Getting a Developer Job at 30 as a Non-CS Major... It Took 6 Months
I'm sharing how long it took and the process of landing a developer job at 30 as a non-CS major. I'll write honestly about what it was like while managing real life.
1. Decision: I quit after burning out from overtime at a semiconductor factory. I had 15 million won left.
2. Study: Completed a 6-month government-supported course (6 months total, but the last 2 months were a team project). Personally, Inflearn + YouTube helped me more.
3. Portfolio: One government-course project + one side project. I deployed them and submitted the links.
4. Applications: Applied to 120 companies, passed document screening at 12, had interviews at 4, and got 1 final offer.
Honestly, the age handicap is really big. You wouldn't believe how many experienced candidates breeze through document screening. Still, I think it helped that I prepared without any career gaps.
Conclusion: It's possible even for non-CS majors. However, dropping the idea that you'll finish it within 6 months is better for your mental health.
4 answers
Agreed, putting in 120 is a lot.
Well, that's a bit... The junior developer market these days is completely different from last year. There are tons of people who completed six-month government-funded training programs, and the reality is that if you're 30, you get filtered out even at the resume screening stage. Your case might have just been lucky.
I started as a non-CS major at 32 and it took me 9 months too, but the real key was consistency. Watching Inflearn lectures isn't enough on its own—you have to work with code every day. Even though I didn't do many coding tests, focusing deeply on one project helped me more when it came to getting hired. Like the post says, you should give up on setting a fixed timeline.
?? After 6 months of government-funded training, is it possible to get 12 document screening passes out of 120 applications? Usually, you'd need a decent background to get that kind of result... Honestly, it's a bit suspicious.