Is It Too Late to Start a Career in Development at 30 as a Non-CS Major?
I'm asking this sincerely. I'm currently 30 years old and have been working at a logistics company for 5 years. Now that my contract is ending, I'm seriously considering becoming a developer. People around me say I should start as young as possible, but after self-studying Java, I find it enjoyable—yet I can't help feeling anxious about being too far behind others.
Are there any people here who successfully transitioned into a developer role after turning 30? I'd really like to hear some realistic advice.
4 answers
Agreed. I also started at 32 and now I'm in my 3rd year. It's not too late, you just do it.
Honestly, 30 is a bit late, but that doesn't mean you can't do it. Still, with 5 years of experience in logistics, wouldn't it be way more advantageous to pivot into logistics/supply chain IT solutions? Your domain knowledge is a strength—I don't get why you'd throw that away to start over from scratch.
I also started at 33 with a non-CS background, and I'm in my 2nd year now. The first year is really tough, but if you keep at it consistently, things work out somehow. Feeling anxious is totally normal lol
Well, not so sure about that. Only those in the know are aware that the developer job market isn't what it used to be. Plenty of people jump in on a whim because others tell them to, and end up bouncing from contract to contract in their 30s. It's nice that you find Java fun, but if you really want to make a living, the first step is to look into how brutal algorithms, coding tests, and portfolios can be.