[wilwade]

While I have not yet changed careers, I have thought about it a lot. If or when I do, here is how I will likely go about it.

First save money and change lifestyle to handle the pay change. Coding pays more than many careers, and you might want or need to move to an industry that you have little experience.

Next, be open to moving. There are other places outside of the big cities that can often be open to people from different backgrounds as they don't have all the big city fun.

What do you like or have experience in. Making a slight shift is a lot easier than a large one. Perhaps you coded something for a newspaper, that will make it easier to get a job doing something else for a newspaper. This might mean doing a double jump. Get a job coding for the industry you want to be in, then move toward your desired career in that industry.

Best of luck!