Age in the age of information technology careers
In my 50’s I’ve started the journey back (in my case) into the information technology industry. I’m taking an immersive 15-week bootcamp program on-line for full-stack, systems engineering. Which is a rather long-winded way of saying computer programming, or coding. I’m not anywhere ready to thinking about retirement, but still, why choose systems engineering, isn’t that just for young people?
I’d not thought about my age very much when deciding to go back into the systems development industry until perhaps a couple of weeks into the bootcamp. I overheard a couple of my fellow cohort members talking about still being on their parent’s healthcare. Ouch!
Despite the sobering implications of witnessing this conversation between 2 young men on the same demanding technical course as myself, I’ve seen no evidence that I should think of my age as factor in pursuing a career in technology.
Why would you choose technology as a mid/final career phase?
Well in my case it was also my first career, so in some respects I was gravitating to what I (thought I) knew. However the industry has changed quite a bit since I was a programmer in Cobol and 4GLS’s and even since I was a CIO/CTO in the first wave of dot-coms. But it is important to note that throughout my entire working career my information technology knowledge has been my greatest asset, even ahead of industry domain knowledge and other professional skills such as project and people management.
Some things have not changed; there are still databases and programming languages. It’s also still clear that an aptitude for problem solving and structured critical (some might say pedantic) thinking are core skill requirements for computer programming. These are skills that are age agnostic.
Surely in later life it would make more sense to do something entrepreneurial, socially impacting, part-time and/or location flexible? Yes, to all the above. But I’m hard-pressed to think of achieving any of these things without some degree of information technology skills today. Everything worth doing in today’s globally connected world touches on data and algorithms. Information technology, it seems to me, is the printing press of today.
I like to think of myself as a lifelong learner and the type of person that is willing to challenge myself. Programming has proven to meet the challenge of those self perceptions.
Isn’t computer programming hard?
I’d say that programming isn’t brain surgery, but it’s not easy or necessarily for everyone either. However it appears that if you’ve genuinely been accustomed to structured problem solving in your professional career to now, then I think there is every reason for you to consider a career in computer programming, even later in your career.
The immersive bootcamp is just one way to approach this career change. I chose this route for 3 reasons: #1 I thought I could handle it given my tech background; #2 I had specific things I wanted to start working on; and #3 I knew enough to know that there’s a world of difference between coding for fun and commercial coding. But the immersive bootcamp I’m taking is demanding, as I assume they all are, and to be honest, I struggled to adjust more than I realized at first. However there are other less intense and stressful routes. I can’t claim to know them all if any, but there are resource links I found below that might help you consider your options.
The one thing that is clear to me is that it’s a journey, and within that it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Another thing that has not changed about programming is that it can be extremely frustrating. Just the slightest typing fat-finger and you’ll be pulling out (what’s left of) your hair debugging syntax errors. I’ve found that the best approach is to attack your assumptions and ask yourself “why should it work?” vs “why doesn’t it work?” Taking a course with a good school will give you access to teachers and an entire network of likeminded individuals only too willing to help you save those remaining follicles.
In the end the guiding principal is practice, practice, practice. I’m continually astonished by what I can learn in the space of a few days when I go back to a lab (learning module test) I couldn’t even begin to start a few days earlier and can now whizz through it. It clearly takes sustained hard work, perseverance and a modicum of self belief. Easier said than done of course when you’re in the think of syntax error hell, but you come through, stronger for it.
Yeah, but that young person thing!
My thought is that we shouldn’t judge young people by your own age biases. The young people on my cohort are simply great. They are quick, smart, motivated and a pleasure to work with. Despite their youthful energy we are all constantly tired from the rigors of the bootcamp, so I fit right in.
These young people are also filled with the same degree of insecurity as myself. Many have written extensively and eloquently in their own blogs about their palpable imposter syndrome, so I don’t feel to labor the point myself here.
In short, during the bootcamp at least, everyone is far too busy drinking through the fire hose to worry about how old you are. It is a cooperative meritocracy in the truest sense.
A study of older people going into coding (link below) found many interesting points about the motivations and frustrations of older people entering the computing field. It is, and will likely be for some time, youth-centered. However the study states that by 2030 over 60’s will be over 25% of the population in North America and Europe, so the case for older workers in all industries is compelling.
But after all this who is going to give you a coding job anyway?
In all candor, I have no idea. I suspect that this is largely up to ourselves, unlike most other industries.
In the computing technology industry you can showcase your talents in a manner rather unique to the industry. You can create a repository of projects on platforms like GitHub and blog about them. You can work on other peoples’ projects while/after you study the coding content, perhaps in areas of social betterment for which you have a passion. And, perhaps most importantly, you can continually enhance your network of working programmers who become your access to job prospects.
Programmers are in demand and have pretty much been for the last 30 years. Good programmers are even more in demand. There’s also the many career paths that an initial programming career can lead to such as project management, systems design and business-to-technology conduits. Your domain knowledge along with your newly acquired coding skills may be just the ticket for many prospective employers.
Everyone is in fear of a new career. We’re not alone and so don’t have to fear.
