Starting computer programming at 28

[babyj18777]

Hey guys,

New to the forum. I did a search and there wasn't much on this topic.

I currently work for one of the largest software companies in the world in a sales capacity... It's not for me.

I'm looking to pick up a new skill, and it seems like software engineering is a good long term bet.

I'm just worried that I'm starting late; it seems like all of the really good computer programs/software engineers starting programming when they were 12 years old... It also seems like by the time they are 40 they are replaced by cheaper labour.

Can anyone comment?

 

[Architect]

I currently work for one of the largest software companies in the world in a sales capacity... It's not for me.

Yup

I'm looking to pick up a new skill, and it seems like software engineering is a good long term bet.

screw that, do you want to do it?

I'm just worried that I'm starting late; it seems like all of the really good computer programs/software engineers starting programming when they were 12 years old...

Yes frequently. Doesn't mean you can't start later, and at 28 you are a baby. If you have the chops and the passion for it then it won't be a problem.

It also seems like by the time they are 40 they are replaced by cheaper labour.

"seems" - a lot of things "seem" to be happening. This one is one of those fake memes. Don't sweat it.

 

[Felan]

If you find you love programming then it's an awesome job. If you just want something that pays well and you think that programming is that "thing" at the moment, then don't bother.

In this age, programmers are gold of business. If you want to improve efficiency, generate new revenue, expand old revenue, or just about anything anymore you need software created, tweaked, and maintained. Which means you are paying programmers one way or another, either you do the work in house or you buy the software product from someone else.

But there is gold and fool's gold. To be gold you need to have a lot of passion for it and enjoy it and keep refining your skill over time. The fool's gold are those that learn a little, enough to be hired but then largely stagnant and even actively resist learning new stuff.

If you can be more gold than fool's gold you'll have a long and fruitful future ahead of you. If you can't muster the heart and find you are more fool's gold than gold, then you can probably make something between a tolerable and intolerable living. More than any other job I can think of, it consumes a person's mind and is on par with the time commitment (speaking of time and energy spent on the craft, not exclusively time at work) of just about any other intense occupation.

 

[MsAnthropy_Indefatigably]

I am so glad I came upon this post....not because I can help, but because I can relate....

I'm a 33 year old nurse, have been one for a little over 10 years and while I enjoy the science involved in nursing and the intrigue of overall human existence, I began to sense I was being pulled in another direction. Once I began to really "see" my personality type play out (I've always just thought I was weird or that my brain was installed upside down, not that I think INTP's are ALL weird or off the beaten path, but I clearly had a lot of thoughts I couldn't get anyone to relate to). Anyhoo looking back at my days working in a factory making phones and 2 way devices (Motorola, actually), it hit me in hindsight that my real talents for engineering, building, breaking down, speedy understanding and fascination of mechanics, technology were very evident. I only chose to go with nursing because of the growth "potential" (and Motorola was paying for schooling). I also realized I couldn't stand people assuming I wanted to be an RN or that I HAD to go back to school to become one. I was content being an LPN....

Fast Forward to the present and I'm preparing to leave my current job as a nurse to work for a huge software company that mainly implements EHR (Electronic Health Records) for nursing facilities such as rehabs and nursing homes, etc., which will be required by state law by 2015, so the future of this type of company will definitely be in demand for a few years to come. It's not a nursing job, but required the background in nursing AND technology to obtain. I imagine I could very well move up in a company like that without HAVING to go back to school, but nonetheless, if I did, I think I'd be happy to do so as opposed to in my previous profession as a nurse.

Anyway, my point is, as @Architect stated, you're a baby. I feel like I'm literally just becoming an adult. This job prospect is the first I've EVER had to mail me a "Job Offer letter" and explain in writing my benefits, salary, etc. It's exhilarating! I don't even care that I'm 33 and just getting into the field I'm most interested in. If I put in 30 years doing it, that would be great! If I put in 10 and moved on to the next career, that's fine too! As long as I'm happy, I think.... I think I'm ready to do things that make me happy as opposed to make me "acceptable" to others....

 

[Cognisant]

You may want to focus on becoming a monkey wrangler rather than a code monkey yourself, there tends to be a gap between the really tech savy but business inept coders and the businessmen to whom technology may as well be magic. If you can fit yourself in that gap you'll be indispensable to everybody, particularly if you can translate techno-jargon to sales-speak and business-lingo and back.

I know some independent software developers and that's 90% of their problems right there, they can make anything in reasonable time, what they can't do is communicate with their clients effectively, so they end up having to change the software they make over and over as the client changes their mind or the marketing team fucks up with their advertising because they didn't understand the product's selling features.

Walk into a videogames store and read the packaging of most games, the selling points the marketing teams focus on are often inane bullshit that nobody who actually plays the game cares about, indeed there will often be features in game that serve no worthwhile purpose other than being arbitrary selling points.

It's insane.

 

[babyj18777]

Hey guys thanks a lot for the responses.

What is the best way to go about learning? Should I enroll in a computer science program at a university? Should I sign up for some free online courses through coursera, edx, etc? Is there some other way of learning that I have no idea about?

