I'm 54, and I reinvented my career 3 times so far. Every single time, I was over 30 yo. Let's start focusing your interest on something you are passionate about and move to an area where you can learn faster.
Being mid-30s is a fantastic time for your career development, so believe in yourself and start learning something you care about today.
Ask HN: Has anyone successfully started their career over in their 30s?
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Re: Ask HN: Has anyone successfully started their career over in their 30s?
#232Earlier quoted context omitted.
Nice response! I agree. As someone who has also done a great deal of hiring, having sincere interest is just so important in the big, wide world of software engineering. So now I tell people this… 1. Live for yourself not your mom or dad or societal expectations. 2. Provided you don’t have any responsibilities besides yourself, do whatever you want for a profession. 3. It’s completely OK to have a job that you can st…
> having sincere interest is just so important This is a very significant point. I’ve noticed both in myself and in close friends who are in the industry (all of us pushing or having broken past the 40 yo mark) that a mental fatigue has set in, one that particularly attacks interest, rather than acuity. It seems that interest remains strong in the general sense, i.e. interest in tech, but wanes in the specific sense,…
Been there..
At 40, we see our employers for the human beings they are so it’s easy to feel cynical and unmotivated. Be honest with yourself about why you’re there and focus on your targets instead of theirs.
If your supervisor is cool, they’ll understand and should find a way to link your targets to the companies. If not then consider switching companies or teams if you can.
Here’s a few other things…
- Therapy
- Take a break if you can afford it. Do nothing for 2-3 weeks or even longer. Set no expectations and do your best to not judge yourself for doing nothing.
- Make sleep hygiene a priority.
- Be honest with yourself. “Employer objectives don’t motivate me anymore so what does?” If you’re not sure anymore, then it’s time to roll your sleeves up and start experiencing new things. Go where your heart desires and dare to tread where you’re fearful.
- Find a hobby that involves other people and exercise. This means trying a lot of different things until you find one that clicks for you. It’s amazing how much fog can be lifted by a little exercise and social interaction.
Best of luck!
Re: Ask HN: Has anyone successfully started their career over in their 30s?
#233Yes there is hope. I started college at 34, took 6 years to get two bachelors and a masters. Now I am a hardware engineer at a big tech (FAANG) company. I was an intern at 39 years old. That is not to say that you should go back to school. I'm just using myself as an example of someone that started their career over. So to the first and fourth question the answer is yes. The others can only be answered by you.
Wow that's incredible.
Re: Ask HN: Has anyone successfully started their career over in their 30s?
#234Twice. At 31 I left the Automotive field to start working in IT. It was a low paying government job without a lot of applicants. I started college at 32 and got an AA in IT. At 38 my state legislature shut down my agency and my wife and kids moved out. I lost everything in resetting my finances and digging myself out of the hole she created. I had spent the past few years of my IT life learning PHP and at 39 I landed…
Your wife left you because you lost your job?
No, that was more coincidental than anything. We had been living as roommates for years before that year.