Makers Academy Reviews
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Godfrey
This [Ronin] course was literally a game changer for me
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At the time of writing this review, I've just completed three days at my new workplace as a full stack engineer. The self-realisation is still setting in that I'm no longer on the course (I graduated in April and started working in June) and I'm actually coding for a living!
I enrolled on Ronin (January 2016 cohort) and I can honestly say that both my ROI and EV from taking this course are quite something! I was one of two Roniners chosen to produce a weekly video log series to document our individual experiences - these can be found on MA's youtube page, if you're interested in hearing my thoughts during the course. Shout out to Jordan for giving me this unique opportunity, thanks for believing in me!
My experience on the Ronin course has completely changed my perspective on learning. Credit goes to Sam Morgan, the Ronin facilitator whose coaching put me on the correct path of a growth mindset, which in my opinion is a fundamental requirement to getting the most out of the course and knowing how to overcome the inevitable difficulties when faced with learning so many new languages and concepts in such a short period of time. It was at Makers that I discovered that the joys and pains of coding are not mutually exclusive, and that's the reason why I found it immensely rewarding.
Prior to Makers, I had tried to teach myself coding for a career change at the start of 2015. I'll spare you the details but I figured that the quickest route to success is to surround yourself with similarly motivated people, work alongside them with the knowledge and support from an experienced coach. Sure, all the information is out there on the web but time is money and you'll also save yourself a lot of frustration from going down the wrong paths (bad coding habits are the toughest to unlearn).
That's why Makers Academy is so great - I got to pair program regularly with a diverse group of people - so many shared experiences (mostly good and some bad) that are like mini life-lessons to learn from. Upon reflection, I wouldn't want to change anything - the last time I'd worked in a team was 2008, and the long period in between was a solitary existence as a professional online poker player. Hence why this course was literally a game changer for me.
Some opinions on the course curriculum - overall it's very good but far from perfect, and is constantly evolving (mostly for the better). I would say that the coaches aren't afraid of experimentation, however student feedback is always taken into consideration and their efforts are always coming from a place of Kaizen (continuous improvement). Emphasis is placed on understanding and not finishing the material/challenges; there's always time to do that afterwards (especially during the job hunting period, where the challenges are modelled very similar to real company tech tests).
Finally, some words on the post course careers support. I took the time to attend the careers fair on the last day alongside a few other Roniners based around London, and from talking to some of their hiring partners directly, I was invited for an interview the very next week - although unsuccessful, I was impressed by the quick turnaround made by this particular company. The careers team were good in that they constantly gave me opportunities to take tech tests for companies suiting my criteria - in this regard I made the effort to keep them updated on my search efforts. Fortunately I managed to be successful early on in my job hunt - I remember it being the second job I applied to - and I have Ruben to thank for helping me during the post offer phase.
Ultimately, I feel that Ronin and Makers Academy has far exceeded my original expectations. The 12 weeks that I have experienced have been life changing for me, and the memories and lessons learned will stay with me throughout my career. Thank you so much!
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Harry Gordon
It was EPIC!!!
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The course was fantastic. I learnt a huge amount in a very short period of time. The tuition was great and there was a perfect balance of lecturing and self taught work. Everyone was very friendly and approachable, meaning I was never afraid to ask stupid questions. There was loads of ping pong and yoga, which I thoroughly enjoyed. At the end of the week, beer was provided and the office turns into a party... what more could you want? Most important of all, they helped me get a job within 3 weeks of graduating. I couldn't recommend this course more highly!!!
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Barry Grubb
It absolutely works
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The title sums up my thoughts perfectly. Four months ago I was still working my non-coding job, and I had very little (almost no) coding experience. Now I'm employed as a developer, and it's due to the Makers Academy process that I've managed to become employable so quickly.
The course is tough, that's something that you'll probably see written about most intensive bootcamps, I certainly had, and it still didn't prepare me for quite how intensive the course would be. I took the course as a Ronin student, which meant that I studied from home, and even though I live with my wife and son, it's fair to say that for the three month duration I hardly saw them. From the moment I woke until the moment I fell in to bed, seven days a week, all I would do is code, learn about code, and code some more. To be entirely fair to Makers Academy, while the course is intentionally intense they do recommend that you find some time during the day to relax; meditation is highly recommended, as is simply going outside and getting some fresh air. However I think that those suggestions are easier to fulfill without a family/commitments, and I certainly noticed during the course that those like myself who had commitments outside of the course seemed to suffer the most.
If the intensive nature of the course doesn't dissuade you then you'll be in for an awesome journey. A common criticism of coding bootcamps is that it's easy to simply teach yourself to code using online tutorials. However I found that the structured curriculum of the course, along with the ever patient guidance of the coaches provided an enormous boost to the effectiveness of the learning when compared with self-teaching methods. It's important to note that the curriculum doesn't simply focus on the practicalities of coding, but importantly on best practices also, so that once you're out in the real world and seeking employment, your tech test submissions to employers will stand out for their clean, concise and easily extendable code, something which I suspect many self-taught coders do not focus on.
