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I'm 35. I've yet to learn a programming language. I've always been intimidated by starting and choosing a language. I've started to loosen up regarding that an

• koverda 7y ago
  You can always find an excuse.
  • bobloblaw45 7y ago
    I feel if they're learning strictly to find work and it's not something they do for fun then it's a legitimate concern due to time it takes to learn to get to an employable level. As you get older you need to be more smart with how you spend your time.
• tracker1 7y ago
  Depends on the market... Pacific coast is definitely skewed young. Phoenix, Houston, Austin and Atlanta will be a little older. Phoenix in particular leans a bit older, I'm 44 and average in the group I'm currently working with is within 5 years of my age. A lot of the work is more boring business oriented work, and not a lot of startups. But it's steady, there's plenty of it and it pays relatively well compared to cost of living. Start with Dive Into Python... then decide on something you want to make for yourself and work from there. Python is one of the better options to start from. JS is my personal favorite, second is now Rust, but they're harder to jump into as a beginner.
  • pmiller2 7y ago
    Any stats showing that those places skew older, or is that just your perception?
    • tracker1 7y ago
      Just my own experience... Of course, I did read something a while ago that stated since software development began, roughly half of all software developers had less than 5 years of experience. The reflects growth and attrition in addition to youth. So definitely young people out there. From my experience, at least half of the devs I've worked with have been within 5 years of my age (currently 44) and where I am now, and my last two positions that's been the case as well.
  • t34543 7y ago
    Phoenix salaries are abysmal. I looked for work about 5 years ago and senior positions had an advertised range of up to 60k. I left the area, maybe it’s different now.
    • tracker1 7y ago
      From my experience, most Sr Developers are 100-120k, unless it's PHP. For niche skills it can be closer to 140k. Even 5 years ago. Not sure where you were looking or your specific skillset.
      • tracker1 7y ago
        According to glassdoor, the average for "Senior Software Developer" is 93k in Phoenix. So, I'm a little off. Of course, I've also seen "senior" roles requiring all of "2 years experience" with the core technology (that's 18 years old). So YMMV. Also worth noting that the cost of living here largely offsets this. https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/phoenix-senior-software-developer-salary-SRCH_IL.0,7_IM678_KO8,33.htm https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/phoenix-senior-software-d...
      • t34543 7y ago
        I must live in a bubble. I’m staff and cash comp is ~210k, no stock as it’s privately owned company.
        • strikelaserclaw 7y ago
          the above poster posted non sf salaries. I'm in the dallas area and 110-150 is pretty much the norm for senior developers, it is much harder to get any higher down here.
          • t34543 7y ago
            I’m not in SF. I work remote from the south.
            • 7y ago
• mleonhard 7y ago
  Start with Python and a highly-rated book on Amazon. You will learn the same concepts with any language. You will have more fun an learn faster with an easy language like Python.
• blub 7y ago
  One option might be to transition as fast as possible into scrum master/product owner and then project manager.