Makers Academy

You won't believe how much you'll learn in such a short period of time. Due to its intense nature, it's normal to feel overwhelmed and you're reassured throughout that everyone is in the same boat. There were definitely ups and downs. 

Overall, it pushed me out of my comfort zone and was a great decision as to the first step in my career change. I feel that I've built good foundations in my knowledge and understanding of software development and I am confident in applying the transferable skills that I've learnt to the real working world. 

The job support has been great so far! It's obvious that the careers team love what they do and they will do whatever they can to help you find a job where you will thrive in.

I had a fantastic experience with the Makers Academy program and I am happy to say that I am a proud graduate and Software Developer. The program consists of a 4-week pre-course which helps bring you up to speed with Ruby(programming language) then the 12-week main course covering project-based learning, katas, and weekly programming exercises. I would say that the program is intense and incredibly rewarding but to get the most out of your experience you need to be prepared to dedicate a large chunk of your time for 16 week period. 
Makers follow XP principles which include pair programming and TDD which will give you a good foundation for the real world. Be prepared to lead your own learning which is beneficial as this is a key skill for a developer as learning never stops.

Job hunting support is decent with workshops and a career support team to help you navigate this process. It took me 2 months of consolidating my knowledge and 1 month of applying/ interviewing before I landed my first position. But it took me longer as I opted to job hunt outside of the available Makers Partners. Makers provide a regular list of available positions through their partners through an internal Hub. This allows for a much more streamlined process of finding your first job! I know some of my colleagues found jobs through Makers weeks after graduation! So it really depends on what you feel is right for you. I can say that I am really enjoying my first software developer job with the foundations provided to be by Makers!

I would highly recommend Makers for those who are motivated to make a serious change in their lives, ready to be pushed and regularly go outside of their comfort zone. It really is a good community and environment to meet and learn with like-minded individuals preparing to take the plunge into the world of software development!

It's an intense course but it's amazing how much you learn in just 12 weeks. The coaches run brilliant workshops to help you get a base understanding with key concepts which you then solidify with pair programming every day. Most of the learning is done when working with your peers while the coaches do a great job of guiding students along the right path. You gain valuable experience working on group projects, including a final project to finish the main course which you design from scratch. One of my favourite parts of the team at Makers is there attitude towards the mental health of all the students. From day one it was very clear that this was going to be a safe space which helped build strong relationships between everyone in the course which then also helped with everyones productivity.

If you are committed, interested in tech and have a drive to learn new things everyday along with a fantastic bunch of people, then Makers is a fantastic place to do study Web Development. Everyday is a challenge and before you know it, you will have a powerful set of skills to help you overcome them. 

The Makers Team are Experts in their fields and as supportive as can be. Changing careers is never easy, but Makers provides all the tools, along with a great atmosphere to help you achieve this. 

I worked in Education prior to joining Makers Academy. I had no prior experience in any stem related subject so was very nervous about making the switch and if I was 'smart' enough to do the course. Here are some of my reflections: 

• The coaches were kind and willing to explain things to you if you ask. I received help through slack messages and zoom calls if there was something I was stuck on after a workshop or a question I had whilst doing some self learning. 
• There is a heavy focus on pair programming which I found really helpful for practising new skills and understanding how and why certain things work. I was either learning from those more experienced than myself or helping/working with others on a similar level to me. 
• There is also a big emphasis on pair and team work and coming from a job that can be quite solitary I had to really work on my skills in this and with the help of Dana the lovely 'Chief joy officer' I was able to work really well in teams and talk about what I'm like to work with during interviews and sell myself as a good team member. 
• A good range of programming skills are taught. Whilst you only use two languages formally in the course, there is the opportunity to use other languages if you're familiar with them. You complete backend, frontend and fullstack projects and use relational and non-relational databases. 
• The weekend challenges are tough and time consuming but it did surprise me how much I could do and how far I could get independently as a beginner. 
• Finally the careers coaches are lovely! Candida and Hunor have really taken the time to guide me and offer support when I had an interview and they would always check in and ask how it went and follow up with me. 
• It is really hard to come in as a beginner as there is so much to learn and the pace can be quite fast. I think you need to be resilient, organised and really think about your personal goals and what you want from the course. Don't be afraid to try and to ask questions.

The course is well structured, but given there is a lot of material to cover, it's kind of intense, because you have to jump from one big key concept to the next one in a really short amount of time. Having said this, the environment is really friendly, the coaches are very supportive and knowledgable and the entire vibe is just wonderful. I also love how we as a cohort were immediately thrown group projects and had to do loads of pair-programming, it really mimics what it's like to be a real-life software developer. Highly recommended!

Pros - The course is a great experience. It is super intense, and it will push you to your limits but it will be worth it in the end. Although it is very tough, the overall experience is really positive. Cons - It is a self-taught course and whilst I understand the logic behind this, I do feel there could have been more coach support during each week and more lectures covering topics rather than being directed to You Tube.  I felt that the after-course job support was exceptional and was beyond any expectation I had. I would recommend if you are serious about wanting to change career. 

PROS: 
- a holistic approach to learning. Makers recognise the importance of supporting students to care for their wellbeing. Meditation, yoga and EQ sessions are led by the wonderful Dana (Chief Joy Officer)! In my experience, every coach was highly emotionally literate.
- focus on learning how to learn. A lot of time will be spent pair-programming, and completing self-led learning. You set your own learning goals and keep on top of reviewing how you're getting on. The responsibility is on the learner to raise any blockages when they get stuck, or if they want further clarification/ reading materials. This style of learning supported my transition into the workplace where I will be taking responsibility for my continued learning and development.
- you will meet a lot of wonderful people in your cohort, which will provide a support network of junior devs on the other end of the course to chat to about your first jobs! 
- job opportunities and job hunt support. I got a job within 3 weeks of finishing the course through a Makers hiring partner - woohoo!

CONS:
- not a con more a recommendation. The course runs at a fast pace, those who had already learnt some basic code before beginning Makers seemed to have slightly lower cortisol levels. If you aren't massively time pressured for this career change, take your time to learn some basics before starting. I loved the edX CS50 course - but I would say that may be a bit excessive as you'll cover a lot of this at Makers. It was good for me with a slower processing speed (yay dyslexia!) as I could learn through repetition. 
- not suitable for someone who wants to be taught by a coach for the majority of the course. You are left to your own devices with students from your cohort a lot of the time. 

The course is very involved but we'll structured setting you up with the fundamental principles of programming that are universal across a lot of languages. You also work in pairs throughout the course and in groups when it comes to projects, both of which you would do in a professional setting. Projects are run in an Agile way, again, software development best practice. There is a lot to take in and can feel overwhelming but if you trust the process and accept you won't complete everything you'll look back in awe at what you have learnt. Everyone is very supportive as you are all on the same journey and the post course career support is great with CV help and interview prep. I was able to get an offer within less than two months of finishing. A lot of my cohort got jobs much quicker than that. Overall a really great experience that has paid off for me. If you don't enjoy your current job and get a kick out coding - go for it.