The lifestyle of the course was fun. Even as a remote student the sense of belonging and being a part of the cohort is strong. Several chat, screen share and video meeting solutions are implemented, such that it can be easy to forget that you've never actually met any other members of your cohort in person, you'll feel that you know each other very well, due in part to spending so much time working together. For much of the course the focus is on pair coding, so that each new day you will work as a pair with one other person randomly selected from your cohort. I found this a very effective way to learn, it's great to have somebody else to work with, and importantly to bounce ideas off of, and to help each other out.
Socialising is also perfectly manageable on the course. Sure, it's easier for the on-site students to socialise, they can simply go to the pub together, or play table tennis (they often did), however us Ronin students held several video meetings throughout the course simply to chat with one another.
Once the course has come to an end the careers team take great care of you. They stay in regular contact, and work hard to provide a long list of job vacancies with their hiring partners for you to apply to. However you're not pushed to apply for any jobs, the team really do listen to you and try to find placements which meet your own criteria.
Sure, it's a bit of a cliche, but Makers Academy really did change my life. It's allowed me to step in to a world that I knew little about beforehand, and it's provided me with all of the tools that I need to build a very successful career as a developer.
A final point worth mentioning is that the association with Makers Academy doesn't end once the course does, or even once you've gained employment. After graduating you are invited to become a part of the Makers Academy alumni, where (primarily for those with convenient access to London) you'll be welcome to attend regular meet-ups, talks from industry experts, and so on. It's not just a three month course, if you want it to be, it can be a life long club.
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Anonymous
Amazing Experience
Makers is not just a bootcamp, it's a community of passionate developers.
They provide you all the tools and support you need to start a developer career.
If you really want to become a coder Makers is definitely the right starting point.
From Bartender to ThoughtWorkers in about 6 months...
Probably one of the best decisions I have ever took in my life. -
Heather
You really can change your career in under 4 months
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100% worthwhile in terms of being able to totally change your career and land a job in under 4 months but, understand that all of the hard work will come from you. I landed a well paid job less than 2 weeks after graduating with one of Makers hiring partners. If you're a procrastinator like me, Makers is great at forcing you to code all day, every day. There is no escape and you will learn a lot very quickly! This includes all of the best practices that employers are looking for so will put you in a strong position on graduating. However, it is a lot of money for the amount of access you get to coaches. If you do the course, do not expect to be spoon fed. The coaches are amazing, but seem overworked and with not enough time to give full attention to their students. Essentially you are given the course material and you work your way through it with the rest of the students but, with little feedback from coaches. This does of course have its benefits in terms of teaching you to be a very independent learner and find the solution yourself but can be very frustrating when you consider the cost. There is quite a lot of focus placed on the social side of things as well, if this appeals to you then you'll have a lot of fun. Work hard, play hard. Also, the intensity level is overplayed and don’t let it put you off. If you’ve worked in a fast-paced environment before this is no different. -
Chri
Best thing I've ever decided to do.
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I had been working in the hospitality industry for around 7 years before I realised that enough was enough and decided to change my career. I became aware of the concept of coding bootcamps and did some investigation. There are a few other companies out there other than Makers that offer a similar product, but I decided that Makers Academy was the one for me. It was the right choice.
The course is tough, but manageable. You can't walk into it thinking that you'll breeze through it, it takes a lot of time and effort. But if you put the work in you'll reap the rewards.
In my opinion, the best thing about the course is that they teach you the basic principles right from the VERY beginning. OOP, TDD, BDD and a whole bunch more acronyms. The reason this is good is because whilst the main languages you'll be working with on the course (and become most familiar with) are Ruby and JavaScript, when you leave to enter the big wide world, you'll be able to take those (highly valued in the industry) principles and apply them to other languages. The syntax changes, the principles don't.
Bad stuff? Not much. Milk would sometimes run out on a Friday. Same with peanut butter. For me, the course was a means to an end. That 'end' being a change of career. If I wasn't able to get a job then I would probably have a different opinion. That being said, due to the quality of the course, I'm 5 weeks out of Makers and have just had to turn down a job offer from a very well respected company, in favour of another, equally well respected company. Not a bad position to be in, and all thanks to Makers.
tl;dr. S'good, do it.
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Moe Sadoon
Speaks for itself
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Went into Makers with a huge amount of skepticism but I couldn't have been more wrong. Not only did I learn how to code, but I learnt how to learn...as peculiar as that sounds. Walking out of Makers has not only given me a dream job as a developer, but its also given me this surreal feeling of being able to learn and tackle anything, even outside the domain of coding. The atmosphere was incredible and support was also very good on both the technical side with the passionate coaches, as well as the human side with Dana being a superb joy officer looking our mental and physical wellbeing.
I don't like to make dramatic statements but easily the best decision I've made in my life so far.
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Edward Withers
Tough, intense, totally worth it if you're a self-motivated hard-worker
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A little about me: I studied politics at university, co-managed a martial arts school, tutored english & maths, and wanted more intellectual challenge. I was looking for a way into the industry, prompted by a developer friend and was stuck between a more traditional masters CS conversion course or a bootcamp.
