iOS Looking for a career change in my late 40s. iOS app development

[ducaticanine]

I've worked in sales for many years and now looking to totally change my career. sorry if this doesnt really belong in this section, just trying to get some ideas/advice..

ive never worked in IT or done any coding but i'm quite intrigued by it all, especially working as an iOS app developer. i will try some intro to coding (iOS app development) online just to see how i feel initially and go from there but if it turns out it touches me and i move forward, is this the type of work where one can find remote work? will it be an issue trying to get a job in this line of work in my late 40s as a beginner? is it realistic to learn what is needed (self study and through some online courses) in, say, 6-12 months and then get into some full time work? Or is this something that will take years to really get full work in? Btw, i would devote myself full time to learning/training as i am unemployed.

thanks for the feedback and i apologize if this is the wrong place to ask these questions.

 

[mfram]

I'll preface this by giving my background. I'm a professional developer (not in iOS development) and have more than 25 years of processional development experience. Work for a big company everyone on these forums knows. I got my college degree in Comp Sci+Mathematics and have been programming since I was 10 years old. In other words, programming came early into my life. A lot of developers have been tinkering their whole life. Can you learn programming? Of course. But you have to learn how to think like a computer and understand the tools of the trade. Algorithms, logic, data structures, frameworks. For some people, it comes relatively naturally. For others, it can be quite a struggle. You won't know until you try it.

Like any new skill, it's going to take time. You won't become an expert in 12 months. It might take 12 years or more. Could you become content in 12 months? Maybe enough to create basic Apps. It depends how quickly you pick things up. Self-teaching is very limiting. You can start that way, but you're going to need a good teacher at some point to guide you and help you understand what's going on. So look for local and online classes when you can. Especially at the beginning.

I don't know what your financial situation is, but another possibility is to treat programming as a "side gig" for a while. Keep earning money how ever you want, but work on programming on the side. You need to figure out if it's for you or not.

The good news is that once you get into programming, the details of a particular system are just the details. The concepts apply every where. You'll need various tools are your disposal to complete your skills. It's not just about iOS and Swift. You should allow yourself to be exposed to a variety of language and tools. Think bigger.

 

[ducaticanine]

@mfram
very helpful answer! thank you! great tips and ideas here..

 

[casperes1996]

I'll preface this by giving my background. I'm a professional developer (not in iOS development) and have more than 25 years of processional development experience. Work for a big company everyone on these forums knows. I got my college degree in Comp Sci+Mathematics and have been programming since I was 10 years old. In other words, programming came early into my life. A lot of developers have been tinkering their whole life. Can you learn programming? Of course. But you have to learn how to think like a computer and understand the tools of the trade. Algorithms, logic, data structures, frameworks. For some people, it comes relatively naturally. For others, it can be quite a struggle. You won't know until you try it.

Like any new skill, it's going to take time. You won't become an expert in 12 months. It might take 12 years or more. Could you become content in 12 months? Maybe enough to create basic Apps. It depends how quickly you pick things up. Self-teaching is very limiting. You can start that way, but you're going to need a good teacher at some point to guide you and help you understand what's going on. So look for local and online classes when you can. Especially at the beginning.

I don't know what your financial situation is, but another possibility is to treat programming as a "side gig" for a while. Keep earning money how ever you want, but work on programming on the side. You need to figure out if it's for you or not.

The good news is that once you get into programming, the details of a particular system are just the details. The concepts apply every where. You'll need various tools are your disposal to complete your skills. It's not just about iOS and Swift. You should allow yourself to be exposed to a variety of language and tools. Think bigger.

Couldn't have written it better myself. I've often tried to express the same thing when asked similar things to what the OP asked here but I've never been able to say it quite so concisely.

To the OP:
If you are still interested in learning go back through some of the older messages on the developer forums here. there's a lot of other people asking for advice on how to get started learning and I and others provide a lot of resources in those threads.

 

[Nygaard]

I don't know what your financial situation is, but another possibility is to treat programming as a "side gig" for a while. Keep earning money how ever you want, but work on programming on the side. You need to figure out if it's for you or not.

This is probably the best way to go. You may be in love with the idea of programming, but not what it actually entails.

Also, I wouldn't cast away your years of professional sales experience lightly. Innovation exists on the boundaries of disciplines, and with just a modest knowledge of programming, new ideas and solutions will start emerging.

 

[ducaticanine]

I appreciate all of your replies!