It’s a common notion that your first job out of college dictates your career path for life. However, the reality is far more dynamic. Many individuals, through diverse experiences, find themselves seeking more fulfilling and challenging professions. You might spend years exploring different roles before discovering your true calling, and that’s perfectly acceptable. Starting on one career trajectory doesn’t preclude a transition to a new, more rewarding one.
In fact, a growing number of people are successfully pivoting from various backgrounds to forge thriving careers in programming. The tech industry’s demand for skilled professionals continues to surge, and more individuals are uncovering the creative and intellectual satisfaction that coding offers. The outdated notion that a computer science degree is a prerequisite for becoming a successful programmer is fading. You don’t even need prior coding experience to embark on this exciting career change.
If you’re seeking a career that is intellectually stimulating, personally rewarding, and financially lucrative, software development could be your ideal second act. Here, we delve into the inspiring journeys of seven developers who made the leap into the world of code, offering valuable insights for anyone considering a similar transition into Coding As A Second Career.
Inspirational Journeys: Real People Embracing Coding as a Second Career
Shawn Wang: Mastering the Material Through Repetition and Active Learning
Shawn Wang’s initial career path was the envy of many finance graduates. He thrived in the high-stakes world of Wall Street banking, trading everything from bonds to currency derivatives, ultimately managing substantial global hedge fund portfolios. However, despite the external success, Wang felt a deep disconnect between his profession and his life aspirations.
Driven by a desire for change, Wang committed to building a career in coding on New Year’s Day 2017. He began his learning journey with free online resources before enrolling in Fullstack Academy, a leading coding bootcamp. Coding bootcamps offer immersive, intensive educational experiences, condensing years of university curriculum into a matter of weeks. While absorbing such a vast amount of new information in a short timeframe is demanding, Wang discovered a powerful learning strategy: “doing everything twice.” By proactively studying programming fundamentals beforehand, he built a robust foundation that allowed him to grasp the more advanced concepts taught during the immersive bootcamp with greater depth.
Wang’s commitment extended beyond initial preparation. He diligently reviewed every concept multiple times, reinforcing his understanding through active learning techniques. He embraced public accountability by blogging daily about his progress, solidifying his knowledge through articulation. He launched a podcast to reflect on his experiences, further processing his learning through narrative. He even took initiative to run workshops on React and Passport JS, teaching others to solidify his own mastery.
This dedication to repetition and active learning paid off handsomely. Less than a year after resolving to pursue coding as a second career, and merely two months after bootcamp graduation, Wang secured a six-figure job offer, having already declined an offer exceeding $120,000 just weeks prior. His story underscores the power of proactive learning and consistent effort in transitioning to a tech career.
Sophia Ciocca: The Power of Targeted Networking in Your Tech Job Search
Sophia Ciocca’s journey into software development began after health challenges led her to leave the Peace Corps, a position she had aspired to since childhood. Seeking a new path, she discovered the world of coding.
After self-teaching the basics, Ciocca enrolled in Fullstack Academy’s Grace Hopper program, a program specifically designed to empower women in tech. This immersive experience equipped her with crucial technical skills, invaluable career coaching, and a professional portfolio—all essential tools for landing her first software development role as a second career.
When navigating the job search, the temptation to adopt a broad, scattergun approach—applying for every available position—is strong. However, Sophia consciously opted for a quality-over-quantity strategy, focusing her energy on an area she identified as needing improvement: networking.
Her refined strategy involved a targeted approach. She meticulously identified companies she genuinely wanted to work for, invested time in researching and obtaining contact information for employees within those organizations, and then proactively reached out, requesting brief informational interviews over coffee or phone calls.
This focused networking strategy yielded remarkable results. Sophia converted over half of these initial chats into formal phone screenings, a third of those screenings into on-site interviews, and an impressive 80 percent of on-sites into job offers. In just seven weeks, Ciocca connected with fewer than 50 companies, received four job offers, and ultimately accepted a coveted position at The New York Times. Her experience highlights the effectiveness of strategic networking in a competitive job market, especially when transitioning careers.