I got offered a job last week as a junior software developer working in Ruby which allowed me a moment of massive validation that the career-change gamble I took actually worked. I couldn't be more excited! However, Makers could have done a better job in setting good expectations for how long it would take to get a job. Budget on 3 months job-hunting after you finish Makers. I was among the first few in my cohort to get jobs and i'm 2+ months into the magic 'three months'. (Of course, there are a host of factors involved)
Makers Academy is not just a place to learn to code(in fact i'd say it's a place to learn how to problem-solve), it's a place of community and friendship and self-development. The educational philosophy that Makers seems to follow is to enable you you to learn as much as possible. The traditional model of timed lectures at fixed points during the day or course doesn't work for them. Instead I felt constantly encouraged to find answers myself and then given tools to do so. Standups twice a day and retrospectives at the end of the week help keep the communication flow up, not to mention the constant pair programming which has made me grow immeasurably as a communicator and as a coder. There is a set escalation process when struggling through a challenging part of the syllabus. Online research, then the peer group, and the assistants, and then the coaches. If the coaches are being asked similar questions a breakout lecture inevitably happens. The whole place breathes Agile practices to give a better feedback loop to students and to staff.
Each week's topic is broken down into challenges which we complete as much as we can each day in pairs. and the weekend has a related challenge to be completed by yourself. And the syllabus then keeps marching on. The rest week in the middle of the course was fantastic to catch up on sleep and revisit some earlier challenges and even get started learning other things. The coaches are fantastic and have different strengths and weaknesses, and yet combine together to give an all-round solid net to catch and resolve any question we've thrown at them. My advice is to always ask the coaches as much as you want or need.
Not everyone is suited for Makers Academy. A couple of the reviews here seem to show this. The strength of the course is in the highly selection process that whittles down candidates into a cohort of roughly 30 students. Sometimes the recruitment process makes mistakes. You live and breathe code with the guys and gals for 8-10hours every day for 12 weeks. Now I was the type to be first in the door and last out the door and always trying to find the answers myself. Others aren't quite like that and expect to be handed information. So if you're looking for lots of lectures and lots of 1:1 time each day with the coaches, this is definitely not the course for you. If you're looking for a course that challenges you to rely on yourself until you've banged your head against the wall for an hour trying to understand dependency injection and you finally crack it or trying to debug some omniauth authentication errors but can't but there's a system in place to help you resolve it, and this constant struggle while learning excites you, then this is definitely the course.
Because that's as close a resemblance of the real world as Makers gets in order to train you to be a job-ready dev when you finish. And it's crazy and intense and filled with a wonderful array of personalities from all over the place. Make sure you understand what Makers is, come for a graduation day, speak to us grads, and then make your mind up! And if you are accepted, study hard during the precourse, and study hard during the course!
Definitely, no holds barred, recommended.
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Anonymous
You'll get really good at using google.
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So 12 weeks and 8k later, what have I got going on after going through Makers Academy? Well I’ve gotten really good at googling stuff, that’s for sure.
Going in to the course I was really pumped up and perhaps a little guilty myself of believing all the hype. I don’t know what previous cohorts were like but I don’t think I got value for money and feel like a lot of time was wasted. Time that could have been used to give us a really solid education. The biggest problem for me was the lack of trainers. The first few weeks were fine but it got to the point where all the staff were working on other things or unavailable for some reason. It’s really hard to learn a subject properly if there’s no one around to teach it. I got so fed up of being told to go away and google everything. When I asked what would we do if google wasnt an option, I was told to use bing or yahoo. I’m not sure if this was a joke or not. I understand as a new developer we will have to rely on google a lot but I want to at least understand the basics and have the ability to solve simple problems. When you add up all the time spent clapping, meditating and other non related events you realise you’ve spent half of your 12 weeks doing nothing that is related to the actual course subject. Do we really need so much relaxation and stress management. The only thing stressing me out was not doing the course i’d paid for. One thing that is probably just me but still stood out was the staff and trainers swearing. Now swearing doesn’t offend me and I understand that the odd word here and there is usual in the workplace. The problem is when you swear all the time people don’t hear what you’re saying, they just hear a bunch of swear words. It’s basically very distracting. So, have I walked away as a junior full stack web developer? No. Have I walked away with a solid foundation in ruby and pair programming skills? Yes. Would I recommend based on my course? No. -
Harry Venables
Awesome
awesome awesome awesome. Cant recommend this life changing experience enough
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Anonymous
Room for improvement
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I'll start by saying that I quickly found a development job after graduating from Makers Academy, so in that respect if you're looking to make a career change and break into the web development arena, it's certainly an option, however I'm not convinced if Makers is the best option when it comes to the bootcamp experience...
The on-site portion of the course is broken down into two sections where students are classified as either Juniors or Seniors. Both sections of the course are six weeks long. I found the first six weeks of the course to be to a great standard; learning was well structured, the instructors (Sam, Leo and Roi) were passionate, engaging and knowledgeable in their field. I honestly could not fault this portion of the course.
