How I Switched Careers and Became a Developer in Under a Year

Ten months ago, I was a 37-year-old project manager with no coding experience. Today, I‘m a full-stack software developer. This is the story of how I made a complete career change, taught myself to code, and landed my first dev job in under a year—without taking time off work or spending much money.

I want to share my journey to show that you don‘t need to be a math whiz or programming prodigy to become a developer. You don‘t need a CS degree, a trust fund to pay for bootcamp, or 60 hours a week of free time. What you do need is patience, persistence, and a plan. Here‘s how I did it.

Background and Motivation

Ever since I was young, I loved playing around with computers. But it never occurred to me that I could make a career out of it. I thought coding was only for geniuses who aced AP Calculus and started hacking in middle school. So I got a business degree and spent my 20s bouncing between marketing, sales and project management jobs.

But at age 37, after 10 years of climbing the corporate ladder, I was feeling burnt out and craving a new challenge. I kept reading about these coding bootcamps that promised six-figure salaries after just 12 weeks of training. It sounded too good to be true. How could someone with no tech background become a programmer so quickly?

Intrigued, I started dabbling with Codecademy and freeCodeCamp tutorials in my spare time. I found that I really enjoyed the problem solving aspect of programming. Creating elegant solutions and watching my code come to life on screen gave me a rush. Maybe those bootcamp success stories weren‘t so far-fetched after all.

The Demand for Developers

Before fully committing to this new path, I did some market research to confirm that development was a viable long-term career choice. The data was extremely encouraging:

• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, web developer jobs are projected to grow 15% from 2016 to 2026, much faster than the average for all occupations. [^1]

• Glassdoor named "Software Engineer" the #1 Best Job in America for 2020 based on earning potential, job satisfaction, and number of job openings. [^2]

• The median annual wage for web developers was $73,760 in May 2019, compared to $39,810 median wage for all workers. [^1] Even entry-level developers can expect to make around $60,000. [^3]

• As of December 2019, there were over 900,000 unfilled IT jobs in the US, and over 60% of CIOs say that hiring challenges are hurting the industry. [^4]

It was clear that not only was there strong demand for software engineering talent now, but that demand would likely continue accelerating in the future. And while programming is a notoriously well-paid field, I was happy to discover an abundance of entry-level positions that didn‘t require a computer science degree or 5-10 years experience. All signs were pointing to yes—it was time to make the jump.

Setting Objectives and Making a Plan

I knew if I was really going to pursue this, I needed clear goals and a realistic plan of attack. I couldn‘t afford to quit my job or pay $20K for a bootcamp. I would have to learn on my own, at night and on weekends, using free resources.

I gave myself a deadline of one year to land an entry-level developer job. Based on my research, it seemed the quickest path was to focus on front-end web development skills like HTML, CSS, JavaScript and React that were in high demand.

To hold myself accountable, I committed to the #100DaysOfCode challenge, pledging to code for at least an hour every day for 100 days. I also started a blog to document my learning journey. Making my goals public motivated me to follow through even when I felt like giving up.

My Learning Journey

I treated my coding education like a part-time job, dedicating 20-25 hours per week on top of my 9-5. I created a strict schedule:

• 6-8am: coding before work
• 6-9pm: coding after work
• 5-8 hours each on Sat & Sun

Phase 1: The Basics (Month 1-2)

I started with the basics of web development: HTML, CSS, and a bit of jQuery. I completed the Responsive Web Design certification on freeCodeCamp, built my first static websites, and got comfortable with GitHub. Seeing my projects deployed live on the web was a huge motivation boost.

Key resources used:

• freeCodeCamp‘s Responsive Web Design Certification ^5
• Codecademy‘s Web Development Path ^6
• Shay Howe‘s Learn to Code HTML & CSS ^7
• Jon Duckett‘s HTML and CSS: Design and Build Websites ^8

Phase 2: JavaScript Fundamentals (Month 3-4)

JavaScript was when things got real. I struggled with concepts like hoisting, scope, closures, and callbacks. But I was determined to develop a solid understanding of the language fundamentals.

Key concepts learned:

• Variables, data types, functions, conditionals, loops
• Arrays, objects, JSON
• Prototypes and object-oriented programming
• DOM manipulation and event listeners
• ES6+ features like arrow functions, promises, async/await

Key resources used:

• freeCodeCamp‘s JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures Certification ^9
• Eloquent JavaScript by Marijn Haverbeke ^10
• You Don‘t Know JS (book series) by Kyle Simpson ^11
• Gordon Zhu‘s Practical JavaScript course ^12

Project Milestone: I built a Weather App using the OpenWeatherMap API and vanilla JavaScript.

Phase 3: Front-End Frameworks (Month 5-7)

With a strong foundation in JavaScript, I was ready to tackle front-end frameworks. I started with React, drawn to its component-based architecture and virtual DOM performance. After building a few projects with React, I moved on to Vue.js to add another in-demand skill to my toolbelt.

Key concepts learned:

• Component-based architecture
• JSX syntax and React elements
• State management with hooks and Redux
• Component lifecycle methods
• Client-side routing with React Router

Key resources used:

• The React Handbook by Flavio Copes ^13
• Full Stack Open 2020 – React curriculum by University of Helsinki ^14
• Vue Mastery‘s Intro to Vue.js course ^15

Project Milestones: I rebuilt my Weather App in React. I created a portfolio site with React to showcase my projects.

