Your main problem would be getting your foot in the door. What happens after that is up to you, based on: * How well you do your job * Your ability to grow in t

Your main problem would be getting your foot in the door. What happens after that is up to you, based on: * How well you do your job * Your ability to grow in the profession * Your ability to work with others In other words, once you're in, you'll likely be judged based on factors everyone else is judged, which again means the problem is getting in. To aid with that, you'd have to be realistic. Based on your skill level right now, it would be difficult to justify hiring you. You'd be competing against college graduates who already know item #3 above, some quite deeply, although in a book-smart kind of way. So yes, I would recommend selecting a language and getting to know it enough to pass certification exams. Heck, get some certification, if only to prove that you're familiar with the general syntax. Don't get disillusioned though that certification is a plus - it's a poor substitute to proof that you spent four years formally studying Computer Science in a structured manner. If you want an edge, go and actually build something and market yourself based on that. Yes, a software portfolio, like you're familiar with from your architecture and design background. That will give you an edge over college grads with just a degree. But to reiterate my main point, your main problem is getting in the door. Once you're in, your age won't matter, only the stuff that everyone else is judged on will.