How to Shift Your Career to a Software Engineer in Your 30s: 7 Proven Steps

I have a dream of having a career in IT because my childhood was full of IT-related things, and I was finally happy when I got a job as an associate IT consultant back in 2019. However, my day-to-day job did not involve any coding at all. Like all types of consultants, consultants are not supposed to do all the labour work, such as coding. They usually do not deepen their knowledge about it; they only know the basics.

In just six months during the Covid era in the 2020s, there were massive layoffs from many companies due to the global economy being in turmoil. My company was affected, and I was one of the victims of the layoffs. I was 29 years old at that time.

Being unemployed and having a mid-life crisis, I had to decide whether to stay on my current career path or switch to a better career path that suited the Covid era. I loved IT so much, but being an IT consultant was not feasible at that time because the government and many private sectors were in saving mode due to the crisis.

So, I decided to change my career to become a software engineer because, at that time, it was one of the career paths that were not affected by Covid. I faced a lot of frustrations and obstacles daily to succeed in becoming a software engineer. But thankfully, after six months of unemployment, I landed a job as a software engineer.

Therefore, here are some tips from my experience of becoming a software engineer so that you guys don't need to experience the same problems I had back then.

TL;DR

1. Have enough emergency funds, so your focus will be full without worrying too much.

2. Choose a stack, either front-end or back-end, and stick with it. Don't try to be both.

3. Learn from both free and paid online courses, but don't get stuck in 'tutorial hell.' You need to learn by doing.

4. Build a useful portfolio. Don't just make a 'Todos' app; build other impactful projects like small e-commerce and hotel website apps, and other real-life applications.

5. Don't hesitate to apply for software engineering jobs while learning.

6. If you fail, learn from your mistakes and try again.

7. You'll get the job. It's just a matter of time.

Have enough emergency funds

If you currently have a job but don't have any emergency funds, don't just quit and follow your passion blindly. Save your money for 6-12 months to cover your casual expenses.

If you have been laid off, make sure you get your severance pay and use it for survival mode. It means cutting out unnecessary expenses until you finally get your dream job as a software engineer.

If you are still living with your parents, don't be shy to ask them for assistance until you earn a job. I know it's not ideal, but you can repay them later.

Choose a stack, either front-end or back-end, and stick with it.

I know learning to code can be confusing for some people, especially since many programming languages exist for software engineering. Pick one of the popular languages used in your country (or around the world). You can take a look at the list here or just Google it. But don't try to learn more than one language at the same time.

After you have chosen the language, decide on the stack between front-end or back-end. You need to focus. I chose the front end because I like visualization. How about you? Maybe you prefer more logical stuff? Try back-end.

Learn by Doing

You can learn programming for FREE or through paid platforms like Codecademy, freecodecamp, Udemy, etc. But it's useless if you just go through "Tutorial Hell" without actually trying to apply what you have learned. Don't just copy-paste other people's code; try to type it out. It's one of the most effective ways to learn code by doing it.

Build a useful portfolio

Don't just make a 'Todos' app; build other impactful projects like small e-commerce and hotel website apps, and other real-life applications. But if you do decide to make the Todos app, make it different from other Todos apps. For example, you could add a drag-and-drop feature. If that's too much, then try to make a simpler app but not another Todos app. You can take a look at my website for reference: https://farisadlin.com/

Apply for software engineering jobs while learning

Don't hesitate to apply for software engineering jobs while you're still learning. Apply for vacant positions, and if you're lucky, a recruiter will try to have an interview with you. Don't worry if you fail an interview; make sure you request feedback from the recruiter, and also make sure you evaluate your test.

If you fail, learn from your mistakes and try again.

Failing while applying sucks. Trust me, I have been there and done that. But it doesn't mean you can't get your dream job. Consistency is the key to success in all aspects of your life, including becoming a software engineer. If you fail, learn from your mistakes and try again. I know it's cliché, but don't give up!

You'll get the job. It's just a matter of time.

If you remain consistent with the above steps, you will eventually land the job. It's only a matter of time, so stay calm and keep going!