Phase 4: Back-End & Databases (Month 8-9)

While I had planned to focus solely on front-end, I kept hearing that full-stack skills were in even higher demand. So I decided to round out my education with a crash course on back-end. I learned Node.js, Express, and MongoDB to get familiar with server-side programming and databases.

Key concepts learned:

• HTTP methods and REST architecture
• Creating a server with Node.js and Express
• MVC paradigm and software architecture patterns
• Querying a database with MongoDB and Mongoose
• Authentication and security basics

Key resources used:

• freeCodeCamp‘s APIs and Microservices Certification ^16
• Zell Liew‘s Learn Node course ^17
• Mosh Hamedani‘s The Complete Node.js Course ^18

Project Milestone: I built a full-stack CRUD application (social media app) using the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express, React, Node).

Phase 5: CS Fundamentals (Month 10)

As I began applying for jobs, I realized I had neglected a key area—computer science fundamentals. I spent my last month before starting work focusing on data structures, algorithms and Big O.

While you can get by without this knowledge as a junior, I knew it would be invaluable for advancing my career long-term. Plus it helped me feel more well-rounded and confident in my skills.

Key concepts learned:

• Arrays, stacks, queues, linked lists
• Trees, graphs, hash tables
• Sorting algorithms and Big O notation
• Problem solving strategies and pseudocode

Key resources used:

• Colt Steele‘s JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures Masterclass ^19
• Cracking the Coding Interview by Gayle Laakmann McDowell ^20

Challenges Faced

My journey to becoming a developer in under a year was by no means easy or linear. I faced many obstacles along the way:

1. Finding time to code: Balancing a full-time job, family obligations, and at least 4 hours of daily coding was mentally and physically exhausting. Some days I wanted to give up because it all felt impossible. I had to sacrifice a lot of sleep and free time.

2. Tutorial hell: It‘s easy to fall into tutorial hell as a new programmer, jumping from one course to the next without truly internalizing the concepts. I had to learn to be selective about my resources, prioritize projects over passive learning, and embrace the uncomfortable feeling of struggling through problems on my own.

3. Imposter syndrome: Despite making steady progress, I often doubted my abilities and felt like a fraud. I had to constantly remind myself that every expert was once a beginner and that struggling with new concepts was part of the learning process.

Lessons Learned

Through all the ups and downs, I emerged with valuable lessons that helped me succeed in my first year on the job:

1. Consistency beats intensity. Coding for 1-2 hours every single day was more effective than occasional 8-hour binges. Small steps taken consistently really do add up.

2. Build, build, build! No amount of tutorials can replace the the experience of building real projects. Start small, but start creating and deploying code as early as possible.

3. Embrace the struggle. The path to proficiency is paved with frustration. Embrace the feeling of being stuck and pushing through. That‘s where the real learning happens.

4. Learn how to learn. Knowing how to break down complex topics, google for solutions, and get unstuck is more valuable than any one specific language or framework. These meta learning skills will serve you for your entire career.

Was it worth it?

In short—absolutely yes. Becoming a developer has been the most challenging and rewarding experience of my life. I wake up excited to solve problems with code and learn something new every day. I have a creative outlet that lets me build projects I‘m passionate about. And I have a valuable skill set that gives me career flexibility and great earning potential.

Best of all—I‘m happier. I no longer dread going to work or feel trapped in an unfulfilling job. I‘m mentally stimulated, constantly growing, and surrounded by brilliant colleagues who inspire me to keep leveling up.

Making a career change at 37 was terrifying. But I‘m living proof that you‘re never "too old" to learn to code. And you don‘t need to be a genius or have a CS degree. All you need is patience, dedication, a growth mindset, and a stubborn refusal to quit.

If my story resonates with you—I hope you take the leap. Start small, but start today. Your future self will thank you. Code on!

Recommended Resources

Here are some of the top resources I recommend for self-taught developers, based on my personal experience:

1. freeCodeCamp‘s curriculum (free) – A great place to start with web development fundamentals ^5

2. The Odin Project (free) – A full stack curriculum with a project-based learning approach ^21

3. Eloquent JavaScript by Marijn Haverbeke (free online) – My favorite book for understanding JS fundamentals ^10

4. Full Stack Open (free) – University of Helsinki‘s excellent deep dive on full stack development with React, Redux, Node.js, MongoDB and GraphQL ^14

5. Colt Steele‘s The Web Developer Bootcamp (paid) – A comprehensive Udemy course covering the MERN stack ^22

6. The Complete Software Developer‘s Career Guide by John Sonmez (book) – Invaluable advice for breaking into and thriving in the tech industry ^23

7. The freeCodeCamp News Medium publication (free) – Inspiring stories and technical tutorials from experienced developers ^24

8. Codewars (free) – Code challenges for all levels to build problem solving skills ^25

Remember, the "best" resource is the one that explains concepts in a way that clicks for you and keeps you motivated to put the work in. Don‘t be afraid to explore different instructors, mediums, and learning styles until you find your groove!

[^1]: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Web Developers and Digital Designers, (visited May 28, 2020).
[^2]: 50 Best Jobs in America for 2020 (2020, January 15). Glassdoor blog. https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/best-jobs-in-america-2020/
[^3]: Conner, C. How Much Do Web Developers Make in 2020? Skillcrush. https://skillcrush.com/blog/how-much-do-web-developers-make/
[^4]: Burrell, L. (2020, January 20). Tech Hiring Trends in 2020. Dice Insights. https://insights.dice.com/2020/01/20/tech-hiring-trends-2020/