I decided in 2015 after working as the Director of Digital Media and Operations for a Tech Consumer startup that I wanted to take a deep-dive into learning how to build different websites.

I had lots of experience developing content and working on the Admin panel/dashboards of WordPress sites. I realized that I liked building websites to reflect the brand and messages clients/businesses wanted to deliver. It felt like taking content and writing to a whole new level – the digital level.

After learning for more than a year (1/2 of one bootcamp and finished another bootcamp (Jan 2017)) and going on close to 40+ interviews and doing almost that many coding challenges, I have found out a few things:

• There are roadblocks as an older job hunter into the developer world
• Technical interviews are hard, hard, hard
• Use all approaches and keep revising
• You may have to take a step back and earn some money using non-developer skills while learning
• Learning continues – what to learn is the hard part

It is hard to already have had a couple of careers and then be a beginner again but what makes it harder and very humbling is that many companies/employers don’t want older beginners. I think learning and starting over is a great thing but how do you convince the world out there that you’re worth it.

I still enjoy learning the different areas of web/software development and feel I have a decent aptitude to build, troubleshoot and learn new things. What is challenging now is whether I really belong in this world.

I have many passions - one being web development but there are other areas that I truly love - can I dedicate enough of my heart and time to make this difficult career transition into being a full-time developer work?

Time will tell. I keep trying even when I am thoroughly and completed frustrated.