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Ask HN: Where should I start as a 34-year-old switching to software as a career?

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Re: Ask HN: Where should I start as a 34-year-old switching to software as a career?

#41

Post by misschresser »

stingrae wrote: post #32
cwyers wrote: post #25

So, you need some sort of credential. A bootcamp would do well, some sort of certificate of a course of study from Coursera or edX, a non-degree certificate from a university. Pick a tech stack that's both modern and enterprisey -- Java, .NET, Ruby, Node.js are all fine, but if you go with them, get current. On the front end, you want to find something trendy. Try looking for some jobs you think you'd want to apply f…

I totally disagree. I don't think a credential will help at all. I think you need projects that you can point to and explain. I also feel like it will be easier for you to get a role at a company that also would utilize your past experience. This way it is easier for them to justify someone more technically junior at on the software engineering side.

I switched into software with a non-STEM background, been an engineer for about a year now and have heard / seen a lot of hiring conversations both during my process and since then at my company. Projects that you can point to and explain are valuable if and only if you can even get on someone's radar. The amount of "projects" that people are doing in their own time is becoming dizzying, and for employers to actually spend time to parse through what is a good project vs. what is a boilerplate tutorial project is not realistic.

In my case, my employer happened to hire people from my particular bootcamp, and had good experiences with those hires. Coming from that bootcamp is what got me in the door, no amount of "projects" would have done the trick. It's very hard to say "I'm legitimate, see all these projects I've done", because unless you can have a very clear timeline of "I did this project two years ago, and I've been diligently learning ever since as noted by this, this, and this project", it's just another person with another github with another project. Absolutely zero reason to bring that person in when you have other applicants with actual backgrounds + a project or two.

All this is to say, I don't think this advice applies nearly as much as people believe it does anymore.

Re: Ask HN: Where should I start as a 34-year-old switching to software as a career?

#42

Post by ochronus »

There are some amazing bootcamps out there - they'll cost you but they can get you to a more confident state - which is of course as in most professions only the start. Yes, you could gather all that's needed free from the internet but a bootcamp's value is that you force yourself to a long streak of full-day practice, you get proper feedback on your work and progress and you get a well structured introductory path into this vast field.

Re: Ask HN: Where should I start as a 34-year-old switching to software as a career?

#43

Post by lazylizard »

I do too. I am sysadmin. Maybe 20 years' sysadmin. I don't even think i make it as a sysadmin (e.g. i don't know which ip are 172.20.157.97/27 off hand...). I write some bash scripts (omg i actually test whats $0/1/2/3...ahahahaha)... Thats about it. I don't know how i still get by in this job! I mean surely every freshgrad knows all this stuff that i always google for! On the other hand I've also seen the opposite. Like mail admins that ask me to add their antispam to my spf.. Who knows? I think its mostly down to luck. All this time I'm just surprised planes still fly. That is all..

Re: Ask HN: Where should I start as a 34-year-old switching to software as a career?

#44

Post by jimmies »

Where should you start? Ask yourself: How bad do I want to switch? Do you want to live the rest of your life feeling you missed out on something when it was not too late, or you think you'll be okay the way you are now.

I just switched from being in bioinformatics to software engineering being 30 year old. The problem isn't that you're getting old. The problem isn't that you lack experiences, either. I have none of those. On top of that, I'm just an international student, I have zero advantage compared to other applicants.

I think the most important problem/question is how bad you want to change your job/career? Do you come home everyday after work feeling like shit? Do you feel like you don't do enough work to deserve a break, but you feel like bored all the times at work? Do you feel like you hit a brick wall, not sure what is up for your future?

At one point in my life, I felt all of the above. I wanted to kill myself. I figured out if I wanted to stay alive, then no one else will help me besides myself. So after years of depression and worrying, I decided to instead of sleeping through my fears, I would do something to get myself out of that. Many things I did at that time turned out to resonate with people somehow.

One year and about ten days ago, one of my submissions got on the front page of HN. That changed my life forever. I wish you have the courage and grit to do the same for yourself, if you feel that way too. Doing anything, you don't know what will stick, but when you do enough, you will have a feel of what will.

Re: Ask HN: Where should I start as a 34-year-old switching to software as a career?

#45

Post by wilsonrocks »

I moved to development from a career in maths teaching and trade unionism.

The advice given elsewhere to solve a problem in your current role is really important - but it might not need to be work related - a personal project that you have a clear vision for and users other than yourself will do.

Having stuff on github helped me with interviewers. I did not find, in the UK at least, that lack of a CS degree or development experience was a barrier - in fact, interviewers seemed interested in my story. However, where I live (the north) there is a developer shortage.

Re: Ask HN: Where should I start as a 34-year-old switching to software as a career?

#48

Post by afarrell »

chrisgoman wrote: post #14

Develop any software for your domain (lab technician or microbiology) that solves a simple problem you see or encounter daily. Identify a problem in your current day job that can be solved with software like recording data in the lab, tracking supplies, etc. (nothing too complex) and come up with a solution (website to check-in/check-out, mobile app (?), etc.) and learn how to build it. It will not be perfect but you…

I’ve heard good things about https://automatetheboringstuff.com/

Re: Ask HN: Where should I start as a 34-year-old switching to software as a career?

#49

Post by black-tea »

sh87 wrote: post #34
wai1234 wrote: post #15

You don't mention WHY you want to get into software. If it's just because you think you can make a lot of money, that's a poor reason to switch careers. You also say you lack experience. Do you mean you have none at all? That would make my first question even more important. If you have no experience at all, take an introductory software course at a local community college. An online course or how-to book would be a…

> If it's just because you think you can make a lot of money, that's a poor reason to switch careers. I strongly disagree with that. More money is a perfectly sound reason to choose a career.

It is if you already have the skills. Some people realise after a few years in one area that they've become an expert in another area which might pay more. It doesn't sound like OP is like that, though. He might not like programming. He might not be good at it. He could waste a lot of time just trying to "make more money". He should instead pursue it only if he enjoys it and then maybe he'll end up in the situation where he can change.
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