You definitely may be to old for some things in some specific age, but 20-30-40...60 is not to old for programming. Programming is not an olympic games, you can start in any age if like to bang your head to the wall by solving technical challenges. I'm 41 now and started my iOS developer journey about three years ago, currently working as freelance iOS consultant. This is my third career. Already was in army&police for about 10yrs, then moved to IT and become product manager, now I'm iOS developer. Will see what I would like to do after next 5-10 years. Thanks for video Sean, good motivation for 30yr "old" starters :)
look , i am going to 30 in the next few days , i already started my ios development journey but i am afraid of not having a job vacancy , i am not talking about freelancing .. so in my point of view companies will choose younger developers , so i hope i can find a job
Oh yeah... I’m 42 and just started, lets build a community. var age = prompt(“Enter your age”); If (age >= 9) { console.log(“Learn to code”); } else { console.log (“be a child a little bit more”; }
I wrote my first line of code... ever... when I was 41 years old. I now have apps in the App Store. :) The actual coding part isn't really the hard part. It's coming up with the idea, the design and how you're going to implement it - the logic behind it. You don't technically need to know how to code to get that far.
Your video is actually what I wanted to watch, I am 34 and I have been asking myself the same so thank you for the video. One thing I did wrong which cost me almost 3 years of my life was jumping from language to language and from web back-end to front-end to mobile development until I decided to stick with iOS. I recommend everyone to avoid changing development fields especially in the first stage.
That's good advice, Abdulwahab. I've heard of a few of my subscribers running into that same issue (switching languages too much). Glad to hear you enjoyed the video. Happy to help!
Me in the same naughty chain . I have lost almost 4 years for indision tech vs tech. language vs language I had walked almost all common path. but finally I determined to focus on front end developing. please share your last one year experience from posting this comment, sometime I am getting frustrated that what I learn at age 28 some of 18 years old guy already know that.
Great video. I just turned 50 working in supply chain for the last 20 years. I was a CS major and always loved coding but I thought it was too late. For the last 6 months I’ve been building apps learning swift and enjoying it but like someone else mentioned... learning to learn again, believing in yourself and staying motivated are definitely the biggest hurdles.
Hey Sean, I checked out your music player app tutorial just now. I’m going to try it tomorrow. Flipping through I saw your video about age. I’ve been working on learning swift and Xcode for about 3 weeks. I’m 51 (I think that makes me grandpa in the group) and every few days I think I must be too old. I’m going to make myself keep going as long as I can get hold of great tutorials and maybe a live class if I can locate one. I’ve been thinking about this for a couple of years. Finally getting started. Can’t work in construction forever. Thanks for your words (and all the other commenters) and lessons. Eric
That's awesome to hear, Eric! It's a long (and not easy) journey, but if you stick with it you can do it. I have a lot of videos on my channel about how I learned. Feel free to reach out via email or Twitter if you get stuck on anything or if I can help.
Great video Sean, as always. I'm also self-taught, started at 23-24. Actually tried before that at Uni but failed. And the 2nd attempt was the right one. Best decision ever. Anyone not convinced yet, just give it a try and see if you like it. That's the best way to know, but dedicate a few months before you decide if you like it or not because the first 2-3 months are hard, especially when you start from scratch.
I didn't make the switch until much later than Sean. This is my third career after working in technology operations and product management roles in the past. I truly believe that just about anyone, if they have the desire and the focus, can do this. Sean's videos have been a tremendous help and even now that I'm working as an iOS developer I still refer back to them. You can do it! There's a whole community that's ready to help you and an industry that's eager to hire you.
Keep on it, Sean! I'm 57. My college programming was Fortran. Did it on IBM punch cards. Mainframe at school was an 8K machine the size of a VW. Did a career of sales and advocacy. Started coding 10 months ago so I could move my PC software title onto the apple system. Thanks for the motivation!
