Seconded, and can confirm. I came to my current software company at 17 and I've been treated fairly to my skill level since (18 today). There are people out the

Seconded, and can confirm. I came to my current software company at 17 and I've been treated fairly to my skill level since (18 today). There are people out there who will see beyond the age, if you look for them. I also fully agree with investing in open source portfolios, and being able to explain how / why you made the choices you did in projects. If you want to go freelance, I'd also suggest talking to local smaller businesses, since that's where found it easiest to find willing clients. But there, again, having a show-able portfolio of work that's similar to what you'd want to be doing goes a long way.