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Original poster

Considering becoming a softwear developer after being SAHM. Anyone out there done similar?

23 replies

catk123 · 05/12/2017 10:14

I am returning to work following 5 years as a SAHM, and considering a coding bootcamp to become a softwear developer. I have not come from a technical background, I have a degree in a Healthcare field so is a complete change in direction. Does anyone have any experiences of this or work in the field and can give me an idea about the reality of working in this industry please? I am 39 years old with 2 children, at primary school age.

OP posts:

nadinexo1 · 05/12/2017 13:58

I am considering the same move but have an accounting degree although not worked for 3 years, sorry I have no advice but I'm watching with interest.

thebellsareringingout · 05/12/2017 14:03

why development particularly? I'd have thought testing, business analysis or project management more accessible and just as lucrative.

there was a very similar thread on here a few weeks ago. Check out the accenture returners programme - not sure where you're based but that looked good to me.

Eve · 05/12/2017 14:07

development will be quite difficult to get into without experience - most development work is done offshore in India and other countries.

As thebellsareringingout has said - testing , project management etc will be easier to access and more likely to be UK based and agree look at returner programs

PayUpPlease · 05/12/2017 14:11

I have no useful info to add except that you spell it software, not softwear!

That's honestly not intended as a pissy post; people often get discounted for jobs straight away if they have errors in spelling/grammar in their application, so thought it safest to say something now rather than have you find out in a few months time.....

Oh, and good luck!

2017RedBlue · 05/12/2017 14:15

This reply has been withdrawn

The OP has privacy concerns and so we've agreed to take this down.

victoire1208 · 05/12/2017 14:15

My husband has recently completed an online course and found a job on completing it fairly easily. He had a banking background but not very technical so was a bit of a departure. Little IT experience. He has strong logic and analytical skills though which were very useful.
Some things to be mindful of

Although the course people said it could be done in 6 months it took 18. I think if you had some software xp it could be done sooner. He worked through the course 9-5 5 days a week.

Make sure the course coding languages are still relevant in the current job market. He found Python jobs which the course favoured were based in big cities and so not suitable.

PersianCatLady · 05/12/2017 14:18

Do you have any prior experience of software development or coding?

thebellsareringingout · 05/12/2017 14:18

victorie is right, have you looked into which software development skills are hot in your area? I'd always research the target job market first before embarking on a course, particularly one I had to pay for.

PersianCatLady · 05/12/2017 14:26

There are an awful lot of scams on the Internet where you pay to learn to develop software online and then you will supposedly get employment.

I have just completed a six year BSc (Hons) Computing and IT and a lot of the people who completed it at the same time are finding it hard to get a job in things like software development and web development.

I am not saying it is impossible to study online with a course and then find a software development role but I don't think that it is as easy as people think it is.

thebellsareringingout · 05/12/2017 14:29

although it sounds as though Op may have relevant other experience - which is why I'd say if you've worked in healthcare as a user, you would be a good fit for a tester/business analyst as you know the 'business' part of it somewhat. Still good to know the business in software dev but not as useful as not user-facing typically.

PersianCatLady · 05/12/2017 14:41

which is why I'd say if you've worked in healthcare as a user, you would be a good fit for a tester/business analyst as you know the 'business' part of it somewhat
Do you know of any companies who are hiring people in these kinds of positions at all??

SheepyFun · 05/12/2017 14:43

How long/intensive is the bootcamp? DH is in a similar field, and is, to be honest, a geek (as am I). He has no formal training at all, and only a vaguely related degree, but by the time he was applying for jobs (straight out of university, so a while ago), he had thousands, and I really mean thousands, of hours of coding experience. A full time job is about 2000 hours/year (very approximately), so pp who said her DH did a course which took him 18 months full time sounds plausible. I would think that's the sort of experience you'll need to get into the field.

thebellsareringingout · 05/12/2017 14:44

depends where Op is based a bit but certainly all the business analysis and testing jobs I see ask for people with relevant 'business' experience, that's hardly controversial?

PersianCatLady · 05/12/2017 14:49

all the business analysis and testing jobs I see ask for people with relevant 'business' experience, that's hardly controversial?
I think that they mean relevant business experience in the software development field.

thebellsareringingout · 05/12/2017 14:52

not following you persian. For example, FS is big where I am and these jobs as for in depth knowledge of investment banking processes 'the business' for example.

in any case, it's not especially relevant as Op wants to do software development so let's leave it here.

PersianCatLady · 05/12/2017 14:55

I misunderstood you.

Were you saying that the OP would be suitable for a role testing healthcare software??

thebellsareringingout · 05/12/2017 15:07

not as it stands no, just that a knowledge of business processes can be an advantage alongside other IT related qualifications for some of the less technical IT job.

For example, we've hired people into IT roles particularly because they've come from an operational background so understanding the operation makes them particularly strong business analysts (along side having BA qualifications).

it's all pretty academic though as Op has said coding is her interest, plus a healthcare degree - implies practicing but is not stated.

Original poster

catk123 · 05/12/2017 16:01

Thanks for all the replies, all really useful to know. I have completed some online coding exercises (only the basics) and done an introduction to coding course, to see if this is a path i want to pursue. I am mindful that any trainer that you are giving your money to will of course tell you the prospects of jobs are great!!Just at information gathering stage at present, so thank you!

OP posts:

bellweather · 05/12/2017 16:02

Just to give an idea on rates if you go contracting/freelance - it’s around £300-£400 per day so fairly lucrative if you are good.
You will have to be analytical and able to work independently
Most of the on shore programmers I have met tend to come from an analytical field eg STEM degrees. Maybe try a free programming course online first to see if you have the aptitude and inclination for it before committing?

Personally I have no patience for programming

tellitlikeitispls · 05/12/2017 16:17

I'm a software tester. I started off as a developer (sql) but I didn't really have much aptitude for it. ( i was shit at it) I have a degree in engineering and took a masters degree in IT to pursue the development path. That was back in the late 90's.
Since then I have worked initially in a very large international company (starting at graduate level) where I was intially a coder. I jumped at the chance to move to the test team and stayed there. I'm way better at it. I don't need to fully read code to be able to understand what its doing/should be doing. I have an understanding of databases and the software lifecycle. I've also worked as a contractor testing in Oz. I took the software testing exam there which most companies will ask for.
I then moved back to the UK and worked for a couple of companies here before I settled into the one I'm in now. Because they are really bloody flexible and I believe that is quite rare. But becoming less so. However part time is tricky and usually not advertised. (I'm part time)
The fact that its a male dominated industry has never bothered me, but then its all I know. I have never ever experienced any negative aspects to my job because of this.
I have no idea what the job market is like in this area at the moment, because I don't intend to go anywhere, but there were plenty of roles when I applied 7 years ago, both for dev and testing. However the jobs I applied for and were offered actually came via word of mouth, not job sites, and I negotiated part time for both even though they were advertised as full time.

PersianCatLady · 05/12/2017 21:15

catk123
What online courses have you done??

user1470584717 · 10/12/2017 18:15

Interesting thread

DH has been persuading me to become one because he thinks it will make me happy? As I am rather miserable with my work situation. I am interested in the market for mums who took 9 years of career break and never worked as a web developer before! I am not hopeful in my own situation (being 43) but I always enjoyed scripting / programming. I have written few tools in PERL / mySQL for my ex employers and they were still being used long after I left - this was not even part of my job description, I was an network engineer.

Now I am helping my 10 year son learn Python because he finds it cool, I am learning the syntax from his book as Python is new to me too.

user1470584717 · 10/12/2017 18:17

I mean an IP networking engineer

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