I'm 30 years old and trying to figure out if I still have a shot at entering the programming field. A few years ago, I attempted to change my life and dive into coding, but life got in the way, and I had to pause my studies. Now, I'm without a degree and feeling the pressure as I need to find a remote job by the end of the year. I've been advised to look into QA roles in the iGaming industry since I have a decade of experience in gaming, particularly with casinos. However, I'm wondering if this is the right path for me. Should I invest in courses and certificates, or will they be useful without a college degree? Also, is starting with QA Manual testing a good idea? I've dabbled in frontend development, but I find backend much more interesting, especially Python. I plan to tackle it later after securing a stable job. What do you think?
1 Answer
Honestly, 30 is nothing in tech! I've seen plenty of people switch careers at that age or older and succeed. Your background in the gaming industry is great for snagging QA roles, and can really open some doors for you. I think QA manual testing is a solid entry point since it requires less upfront learning than development, and once you get your foot in the door, you can always pivot to automation or development later. Certificates can help, but your industry experience will likely weigh more in QA positions.
Thank you so much! It's really late here, and I was spiraling about my choices, but your comment has genuinely made a difference.