What it’s like being a junior developer in your 30s

Author speaking at the We Are Developers conference in May 2017.

It’s my 32nd birthday today and I’m looking back on a year full of adventure, opportunities, new friends, and scary challenges.

When I was in my early 20s, I was sure that by the time I was 32 I would have it all figured out. I saw my future self as this put-together woman with a great life, a career, high heels, and a plan.

Well, put together might be a stretch since I’m currently wearing yesterday’s makeup and a far-too-big metal shirt I stole from my husband. I have a great life even though it turned out very differently than what I originally planned, and my career is just about to take off. I hardly ever wear heels because I prefer comfy shoes and I certainly don’t have a plan!

My way into tech is a long and convoluted one with a lot of tears and desperation. Originally, I was going to be a linguist. Everything had already been set in motion. I was going to be a scientist, traveling the world, translating ancient texts, and teaching at prestigious universities. Then my mother got cancer and none of that was important anymore. My life stood still for the 2.5 years her cancer took to kill her. I was shattered. University didn’t matter, my degree didn’t matter, and I had no plans anymore. I was lost.

It took a while, but eventually, I thought about getting back into web design. I had been doing it for most of my life but never thought I could actually turn it into a career. So I started getting into code and found my way into a two-year program where I got to know Manuel Matuzovic, who started out as my teacher then turned into a friend and mentor. He challenged me and saw my ambition to grow and make something of myself.

I have now been working as a full-time developer for almost a year. Here’s what it’s like to get into tech in your 30s and what I’ve learned on the journey so far.

Everyone is so young!

When I took my first job as a developer, I was the oldest person in the company and the most junior. It’s a very odd experience, especially since before I switched jobs I had held managing positions and had previously been in charge of over 60 people.

I constantly felt like I would never be able to catch up with my colleagues who were leagues ahead of me. This feeling still persists sometimes, but ever since I found my niche, it’s started to subside.

So here’s my tip: Get good at something you enjoy. The confidence comes with practice.

Imposter syndrome is real

You can’t really fake being good at programming. Sending your code off to code reviews is a nightmare for worriers like me. I constantly feel like a complete loser who will never get better. The key to overcoming this for me (haha as if I have) is communication.

I talk to my boss about my insecurities and ask for his feedback on the speed of my learning and the quality of my code. I ask questions when I don’t understand something and I keep learning from him and other people. This is only possible because I have a great boss and an awesome team of cool people around me that give me the confidence to ask questions.

It’s all about the people

As with any other job, being a developer is all about the people—your colleagues, your customers, your users.

I have met some of the most amazing people at tech conferences. This industry truly has some incredible characters and I’m still in awe of how respectful many of them treat each other. Of course, ugly things happen in tech (as in other industries) but I feel like there is a dialogue here. People are conscious and they talk about the ugly things. We have a lot to improve on, but people are trying.

It’s not just a job

Public speaking is fun

What does the future hold for me?