I already code using java for Android for some time, but I started to learn ios programming a year ago and I feel that thinks age getting worse, specially to remember stuff. But I will watch more videos (specially yours because I really think they are awesome) and let's see where I get. Thanks for your concern.
I wrote my first code (IBM Macro Assembler) in 1974. I learned Fortran, Cobol PL/I and RPG in my first year. I've picked up C/C++/Pascal/C#/Java/Python and some others along the way. I'm watching your videos to help me get to an expert level in Swift. Every time I learn a new language, I know all the right questions to ask to get up to speed in a hurry. You're answering most of them, Sean. I''m glad you publish new videos all the time.
I’m 42, I have no previous experience, only the passion to succeed. I’ve been looking at a lot of free online courses, but to be honest I’m finding it really confusing. I feel as though I’m just typing text because I’m being told to type it, I don’t truly understand why I’m typing it other than because that is what the tutor has said. Any tips for an absolute beginner? Thanks
Few days ago, I was watching youtube videos about investing in stocks (I am an Accounting graduate) when a video of Mark Zuckerberg came up under the recommended videos to watch. And it is about coding. And it was the start of my curiosity about this subject. I am turning 31 this year. I am not confident if I should pursue learning how to code. Is it too late for me learn it? Actually, I am confused which programming language to learn first. And I really don't know where to start, what to learn first, so on.....Oh, I need advice. 🤔🙏
Any of the modern languages are good. If you live in the Windows world, C# is a good one. Visual Studio code is free and well supported by tutorials. I'd recommend pluralsight.com for learning. In the Mac world, Swift is the top language. Java can be used on most platforms. And, no, you are not too old.
At 47 with an oil background, this is pretty motivational. i'ts just getting over the hump and learning how to LEARN is what I find the most difficult.
That's a great point, Harold. Learning how to learn is actually the #1 skill you need as a developer (in my opinion). With technology constantly changing, devs are constantly learning new things. The faster you can learn new things and be competent in them, the better you will be. It gets easier with time and experience too, so don't get discouraged if you're just starting out.
Good questions. If I was a young man in my 20s I'd work towards getting a job as a programmer, and gaining experience in an enterprise environment. For this route you'll likely need some sort of educational credential (e.g., certificate, degree) that is, something that will give you some credibility in the eyes of an employer. Finding the right programming language to study is tricky. Invest some time looking into what's in demand, and what's projected to be in demand. But I'd also look into specializing in some area (e.g., security). Coding can be a good living if you don't mind working for someone else. At my stage of life I'm working towards making a living as an independent developer, but it's tough. It's not good enough to have a great idea and be a decent programmer. You also have to have an interest in marketing and operating a business. So I'd say it depends on your stage of life, your goals, and your interests. If you're starting from zero, the good news is that everything you need to know about programming you can get online for free, so you can try learning a language/platform and see if it's right for you. Best of luck Todd.
Hey Sean, it's me again man. Ever since that structs/class explanation video that you so clearly explained to my soul, I've been watching all of your videos and subscribed for more. Thank god for this channel man, it's helped me out a TON! You really inspire me to create my own channel and share my story and passion for this journey we're all on in the world of code. Thank you so much dude.
This is too motivating. I'm 24 and recently I thought about computer programming, now learning that some of the best computer programmers in the world and probably devs of some apps that I downloaded and loved started learning to code at age 30 above. thanks!
Happy to hear it helped you. It's very true... most of the developers I worked with in Silicon Valley were late 20's, 30's and 40's. At 24 years old... you've got PLENTY of time.
Hey Sean, been watching all your videos over the last week or so since I found your channel. Awesome stuff. I have a phone call scheduled with a startup in SF on Tuesday for an internship. Your videos have refreshed my memory on a lot of stuff and encouraged me. Just wanted to say thanks.
I'm 35 years old and began teaching myself how to code for 1 year now. Made a complete career change and I love it! I have an interview with Amazon coming up in a few weeks. The fact that I landed an interview with them is just mind blowing for me.
im 26 years old and almost done with my computer science degree. I was incredibly worried about this issue, and I am so glad I found this video. I was in the navy as well so that is also why ive started so late. Love your videos man, you earned another subscriber.
