Makers Academy

The learning structure of the bootcamp was good, there wasn't a week when it felt wasted. The emphasis is definitely more so on producing projects and completing challenges rather than getting a thorough understanding of the topic, which is understandable given the time constraints. However, as topics got more challenging towards the latter end of the bootcamp, this lack of depth proved to be more detrimental. So see the learning as a foundation to give you the gist of what to learn in your own time during or after the bootcamp. 

I think the real value of Makers comes from the large alumni network you are able to tap into and take advantage of at any point of your career. Additionally, being able to learn, pair-program and do team projects with other fellow learners  is invaluable and is not easily replicated. Due to Makers reputation and selection process you are going to be in cohort with many amazing people that you will learn so much from and could help you down the line. There's also a big push on mental wellbeing and emotional intelligence, which is not necessary of a bootcamp, but just goes to show that Makers goes above and beyond for its students.

I found the course to be a great way to learn the foundations of Software Engineering. I think it's important to note that a lot of success depends on your own motivation and ability to seek help from peers/coaches if you need it, as a lot of the learning is hands off. Coaches are available to help with the course materials and run a few workshops/webinars. 

The structure for most of the course of 'solo work' in the mornings and then 'pairing' in the afternoons works well. You get assigned a pair that will either be behind you or ahead of you, and you work on the materials of whoever is behind. This way if you fall behind a bit, you can get guidance from someone that's further ahead of you, and if you steam ahead, you are somewhat forced to reinforce what you've already learned by helping others.

Careers support is pretty good, but again it's somewhat hands off. Lots of workshops to help with CV and cover letter writing, application tips, etc, and then ad hoc support when you need it. E.g. if you need a pep talk or technical advice before an interview you can schedule a call with a coach. Also students are allowed to book a (theoretically) unlimited number of 'code reviews' these are like mock technical interviews where you get really detailed feedback on your coding process and where you can make improvements, as well as a full recording of your review. These are done with an external partner so there's no bias. These are really useful so, if you do Makers, be sure to take advantage of these.

It's hard to give a fully thorough assessment of the careers support however, as the job market is really in a bad place right now, so the 'getting a job' bit is quite tough at the moment. The careers partnerships team seems, however, to have started bringing in a few nice hiring partners who agree to interview Makers grads, but for a while there was a real drought of any partnerships coming in so there's a bit of a backlog of job hunters in the alumni. General chatter is that the market is picking up again after the bloodbath of layoffs in the sector have started to stabilise, but it could still be a while.

Overall, I'm really glad I did Makers and I found a job 2 months after graduating, however some people have been less lucky and are still hunting quite a few months on. With that in mind just be aware of the fact that - given the current market - the job hunt requires a LOT of work to keep coding and keep your motivation up applying to jobs, and also requires a fair bit of luck too.. But if you have the logical mind for coding and the motivation to power through it I'm sure you'll be great.

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 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 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! 

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 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.

After a lot of research and speaking with individuals who had completed different bootcamps, I chose Makers due to their emphasis on diversity and holistic approach to education, with wellbeing and emotional intelligence being treated as equally important to the course material. This paid off dividends and allowed me to set a strong foundation for my career and furthered my understanding of the importance of work-life balance. During the course, I met some exceptional individuals who were humble, kind and eager to learn. Being surrounded by like minded folk and working closely with them on group projects taught me a lot and was far more beneficial to me than self-learning online. It is an intense experience, but if you are prepared to test your resilience, it is worth it. Coming from a background in Marketing, the transition was daunting, but I am grateful for having made the decision to enrol. The emphasis on self-led learning prepared me for the realities of software engineering. The coaches and curriculum were outstanding. Just remember that it takes time to solidify knowledge and not to feel overwhelmed, just keep moving forward and don't be afraid to ask for help :).

I have just finished Makers' 12 weeks full-time immersive coding bootcamp and I really enjoyed it.

My aim was to change career and become a software developer. I already had some coding experience before the course, but a few people on the course also didn't have any experience. 

