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Discussion on: What's your advice to someone over the age of 30 considering a career in software development?

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Brian Kephart • Edited

There's an assumption that you're going to learn to code to quit your job and start a different career. Instead, I learned to code to write software to improve our workplace at the job I already had (and still have). I started at the age of 34.

There are tons of avenues for learning, and tons of contexts in which to do this work. Academic study isn't necessarily the best learning method for most adults. Don't get me wrong, if your specific goal is a career change, academic study will get you a credential that can open doors. But most adults learn better when they apply their knowledge as they go to something they care about working on. If you enter a formal training program, pick one that keeps this fact in mind. If you already have a project at hand, consider self-directed study instead.