Retraining in Software Engineering at 30?

crixusin · 2015-09-23T19:50:29+00:00

Gonna be hard. HTML, Javascript (not even going to mention wordpress because it will be dead in 10 years), are only the surface. Computers are extremely complex, and without a solid foundation, I would say its an uphill battle.

I went to an A list school, and only 60 people in my class out of 500 graduated from my CS program. Most of those kids, had been using computers and programming more complex stuff (C, C++, java, largescale javascript applications) for years before they even went to college. Good luck.

throwaway_divorce_11 · 2015-09-24T01:10:11+00:00

You can do it.

Focus on JavaScript and Python. Learn the web stack top to bottom. SQL. HTTP. REST. Django, flask. jQuery.

Also learn git.

Learn by making personal projects. Find a cool problem to solve (even if it's been solved before), and then break it down and solve it. Do another, and another.

Once you've solved a few problems on your own, start applying for entry level dev positions. Your age isn't such a big deal. You needn't know everything. You just need the tinkerer's mindset. Dev shops need fresh meat. You will work long hours at first. But the pay will be decent, and you'll learn a TON as you go.

FrankWG · 2015-09-23T18:56:01+00:00

That is a really detailed question, not at all generic and impossible to answer.

beachbloke · 2015-09-23T19:37:27+00:00

Keep in mind there is age bias in software. Young engineers are in demand because they are more productive from a lines of code basis.

I would recommend doing what you're doing and getting some freelancer.com work as a web developer. In your profile say you're a student and set the rate really low. Do it for the experience not the money. Take any job you can and use them as educational experiences. If you can do that for a while, you'll have a portfolio that you can tote around for your future digs.

[deleted] · 2015-09-23T20:05:22+00:00

Learn Python. No matter what you do, it can be your secret weapon.

twinhed · 2015-09-23T20:18:25+00:00

I recommend specializing in niche that's high in demand like Ruby on Rails, instead of just going the general route, and get great at that.

thisredaccount · 2015-09-24T00:42:54+00:00

Hey bro, I am on this journey right now. This is what i'll say: Nothing is more important than following through on something. There's alot of stuff out there, it might be better to choose something more mainstream like C# or Java - most jobs reside here, Rails is okay, pretty good on the Westcoast/Silicon Valley. Your age doesn't really mean shit. There may be a little bias at trendy start ups. But the truth is no one gives a fuck but what you are able to provide to the company and what you can do. You will better than the CS grads if you prove that you know more, are more experienced, and know what you're doing.

cocaine_face · 2015-09-24T01:25:57+00:00

I retrained myself as a software developer after I realized that automation was where the jobs were all going, started about 4-5 years ago. I'd say with this level of experience but no formal (comp sci, I do have a BA) education, I'm competent, but not a full-fledged expert. I'm currently paid $50,000 a year and can reasonably expect my next job to pay somewhere between 80k to 120k depending on region. If you bust your ass, you could probably get to this point in 3 years, I took it slow at points to get good with PUA.

There are different types of programming - some are more math centric than others (and if you want to be a great developer, you should try to get better with math - but I've actually found math far easier after coding for several years) - web and mobile development are (usually, but not exclusively) less math centric than say, financial algorithm writing or OSes.

I recommend picking a topic you're interested in, and looking into a real world problem you can do for yourself. Python is a great, all-purpose beginner language. It's like the modern day BASIC, except it's also really good for actually writing production code.

Maybe try to do a small project in Python and see if it seems like something you could build a career out of.

throwdawah · 2015-09-24T01:50:03+00:00

If it's your dream, do it, everything else doesn't matter.

rurpe · 2015-09-24T22:49:43+00:00

Maybe you should try and leverage your chef experience. Manager\Owner\Food Truck\etc

Title	Retraining in Software Engineering at 30?
Author	cheeky_throwaway101
Upvotes	6
Comments	27
Date	September 23, 2015 6:54 PM UTC (10 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/askTRP
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/asktrp/comments/3m3mhe/retraining_in_software_engineering_at_30/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/askTRP/retraining-in-software-engineering-at-30.154231 https://theredarchive.com/post/154231

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