Thanks Wesmoto! Glad you found the channel, and I hope you enjoy it. The coding videos are focused on Swift and iOS development, but I also do a lot of general career advice and tips stuff as well. Thanks for the sub!
Sean, thanks for posting this video... I am currently in the Military, and plan to retire in the next few years (I am 40 now)... I have just recently picked up coding/iOS Dev over the last year, and even started my own MeetUp just to meet others like me who are eager to learn. I would like to make this my second career after the service, and have been motivated from hearing your story... Thanks for all the info and videos you have posted, as it has helped keep me focused to stay on course and keep learning!
Im 39, was messing with python with a few years on and off in my spare time, I started C# two weeks ago as part of learning game Dev in Unity . . Its going great, really enjoying it!
Man I'm 32 years old and I was watching that video saying I'm too old to start , you just motivated me and now I'm 2 weeks into coding started my first course hopefully I'll get better fast , thanks bro .best of luck .
Oh my God, you saved my life. I am a beginner programmer and facing the job market at the age of 30. Sometimes I feel too old to go on, because this market is dominated by young people. Thanks for the example and for bringing positive points like maturity. Thanks a lot
You are right! I have a background computer degree but I worked for years in logistics and marketing. Until I find out that I really love and want to code, especially mobile development. I am already 1.5 years mobile developer and I love it. I am 42 years old and working as a freelancer iOS Developer and interviewing for full-time Developer.
Thank you for this video. My initial career is feeling like a relationship you don't emotionally belong in any more. It's a horrible feeling. But I am moving towards tech learning and starting to learn little by little. It's tough but what you said is so true. Thank you.
I'm 30 years old and am ready for a career change. I've been researching and am going to go all in on iOS development. This video and your story is extremely reassuring.
Glad you enjoyed the video, Sarahi! I know the feeling. It's awesome to be doing something you love doing. Coding is my job AND my hobby... that's pretty cool.
Great that you are happy with your choice! 😊 I quit my job as a lawyer and started studying Software Engineering at 32. I couldn't be more happy with my decision. :)
Go Sean! ... shout out from a fellow 37 year old iOS Dev ;-) ... Your videos inspire me ... so keep 'em coming man ... BTW, I was subscribed to more than 100+ channels on UA-cam and getting addicted to binging on UA-cam Videos. I have been unsubscribing to channels and guess what I have been left with only 1 channel where I look forward to listen to what is being said and its related what I wanna do as a full time career and thats your channel man. So again keep posting all the great stuff!!
I'm just gonna leave this comment here for future reference. I'm 25, got a degree in agriculture, learnt graphic designing from UA-cam. got myself an average job as a designer for a start up advertising agency. I so much wanna advance into coding. this video has motivated me a lot, thanks Sean!.
I solved my first automation problem at age of 35 and got hooked to the game ever since. Have build a few project frameworks in few programming languages ever since including groovy, powershell, vbscript and java. So yes, you are right, you can learn coding at any age if you get hooked to it, like a sport.
I'll be 55 this year. Have been programming professionally for 20 years. The only time your going to experience ageism is when you stop producing and stagnate on your skill set. Oh, and yes you will be working with those MUCH younger. Advise there. Don't be a D##k and just chill. If your producing, and serious, that will really overshadow the age gap.
Rick, I am looking to learn coding not necessarily to find a job in coding but to put my business idea to life. I am kind of frustrated with seeking someone to work to help my dreams to fruition. Basically that is my motive behind wanting to do coding. By the way, I am 57. Do you think I am crazy or simply mad?
Hey Sean i really like your videos too much . Always too motivational . I am too doing development from long time and i also really like the things when i do and see the changes .
