Makers Academy

I was previously a secondary school science teacher but decided to leave because I no longer felt like I was being intellectually challenge - moving into software development has definitely changed that! Makers provide an incredible environment for you to develop skills as a developer. An incredibly relaxed atmosphere where the focus is your technical and personal growth. The coaches provide great support, asking the right questions to help you find the answers you need. The code review process could do with some refining, it was a pretty big bottle neck at the time

This is a true life change opportunity. I had no prior knowledge/experience in this field and I made it. I strongly believe that with the right amount of effort everyone can go take advantage of this opportunity. Nothing will be given for free, it requires time and effort...if you think you can afford to invest time and effort in yourself then you'll be a perfect fit for this. 

My personal experience: I learnt a lot in 4 months time, alone it would have taken me at least the double of time and probably with not the same results. In one and a half month after the course I received my job offer from a great company through the Makers Hiring Partners.

Pros: 
- Great and stimulating environment;
- Teaching a process that companies out there are looking for;
- Skilled coaching team;
- Possibility to borrow a macbook in case you don't have one;
- A great building with second monitors for everyone, a nice ping pong table and a kitchen area;

Cons: 
- Even if you consider yourself a strong ping pong player, you'll find someone stronger than you there;
- Beers on friday night (is that a cons?! uhmmm).

I've really enjoyed my time at Makers and cannot recommend it enough to the ones thinking of joining a bootcamp. Now that I've attended a few hackathons and meetups, and having met some of the other bootcamp graduates, I'm more convinced that Makers is better. 

The philosophy at Makers isn't to teach you a certain technology stack, or framework. Instead, they focus on skills of learning how to learn. They do this with an explicit focus on your process, which leads to progress and results. The sylabbus is designed by some really intelligent people, and it shows because you're still thinking about the things you learn in week 1 when you finish the course (for eg: single responsibility principle) but at a much higher level. 

The careers support you get is also very professional and excellent. They will go above and beyond to make sure you have everything you need to go get yourself a job you really like.

To add to that, I've found the coaches and staff to be extremely helpful and friendly. You really feel it in the vibe and community here. Also, I've found that other Makers who might have graduated years ago will go out of their way to help you, give you advice or give you a job. They're also open and radically honest which really helps build trust. 

All makers also follow the principle of 'trust over fear', which means they trust one another more than doubt or fear them, which generally leads to happier people who want to do a good job and it shows. 

Those are the pros. Here are the cons. It can be difficult to get feedback from coaches and there aren't enough of them. This would be OK, except for the fact that your review process (the process by which you're allowed to apply for jobs through the careers team) depends on getting coach feedback. This is not the coaches fault by any means. 

If you're thinking of joining a bootcamp, just come to one of the demo days and speak to as many students as you can - it's not easy, and it's very intense but you will thank yourself for joining. 

Makers has gifted me with one of the most intense personal journeys I had ever experienced and it's not over yet. As I write, I'm a very recent graduate, about to start her job hunt. I am still coming to the office to get motivated everyday, but I already miss the vibes we had during the course. The academy is very young and friendly, the coaches are approachable, but not too much! They want you to struggle a bit first, to build solid basic skills and forge your ability to learn on your own, which is the actual golden potential we advertise once graduated. The community around you during the course is a real gem, both as a resource of knowledge and also socially speaking.
If I have to mention a con, I would say that the technologies learnt are not of the most popular ones, once one starts applying for jobs, however, as said above, the real goals of the course are having solid basic knowledge and knowing how to learn.
I have just started job hunting and the careers team is available for advices. They do a great job in getting companies in, to meet us. It is still very important to also apply to outside companies in order to get as many answers as possible.
In summary, I would recommend Makers Academy any day or the rest of my life.

TLDR: Tech is great, Makers is great. If you're reading this, change your career and join Makers already.

My previous career was in psychology. I left not because I hated it but because I did not feel fulfilled or challenged in the right way and I couldn't see myself doing it for the rest of my life. Leaving it and joining Makers was the best decision I've ever made. 

