Most of us probably had some sort of other jobs before getting into software as a career. I'd love to hear from the community on this matter!
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Here's my work background before this field:
Some of these are various jobs, but I've consolidated and didn't count brief stints.
Basically, I did a lot of manual labor-type jobs and then got into marketing as my initial career before discovering my real interest in software development.
I fitted a lot windows, I also tried welding (I was really bad at that). It was either professional combat sports or tech for me, glad I chose the latter!
Man, you're amazing!
What led to the change?
It was badly paid, boring and I was clearly not progressing - I was getting paid less than new starters. To make it worse, I got transferred to another area where none of my prior experience was any use at all.
Meanwhile I bought a Dummies book about Linux on a whim as I had a voucher for money off them and started messing around with Ubuntu in my spare time. That reignited my interest in computers in general and I wound up doing a correspondence course with the intention of changing career. Took four years, but in 2011 I started my first web dev job and never looked back.
Technically I've also been a mobile app dev in the time since then, but since that was Phonegap rather than native app development and I never did it exclusively, I don't really distinguish it as a different job.
Since high school...
I tried a lot of things-- I'd really recommend the 'try it before you buy it' approach if you're going to have to invest in your education. That's why I became a CNA, and I realized that my proprioceptive difficulties would make nursing tough, so I saved myself a wasted investment in med school.
Was this how you dipped your toes in before getting more directly involved in software development?
yep! I had a contract with a SaaS and was like, I want to do what their engineers do. I still do dev-rel-y things all the time like content creation and documentation that I learned to do while writing my first technical pieces back then.
Very similar to how I ultimately got into what I do.
damn, inspiring
I was quite lucky and managed to get into tech quite early but it wasn't until my late twenties where I became a Dev.
We have multiple warehouse pickers in the thread!
Engineer in milk factory
I'm curious about this one-- what did you engineer?
Repaired cars and developed programs for them
And there’s me who’s just 13…
Sounds like a bright future to me. :)
Thanks for those words of positivity! :)
Do corner shops actually sell alcohol to under 18 children or is that just a fantasy?
Hmm I think we used to get told we would be in serious trouble if we did, and could loose job or be fined, that and the fact that there are secret shoppers, I did not ever do it... However I'm sure there are places.
We need digital identities if you ask me, no more IDing people
Oh, that’s completely different from what people here say about alcohol and corner shops lol
I always wanted to work in software, ever since I started programming as a hobby in my teens, but I didn't get a dev job straight out of uni.
I spent a year or so working in a call centre selling wine (inbound, not outbound calls). I'd had other summer jobs here and there, but this was my first actual job.
It was a nice company and for the most part the customers were nice. It did not cure me of my fear of phone calls, but having a script to follow made it a lot easier.
(I don't say this out loud often, but I don't like wine, and I really tried!)
Van driver. Kitchen Porter.
I got the technical writing job because I had a background in tech and was pursuing an English degree. From there, I just kept scootching my way into more and more technical stuff until I qualified for a software development job.
Professionally, I started out in freight forwarding (air cargo) - negotiating with airlines, filling out way bills etc. Soon started making small utility programs and scripts to automate / enhance workflow at the freight forwarding company. Gradually moved in to an IT support role, then IT management. Eventually started my own software development company...
However, I have been programming as a hobby since early teens :-)
Network and System Administration. Well, development is everywhere, right ? :-)