Podcast: Learning to Code in your 30s with Patrick San Juan

Today I‘m excited to share my interview with Patrick San Juan, a software engineer who took the unconventional path of learning to code in his 30s. Patrick‘s story is one of determination, hard work, and ultimately, successful career change that I believe will resonate with many in the freeCodeCamp community.

From Economics Grad to Charity Worker

Patrick grew up in California, the son of immigrant parents from the Philippines. As the first in his family to attend college, there was a lot of pressure on Patrick to succeed academically and build a stable career. He studied economics at UC Santa Cruz, working various side jobs to help pay his way through school.

After graduating, Patrick took a job at a non-profit organization focused on mentoring underserved youth. The work was fulfilling, but after 5 years, Patrick started to feel restless. He was in his early 30s, married, and knew he wanted to start a family soon. But on his current salary working for a charity, he worried about being able to provide the kind of life he envisioned for his future children.

Patrick started to consider alternate career paths, weighing his skills and interests with earning potential and job market demand. Again and again, he kept coming back to technology, and specifically, software development. Patrick had always been interested in computers and even took a few programming courses in college. Could this be the career change he was searching for?

The Growing Trend of Learning to Code Later in Life

Patrick is far from alone in his journey of learning to code in his 30s and beyond. In fact, data from HackerRank‘s 2018 Developer Skills Report shows that of the 39,441 professional developers surveyed, 31.9% wrote their first line of code between the ages of 26-30, and another 10.3% didn‘t start coding until they were over 30.

The reasons for this trend are multifaceted. For some, like Patrick, it‘s driven by a desire to transition into a more lucrative and in-demand career. Others may have had limited access or exposure to computer science education earlier in life. And many simply discover a passion for programming later on and decide to pursue it professionally.

Regardless of the catalyst, one thing is clear – it‘s never too late to learn to code and break into the tech industry. A growing number of resources and support systems have emerged in recent years to help enable this transition for older learners.

The Decision and Journey to Learn Programming

Of course, deciding to learn to code and actually doing it are two very different things, especially in your 30s when you likely have a full-time job and adult responsibilities. Patrick started by taking some online coding courses on sites like freeCodeCamp and Codecademy in his spare time.

He quickly realized that if he was serious about making this career transition, he would need to fully commit to learning and practicing coding for several hours each day. Patrick made the difficult decision to quit his job and focus on learning programming full-time.

For the next 6 months, Patrick devoted himself to learning front-end web development languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. He worked through freeCodeCamp‘s Responsive Web Design and JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures certifications. He built a portfolio of projects, including a Pomodoro Clock, a JavaScript Calculator, and a Random Quote Machine.

Patrick also started contributing to open source, building his GitHub profile with commits to projects like freeCodeCamp‘s learning platform and guide articles. He attended local coding meetups and hackathons to collaborate with other developers and gain practical experience.

But the learning process was far from easy. Patrick estimates he spent over 1000 hours coding in that first 6 months alone. There were many moments of frustration when he felt stuck on a problem or concept. He had to push through the self-doubt that made him wonder if he was cut out to be a programmer.

In those challenging times, Patrick leaned on the support of his wife, family and coding communities to keep moving forward. He credits the encouragement and mentorship he found through the freeCodeCamp community in particular as a key factor that helped him stay focused on his end goal.

The Unique Challenges and Strengths of Older Newcomers

After months of intense learning and practice, Patrick felt ready to start applying for software engineering roles. But he quickly discovered that even with a solid foundation of coding skills, getting that first developer job with no professional experience was incredibly challenging.

Patrick‘s experience echoes what many career-changers report when trying to break into the tech industry later in life. A 2019 analysis by Hiring Insights found that while the average time to hire for tech roles was around 66 days, it spiked to over 81 days for entry-level positions, which tend to draw a larger proportion of older, non-traditional candidates.

Many companies still prioritize computer science degrees and past coding experience over demonstrated skills, putting self-taught developers at a disadvantage. There‘s also the pervasive (though changing) stereotype that older workers are less adaptable and tech-savvy than their younger counterparts.

However, while the barriers to entry may be higher, experienced developers and hiring managers point out that older career changers also bring unique strengths and perspectives to the table. Soft skills like communication, collaboration, leadership and project management are often more developed. A past career in another field can lend valuable domain knowledge.

