Ask HN: Has anyone successfully started their career over in their 30s?

As advice is always super specific and would require me to learn much more about you, I will just share my story first and say yes it's possible:

- German

- spend youth with coding and drumming mostly

- got a bachelor in jazz drums

- got a bachelor in architecture (and got interested in entrepreneurship)

- failed first startup attempts

- worked in architecture for short time

- switched into a commercial real estate development job at 29

- founded a proptech startup by 31, headed product development and later tech there. It worked but didn't take off enough and will therefore be "sold" for close to nothing

- took a part time job in commercial real estate again with 2-3x last salary at a large cooperation (bureaucratic)

- constantly on the lookout for new business opportunities since then (suggestions welcome). I'm also considering leaving job for something less corporate and more at the crossover between tech and real estate.

It can be a mental struggle to switch back and forth, especially since you don't get to the point of directing all your energy into the "one right thing", most people feel the need for in their thirties. At the same time for me, having a well paid job that isn't fulfilling can glue you in as much as a unemployment, as there is more risk involved. Comparing to others is the underlying poisonous thing here, I guess.

I still idealize running my own business, as I tasted that juice and loved it, but getting more risk averse with upcoming recession too and yes I know I'm pretty lucky of from an outside perspective.

One generic piece of advice I saw on hacker news a while back is "if you struggle between multiple options for long and don't know what to choose just flip a coin, as outcomes might be similar with information at hand", just get going with something. People on HN will be able to help you with "how", but "if your should try"?

You won't be the only human on earth, that doesn't have talents or can't look back and find moments in your life, where you were in some kind of flow while working or felt a deep passion for something. You will get there, you can do it!

Sometimes a weird looking CV is our reason for not even trying. Isn't there some story you can create around your cv to pitch to employers? There must be. Sure there is hope. But that's where you start, find a forward perspective and start applying. If you don't roll the dice, they can't show a six. If you don't start folding the paper, it will never be an airplane.

Best and I hope 2023 well be a pivotal year for you! Thorsten

I'd say most people start their "career" around 30. Some people stick with the choice they made in their 20s while some people need to figure out something else. There is little pressure to make money or stabilize when you are 23, or 24. When you start your 30s you are more under that pressure and that's when you start to figure out how to make money.

Bear in mind, I am only 32.

> -Is there any hope for someone like me?

Yes?!

> -Is there any reasonable path to starting over?

Just start in anything in this industry or else.

> -Where do I even begin?

Getting a job in something that interests you is a good idea. Getting to college is another idea. Getting a job overseas (if you are American) is also another idea.

> -Will tech co’s ever consider hiring someone like me?

Don't focus on specific people or groups. Figure out which people need your skill-set and start from there.

A good start is to understand the value of you're earlier experience and find some positives.

You will certainly have learned some skills. You'll have learned what you don't want in a job. Even menial work can be used to demonstrate grit.

Anyway, starting from zero is hard, but least because you'll compare yourself to people who haven't. Much better to salvage what you can from the last decade and realise that you aren't starting from zero at all.

To me, what jumps it if your post is, this person is miserable and not at thier best psychologically. You better believe interviewers can smell that and sadly they don't like it. Suggest that getting some counseling might help you more careerwise than another tech skill.

Not me but someone I know pivoted their career at well over 30. They started out their career in bars and food industry (restaurants primarily) and then spent few years in uni to learn coding. Now he's a full fledged developer in the same firm I am and is actually in a semi-management role (he codes but he also does PM work).

So yes, there is very much hope for you because I have seen it happen first hand.

As for reasonable path, it depends. Depends on if you have a family to feed, loans to pay back etc. All that changes your risk factor and how fast can you go.

Where to begin? Take stock of what you have done and what skills have you accumulated. You say they aren't marketable but they might be if only in different context. Maybe one of those allows you to reorient your interests and career into deepening your knowledge of that particular industry. If you can afford it and want to pivot to a whole new industry, putting some time and money aside for education might be a way to go (trade school).

Previous was generalized but sounds like you are thinking about going into tech in which case you might be in luck: put in the work and you have better prospects than most to get your foot in the door even without a full fledged degree. There is also a ton of resources free of charge available to get into those tech skills. The trick is to keep the hunger for learning alive so whatever skills you do obtain don't stagnate and have a portfolio of some kind to showcase what you have done. Also, those unmarketable skills you mentioned? Those are specific domain knowledge which can help fill in the gaps with tech knowledge because it helps you understand specific problem space and that is very valuable.

Will tech consider hiring someone like you? Yes because again, I've seen it happen.

Your wife left you because you lost your job?