In contrast, the final six weeks of the course leaves a lot to be desired. I found that the new set of 'Senior' coaches may well have been non-existant as a means of developing our skill set. They were often missing in action, late to stand-ups, unable to explain concepts concisely or convincingly, etc. When posed with a question, the go-to response always seems to be 'Google it', which is palmed off as being a means of improving your investigation skills as a developer. While I can appreciate this to a certain extent, I feel that the coaches should have been more involved in helping to solidify our understanding of certain concepts. Had I the intention of spending the majority of my time 'Googling' issues, I would not have attended the course.
I almost felt like some suggestions went in one ear and out the other, as your questions or suggestions would often be met with an unconcerned shrug (given that one such coach was only recently a former Makers student and quickly left the organisation after I graduated, I'd argue that this is an issue with the Makers hiring process and that they need to more carefully select their staff).
One particularly irritating point was that, upon offerring suggestions on how the coaches could be utilised more effectively, my cohort was often told 'the coaches are busy doing other things, such as working on the curriculum'. Please bear in mind that the curriculum in question is the curriculum that the next Cohort will be using, i.e. it benefits the current Cohort in no way, and as such, is not our concern. From my point of view, the coaches' primary concern should be addressing the needs of their current students.
The after-course careers support service is also, unfortunately, very poor. Makers works in coordination with hiring partners that often employ Makers Alumni, and while this works for some, I found that there were a small number of companies hiring for an equally small number of roles, some of which are based in obscure locations that I can't feasibly see many people being in a position to take. I found that the majority of people are finding work outside of Maker's partner circle.
Now onto the positives; what are you getting for your £8k? You're getting a structured (albeit incomplete) curriculum that progressively builds upon concepts that help to solidify your u nderstanding of the product development lifecycle. You're getting access to equipment and a space occupied by like-minded individuals who you can partner with to solve a common problem - in essence, you're learning from and with your peers. Personally I did not find the course as challenging as others have made it out to be, however if you find yourself in this position the more spirtual aspects of the course (such as yoga and meditation) are there to support your health of mind and body.
Despite the above rant, I've given Makers a 3/5 in recognition of the fact that I was able to obtain a job quickly after graduating. I honestly had a great time on the course, spending time with a fabulous bunch of people, however my critiques are in view of the fact that I, and others, paid a large sum of money to attend the course and therefore expect extremely high standards. Had the second half of the course been in line with the standards of the first half, this would have been a 5 star review without a question.
Makers is capable of great things so I hope they do not allow standards to slip; I only hope that the negative portions of my experience were a result of on-going, unexpected change in the organisation and not reflective of what is to come.
I would urge Makers to strive for improvement and not be content with the current service that they are offering. There needs to be more engagement between coach and student, the curriculum needs to be improved (which I understand is a work in progress), more practical demonstrations should be offerred (whenever they were, I found that they were greatly beneficial in accelerating our learning). There also needs to be more transparency over the careers support, which I hope I have highlighted in this review.
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Anonymous
Makers Academy
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I've had a poor experience with Makers Academy. There is a lack of quality communication and general support with learning to code. The emphasis is more on learning to pair code rather than the code itself. I've finished the course still feeling like I don't know how to code on my own. My advice to anyone thinking of applying is to decide whether you actually want to learn to code or just get a new job and be a pair programming drone. If you just want a job then at least make sure it is paid. If you're going to attend the sample event day then make sure you pay the lowest price. I think it's unfair to charge people different amounts for the same event. Be careful with the after course recruitment help. Don't take an unpaid position just because of pressure and that it gives you experience. I'm out of pocket and left dissatisfied. I wanted to feel confident about coding. -
Anindya Bhattacharyya
intense and thorough
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I took the Makers course in September 2015 and would thoroughly recommend it as a way of learning the basics of software development and the standards expected in the industry. The course is very much a hands-on experience, structured around pair programming and weekly challenges as opposed to formal lessons. I found it exhilarating and extremely effective but also very hard work. The post-course assistance with job hunting was first class and just what I needed.
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Anonymous
Helped Me Become a Developer
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After teacing myself coding for several years and working in IT support I applied to Makers Academy to accelerate my learning. After a week of graduating I'd won over £2000 in a hackathon and several weeks later and a lot of interviews I accepted a job as a Junior Developer.
They taught me concepts including TDD and OOP that I was not able to grasp though books and tutorials. The most important thing they teach us how to approach complex problems.
The course is hard, intense and they are long days and weekends. The more you put in the more you get out.
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Sara OC
Highly Selective for a Reason
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Makers Academy is hard - but it is exactly what I was after when I decided to change careers. I wanted to come out with the ability to build anything I could think of, and that's what I've got. Practical, real world, immersive, challenging learning, teaching me how to craft solid code (fully tested) with in-demand languages and frameworks, how to code with people (in pairs and in teams) and also that I can actually build anything I put my mind to.
I repeat - it isn't easy but it is worth it. And, best of all, it's a wonderful family. Once you've gone through something as emotional as their 12-week program, you'll have made friends for life.
