Ask HN: Tips for a 30 year old trying to switch to IT/software development?

- Web Portfolio showing 3 projects (or more). These can be from classes, personal projects, or overview descriptions of past work projects. -- for example, check out the template here [1] called "Portfolio" -- take it, repurpose it with your own content. Get it online. Add your web portfolio URL to your resume. (Once you've done everything else I suggest, the level up would be adding a blog to your portfolio)

- Github/Gitlab (to show your code)

- LinkedIn presence -- grow your network, share posts with hashtags that are related to your post/post's project. Follow important people. Connect with people you know.

- Add your resume to multiple job seeker sites: Indeed.com, Ziprecuiter.com, Dice.com, etc. Get yourself on at least 5, so that when recruiters search for keywords, your resume turns up.

Basically: Show you have the skills. And put yourself "out there" i.e. market yourself

[1] https://bulmatemplates.github.io/bulma-templates/

IT isn’t software development and software development isn’t IT. I consider IT to be help desk, support, systems administration and generally solving problems related to supporting systems. Software dev is creating some of those systems, maybe as products that the company sells.

Starting in IT and moving to software dev works (firsthand exp) but if you want to do software development then go for that. Like others said if you have a few projects in a portfolio that would help but you have to get past screeners, HR, etc. My suggestion would be to find local dev meetups, groups related to the language you are learning. Networking will get you pretty far, a boot camp accomplishes the learning and networking parts but at a cost. Also building web applications and knowing basics of deployment will be needed to get into dev job, I’d say focus on that using a mainstream language and framework and it will make things a d little easier.

Thanks mate, will take those into account. Asked the question already, but is LinkedIn really worth it?

LinkedIn is incredibly effective if you don't have connections. Job sites have been ineffective for a while for both sides. With job sites, you get people with a culinary diploma applying for a Senior React Developer job. The new meta is employers searching for candidates and spamming them.

I was in a similar situation as you 18 months ago and made the transition into software development.

I (US based) spent lots of time researching all of the different ways to break into software development including bootcamps, going back to school, or the self-taught route.

Here's my personal opinion of each:

- Bootcamps: 12-16 week programs (some have longer) that will teach you JavaScript, React, etc where you'll spend 1-2 weeks on each language/framework/library. I chose not to go this route as they tend to teach you the bare minimum and you're forced to go at the speed of the class so if you are not quite understanding a concept you're on your own figuring that out later. Plus, how much can you truly learn if you spend 1-2 weeks on it?

- School: expensive and ~2-4 years to graduate.

- Self-taught: no real feedback loop as to what you're learning, no community to help you if you get stuck, lack of structured curriculum, and mostly surface level type lessons similar to a bootcamp (watch someone build something, copy them, get a short explanation of what's going on...)

I spent several months exploring each of these options and even dove into a few Udemy courses but none of them really helped me understand the core fundamentals of programming. I was constantly saying to myself "ok, you're showing me how to do something, but I don't understand WHY it works or WHAT'S happening".

Ultimately, I ended up coming across Launch School (https://launchschool.com/) a online and self-paced program that costs $200 per month. You go deep into the fundamentals of programming and come away with a solid understanding of Ruby and/or JavaScript.

Throughout the program you'll have assessments for each course which can be live coding challenges with a TA, written, or take home projects. In order to move to the next course you have to demonstrate clear understanding of what you have previously learned and pass the assessment. LS has a robust community of students all over the world and they have TA and/or Student led study sessions for pretty much every course you take in the program.

I highly recommend you check it out and see if it's right for you.