I lead-taught General Assembly's web development bootcamp for a year and a half. My students included a retired Air Force colonel, an orthodox Jewish grandma, a

I lead-taught General Assembly's web development bootcamp for a year and a half. My students included a retired Air Force colonel, an orthodox Jewish grandma, and a guy who used to write FORTRAN in the 70s, in addition to lots of people in their 20s and 30s. We came to realize that one of the most important things our students needed to learn is that their previous careers were an asset that gave them a significant edge over their competition in the job marketplace. They weren't jumping ship and starting their careers over; they were expressing their skills in a different way. Coding is just a part of being a programmer. Unless you're working for yourself, by yourself, a bigger and more important part is being able to communicate with others about what you're coding. As an employer, given the choice between a competent developer who knows how to communicate an idea and work with others, and a "rockstar"/"ninja"/"master hacker" developer who doesn't, I'll take the former choice every time. Whether you're switching to technology from being a waiter, a salesperson, a graphic designer, or whatever, the experience you gained from your prior jobs is hugely valuable.