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Emily Sas
Learn to code in 12 weeks
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Having taken 4 years out of the workplace to stay at home with my two young children, I decided to do a coding bootcamp in order to find challenging meritocratic work that wouldn't care about my 'career break'. I did a lot of research and felt that Makers Academy were head and shoulders above the rest of the UK bootcamps on offer. Not only do they teach you to code, they teach you how to become a good developer by drumming into you the principles of good design, testing, pairing, and agile working. The instructors were amazing and all really lovely people (a couple of whom have remained good friends). It was a very intense 3 months, but some of the most enjoyable I've had. I was offered a job within 2 weeks of finishing despite the fact I was only looking for part-time work (which is thin on the ground in this field). I would recommend Makers Academy unreservedly!
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Matteo Manzo
Learn by doing
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Attending Makers Academy was a the right choice, the things I’ve learnt are priceless and the people I’ve met are very special.
It has been all about the people, co-working in a lot of different projects either in pairs or bigger teams (4-5 people) coding all day with the coaches supporting us. It was just brilliant, I’ve learnt how to learn and it feels great.
The mentality that reign at Makers is “learn by doing” which is the best way to learn, and the lessons/breakouts are dynamic to make sure you get a proper understanding.
Obviously it is not come for free, and I am not talking about money but the effort that you have to put in order to get the most out of it. You must be very motivated and pro-active, ready to join the Makers family.
ps: They don’t ensure you a job, but after pushing hard the 11 weeks plus the hiring week you will find yourself above any other CS graduated. I’ve got a job after one month and I would have never thought that it would have been possible.
I just loved it and I would definitely do it again!
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Anonymous
Best choice I ever made!
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Before attending Makers, I had finished university with an unsatisfactory degree and was working dead-end jobs to keep myself afloat with little hope for the future. I half-heartedly applied for Makers, expecting yet another rejection but the day after the intense interview, I received my acceptance letter.
What proceeded was probably one of the hardest yet most fulfilling experiences of my life. They provided an intense curriculum with a very relaxed atmosphere to complete it in. Whilst at Makers, you are constantly surrounded by happy yet hard-working individuals, which makes for a very conducive work environment. I managed to build things over the course I never realised I would be able to do and feel that now that I have finished, I am ready to take these new skills and motivation into the work place. I have already been offered a job in a company I did not think I would ever be able to work for and feel this course has opened up a whole new career path for me.
I wholeheartedly recommend Makers Academy to anybody looking for a new career or even looking to apply new skills to their current job. It was an amazing experience and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to attend Makers Academy -
Nicole
Career change into web development
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I would start by saying that attending Makers (September 2014 - December 2015) is by far one of the best experiences of my life from so many different perspectives. The learning curve is insane, the people on my cohort and the staff are inspirational and I had the time of my life.
I chose Makers for a couple of reasons, one of the biggest reasons was simply the feeling I got after having interviewed at a number colleges. The Makers process for entry is a lot more selective, giving me confidence in the marketing message and the course content they would eventually deliver. The atmosphere was collaborative, positive and I felt at 'home'.
Having now completed the course and started on my journey as an active member of the London developer community, I can also say that Makers take teaching best practices seriously and are actually pretty unique for this approach in the education sphere. At the core of the syllabus is a test driven (TDD) approach, something which not only makes your resulting code more maintainable and adaptable but also makes you a hot commodity in the job space.
The best part of the course is the intense learning experience, you do get pushed to the limit! I was at college from 8.30am to 9pm every day for three months and also coding on weekends, so expect to get addicted!
At this point I need to give a big shout out to their Chief Joy Officer, Dana, who is absolutely crucial (at least from my personal perspective) to your experience on the course. She offers regular meditation and yoga and is there to talk you through any difficulties you are having, both course related and personal. She was a huge support to me throughout the course and is now one of my close friends.
The only downside I can honestly say is that Makers live and breathe agile (a well used industry practice), what this means is that they are constantly iterating and so every cohorts experience on the course is quite different and course materials that are perhaps not always polished. It does however mean that they are keeping up with what your eventual employers would like to see on your CV and gives you the opportunity to truly learn like a developer.
The support on the course and post-course, while looking for a job, is one of the big reasons I am still a familiar face at Makers Academy. It has become a hub for my development, and the placements team at Makers are my first port of call for any career related questions I have.
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Denise
Will make great developers out of those who are willing to work hard.
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I was on the course from September to December 2014. I had three of the most fun, intellectually stimulating months in recent memory when I was on the course. I loved my cohort, the teaching style under Enrique's leadership was well-suited to my learning style, and Makers provided a focused, work-like environment without which I never would have learned to code. The CEO, Evgeny, is very receptive to criticism and promotes a culture of openness within the company, among both the staff and the students.
I also cannot say enough good things about the placements team. Samantha, Ruben, and Will really, really go to bat for you. Makers has only been around for two years, but when a group of us went to Silicon Milkroundabout earlier in the year, we attracted a lot of interest because employers could pick out that we're Makers students. I think it says a lot that so far (and it's a tremendous reflection on the placements team) Makers has done a reasonably good job of churning out grads of consistently high caliber.