The best thing about the Makers course was the community of students with whom you go through the course together. You work in pairs or teams most days to solve coding problems and work through a very well designed curriculum. The focus of the learning is on understanding bigger coding concepts like Object Oriented Programming, Test-Driving and writing high quality code. And a huge focus is on becoming an independent learner and getting good at solving problems independently by looking things up or finding different ways of approaching a problem. All students start learning the language Ruby to understand basic concepts and become fluent in a language. Later, you switch to JavaScript and from then on I started really getting how to learn new languages quickly. 

Towards the end of the course you create two big engineering projects in teams of 3-6 students, which is very intensive but very fun and helps you put everything learned into practice or use your learning skills to pick up a new coding language and develop an app with that. You learn how to learn effectively as a team - just like in a coding job, to plan together, support each other, divide up work and merge it later. There is a number of great workshops during the course where coaches give you live examples of how a concept works, you can ask questions and see how an experienced coder approaches a problem. The coaches are all very friendly. If you are stuck - especially in the first weeks - there is always plenty of time to ask a coach for help. The coaches then often guide you towards how you could test your code to find the problem and look up a solution independently - this is really great, because you learn how to become independent.

I completed the course as part of a remote cohort - that means I interacted with all the other students and the coaches mostly via zoom and the fantastic chat platform Slack. This worked really well and I don't think I would have learned more if I had been doing the course in person in the office in London. However, there was the opportunity on most days for people from the remote cohort also to go into the office an work from there, which I didn't use, as I don't live in London. Being in connection with the students and the coaches online everyday helped hold me accountable for my learning, so I coded about 7-10 hours every day and made really quick progress.
Now, at the end of the course I feel I really understand how to write high-quality code and can call myself a software developer, although I haven't got a job yet.

After the bootcamp is finished there is a dedicated careers team that will support you with the job hunt, help you learn how to write applications, CVs covering letters and prepare you for interviews with regular workshops. It seems they support you until you find a job - but I have only just graduated, so I can't say this from my own experience. Most other alumni I spoke to seem to have found a job as a junior developer within the first 3-4 months after graduating.

Within 6 months, I have gone from very novice coder to getting my first job as a developer and that is thanks to Makers. And although an intense learning experience, it has also been a refreshing and revitalising break from the world of work where my learning has been the priority. 

The course is 16 weeks long and starts with 4 weeks of pre-course material to do as self-study. This helps provide a good intro and basics needed for the main course. I like that the course starts with Ruby and then you learn JavaScript and get to build web apps in both. I think this leads you to feel more language agnostic and not daunted when looking at jobs that might use different tech as you know you can apply the principles and knowledge you already have to learn new languages. There is a big focus on pairing and also working on group projects, which is great for helping to prepare for life in a tech team as well as aiding your learning. There is no spoon-feeding, you get out what you put in, but you also gain the tools to continue to learn and grow your knowledge as you head on into your career. And to get there, there is good support once you finish the bootcamp and start out jobhunting, with a team of coaches rooting for you to get a job and then celebrating with you when you do. :)

I did the Makers Apprenticeship in 2019 and after more than 3 years I can honestly say that it changed my life.

The bootcamp is demanding, and you will find that there is no easy answer to any problem. What you learn at Makers on top of basic coding skills is how to approach these problems, break them down and deal with them as best as you can.
Don't expect to be taught how to do everything but rather you'll learn how to pick up new skills quickly and put them to use. 
The coaches were super helpful, they are knowledgeable and they support you to find answers yourself.

After working in the industry for over 3 years, I find that I still use the tools I was given at Makers to learn about new tech in my day to day job. 

After the 3 months bootcamp I started working as a software engineer as part of the apprenticeship program and completed my level 4 software developer certification within a year with the support of my placement coach.

This bootcamp and preparing the assignments for the level 4 certification while working was probably one of the most challenging things in my life but it was 100% worth it.