Responses are GREATLY appreciated.

 

[Turniphead]

I've just started learning programming(a few months) so I don't know If it's the best way, but I've found I only really learn by having something I need to accomplish.

Then I figure out what I need to know, and look for examples of how other people did it (tutorials, code, forums).
If it's not working I step back and do something simpler until I gradually understand the more complex things or sometimes ask for help.

Learning through lesson type stuff hasn't worked for me at all.

 

[babyj18777]

I've just started learning programming(a few months) so I don't know If it's the best way, but I've found I only really learn by having something I need to accomplish.

Then I figure out what I need to know, and look for examples of how other people did it (tutorials, code, forums).
If it's not working I step back and do something simpler until I gradually understand the more complex things or sometimes ask for help.

Learning through lesson type stuff hasn't worked for me at all.

Ok, that makes total sense to me. What is something you have needed, or still need to accomplish?

I really want to learn but I'm not sure how to go about it.

 

[joal0503]

Hey guys,

New to the forum. I did a search and there wasn't much on this topic.

I currently work for one of the largest software companies in the world in a sales capacity... It's not for me.

I'm looking to pick up a new skill, and it seems like software engineering is a good long term bet.

I'm just worried that I'm starting late; it seems like all of the really good computer programs/software engineers starting programming when they were 12 years old... It also seems like by the time they are 40 they are replaced by cheaper labour.

Can anyone comment?

think of it like this...wouldnt it be appropriate for you to approach a life long adventure when your wisdom and experience in life is higher than most others attempting to learn the same craft?

sure they might have a head start on the material, but you bring another perspective to the table with your age (assuming you havent wasted a significant amount of time).

besides with technology, you dont necessarily want to get caught up at an early age. If you started programming at age 12, it means youd have to learn all of the new software and technique thats currently out there, as the methods and platforms you learned at first would probably be obsolete by then. The key with tech is to stick with the current trends, which EVERYONE else has to do as well, regardless of their age.

short version: no problems if you pursue your career with everything you got. nothing can stop you.

 

[Felan]

Hey guys thanks a lot for the responses.

What is the best way to go about learning? Should I enroll in a computer science program at a university? Should I sign up for some free online courses through coursera, edx, etc? Is there some other way of learning that I have no idea about?

Responses are GREATLY appreciated.

You might like the book "Land of Lisp: Learn to Program in Lisp, One Game at a Time." Lisp is probably one of the most expressive languages and can do anything that any other language can do. You may not use Lisp in a job (not as in demand as other languages) but you should more easily understand whatever language you do need to use. Lisp takes some effort to understand though but the book is entertaining and the code you write kind of fun, more fun than calculating twin primes or something like that.

Just about any language has free compilers and free materials out there, not like when I first started at the age of 12 (ironic that picked that age). I use C# more than Java, professionally, can't go wrong with either and there are a ton of materials available on getting good with either. Check Amazon or whatever bookseller you like and read the reviews for books and you shouldn't too big of a lemon. I would avoid starting with C++ as language to learn in, mostly because it's pretty unforgiving in bad ways.

Enrolling in a university is good too. Coursera might be good, it's free so it definitely won't hurt. You can get source code to open source games, like a rogue like or something and play around with modifying the code to add minor changes to the game.

 

[walfin]

Go pick up a book (online texts count) and see if you like it (try out the stuff hands on). First step. If that bores you to death, don't bother.

I would avoid starting with C++ as language to learn in, mostly because it's pretty unforgiving in bad ways.

I actually think it's a really good language because it makes you fall down more and learn more. (My first language so I'm biased)

But from a practical perspective, unless you're doing systems programming or writing expensive games there's no real need to use C++ anymore. If you're writing utilities you don't want to kill yourself re-compiling and debugging on 3 major platforms. Java or even .NET with Mono saves a lot of time, but Java's more useful because of Android.

 

[Valentas]

Do as Architect is his thread said: find an interesting project and work on it. You will learn a lot along the way. This is what I did in Java when programming custom calculator. I even made my own custom icons

Now I went into the land of pointers in c++. A lot more interesting(and frustrating);

 

[Felan]

I actually think it's a really good language because it makes you fall down more and learn more. (My first language so I'm biased)

I disagree. The falling down you do is painful and unnecessarily arcane. This is particularly true if you use the power of C++ like templates.

But from a practical perspective, unless you're doing systems programming or writing expensive games there's no real need to use C++ anymore.

If you are maintaining an existing C++ code base, then stick with C++. If you are doing new code you are honestly better off with D. If you are just starting to learn, D is infinitely better to write in and as performant as C++.

If you're writing utilities you don't want to kill yourself re-compiling and debugging on 3 major platforms. Java or even .NET with Mono saves a lot of time, but Java's more useful because of Android.

You can write .NET apps on Android, Xamarin. Personally I find writing in C# much more enjoyable than Java. I'm speaking from a perspective of having written significant apps in both languages. But either language is very hirable.

 

[jpc]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csyL9EC0S0c