I've been reading about a bubbling backlash against bootcamps like Makers Academy in recent months, and I think a lot of it is caused by misplaced expectations on the part of students. It's not a magic pill that will turn you into a great coder in 12 (or 16, now, with the precourse work) weeks. That's impossible. The Makers system works really well for people who are reasonably smart, but much more importantly, hard-working, self-aware, and willing to help those around them. You don't need to be a genius to succeed in a coding boot camp. It's precisely because these are the qualities that are found again and again in good developers. If you walk in the door on Day One with the mindset, "I've paid £8000 to be here, I expect these people to make me a developer in three months," you are probably not going to do too well.
You're probably wondering, what is Makers' distinguishing point from General Assembly, or any of the numerous boot camps in North America? I don't know enough about Dev Bootcamp or Hack Reactor, but Makers is much more discerning than GA, particulary when it comes to Test-Driven Development (TDD). Do some research on what TDD and Behavior-Driven Development means before you make your decision. Learning to write automated tests alongside your code is a painful process the first few times, but it is incredibly valuable -- it is often the difference between building something maintainable and extensible versus just hacking together 200 lines of spaghetti code that somebody else has to spend a week untangling later down the line. When you have junior devs who have been coding for 8 weeks already thinking about technical debt before they've written a single line of production code... I think that's pretty awesome.
But, since this is a review, I'm gonna be honest about where Makers still needs improvement. I feel extremely fortunate to have been on the course when I was, in large part because of Enrique's teaching. However, as of November 2014, Enrique is no longer with the company. Neither is Alex Peattie, who left in September 2014. There is currently a lack of experienced senior developers with industry experience on the permanent teaching staff.
I think Makers also need to better define its target audience. There are generally two categories of people who sign up for Makers: those who want to become developers and those who want to become entrepreneurs of tech startups. Makers is successful at meeting the needs of the first category, but is currently not well-suited to the second category, particularly with the introduction of an entire week dedicated to finding a job placement at the end of the course. If you are just looking to prototype a web app, I would say that Makers is probably overkill.
Overall, I had a great experience at Makers and would recommend it to anyone who wants to make a career change and is willing to put in the effort and time.
-
Anonymous
Would Recommend
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I completed the Python course and then went on to do the Cloud Specialism at Makers. The experience was intense but really rewarding. The structure of the bootcamp helped me build solid foundations in programming and then dive deeper into cloud technologies, especially around AWS which has been really useful in my new role.The coaches were supportive and knew their stuff. They created an environment where it was okay to make mistakes and learn from them, which I really appreciated. It wasn’t always easy and there were definitely moments where I doubted myself, but the community and the focus on pairing and collaboration made a big difference.Since finishing the course, I’ve had 5 interviews and accepted a role working as a Cloud Engineer. I can honestly say I wouldn't be in this role if it wasn’t for Makers. It gave me the confidence and the skills I needed to get through the interviews and hit the ground running.If you're considering a career change into tech and you're ready to put in the work, I’d definitely recommend Makers. It’s a proper challenge but it pays off. -
Anonymous
JavaScript bootcamp
Extremely happy with course content, delivery and unparalleled careers and emotional support throughout course and during job hunt.
Pros:
- High quality course content and materials
- Great support from technical coaches
- Great support from Careers team
- Great support from EQ team
Cons:
- Speed/intensity can be overwhelming for some
- Fully remote students miss out on working from office culture -
Anonymous
Makers was truly a game-changer for me
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Before Makers, I struggled to stay committed while studying online by myself. Makers not only helped with the commitment but also provided exceptional support from the coaches whenever I faced difficulties. Coming from a non-traditional office background, Makers taught me a lot about what to expect in real-world work scenarios.The foundations of the program were excellent. Although there are a few areas in the curriculum that could be improved, such as the Swift module, which wasn't as popular as the others, the consistent support from the coaches made a significant difference. I was thrilled to complete the bootcamp with such an amazing project.After finishing, I found the next steps somewhat overwhelming, especially given the challenging job market. However, the career guidance from Makers helped me define a clear plan and reach my goals. -
Anonymous
Intensive, collaborative, career-focused, challenging.
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Maker's Academy is a well-regarded coding bootcamp designed for individuals seeking a fast-track entry into the software development industry. As a recent graduate, I would like to share my experience with the program, focusing on the curriculum, teaching approach, support, and career prospects post-graduation.
Curriculum:
The curriculum at Maker's Academy is comprehensive and intense. It covers a range of key technologies and programming languages, with a particular focus on Python, Ruby, Java, and web development frameworks like Rails. The program adopts a test-driven development (TDD) approach, emphasizing clean code, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. Throughout the course, there is a good mix of theoretical concepts and hands-on projects, providing a balanced learning experience.
Teaching Approach:
Maker's Academy utilizes a self-directed learning model, encouraging students to take ownership of their education. This approach is complemented by daily stand-ups, code reviews, and paired programming sessions. Instructors are available to guide and support students, but much of the learning is driven by the cohort's collective knowledge and collaboration. This fosters a strong sense of community and mirrors real-world software development practices.
