Hi Folks
Don't mind me ask very simple questions.
I am thinking of entering IT industry for a few years to get some relevant experience. Before starting a software/web/gaming development projects on my own.
I have a Masters degree and 9 years experience in education field that is completely irrelevant to IT. I am 31 now just enrolled into Ngee Ann Adelaide BCompSci part-time programme, should finish by 33 or 34.
Please let me know if I can still get a job in IT doing programming or apps/software development work? Also, is this even a good idea? What's the pay I am looking at as a fresh grad (based on today's projection)?
Constructive input only please!
Thank you
As a teacher, you should very well understand that knowledge is the means to everything, so even if understanding IT don't get you a job, it will certainly still make you a better teacher than you are now. Lets me truthful, technology is everywhere, not just limited to creating software and services, isn't it ?
I doubt anyone can give you a definitive answer to YES or NO. However you have to first believe it can be done before you can even succeed. 俗话说,活到老学到老, 不是吗?
Probably at the age of 34, you will be competing against young university graduates and polytechnic students, so that is your disadvantage. Your future employer will surely understand that.
However for someone with a master degree and 9 years of experience, during the interview, are there any other experiences that you can share with your future employer that will give you some leverage versus the younger kids. Maturity is what I can think of, perhaps older and probably wiser also means you have a more mature approach to solving problems, you should knows better.
Consider that you are 34, certainly you will have more commitment in life and probably higher expectation in remuneration, that's is something the employer will need to consider. I think the situation is fluid since there is no determination so far as to your competency level in doing software development works. That would be something that your employer will be more interested in regardless your age.
If you are as fresh as a graduate, then I think you should be looking at the same remuneration unless your employer see something in you that can differentiate from the graduates. However you should take the opportunity in your new company within a year times or 2 and see if you can work into a management track such as towards being a project manager, presales, or even sales, since I will believe you have better communication skill sets and better at presentation and managing customers.
Technical skill set is something the graduates can easily catch up since quite literature, but soft skills take years to mature and I think that will be your advantage.