Makers Academy

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.

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.

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!

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!

  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

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.  

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.

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.

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.

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.