Support and Resources:
The support system at Maker's Academy is robust. Instructors and mentors are accessible, and there is a dedicated team to assist with career advice and job placement. The bootcamp also has a Slack channel, where students can ask questions, share resources, and engage in discussions. Additionally, the program offers a variety of workshops and guest lectures to enhance learning and provide insights into the industry.
Career Prospects:
Maker's Academy has a strong track record of placing graduates in software development roles. The bootcamp has partnerships with various tech companies, which can lead to internship and job opportunities. The career support team offers assistance with resume building, interview preparation, and job placement strategies. My cohort saw a high percentage of graduates securing employment within a few months of completing the program. However, it's worth noting that job success is also influenced by the effort you put into your job search and the current market conditions. Networking, continuous learning, and adaptability play crucial roles in securing a position, and these factors can vary depending on the job market's dynamics.
One potential drawback related to career prospects is that some job descriptions and interview processes can be disheartening due to perceived lack of transparency or unclear expectations. This might not be directly related to Maker's Academy but rather to the hiring practices of individual companies. As a result, graduates may find some interviews challenging or face unexpected requirements, which could impact their overall job search experience.
Conclusion:
Overall, Maker's Academy is a rigorous and rewarding bootcamp that provides a solid foundation for a career in software development. The self-directed learning model may not suit everyone, but for those who thrive in a collaborative environment and are motivated to learn, it's an excellent choice. The comprehensive curriculum, supportive community, and strong career support make it a worthwhile investment for aspiring developers. However, while the bootcamp can open doors, individual effort and market trends ultimately shape career outcomes. Graduates should also be prepared for potential inconsistencies in the hiring process that could reflect broader industry trends rather than the bootcamp itself. -
Anonymous
Welcoming place and great learning experience
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Makers Academy has created a great community and helps more and more people become members of this fantastic, supporting community. The best aspect of this journey for me was the people I met and how I developed my soft skills and my wellness being.
The courses, coaches and curriculum changes a lot and frequently so I cannot really comment on that, as I know that every cohort gets a different experience. That being said, frequent changes are not a bad thing, they try to adapt and they take feedback very well and create a culture of always seeking and giving feedback.
The weeks of learning are intense and you will mostly learn a little bit about a lot of new concepts and, most importantly, how to learn and how to find the tools you need to develop your skills to do the thing YOU want to do.
There is a lot of work to be done after graduation and the job-hunting success relies on the work the alumni will do. Makers career coaches are there to help and support, but they will not find the job for you. -
Anonymous
Best Experience!
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Makers Bootcamp has been a game-changer in my journey from having zero knowledge to securing my first role as a junior software engineer. The coaches were not only supportive but also made the learning experience exciting and engaging. If I had to do it all over again, I'd choose Makers Bootcamp without a second thought. They not only equipped me with essential skills but also boosted my confidence, setting me on the path to success. -
Anonymous
Super Supportive and Informative
I joined Makers Feb 2023 after having done a few courses elsewhere. The amount of content and support given is unmatched, it is extremely intense but honestly it’s best that way to be done! I have picked up so many skills as well as landing a job! -
Anonymous
Career change success
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The Course skills you up quickly with enough knowledge to build and deploy professional apps and the job search aftercare is good, they have partner companies that need entry level staff come in a give talks, I got offered a job from one of those companies.
I graduated in December - and the job search was tough several months! Not sure if this was due to economic downturn at the time and the fact it was round xmas where employers are not hiring as much, it did pick up though and I started to get interviews in spring. This Bootcamp did what it said it would do and I have changed careers. -
Anonymous
Best Bootcamp in London
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I attended the Makers Academy bootcamp and graduated in early 2023.
TLDR: Was skeptical of bootcamps before I started but am very happy I did now I've completed it.
I had a relatively long and successful career in a different field so I was very worried about making a new start as a SWE. I didn't think it was possible to become a SWE without being a computer science grad. Bootcamps had a strange reputation too - some people loved them, some hated them. After doing a lot of my own research (which I highly recommend to anyone considering bootcamps), I pulled the trigger on Makers and quit my job shortly before starting. The bootcamp teaches you Ruby first, then switches to JavaScript at the end. You get exposure to SQL and MongoDB and there is a heavy emphasis on clean, object-oriented, and test-driven code. This was the main reason I chose Makers; I wanted to learn and gain experience in as close to a professional environment as possible. Employers don't want people who write hacky code and have no idea how to test it - which is what a lot of other bootcamps teach. Makers is very focused on making you professionally ready.
Not everyone enjoys Makers. It's self-led so students can sometimes struggle if they were looking for the structures of daily lectures/hand-holding. However, most cohorts support each other either through the designated daily pairing sessions or just because Makers students tend to be super nice people who are willing to help each other. I do wish we had spent less time in Ruby because it's quickly becoming outdated but I don't regret learning the core principles of object-oriented programming in it - it's much easier than many other languages out there. But you get out what you put in. If you work hard, you'll be fine. If you want an easy gig to just coast through, then you're going to have a tough time so I encourage everyone to make sure that you can dedicate the energy and headspace to working super hard for those 3-4 months. You'll be glad you did in the end. In aggregate, I loved Makers. I made very good friends and learned a lot. And although the job market is very difficult for junior SWEs, I came out of the bootcamp feeling very prepared to be a "real" SWE. (Also, the alumni community in London is so friendly!)
