Makers Academy

I recently completed the Full-Stack Software Engineer Bootcamp with Makers Academy, and I can confidently say that it was an incredibly rewarding experience. Although the course is self-led, Makers provides tech coaches who are available to help, and... Read More answer any questions that may come up. They are knowledgeable and friendly, and they create a supportive and inclusive environment that encourages collaboration and growth. Throughout the course, we followed the industry’s best practices (e.g. TDD and pair programming), worked in agile teams, and participated in tech rituals (e.g. retro-meetings, and stand-ups). We started with Ruby and then moved to JavaScript on Week 7. We learned how to debug and search for answers to our problems, making us confident in learning new languages and technologies both by ourselves and as part of a group. One thing that really stood out to me about Makers was the emphasis they placed on community building. There are always interesting events and activities going on (e.g. daily meditation, weekly yoga, EQ workshops, and community breakfasts), providing a great opportunity to make friends and collaborate with other students who share similar interests and goals. On Week 10 we were given time and guidance on how to prepare a GitHub portfolio, and once we graduated we were able to count on a team of wonderful Success Coaches to help with our CVs and Cover Letters, prepare and practice for face-to-face and tech interviews. They were always available to provide feedback, advice, and support, which helped to keep us motivated throughout the job-hunting process. I managed to get a job offer within 5 weeks of completing this training and while I had a great time at Makers, I want to emphasize that this course requires commitment and dedication. The curriculum is designed to be intensive and challenging, so it's important to be prepared to put in the time and effort required to succeed. That being said, I would highly recommend this course to anyone who is willing to make that commitment. The experience is incredibly rewarding, and the knowledge and skills you gain will be invaluable in your career as a software engineer.

Overall - Studying at Makers Academy not only got me my dream role, but it was also some of the best weeks of my life. Each week, you'll either study a fundamental aspect of web development, or build your own application. They work hard on building an... Read More atmosphere where everyone can ask questions and learn without judgement, which really pays off. If you throw yourself in, you can learn an unbelievable amount in 12 weeks. Pros - • You can genuinely go from no coding experience to succeeding on this course. This was not the case for me, but I saw it happen with people on my cohort. • Gives you experience of all the areas of web development that are needed to land a role: agile development, test-driven development, object-oriented principles, relational databases. • The emotional intelligence curriculum is excellent, I have become so much better in working in a team because of this course. The meditation and yoga sessions are also available for alumni for free! • You quickly form a close bond with your cohort due to Makers selectively picking a certain type of person, even if you do the entire course remotely, as I did. • Job hunting support post-course is exceptional. The careers team provide workshops, individual coaching sessions, and a special mention to Hunor for reviewing about 1000 cover letters every single week! • On completing the course, you will have three full-stack web applications as a portfolio for employers. Cons- • The only con I can think of is that the first half of the course is in Ruby, which is a fairly dead language at this point (at least in terms of what I saw asked for when jobhunting). Makers do this because they believe it’s the best language to learn as a beginner, so fair enough. Personally, I think it’d be better if the first half of the course was in Python, which I started with, found very intuitive, and it’s the most used language in the world.

Pros - Bootcamp content is interesting. You learn Ruby and JavaScript along with testing frameworks such as Jest and RSpec. - Weekend challenges are useful and challenging. - Fundamentals of OOP and things such as pair programming, TDD etc. Cons - Left... Read More to your own devices too much - Rather have skipped learning Ruby and had content for React instead. - Coaches can be difficult to contact

The quality of teaching at the bootcamp was exceptional. The instructors were highly knowledgeable and delivered the material in a way that was both engaging and easy to understand. The overall organization of the bootcamp was professional, and I felt... Read More supported throughout the entire program. Despite the high number of cohorts and students at a time, the support level was excellent, and everything was well-coordinated and curated. The curriculum was modern and up-to-date, with a focus on fundamental and high-level concepts that are in demand in the industry. The atmosphere on the course was amazing, and everyone was very supportive, contributing to the overall wellbeing of the students. The bootcamp prioritized personal wellbeing and learning, ensuring that everyone had the resources and support they needed to succeed. Although the course is very intensive, it is a unique and valuable learning experience that can help you change your career. You may not finish everything in one sitting during the course, but the important thing is to focus on learning and developing your skills. I met amazing people from my cohort and other cohorts, and the course has amazing perks that you have access to even after graduation. We worked on very interesting team projects and it was pure fun. Overall, I am extremely satisfied and can wholeheartedly recommend the course. I am grateful to the entire Makers Team for their support throughout my journey, both in good times and in bad.