I am a 34 year old Doctor, with no previous experience with computers whatsoever. In fact, only two years ago I learned how to sum two cells on a spread sheet. Now I am learning how to code and develop apps on my own, I never knew how much fun, despite its difficulty, coding can be. Now I working really hard teaching my self how to code, even thought I am also preparing for a major medical residency exam. I study for more than 12 hours a day, 6 of which are dedicated to coding. I really wanna thank you for your video, and for keeping me motivated.
That's awesome to hear. Are you looking to change careers, or are you just looking to code on the side? I'd be interested to hear about a doctor changing careers to a developer.
Trust me I never knew that I would fall in love with coding one day. Now I am digging deep in both worlds, Medicine and Coding. There are still a lot of dots to connect between the two I believe. Funny thing, I've never told any one that I'm learning to code. Even my wife doesn't know.
@@nzjishi coding as a hobby is differ than coding at work. So better go to medical field and earn 10 times more average software engineer. But if you radiologist for example, coding skills could be very beneficial for you. Especially learn deep learning and image processing stuff.
Nice video brother, i just started learning to code and program with Python. I would like to create games, apps and KI robots and drones in future so this is why i decided to start now at age of 24. I was laughed at years ago or even today because some ppl think you need to be a genius for all that. Thanks for inspiration and wish me success haha :D
I just really want to say thank you very much because I'm very much. I've always been into technical support part of everything I've done since I was 20 years old. I see and I have somewhat of common sense of what's in the back end of websites but I'm 46 right now. Believe it or not I don't look it I don't feel it and I still have that energy to keep learning more. But I've been holding back from going to school because I don't want to be one of the oldest ones in class which I may be the oldest one. But you made a lot of sense about what you said. I have to say because of my outgoing personality and I'm a team player I've never had any type of discrimination. So I'm actually going to sign up and do this and since it actually has caught my attention for a couple years now I might as well take a step and do it. Thank you very much once again
Age is but a number. When there's a will, there's a way. Determination, Dedication, and Ambition are what matters. No one will mock others just because of age anyway, right? Thanks for this.
I think a lot of people get this idea that you have to start coding at 7 years old in order to become a great developer. I thought I was too old at 24 when compare to the 18 year olds doing their CS degree. I went to college already so it doesn't make sense for me to go back again so I felt I was at a disadvantage. But watching your journey has really opened my eyes from just watching UA-cam tutorials to now actually taking a step towards an unfamiliar field! "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is now."
I'd just turned 18 when I got my first real exposure to computing, during the spring semester of 1972, programming in Fortran IV on punched cards, which I took to the altar counter where the card reader sat and where the priests operators would dispense fan-fold printouts. That went pretty well, but I just couldn't wrap my head around PL/I the following semester, else I might have switched to a computer science major and stayed in school instead of dropping out after two years. (I did finally finish a bachelor's, at another school, nine years after graduating from high school.) I continued to be casually interested in computing, but it wasn't until the Mac was announced, in January '84, that I really began to pay attention again, but the Mac was pricey so I settled on an Atari 8-bit machine, followed by an Atari 1040ST, for which I also got the dev kit ($300), but learning C and how it was used in Atari's OS proved to be too steep a learning curve, so I sold that and switched to a PC clone running MS-DOS for awhile, before selling that and getting a Pentium clone (beginning to dabble in HTML), followed by first one Amiga, then a much faster Amiga. It was on that second Amiga that I did my first real program, in C, which drew a map from code and then scrolled it so the mouse pointer, left in the middle of the screen, would trace a route. But, as with Atari before it, Commodore showed signs of stagnation, so I bailed out rather than invest myself further in that platform and went without a computer from early 1997 until late 1998, when I got my first Mac, running some version of System 8. That was nice, but it wasn't until OS X came along that I was really hooked. Unfortunately, an iMac wasn't well suited to my circumstances at the time, so it wasn't until I got an iBook (sometimes called iceBook because of the white plastic case) that I really became an active Mac user, and more serious about learning HTML, CSS, and Javascript until I realized I wasn't going to be able to accomplish what I wanted to do using web technologies, at which time I stopped pushing in that direction and looked for a way to switch to native development. This was about the time that Xcode was released, and so I started to learn Objective-C and the ways of frameworks. I turned 50 shortly after Xcode came out, but that didn't keep me from grasping the basics well enough to write a working program www.well.com/user/satyr/755/RatioKeyboard/HRKS_0.1b.zip or from going on to write an app for the iPad that was accepted onto the App Store in 2010. I'm 64 now, and my 18 year-old self wouldn't stand a chance of keeping up with me as I am now, after all the false-starts and dead-ends I've encountered along the way. To be sure, that's confidence born of experience, and starting from scratch now would be a challenge, but I think it mostly comes down to really understanding conditionals and divergent paths of execution, and those are generalizable from just about any sort of experience, whether computer related or not, from life experience.
