Makers Academy

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 👍

I've just completed the 12 week boot-camp with Makers and had a fantastic learning experience. Their style of coaching is so engaging and the tasks set were well matched to what we needed to learn. It was great to look back and realize just how much I'd... Read More learnt in those 12 weeks. The course also covered some non-coding skills like teamwork , and agile processes which was so helpful when moving into placement.
Overall has a great time, with the help of some super coaches. Didn't want it to end!

I came into this course already knowing how to code, therefore you may think that I had no reason in being there? Well I learnt much more than how to code, I improved my pair programming ability and this therefore made me a more valuable member of my... Read More team, as I now have the ability to explain problems and solutions to all skill levels, and I've got Makers to thank for that :)

This 3 month bootcamp has been amazing. The coaches have been supportive and the work has been engaging. I have learned more about coding in 3 months on this course than 2 years doing a computer science A level. One con would be that as i was in a cohort... Read More of 15 and to have 1 coach between us meant that sometimes i was left waiting for support when i was stuck.

Yes, I learnt to code in 3 very intensive months (be prepared for all your relationships to take a backseat!). Yes, I got a job within two weeks of graduating from Makers. But really, that doesn't even compare to what really sets Makers apart from other... Read More bootcamps - and that's their focus on emotional intelligence, self-care and diversity. I have a few examples...

1. I was meant to start at Makers in February and got struck down by a serious and chronic health condition that took me out of action for 6 months. They allowed me to keep delaying the start of my course every month, were always available for me to talk through any concerns or questions I had. When I started, they were fully supportive to provide me with what I needed to be able to manage my health whilst at the course.
2. On my first day, I had a few experiences (as a woman, and of South Asian descent) which made me feel uncomfortable. Although Makers and the rest of the tech industry have a long way to go when it comes to diversity, I was able to voice my concerns to a member of staff who then heard these concerns and took action to change the course of it. That made me feel really supported.
3. We have yoga twice a week and daily meditation! Seriously going to miss that...

In terms of 'cons', I would say that the quality of coaching could have been better at times, and it did sometimes feel that they had not been trained thoroughly or had that much experience in teaching. I would also say that some of the course material really felt like it hadn't been updated in years. Also, it would have been nice to have some more time on Javascript - we talked a lot about asynchronicity but I didn't get to really put it into practice until we decided to do a Javascript stack on our final project. However, there is flexibility from week 10 onwards to do more Javascript if you prefer.

In saying that, I don't think any course can be perfect but Makers did feel like it gets the balance right and their pedagogy is effective, and they got me a job (I still can't believe I just got a job as a Software Engineer so quickly!). A shout out to the careers team for their support too!

During the 12 weeks you will learn to develop your own form of learning and can ask the coach for help at any time, this is a very useful way to start your career, knowing how to ask for help and being independent. Having people from different backgrounds... Read More makes the experience even nicer. I definitely super recommend it!

I've just graduated from Makers Academy and got hired within 2 weeks. I still can't believe that after barely knowing any coding 4 months ago I became someone who can build professional apps in different languages, solve complex technical problems, quickly... Read More learn new programming languages or technologies. And become hireable as a full-stack software developer.

If you want to become a software engineer in a short period of time, it's the best option. Makers teach you not just how to code, but how to learn anything, how to be organised and strategic about your learning, how to push yourself and persevere. They create this intense learning environment where you are constantly pushed out of your comfort zone, so you have to work much harder than you would on your own. It's tough but very effective.

To alleviate stress and emotional pressure (imposter syndrome, overwhelm, mental fatigue), Makers create a supportive environment & help to deal with those issues. There are workshops on empathy & emotional intelligence, daily meditations, yoga, social event. You can't underestimate the importance of such support.

Another important aspect of becoming a successful software engineer is the ability to work with others. To be a part of a team, to work in pairs, to provide and received feedback. All that was an important part of the curriculum. We had daily pairing sessions in the first part of the course, followed by team projects. We learned and practiced agile, had standups, retros, brainstorming sessions, code reviews. All that can't be learned on your own.

And in the end, it was so much fun! I've met great people and enjoyed the process. I feel a bit sad that it's over, but I've excited about the next chapter. Working as a software engineer, being a coder and the Maker.

Makers helped me realise my dream of becoming a developer.

I really my time at makers. I have met a lot of people who I know I will remain friends with. They have put a lot of effort into making the whole place a positive place to be. They are not purely... Read More focused on coding and they offer things outside of code like yoga, meditation, pizza nights with games, karaoke and more. They have an aim to make you a more well-rounded employable developer rather than just a technical champion.

In terms of the coding, the process eases you into the process but each week you are more entrusted to work with less structure and build things as part of groups following the processes you have been taught throughout. Support was still there if needed. I really liked this way of working.

Although I can see the benefits to learning Ruby as a first language due to the way it reads plus the syntax is more forgiving. However it seems maybe Rails/Ruby aren't as relevant in the job world as they once were and the course spends a lot of time focusing on them. However we did cover Javascript and some React. And final projects you can choose your own tech stack which meant you can go wild do things like use Python!

They have a big careers team and they have loads of partnerships with all sorts of companies from brand new starts ups to big American companies. Companies come into to give talks and they have careers fairs too.

You can learn the code and technical stuff yourself online. But they teach you things like coding as part of a team and using team processes to developing apps. Which is obviously beneficial for getting a job as real world dev. It is awesome, the fact they have all this careers support and will help you find a job.

I really enjoyed my time at makers, learned a lot and made a lot of good memories. It was extremely effective in teaching a lot of material in a relatively short time. I learnt more practical and usable skills and information in my three months at makers... Read More than I did in my time at main stream schooling. Definitely recommend

I really enjoyed my time at makers, learned a lot and made a lot of good memories. It was extremely effective in teaching a lot of material in a relatively short time. I learnt more practical and usable skills and information in my three months at makers... Read More than I did in my time at main stream schooling. Definitely recommend.