Stephanie Manwaring: Diligent Bootcamp Research for the Perfect Fit
Stephanie Manwaring’s story serves as further evidence that a computer science degree is not a prerequisite for a successful software development career. Prior to considering a coding bootcamp, she had never written a single line of code.
Manwaring’s career pivot arose from a realization that her successful marketing career lacked the long-term fulfillment and intellectual excitement she desired. While recognizing the need for a change, her new direction was initially unclear. Over time, however, coding emerged as a compelling and viable second career option.
This shift began when she noticed numerous developer roles at companies she admired. Her developer husband then introduced her to the fundamentals of JavaScript, piquing her interest further. Finally, a New York Times article detailing the successful career transitions of individuals who had quit their jobs to pursue coding solidified her decision.
Her mind was made up: a career in coding was the goal. However, she needed to acquire the necessary skills to make this aspiration a reality. Committing to two years of graduate school for a CS degree felt daunting and unappealing. While coding bootcamps sounded promising, they also seemed almost “too good to be true,” she recalls. Thorough research became essential.
Stephanie embarked on a comprehensive research process. She attended information sessions hosted by various bootcamps, meticulously gathering program details and asking critical questions. Crucially, Manwaring reached out to alumni of these schools, seeking firsthand accounts of their post-graduation job search experiences, the accuracy of bootcamp promises, the expertise of instructors, and how bootcamp graduates perceived their preparedness compared to traditional CS graduates.
Her extensive research led her to conclude that coding bootcamps could indeed deliver on their promises, and that Fullstack Academy was the ideal fit for her learning style and career goals. She describes quitting her marketing job and enrolling in Fullstack Academy as “the best career decision I have made,” and has since secured a fulfilling position as an engineer at Squarespace. Stephanie’s experience emphasizes the importance of due diligence and finding the right educational program when making a significant career change.
Sean McBride: Leveraging Leadership Skills for Rapid Career Advancement in Tech
Sean McBride’s path to software development began with a foundation of leadership and service. After graduating from West Point, he served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army. An injury led him to transition into IT infrastructure, which reignited a latent passion for software development. This renewed interest prompted him to join Operation Code, a veteran’s non-profit organization supporting tech education, and to enroll in Fullstack Academy’s Remote Immersive program. Remarkably, less than a month after graduating from Fullstack, McBride secured a developer role at tech startup Decipher Technology Studios.
A common concern among career changers is whether they will have the same career growth potential as CS graduates. Sean McBride’s trajectory directly refutes this concern. Within a year of joining Decipher, he progressed from being the team’s sole full-time developer to assuming a leadership role, hiring and mentoring several new team members.
Today, in addition to managing the team’s agile development process, McBride reviews code pull requests and mentors junior developers. This leadership-focused role is an ideal fit for his skills and experience. “It’s such an amazing feeling to enjoy what I do, be good at what I do, and pay the bills,” he reflects, highlighting the holistic satisfaction of his second career in tech. Sean’s story demonstrates that prior leadership experience can be highly valuable in a tech career, accelerating advancement and opening doors to management opportunities.
Seema Ullal: Persistence and Proactive Engagement in the Tech Job Market
Seema Ullal’s initial career aspirations led her to the Teach for America program after college, where she taught 9th-grade algebra in New Jersey. Despite her genuine desire to make a difference in underserved communities, she soon realized that teaching was not her long-term passion.
Through introspection, she recognized that her enduring interest lay in computer science, recalling the engaging computer science classes she had taken in college. This realization prompted her to first pursue a master’s degree in computer science and subsequently enroll at Fullstack Academy to solidify her practical coding skills.
However, Seema is candid about the fact that even with advanced education and bootcamp training, securing a developer role at a major tech company was not automatic.
The tech job search, Ullal writes, “can be exhausting, frustrating, and deflating at times.” Rejection is a common experience, making resilience and persistence crucial. Seema adopted a proactive approach to overcome rejections. She often challenged negative feedback, advocating for her skills and highlighting why she believed she was indeed a strong fit for specific roles.