Thanks for sharing your story, John. This is a testament to the fact that you're always learning as a developer, no matter how experienced you are. And even if something doesn't work out, that experience is still valuable. Good stuff, John 👍
Oh man, this is great and very inspirational story for me because I have similar experiences and thoughts like service in the army too, first line of code after 30 and thoughts that programming is only for the math wizards.
Sean, First of all thanks for the experience and knowledge you share. I think that maybe no-one is too old, but there are some specific subject which needs to be deeper known. For example it's so so difficult to became an low-level programmer or even game dev (and I don't mind iOS games 😅). And next important thing - learning programming doesn't has to mean being a specialist and get a job in that. I think that people need it to became rich except to realizing some great apps for themselves.
Thanks for the video man, I am in the stage of change all! I am Head chef with 14 year over in kitchen, but I am tired f the environment. Thank you again!
“Little older, little wiser...” I can absolutely relate to that, for instance one friend of mine, who’s from CS background, kinda frowned upon my decision to devote myself in coding from time to time....
Just another great video as always. Just shed some light on the gray area which is sensitive but it's not the case everywhere. It's always the manager who wants to work with you. If you are old-er or you feel you are older than the person who is going to be giving you directions at work then you should accept the fact that you have to be happy doing that. You have to show that you want to WORK period. And you don't care who is the leader. Once you send this message and you are really getting along with teams then you should be fine. Recruitment managers are always worried about the personalities than anything else. They simply don't want some one who is a pain every time.
I agree, Mujtaba. That's what I meant when I said "it's usually only an issue if YOU make it an issue". If you are a team player, you should be fine. Well said.
I've applied for Software Engineering degree (because I think it will give the knowledge needed), but awaiting for my final decision. I intend to devolp my skills and never stop learning. I like to learn. I am 30. Hope it is not too late. Changing career is a very common situation these days but I am afraid of my age. I'd like to have my own house and family by now. But First things first. No need to rush. I also want to work somewhere else then my home country (somewhere in Europe like Germany, Switzerland or Netherlands). Don't mind to learn new languages, just need to stay focus and see. Good luck everyone.
Only just watched this video! Very inspiring! I think my problem is I am on a decent wage as a project manager and my hardest hump is taking a low paid junior role. I guess it depends how much you want it!
You hit the nail on the head. It just depends on how bad you want it. In any career change, it's going to be hard to make a lateral move when it comes to salary. They way I thought about it was... 2 steps backward now for 10 steps forward over the long run.
I've worked for a variety of people and age, race, gender etc has never been an issue. I maintain being down to earth, open minded, happy to learn, or teach with a good work ethic. So far, for several years, I've had a great experience, and developed very nice relationships with my superiors, managers, and colleagues alike. I totally agree with Sean. Try to enjoy the challenge, be understanding and positive. Developing is an intellectually stimulating task and hopefully you should always be learning. Becoming better, driving for excellent code, producing that product gives me satisfaction, and I hope the same is experienced in any craft. So as for age? Can your brain work, can it learn? Are you hungry, or curious, or passionate? Then sorted.
