László, beyond the age of thirty-six, decided to transition from a completely different field to programming, and for him, there is no doubt that he made the right decision.
László, beyond the age of thirty-six, decided to switch to programming from a completely different field. Several years after completing programming courses, there is no question in his mind whether he made the right decision.
The 36-year-old László’s journey from a broken leg led him through various occupations, and uniquely, it reached a successful conclusion at the end of an El Camino. In 2017, he decided to retrain himself during the recovery period and utilized the suddenly available free time. In 2018, he completed several courses at FroggyCode School, and since then, he has gained experience in the field. His story perfectly illustrates that it’s never too late to learn a new profession, that a humanistic orientation is not a barrier to a programming career, that it’s worthwhile to start with zero background, and that continuous education is the foundation for individual success in the technology industry.
- I originally have a completely different, humanistic orientation; I was interested in history and pursued studies in that field. I hold two higher education degrees, one as a Security and Defense Policy Specialist and the other as a certified political scientist – the former is a BA, and the latter is an MA. Likewise, I used to work in public administration. However, it wasn’t easy to thrive in this field; there wasn’t much perspective for the future. The work was quite monotonous, which was not financially or professionally satisfying for me.
- Did you decide to switch due to the conditions related to your previous professional field?
- Perhaps I wouldn’t even consider switching if I hadn’t broken my leg in 2017. I definitely wanted to do something with the free time that suddenly came my way. At that time, I had already heard about various adult education programs in IT, but I was looking for an educational institution where I could take courses even after work. That’s how I came across FroggyCode School, which was attractive to me because it meant two weekly commitments after working hours.
- What programming courses did you enroll in?
- The keywords of web editing and web design caught my attention, but I practically had zero background knowledge. Therefore, I wanted to start with the most basic course. After the competency assessment, I began with an HTML/CSS training, then immediately completed two more courses, one in JavaScript and the other in PHP. Both provided excellent foundations, but it’s essential to note that this is an industry that evolves rapidly, and one must constantly educate oneself.
- How?
- I’m already learning in a self-taught manner, fortunately. I’m the type of person who, once having a certain foundation, likes to look into things on their own. And in this field, you have to constantly keep up with trends.
- And when did you feel that you were ready for the career change from a work perspective?
- I completed the third course in the fall of 2018, and I’ve been involved in web development since April 2019. I left my job in public administration and worked as a web developer for a few months. However, in that same year, I took a short break. I completed the El Camino, the pilgrimage route of St. James in Spain. After a brief job search, I found the company where I still work today.
- Did it take a long time to find employment?
- I searched around, but most places were looking for more experienced programmers, and after a few months, I was recommended to this company where they were looking for an entry-level programmer with no experience. They were willing to invest time for me to learn everything and get used to the tasks. Today, I work with a larger team of five people. The market is becoming more open, and there are more employers with a mindset similar to mine.
- What do you do?
- The company provides office management software to clients, and I work on smart office solutions and software for managing office spaces and corporate assets. This demand has become quite significant during the COVID period. The application is quite complex, a kind of management software.
- More than three years after the switch, do you regret the decision?
- Not at all, quite the opposite. It was very interesting to experience that everyone imagines programmers as “geeks”, while it’s an incredibly creative job. Many times, after work, I feel the joy of having created something, and this satisfaction is very important to me. Even when I’m frustrated because I can’t overcome a problem, which is also part of this profession, I often get up from my desk after work with the satisfaction of having accomplished something. I first experienced this feeling at FroggyCode School.
