Makers Academy

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. 

It's a good idea if you want to change careers and don't know where to start. At makers, you learn fundamental programming concepts with Ruby, and in the second half of the course, you learn Javascript. You learn how to become a good developer and good practices within programming. Works in groups and pairs. And most importantly, always maintain your mental health with daily meditation. There you learn not only to program but also to develop your soft skills. All coaches are attentive and willing to help you until you understand a concept.

Attending Makers has literally changed my life. 

It is quite an intense Bootcamp, as long as you put in the work and effort, amazing things will come.
The structure of the course is great, you start with Ruby and then learn JavaScript. Makers use a lot of pair programming, which I found to be a really great way to learn. 

I managed to complete the Bootcamp and get two job offers in 4 weeks, one of them was an offer at my dream company which I accepted.
Overall, I couldn't be happier 

I wanted a career change and I wanted to do it now! 

I spend some time learning bits and bobs about coding and the web. ( if you find this stuff interesting and enjoyable, stop reading this review and apply to Makers Academy ) 

I was very worried I didn't know enough about coding before applying, once you've touched base with Makers they'll put that anxiety to bed! They advise you on the kind of learnings you should focus on in the build up to starting the course. 

For me, the biggest challenge was building up the courage to apply. So my advice would be to APPLY NOW haha. 

The course is amazing, theres so much for you to learn it can be overwhelming but like I said if you enjoy it, you're going to love the endless amounts of resources. The was absolutely no pressure to finish anything, the main goal is to understand, what doing and what you've done. 

This was a huge concern for some people, understandably thinking, they want to complete everything so they can be the best dev possible. Just by doing your best and taking your time to absorb as much as possible you're going to become a dev employers want.