Pros:
- Great atmosphere to learn and challenge yourself. They seem to have nailed providing a relaxed environment that encourages you to work your hardest for yourself, not for anyone else.
- Coaches make you really think about the questions you're asking and help you understand the more fundamental issues with whatever your problem is. This can be frustrating at the time but when you're stuck alone on a problem with no one to ask for help, you'll appreciate it.
- The syllabus is excellent. The reasons I know this are 1) people interviewing me for jobs after Makers were often impressed by our experience and understanding of key concepts 2) I now feel completely comfortable picking up new technologies and attaining a job using them.
- The careers team are really something else. A lovely bunch of supportive, enthusiastic and knowledgeable people that go the extra mile every time to keep you motivated and ensure you land the job you're happy with.
- I'm not sure if it's because of the standards Makers set applicants but the vast vast majority of people I've met on this course have been well-grounded, smart and generally very fun to code and learn with.

Cons:
- Getting code reviews from coaches occasionally took an inordinate amount of time. I believe this was a consequence of implementing a Viva process with too few staff or too little organisation. They seem to be remedying this now so maybe it will be less of a problem for future cohorts.
- I think they could do with getting a couple more coaches in general to meet demand.

Having spent my time with a friend deciding what schools would be good for us to learn code, I really gravitated towards Makers and since I made the decision to join the course have not been disappointed. Am really happy with the community feel of the course and the willingness of not only the coaches to help improve you but members of your cohort as well. The 12 weeks can be intense at certain points, but once you have found a rhythm you are comfortable with, you will settle in quite quickly. The activities provided also are very helpful, and I never thought I would take to Yoga as well as I did.

The community feel doesn't stop after Makers and this has been a really great feeling. With them willing to help you by putting on Careers Fairs, as well as chances to meet and talk to other former Alumni really beneficial. Can not recommend it enough. 

Having worked with and spoken to developers who had graduated from Makers Academy, I had very high expectations going into the course. I can safely say the course met my lofty expectations in terms of learning how to code, but easily smashed them when it came to the quality of the coaching and careers teams. The coaches are some of the smartest, most accomplished people I have met; they are genuine top coding talent that has come to Makers due a love of teaching others and the flexibility it gives them as coders to also pursue personal project. The links the careers team has with tech organisations is also incredible - they place into prestigious companies month after month after month. They even have streamlined recruitment processes into their hiring partners, with one hub application providing access to multiple companies. Meanwhile, they have a fantastic support system to keep you going through what will be an intense few months.  Overall - a fantastic, enjoyable curriculum and an organisation that also has the teeth and tenacity to get you hired. 

Makers Academy is quite the experience but it's not for the faint of heart. The course provides a intensive experience covering programming best practises such as pair programming and test-driven development, helping students gain the skills to get a job as a junior software engineer and be an effective member of a team. The support provided from the coaches and Chief Joy Officer throughout the course was fantastic and the careers team were brilliant, helping me find a job within a week of finishing the course. It's a great choice if you want to become a software engineer.

Makers has completely reinvigorated my relationship with learning and instilled within me a belief that I can achieve whatever I set my heart to.

The couse itself is challenging and is designed to acquaint you with the feeling of unknown. If you're looking for a formulaic, spoon-fed experience similar to University/School this may not be for you. You are often given the bare minimum information to fulfill each week's task which can at times be frustrating but empowering at the same time when you ultimately succeed. By the end of the course I felt like I could learn absolutely any language/library/framework independently.

Content-wise there is a huge emphasis on best practices (e.g. test driven development(TDD), pair programming) which, having spoken to people from other bootcamps where TDD is not covered, would perhaps set you apart and better prepare you for life as a software developer.

The coaches at Makers are amazing. They offer plenty code review to push your skills to the next level and are masters of extracting every ounce of learning possible every time you are stuck/need help.

It could not be emphasized more that the Job Assistance that you receive after the course is invaluable. The careers team helps to find you ample opportunities to apply to whilst providing coaching to help keep morale, motivation and belief high until you finally find your first software developer job.

Overally Makers has been the most valuable experience in my adult life and I could not recommend it more. 

Makers Academy lives up to its promises. It has a great community of software developers connected to the place and really encourages you to get involved with it. It has a firm focus on learning to write high quality code, and you end up with a portfolio of a variety of projects built with ruby and javascript.

It is intense, but its not too hard in terms the learning curve and at the end of it many of our cohort got a job within 2 weeks - including me. They have a good careers fair where students can meet employers, who end up hiring many of the students finishing a cohort.

The teachers are very knowledgable and supportive, this course does demand some independent learning as well, but if you ever feel you are struggling there is loads of help. It has a large focus on group and pair work, to prepare you for industry, and helps give you confidence for job interviews. If you are thinking of becoming a software developer and get a job quickly then go for Makers!