You're merely in the wrong company. It can be hard to find the "first" job but once you've demonstrated experience, most places find a math degree equivalent to

You're merely in the wrong company. It can be hard to find the "first" job but once you've demonstrated experience, most places find a math degree equivalent to a CS degree. Open source is one way -- find a project in the area you want to move in, and start becoming active on the mailing list and contributing patches. That said, have you considered a Master's degree instead? I know quite a few people who did those in their spare time but I know of no one who has completed a Ph.D without being involved full time. The Ph.D is more important if you are interested in doing research in computer science, not if you want to be a programmer.