also what nice leaving Makers you have access to the large alumni network, which I expect to be very helpful throughout my career (it has already been useful!). Final note on learning style - the course structure suits people who: - learn by doing rather than attending long lectures - are able to pursue the learning resources they want to, to give themselves the greatest benefit (rather than preferring to be spoon fed via a rigid timetable) - enjoy working with others (or at least recognise that this is a useful skill to pick up during the course that would be difficult to get from self study - which can be done at any point in their lives) Overall I would recommend it for the above reasons. I also thoroughly enjoyed the whole process of the course and the material!