Highly recommend Makers - there's no better developer bootcamp in London. -
Anonymous
fantastic, well worth, intensive
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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 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 tough times. -
Anonymous
The support and resources available are seemingly endless.
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Throughout the pre-course, I was experiencing imposter syndrome (probably not an uncommon feeling for a career changer). However, from day one of the full-time course, the empathetic and patient environment that the Makers team provided, helped me to overcome those initial fears and realise my potential in programming.
With numerous engineering group projects and 'give it a go' encouragement from the coaches, Makers works very well in preparing you for a real-world tech job - so much so, that I was able to draw from many of my Makers experiences when interviewing. The EQ workshops are an invaluable addition, particularly if you're hoping to make the most of those group projects.
After 4 months of intense learning and self-development, I wasn't sure if I had much energy left to look for a job but the careers team had that covered. I have never experienced motivation that abundant and readily available. With job-searching being a daunting experience for me, I made sure to lean on the team and their resources as much as possible and I don't think would have found a job as quickly as I did without them. -
Anonymous
Makers is Amazing
Makers experience was completely transformational! I came in as a customer service person and I'm leaving as a full stack dev. The course is super tough and not for the faint hearted! But you get out what you put in and it Is all worth it to get to the fabulous job team at the end. -
Anonymous
Very intense but good!
Very intense, good community, good alumni, would recommend! Syllabus could be better!
The syllabus and course content could have been more comprehensive, and easier to understand.
If that was improved, it would have been the perfect experience.
Be very open to jumping in the deep end and learning how to swim. -
Anonymous
Eye-opening, intense, fulfilling experience.
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Pro's:
- Met some amazing people who are great to be with, and having the web of contacts is almost as valuable as the course itself.
- I really liked the coaches, I learnt a lot in a short space of time.
- Learnt to code!!!
- A great way to kick off a career.
Cons:
- I felt a bit out of my depth at times. I felt when I embarked on the course I wasn't quite ready, and it was so easy to get on the course I didn't think hard enough about how intense it might be. It was worth it in the end but it was a bit like: if you can write a line of code, you're in. A good idea would be to introduce an opt-out at the end of the precourse - because when I did the course I had to pay the fees and commit by the start of the precourse, which I felt a bit pressurised by. -
Anonymous
Great bootcamp if you make the effort
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Makers is intensive and will take over your life for the 12 weeks you're there. You have the support of a peer group, both online and in person social events and EQ sessions to balance out the wealth of technical learning.
The coaches are supportive and will make time to help you if you're stuck, although you shouldn't expect to be fed solutions as there is a heavy focus on learning how to work things out and where to look for the answers. If you aren't willing to throw yourself into it and try then I don't think you will get much out of this course and may be better off choosing something with a more guided approach.
I felt really drained and burnt out at the end of the course, and honestly couldn't have imagined anything worse than having to start job applications, but the careers team had so much energy it raised me up. In a month of finishing I've got my first tech job.
I would definitely recommend Makers, it's a brilliant course and a well recognised one. Knowing what I know now about my experience, I would choose Makers again. -
Anonymous
Software Engineer
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Excellent intensive learning experience with great resources that teaches you important fundamentals to get a job as a junior dev. Pros: The course materials are excellent which helped me learn all the fundamentals you need to work as a junior dev, and they can be revisited as many times as you want even after graduating. Many hiring partners from big companies (e.g. Deloitte, Capgemini etc) as well as smaller start ups gives you direct access to them. Lots of ongoing support even after you finish the course after 16 weeks with ongoing lessons to help graduates work on their weaknesses as well as the job hunting process. Great culture and values and care about students. Cons: Had to do course remotely due to Covid pandemic, felt I missed out on a lot of the interactive learning and networking. -
Anonymous
Great Experience
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 most of the course) but it's definitely worth it. The support after the bootcamp for applying for jobs is really helpful too. -
Anonymous
Overall great opportunity and experience
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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 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. -
Anonymous
Life Changing
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I didn't have a technical background. Never coded anything. Makers teaches you to learn how to learn and in the process moulds you into an employable software developer. Taking you through Ruby and Javascript, you are exposed to best industry practices of test-driven development (TDD), agile /XP practices, completing all sorts of current practice projects, to come out exposed to current practices of the industry. Not only is the support in the course readily available and ALWAYS offered, they provide great support not only on the technical side, but also for your soft skills to really prepare you holistically. You are exposed to all the members of your cohort through pair programming often building strong friendships, and really lovely people that I hope to see blossom in their future careers. Makers always asks "Are you learning?" and "Are you having fun?" - and these questions always helped me refocus on my objectives. With so many choices out there, I'm so glad to have gone through Makers as I'm not sure I would have received the balance in support and learning anywhere else. The support continues with the jobhunt, making this a truly life changing experience as I start my NEW career in software development!
If I can do, you can do it. -
Anonymous
Accelerated bootcamp
16 week intense bootcamp to learn software development