Patrick found ways to highlight this unique combination of technical skills and professional experience in his resume and interviews. For example, his time working at a non-profit taught him how to problem-solve with limited resources and adapt to changing priorities, two very applicable skills in the fast-paced world of software development.

Advice for Learning to Code Later in Life

Now several years into his journey as a professional developer, I asked Patrick to reflect back and share his advice for others considering a similar path of learning to code later in life. Here are some of his key takeaways:

1. Embrace being a beginner. Learning complex new skills like programming can be frustrating, especially when you‘re older and used to being competent in your work. Don‘t be afraid to ask questions, make mistakes, and approach things with a beginner‘s mind.

2. Set realistic expectations and celebrate small wins. Learning to code to a professional level takes a lot of time and hard work. Celebrate each small milestone along the way and focus on consistent progress over immediate perfection.

3. Build a strong support system. Surround yourself with people who believe in you and your goals, whether that‘s family, friends, mentors or coding communities. Connecting with others who are on a similar learning journey reminds you that you‘re not alone in your struggles.

4. Emphasize your unique blend of skills and experience. While you may be new to coding, you likely have years of professional experience to draw upon. Look for ways to highlight your unique combination of technical and soft skills. Your maturity and diverse background can be a major asset.

5. Adopt a growth mindset. Pushing through the challenges and setbacks inherent to learning to code requires grit and resilience. Focus on the progress you‘ve made rather than how far you still have to go. Use failures and mistakes as opportunities to learn and improve.

"I had to constantly remind myself that every expert was once a beginner. When I felt overwhelmed or discouraged, I‘d think back to how far I had already come and let that fuel my motivation to keep pushing forward. Learning to embrace challenges as opportunities for growth was a huge shift in mindset." – Patrick San Juan

Continued Growth and Success as a Developer

Now three years into his career as a software engineer, Patrick has continued to expand his skill set and take on new challenges. He‘s worked across industries at both large companies and fast-paced startups. Within a year of landing his first developer job, he was promoted to a senior role and began mentoring junior team members.

Most recently, Patrick‘s focus has been on full-stack development and mastering technologies like React, Node.js, and MongoDB. He spearheaded the launch of a new product feature that drove a 20% increase in user engagement for his company last quarter. He also gives back to the coding community as a volunteer mentor, sharing his knowledge and experience with the next wave of aspiring developers.

Looking back, Patrick says that learning to code in his 30s was one of the best decisions he‘s ever made. While incredibly difficult at times, his hard work and dedication ultimately paid off in a fulfilling, lucrative and flexible career that provides well for his family.

"Learning to code completely transformed my life and career trajectory. It empowered me with the skills to build solutions to real-world problems and to provide a better future for my family. I wake up excited to tackle new challenges and continue growing as a developer. For anyone on the fence about taking the leap, I say go for it! It‘s never too late." – Patrick San Juan

Resources to Start Your Own Coding Journey

Feeling inspired by Patrick‘s story? With the wealth of free and low-cost learning resources available today, you can start your own journey to become a software developer at any age. Here are a few recommendations to explore:

• freeCodeCamp – Free online courses, certifications, and an extensive library of articles and tutorials covering a wide range of programming topics. Join their supportive community of millions of coders around the world.

• The Odin Project – A free full-stack curriculum that helps you learn web development with Ruby on Rails and JavaScript.

• Codecademy – Free and paid interactive coding courses across a variety of languages like Python, Java, SQL, and more.

• Getting Started with CSS (by Olutayomi Ojo) – A project-based introduction to coding and styling websites with HTML and CSS.

• Automate the Boring Stuff with Python – A free book that teaches practical programming for complete beginners, focused on automating tedious tasks.

• Learn to Code with Me Podcast – Interviews with a diverse range of people who transitioned into tech from other career paths. Focuses on practical advice and insights.

• CodeNewbie Community – A supportive community of people learning to code, with a popular #CodeNewbie Twitter chat, podcast, and resources.

Remember, everyone‘s learning journey is different. Start small, set realistic goals, and focus on consistent practice and progress. Don‘t be afraid to reach out for help when you need it – you‘ll be surprised at how many people are excited to support you along the way.

Learning to code later in life takes courage, commitment and hard work – but as Patrick‘s story illustrates, the personal and professional rewards can be life-changing. With persistence and the right resources, you can launch an exciting new career in tech, no matter your age or background.