[p333347]

Stick to your specialty and scratch the programming itch as a hobby. If you get good at that hobby, see if you really want to be a professional dev and look for a job. If you get nothing you like start your own thing (your experience with startups might be handy here). I would wait at least a year to see if this is just an infatuation or deeper love. And while you are learning, pay special focus to algo and design, a bit more than knowing nifty things with popular frameworks in the language of your choice.

[soneca]

Thanks for the consideration on your words!! Actually, I considered this idea about 4 years ago and dismissed as "too late to such a career change, although I'm sure if I was 20 again I would be a developer". I spent a few months learning C#, .NET and managed to build a very small, chaotic, badly coded, badly designed, but functional web app! And these months are still today among the happiest of my life at work.

Now I successively quit two jobs in a 3 months period. I was starting to once again decide if I wanted to found something or look for a job, then I realized I actually wanted to be a developer. So it is a mature decision.

Also, I am between jobs, so not much of an impact to go full-time on this path right now.

And thanks for the learning tips.

[p333347]

OK. Going by what you said, the best way is to actually build something that works, and if possible non trivial (you can even try to clone an existing popular app as you can focus on actually implementing it than brainstorming ideas), and showing it at places like HN, CodeProject etc with your profile clearly mentioning you are looking for a job (and a career change). Action beats words. If the app you have already built is in good enough working condition, you could use that itself. Being in between jobs is even better for this adventure as you can dedicate full time to this with no distraction. Good luck.

I am in a similar boat as you, except I am trying to move from C++ desktop to web domain, and this is what I am doing - building apps (actually porting my private desktop apps to web platform). Once I am happy with the quality, I will leverage on them. Of course, I am looking for a position comparable to my current one (lead dev or more) so I am being a bit more thorough etc.

> I was starting to once again decide if I wanted to found something or look for a job, then I realized I actually wanted to be a developer. So it is a mature decision.

You mean you want to work as an employee for someone as a developer and not be a developer entrepreneur? Just want to know.

[soneca]

I struggle a but with this decision. But honestly, I don't thin I can afford the risk of entrepreneurship more. And after these months without income, it will be important to have a paycheck in the short term.

[sharemywin]

Find a non-profit and talk with them about building an app for them. If they don't want to pay for it fine. Just build and make sure you can put it on your resume.