Throughout the pre-course, I was experiencing quite a bit of imposter syndrome (arguably not an uncommon feeling for a career changer). However, since day one of the full-time course, the empathetic and patient environment that the Makers team provided,... Read More enabled me to overcome those initial fears and realise my own potential in programming. With numerous group engineering projects and 'give it a go' encouragement from the coaches, the course works really well in preparing us for our future tech jobs - to the extent that I was able to draw from many of my Makers experiences when interviewing for jobs. The EQ workshops are an invaluable addition, especially when wanting to making the most of those group engineering projects. After 4 months of intense learning and self-development, I wasn't sure how much energy I had left to then look for a job but the careers team had us covered. I've never experienced motivation that abundant and readily available. With the job-searching process being quite a daunting experience for me, I made sure I leant on the careers team and their resources as much as possible and I don't think I would have found a job as quickly as I did without them.

Pros: Learn javascript + ruby very well and indepth in 12 weeks Learn frameworks and supporting technologies that are high in demand and relevant in todays workplace. Fantastic support in learning via coaches and mentors. They will answer each and every... Read More question. Experience working through projects in real-life, work applicable methodologies such as AGILE. Be part of a cohort with like minded individuals who push each other to succeed. Immense job support after the course through 1 to 1 tailored coaching, group sessions and interview advice. Access to an exclusive network of Alumni Makers, many in senior and lead positions today. A rubber duck as a souvenir. Cons: Will require effort. It's a full time endeavour, very intense and will require your full attention and effort. Overall, I had a fantastic experience at Makers. Regardless of the extremely tough job market toward the end of 2022 and beginning of 2023, I managed to secure a very desirable entry level job with one of my favourite languages that I was taught at Makers. There are concepts that I had no idea existed in web development that were taught at Makers and my success singlehandedly goes out to them. If I could do it all again I would 100%.

When I was looking at the bootcamps I could apply to, I saw many bootcamps that promise "belonging to a community", but Makers truly provides that. Receiving training in my current company just isn't the same...I actually wish I was still at Makers for... Read More this principle of togetherness! Their approach to learning is so welcoming and unique, I've never experienced anything like this in my life (and I don't think I will again). The holistic way of teaching whilst making space to ensure wellbeing and wellness is so effective. I think "EQ" (emotional quotient) training really goes hand in hand with tech. Aside from reaching out to coaches or your cohort, they even have joy officer whom you can talk to if you have any blockers. The coaches were amazing, always great in spirits and couldn't do more to help. There's a clearly a very stringent vetting process for anyone that works for Makers, because everyone was a "people person" whilst also being very knowledgeable on the technical side. Don't get me wrong, the course is very hard and demanding but every employee at Makers is there to help and they are very good at nurturing your development. After I left Makers to find a job, their aftercare was unbelievably good. There's bespoke support you'll receive for interview training, CV's and cover letters. They also have many plans in place to ease your transition and they are really hands on, right until you get employed...even then, I am still using their offices, so even though I'm employed, they're still supporting me! I'd hate to sound hackneyed, but after graduation you realise being a Maker is a way of thinking and a lifestyle!

Attending a holistic boot camp was one of the best decisions I've ever made. The immersive and well-rounded education I received helped me develop a deep understanding of my field and a strong set of practical skills. Not only did it prepare me for a... Read More successful career, but it also fostered personal growth and allowed me to connect with a supportive community of like-minded individuals.

I would sincerely recommend enrolling at Makers Academy if you have any intention of switching careers or interested in becoming a software developer. The course has a great focus on independent learning mixed in with pair programming, so you get to learn... Read More a lot while working closely with other people in a similar position to you, which can really help make the learning process a lot more fun. You also get a lot of hands on experience working with Ruby, JavaScript and React.js making a wide range of projects, ranging from small programs, to full social media websites, to whatever you want your final project to be. One thing I would say however is you need to be aware that the coaches are fairly hands off, so if you're struggling, you need to make them aware directly, but also try and use other resources like YouTube videos and forums to help get you unstuck; just be kind to yourself! It's insanely rewarding once you make it through to the end.

I was quite skeptical about the whole thing of becoming a Software Developer in just 4 months. However, Makers has been great, and after finishing the course I'm building my own app from scratch! The curriculum is intense and very fast-forward, but it... Read More totally prepares you for becoming a developer. I enjoyed pairing with other students to solve coding challenges and the knowledge we learned during the team projects. Overall, intense, demanding, and definitely worth it.