Makers Academy

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... Read More 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.

The Makers Academy bootcamp was great for learning the fundamentals skills of software development that are highly relevant when applying for your first role. It's tough to learn at such a quick pace and it's a big time commitment (6 days per week for... Read More most of the course) but it's definitely worth it. The support after the bootcamp for applying for jobs is really helpful too.

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... Read More 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.

Pros: I was able to learn and work with new technologies and programming languages as well as learn best practices such as TDD and agile methodologies. I believe that the skills learned in the bootcamp will definitely help you with getting that first... Read More tech role. It was great meeting everyone in the cohort and working on different projects together. The coaches are all amazing and very helpful. Makers also provides great resources that one can have a look at in their own time. Cons: It would have been helpful to have more workshops/tutorials that would cover the most difficult concepts in each weekly/weekend challenge. It would be great if a coach could show how they solve the weekend challenge.

I had a great experience at Makers. I had done some programming before, mainly beginner-intermediate tutorials and codewars-style coding challenges, which had gotten me interested in switching careers to software engineering, but I didn't know how to... Read More actually make anything. I feel like in Makers I not only learned how to actually make full-stack web apps, but to do it with the best practices and using TDD. Technically, there's nothing in the course you couldn't teach yourself but I know FOR A FACT I wouldn't have bothered with stuff like TDD if I was self studying. There were some things that were different from what I was expecting, not necessarily in a bad way. For one, the hands-off approach of the coaches. You're encouraged to figure out stuff by yourself. Pair programming was VERY tiring, yet I loved working in teams for the group projects (by far my favorite aspect of the course!!). It did go by super fast and in hindsight I do wish it had been a little longer, although when applying the 12 weeks does sound appealing. As for the job hunt, one of the main reasons I actually chose Makers is because I could see that one of the ways they make money is through their hiring partner side, meaning they would not only have jobs to introduce us to, but it would be in their best interests to get us a job. I was not wrong. I successfully landed a job offer with one of the hiring partners just 3 weeks out of the course, and I had also been interviewing/taking tests for other hiring partners. I know of several others within my cohort who got jobs within the same timeframe. My few attempts at applying to external jobs were unsuccessful so the access to hiring partners was extremely valuable and one of the best aspects of taking the course.

Pros: learnt so much in a short period of time, lots of support networks, recognised learning, you will learn how to learn anything, especially tech based. Cons: Is very intense and some may not have time for the full time course. I would advise anyone... Read More with family or other commitments to think if they have the time for this course.

My experience at Makers Academy has been nothing short of awesome. Sure, I could have taught myself how to loosely code, but I wouldn't have made the connections, friendships, or solid coding practices without them. They provide you with fantastic resources,... Read More coaching help, practices that you can take into your career. The after Makers support has been better than any of the other courses I've taken. The mentorship program has been an added touch that has helped me keep from getting overwhelmed. If you're unsure, just do it or talk to a past Maker! There isn't a person I've met, who has said they should have waited or not taken the course!

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... Read More 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.

Pros Makers has a very supportive, progressive atmosphere and culture. I started last year and had to defer because I got ill, and the coaches were really helpful. I started again later in the year and completed the course last week. The coaches are fab.... Read More You do have to reach out to them if you need something but once you do, they are very supportive. If you have any health issue or you’re finding the course stressful – speak to a coach!

 I have some health issues and they were really helpful, kind and proactive in their support. I got a job immediately the end of the course through a personal contact, so I cannot speak for the careers side from personal experience, but from what I can tell from the cohort I started with last year, everyone seems to have good jobs that they enjoy. The careers service seems very comprehensive too, and I had CV support as soon as I asked for it. The pairing and team work that you do at Makers is a real strength of the bootcamp and this cannot be replicated by trying to teach yourself coding. I feel much more relaxed and confident working with other people because of all the pairing and groupwork. I’ve met some amazing people through Makers and I hope I end up working with some of them sometime during my career. We had a lot of laughs as well as bonded over seemingly impossible problems (which all got solved in the end). Cons Some of the materials need proof-reading and can be a bit difficult to understand when they don’t need to be. I can imagine this might be an additional challenge if English is not your native language. Sometimes it can feel a bit like you’re on your own, working through self-led learning materials. There isn’t a great deal of teaching (a couple of coach-led workshops most weeks) which can sometimes be frustrating. The idea is that you learn to figure things out for yourself, but I think Makers should hire some more coaches to be able to answer learners’ queries more quickly as there was sometimes a bit of a wait to get coach input. I cannot fault any of the individual coaches, but as a course provider, it feels like there needs to be a few more coaches. Conclusion Makers was a great experience and I’m delighted to have finished it. I definitely feel ready to take on a junior developer role, and I’ve been offered a decent paying job the week I finished. As a way into a career in software development, I would recommend Makers. It can feel a little frustrating sometimes during the process, but the course gets you job ready and in a good position to apply for junior dev roles.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a career change if you are willing to put in the hard work. Makers puts you in a position to succeed and its up to you to get the most out of it. Exellent career support and lots of partners to apply to after course... Read More concluded, got a job offer 3 weeks after graduating.