She also actively sought feedback at every opportunity. She found that interviewers were often willing to provide constructive criticism, alongside positive feedback, which proved invaluable for both skill improvement and maintaining much-needed confidence throughout the demanding job search process.
Ultimately, Seema’s persistent and proactive attitude paid off. After just a month of dedicated searching, she secured a software development role at Gusto in the fall of 2015, where she continues to thrive today. Her journey underscores the importance of resilience, proactive self-advocacy, and continuous learning in navigating the tech job market when transitioning careers.
Adam Barcan: Total Immersion for Maximum Bootcamp Impact
Adam Barcan’s initial career path was, by conventional standards, highly successful. After earning a master’s degree in economics from Columbia University, he worked as an economist at the U.S. Treasury Department before transitioning into a business analyst role at a global law firm.
However, a brief exposure to JavaScript sparked a significant career shift. This encounter ignited a passion for coding strong enough to convince Adam to leave his stable office job and fully immerse himself in the world of software development by enrolling at Fullstack Academy.
Adam describes his bootcamp experience as incredibly challenging, yet profoundly rewarding. “Fullstack was the most challenging and satisfying professional experience of my life,” Barcan states. “Seriously. It was harder than grad school and much more fulfilling than any job I’ve ever had.”
Based on this intense experience, Adam strongly recommends complete commitment and total immersion in the bootcamp experience. For him, this meant actively engaging in side projects beyond coursework, participating in hackathons to test his skills, building a freelance portfolio to showcase his abilities, and attending industry seminars to expand his network and knowledge. If an activity wasn’t directly related to coding, Barcan consciously minimized his attention to it until bootcamp completion.
This laser-focused approach might seem extreme, but Adam believes it is essential for maximizing the bootcamp experience and positioning oneself for swift job placement after graduation.
His strategy proved highly effective. Six months after graduating from Fullstack Academy, he secured a position at software company Greenhouse—a role he continues to excel in almost four years later. Adam’s story emphasizes the value of complete dedication and immersive learning when undertaking a career change through a bootcamp.
Stella Chung: Navigating Imposter Syndrome in Your Second Career
Stella Chung has always possessed a strong analytical mindset. Her initial career was in database and CRM management within the non-profit sector. This background provided a solid foundation when she decided to transition to a career in code, initially through free online courses and subsequently through Fullstack Academy’s Grace Hopper program.
It might be surprising to learn that despite her database management experience and over 700 hours of intensive coding bootcamp training, Stella still experiences imposter syndrome—a common feeling of inadequacy despite evidence of competence—to this day. And she is far from alone.
Imposter syndrome is prevalent among individuals pursuing second careers as developers. In fact, one of the most helpful realizations for Stella was understanding that this feeling is a common experience within the tech community. As Stella notes, “Nearly everyone could relate to imposter syndrome, and readily shared words of encouragement and strategies for coping.”
Stella’s journey demonstrates that it is possible to thrive and achieve significant accomplishments despite experiencing imposter syndrome. She successfully learned to build a 2D platformer game in Phaser.Js in a single weekend and mastered programming in Elm over another weekend. Unsurprisingly, after graduating from the Grace Hopper Program, Stella quickly secured a software engineer role at tech startup Niche. Her story offers reassurance that imposter syndrome is a manageable challenge and should not deter anyone from pursuing a coding career change.
Your Second Act in Tech: It’s Within Reach
These diverse stories collectively demonstrate that a fulfilling and successful career in coding is genuinely attainable for anyone, regardless of their prior professional background. Your current job or location is not a barrier. If you are committed to investing the necessary time, effort, and focused learning, a second career in coding is within your grasp. These graduates exemplify that with the right training and determination, transitioning into the tech industry and thriving is a realistic and rewarding path.
These grads experienced firsthand that Fullstack Academy provides the programming training and career development support needed to successfully enter the tech industry. Explore their programs and see how they compare here.
