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by tjmc 662 days ago
I was in your position with web development and went back to uni to get a mechanical engineering degree. Started at 38 and graduated at 42. I’ve been working at it for 10 years now and specialise in designing data centres funnily enough. There’s much less ageism in “physical” engineering work which is positive but I also took a very large hit in seniority and compensation to switch. In hindsight, moving sideways into non-web development may have been a good option too but in the end it all comes down to what you find fulfilling. I’m more proud that I’ve helped build things that last like children’s hospitals and geothermal heating for local swimming pools. Sounds like taking a break first may be a good idea. Good luck!
1 comments
solardev 661 days ago
This was my plan too, until I realized I'd start at 40 and finish at like 45 or 46. Would any company/engineering firm hire a mid-life intern with no engineering experience?
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tjmc 661 days ago
Absolutely. There was a student in his 50’s in my graduating year who was an aviation mechanic previously. There’s also a lot of opportunities at engineering firms for developers. Start that way and see if you like it maybe.
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solardev 661 days ago
That's good to know, thank you! It's a dream I hope to pursue someday soon...

I didn't know engineering firms hired developers (what for? CAD stuff, or...?) That's a great idea, though.

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tjmc 660 days ago
It's a great way to get started if you're already a developer. Here's some of the stuff my company is doing in the digital space: https://www.aurecongroup.com/expertise/digital-engineering-a...

They like to showcase the visualisation and AI stuff but there's also a lot of development doing stuff like parametric modelling plus everyday CRUD apps for internal systems etc.

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gcheong 661 days ago
Not just that but, if you need to finance that degree, you need to also consider how long you're going to be paying it off.
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tjmc 661 days ago
Fair point. I did my mech eng degree in Australia where university is heavily subsidised for citizens. Total cost for the 4 year degree here was $32,000 (roughly $21,560USD at today’s exchange rate)
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