Makers Academy

I attended the Makers Academy Bootcamp from September to December 2019. Being in my 30s and having very little prior knowledge (a smattering of hobby coding from my teen years) I went into the course apprehensive that I wouldn't be able to keep up and... Read More end up left behind. How wrong I was! I learned a phenomenal amount in just 3 months!
The learning was approached from a bottom-up perspective with a heavy emphasis on learning the very basics of coding first and then using those basics to expand and extend the knowledge learned in a gradual and manageable way to complete more and more complex projects. In addition to the coding there was a heavy emphasis on emotional learning as well, through meditation, yoga and workshops on how to be a more well-rounded and emotionally healthy person in a tough, fast paced industry.
The only con I can think of from the whole experience was the hands-off approach to teaching. Don't get me wrong, the coaches were there to help and provide advice (and were fantastic), but the learning was not in the same vein as school or college wherein the teaching was more formalised and followed a strict curriculum. This was jarring and somewhat difficult to get used to, and at times rather frustrating, but in hindsight it was actually a positive. They gave me the tools to learn organically and on the go, which (after a month in my placement) is absolutely essential and I am definitely grateful for!

In short: the bootcamp was tough, oftentimes frustrating, but ultimately it was a fantastically valuable experience that has given me the knowledge and skills I needed to take my first steps into the Software Development industry!

Makers is a really interesting programme - I felt empowered to develop my own learning without it being too prescriptive. That being said the coaches were always accessible and happy to help unblock. I feel this mimicked real life work very well and is... Read More great preparation for the real world. I would say that some of the workshops that were run were lacking a bit of direction but coaches were really open to feedback and this situation improved really quickly.

Makers is very much a self driven course. There are coaches available for classes and assistance, but most learning will be done with your peers using the Makers provided curriculum. If this suits your learning style, I would highly recommend the course.... Read More If you prefer structured learning, it might be a bit of a challenge but success is still definitely achievable. You'll get out only as much as you are prepared to commit! Be prepared to work 12 hours a day during the course, with weekend work as well. The course is intense and there's a lot to take in, but with the friendly staff and students I highly enjoyed my time and kind of wish I could do it all again!

As someone already working in a team of software engineers for over a year, at first I wasn't sure what the course would bring to me in terms of knowledge and skills. What can I say, it was simply the most productive learning experience I have ever been... Read More involved with. Professional coaches, well designed tasks, and great support and feedback all the way through. Has given me the confidence to become the engineer I always thought I could be. Especially loved the constant focus on test-driven-development, really job-relevant and teaching me the skills I need for my day-to-day work. Having tried a number of different development routes, I could not be more positive about Makers in comparison to the others, they are streets ahead and I will be recommending them to everyone that I speak to over the coming months and years! Great job!

I started the 3 month Academy with absolutely no coding experience.

The course material is well laid out, and whilst daunting at first, the coaches are extremely supportive and helpful. Putting emphasis on not only learning a coding language, but the principles... Read More and techniques on how to self study, assess and develop yourself.

By the end of the 12 week Bootcamp, I had learned the fundamentals to 3 different languages and build web applications in each of them from scratch!

Being able to see the just how far I have come from the first week to the last in such a short a seemingly short space of time is an incredible feeling.
Makers has set me up with skills I can use for the rest of my life, and within a week of joining a team after the academy I am already working on active tickets and contributing to the team.

I would recommend Makers Academy to anyone looking to take the first, or next step in the coding career.

I came into Makers having thought i knew a lot about coding and software development. However that was quickly put aside as makers also teach you other vital skills. Such as behavioral skills like pair programming and working as part of a software development... Read More team. Not only this but the emotional support that is available is good for when things got particularly stressful. Overall I would definitely recommend this course to people as they don't teach in the traditional teaching ways. They teach you how to teach your self. For example they will give you a topic and give you some resources and some activities to complete but you spend your time learning how you want to learn. They put on work shops etc to help but also give you a lot of time for you to do your own self led learning. However being a boot camp that is specific for those with no coding experience, having already had experience the first few weeks seemed rather redundant to me.

A really great bootcamp, I learnt so much in 12 weeks. Everything from fundamental concepts and multiple languages to Agile processes and effective pairing techniques. All valuable skills in the workplace. The bootcamp has given me so much confidence... Read More in my decision to change career. The coaches are very approachable and always on hand should you need them. Mental health and wellbeing are also taken seriously. It's an intense 12 weeks but well worth it. You'll get out of it what you put in. Would definitely recommend.

I have just finished 3 months Coding Bootcamp with Makers. To start with I was a total beginner. After 12 weeks of intensive learning, pairing, doing challenges, projects. Yes, we had 3 projects! I feel like I have attained the tools and skills to start... Read More confidently in my role as Junior Software Developer.

Pros “+”:

— Professional coaches. Throughout the course you get to work with few coaches, and all of them have been knowledgeable and very supportive. They also will never give you the direct answer, bu help you to understand and find answer for yourself;

— well designed course work;

— Emotional Support. As part of course you are taught skills to manage your well-being. You learn how to meditate, how to be empathetic , how to look after yourself etc. You can do yoga too! You also can have one2one session with support coach. Take advantage of these, the coaches are amazing and really help me to get through the course, as it was quite challenging for me in all respects. And and emotional support coach was a real bonus!

— Support after you finish!

Cons “-“ :

— some materials require update, but I think makers are working on this.

Overall, I would recommend Makers who want to change their life and have a brilliant start in their Software Developer Career!

I joined Makers with no coding experience, and in 3 months I've learn an enormous amount. Not only I've gained a technical knowledge, but I was also introduced to agile processes and the ways teams operate. Makers have mental coaches, so there is always... Read More someone to help you if you find the course(or life) too challenging. Makers prepare you for your new career very well, the course is very well organised and the coaches are extremely professional. I recommend this course to anyone who wants to build a career as a software engineer. On the first day at my workplace I was able to use the skills I've gained during this bootcamp. Makers is the place to start :)

Not only did Makers improve my coding skills in just 3 months 😲, they teach you vital skills needed in the workplace. The Makers approach is to teach you how to learn because a successful 🚀 software engineer is always learning. Met a ton of life-long... Read More friends who are share similar interests. Finally, Makers was an enjoyable experience I'm glad I went through. Highly recommended 👍