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Coming back to development after a decade away

Will👨🏾‍💻✨(he/they) on March 03, 2020

Back during the web 1.0 days I thought of myself as an artisté I changed majors my senior year of college to focus on Interactive multimedia, webs...
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ehmuitodrama profile image
By Andressa Santos

E assim vamos a luta! Fiz o curso de análise e desenvolvimento. Acabei entrando em empresa de suporte a sites e hospedagem como WordPress, Joomla e outros. Sinto falta de programação e queria trabalhar com isso. Não sei se faço a transição para ficar como desenvolvedor.

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Will👨🏾‍💻✨(he/they)

Eu acredito em nós dois!

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Ndy

Welcome back.. I tried changing programming languages of late but the fear of a drop in salary wouldn't let me. I can earn more and even climb higher in my current stack but I have love for another stack. The mortgage wouldn't let me make this step.

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Will👨🏾‍💻✨(he/they)

Save up some money, see if you can pick up side projects in what you WANT to do then do it! There is nothing wrong with being responsible but when you are ready to switch you'll already have your portfolio ready!

I believe in you

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John Angel • Edited

+1 Will, I've been in PM and Management roles for the last 11 years and now its time to enter the dev arena again. I'm in that process, building some Web apps to learn and working after hours with a Digital Agency as a Front End developer. A lot of hours invested after my current job but I'm enjoying it so much that I know it will not be much time until I go, full-time developer, again. Life is too short so let's enjoy it while we are here!

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Waylon Walker

Yes, I do have concerns regarding entering development at this stage of my life

Welcome back! No one is ever too old to become a developer. Welcome to DEV. Just by paying attention to DEV, sharing your story and the things you learn you will be successful!

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Vicki Langer

Fantastic read!

Depending on the source, I believe you're on the cusp of Gen X and Gen Y. What makes you choose to claim Gen X?

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Will👨🏾‍💻✨(he/they)

At best I'm an elder millennial; I just associate with Gen X more. There was a window when I was a young adult where I had opportunities current ~30 year olds would kill for. I just assumed it would be like that forever.

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Vicki Langer

True. I bug my spouse about this very thing. I think you're both the same-ish age.

Yeah, one would hope opportunities would always be available. I'm sure there will still be plenty.

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Will👨🏾‍💻✨(he/they)

The advantage to being a late bloomer and a lifelong screw up is perspective. I’ve been doing a lot of what I thought I should have been doing and failing because I didn’t want it. Now I have the presence of mind to go for what I want to do without feeling like I’m losing anything by compromising.

Scary, but less paralyzing than if I were still in my 20s.

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Judit Lehoczki (she/her)

I'm not religious but Amen to that! 😄
I'm in my thirties getting into software development for the first time. Absolutely loving it!
Good luck to you.

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Vicki Langer

Perspective is good. I think it's often hard to do what you want to when expectations (eg society, parents, mentors, role models, etc) are often very different.

Glad you're doing it now. Go get it!

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Ben Halpern

Great post, good luck!

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rhymes

Great post! Let's say "welcome back" ☺️

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Brian Garland

Hey, I’m in my late 50’s and getting back into it after twenty years. It can be done!

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Will Johnson

You got this!

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Andy Stitt

Awesome! Best of luck on your transition back!

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Monica Macomber

I can feel my brain wrinkling every day

Ha, well said. That's one of the things I love about coding too, I need that mental challenge in my life. Thanks for sharing your story!