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gensymHNSource author
Lessons learnedExperience excerpt · English

I've hired people who have switched careers by going to dev bootcamps, but their situation was …

… I've hired people who have switched careers by going to dev bootcamps, but their situation was different because they hadn't had a period of downtime. In general, though, I love hiring career switchers. They've demonstrated the ability to learn and adapt rather than just let momentum carry them on. As someone who hires software engineers, here's my perspective on this question: > -Will tech co’s ever consider hiring someone like me? Based on your description right now, I probably wouldn't hire you. You sound like you are directionless. I love mentoring new engineers and cultivating their growth, but I need them to have the focus and the drive to do that growth, and the description you have here doesn't paint a picture of someone who would likely be successful at that. …

Original discussionAsk HN: Has anyone successfully started their career over in their 30s?222 source comments · at import
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confoundcofoundHN

Quit grad school and spent my 20s at a chaotic startup where I learned nothing about how to intentionally build a business. I spent years running around like a headless chicken to satisfy sales-type execs who had no interest in leveling me up. I was a moron for staying on as long as I did. I was eventually let go, and for the past few years have been doing on-and-off menial gig work. Feel like I’ve wasted my life. No marketable skills. Unimpressive résumé. No network. No mentor. No confidence. No motivation. And I’m in my mid-30s. -Is there any hope for someone like me? -Is there any reasonable path to starting over? -Where do I even begin? -Will tech co’s ever consider hiring someone like me?

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imjqzHN

> but I need them to have the focus and the drive to do that growth This is really important. I just spent the last couple of months helping some people transition to the tech industry, and I'm seriously reconsidering whether I want to continue. It's demotivating when people don't have the drive to take initiative or follow through when you're volunteering your time to help them. So OP, there's definitely people out there willing to give you a chance, but you need to show concrete proof that you are worth considering. Like the parent comment said, a record of goal-setting and progress would really help, maybe in the form of non-trivial personal projects or contributions to open source projects. As far as the motivation aspect, talking to a therapist or career coach is a great idea. It's possible that your lack of motivation is not inherent, but rather a result of disillusionment from the…

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not_a_shillHN

>figured out what they wanted to do and took the serious steps to do that with a record of setting ambitious but reasonable goals for themselves and hitting them What would this actually look like to you on a resume?

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jollofricepeasHN

Nice response! I agree. As someone who has also done a great deal of hiring, having sincere interest is just so important in the big, wide world of software engineering. So now I tell people this… 1. Live for yourself not your mom or dad or societal expectations. 2. Provided you don’t have any responsibilities besides yourself, do whatever you want for a profession. 3. It’s completely OK to have a job that you can stand and hang out with friends. If you’re not motivated by money or the work itself that’s perfectly OK (See #1) 4. Don’t become a developer because someone said you could make a bunch of money. Do it because you love building things. (See #1) 5. If you don’t know what to do then do everything and you’ll find out what you don’t like eventually. (See #1) 6. Life is not a race. Literally none of it matters except how you treat yourself and others. It’s your life. You’re allowed …

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nextosHN

This question is getting asked pretty often, so I think perhaps dang should consider some monthly who's mentoring / wants to be mentored threads as a service to the community. Especially given the rough times ahead...

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HadrielHN

"I suggest you hire a career coach to explore your options;" Re: this, i'm happy to do career coaching consultations if you're interested.

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