[thirdstation]

> Can a systems administrator really go back into programming? Of course. You could start by availing yourself of the many opportunities to program as part of your sysadmin job. That will give you plenty of practice and a portfolio of useful tool you've built.

You probably know some devs at your current employer so, talk to them and see if there are any opportunities coming up. Or, you could find a new job at a smaller company or startup where sysadmin skills would come in handy.

Most of all, have a clear reason why you want to become a developer. Mine was (and still is) that I'd rather build products than babysit them. I was a full-time sysadmin before and during grad school (CS). Now I do programming and sysadmin, plus other soft skills like proj mgmt.

A great benefit to being a sysadmin is that you can talk to other sysadmins and get stuff done.