I have been learning swift for few month now and I like time to time watch these kind of videos, cause sometimes I find myself thinking "I'm 29 ... am I too old for this??" So thank You for this motivating video!
Hey thanks for the video. I'm looking to make a career change also. After 10 years in the Navy and 15 years in a demanding public service job I'm completely burned out. I've always been interested in computers and after creating a few website coding interested me to but I've been thinking that it's too late to learn a completely new skill. So it's nice to know that it's not too late for an old C. O. N. E. R. to learn a new SKILL. Run silent Run Deep brother
Hey Robert, thanks for sharing that. It's certainly not too late! I'd be happy to help get ya started if you decide iOS development and Swift is the path you want to take. It's the best decision I've ever made.
Sean Allen. I'm actually not certain what I want to learn. Part of me feels like I should get into app development like IOS and Android. But I have been playing with python and that interest me too. I've been hearing that learning full stack development is the best. If I were to go to a boot camp that is most likely what I would do. With the information I know so far.
That's my biggest piece of advice... whatever path you choose, make sure you choose the one you're MOST interested in. Learning to code can be tough, so if you're only kinda interested, you're more likely to give up. Most of the time having a passion for what you're learning will get you through those tough times.
I can't wait for 100% to die. I think I have had too many people tell me its 100% or even worse 110% done and when they say that its never 100% done. None the less keep up the great work you make some of the best videos.
Haha, I have fallen victim to rapid comment response. Trying to respond to everyones comments (and not say the same thing every time), sometimes I miss the mark. But thanks for the kind words on the videos. More on the way!
Yeah, i know it's important to engage! Funny story I found your videos a while ago but when I took a Swift class my instructor refers to your Videos for review.
Well I felt like I’m late iOS Dev until I see you and the comments now, I began using Swift 3 months ago and i have so much to look for but i managed to share an app on app store(even there are many bugs, mistakes). Mistakes and unknows doesn’t hurt me and make my progress stop. It only brings more eager to learn. I’m 23 btw
We all had to start somewhere, Ege! Glad to hear you're starting your journey. At the age of 23... you have PLENTY of time. You have a 10 year head start on me!
Thank you for the video! I actually just started learning Python and HTML three weeks ago and coincidentally, I am 28 years old. My first day starting, I wanted to explode from the frustration of having had a “late” start. Three weeks later, although I’m still far from a pro, it feels amazing to see my progress. Your video and your story really reinforced to me that I wasn’t too late, and the confidence I feel from the ability to start over and teach myself anything is incredible.
I worked in my studio with Image Manipulation and Pre-Press until my 35 years, today I'm 44 and I'm Software Engeneer at almost 10 years and my studio is only for graphic software development, I say this, it's only late if you want, never take into account what others may think, and yes what you think!
I was a professional musician. I went to university, have a degree in music, etc. I changed carrier when I was 33. Still very involved in music but I'm fascinated with technology and have a passion for learning new tech. Now I want to transition into iOS development and I'm 52. Yes, all my coworkers are younger than me but that is not a problem at all.
Exactly my story except I'm 34 now and still por music but COVID pretty much wiped out my schedule and I feel right now is the perfect opportunity to learn a new skill. Music will always be my love but I LOVE tech and I have so many ideas all the time. I feel coding would be an invaluable tool to have in my toolbox for future ventures. Correct me if I'm wrong!?
I wrote my first line of code around 17, I'm 40 now. Like almost anything in life, you have to have a general goal that motivates you. If you don't have that goal, it's going to be tough. Ironically, my big goal in programming is to never have to look at a screen ever again once I have attained a certain level of income. But it's still my main goal.
I wrote my first lines of C when I was 40. I'm now retired and starting back into coding with Swift. You are never too old but you need to be mentally flexible.
Great video. With 30 just weeks away I am constantly telling myself it is too late to have any expectations of getting competent at coding. Even if I achieved a decent level of skill I worry I am too old to be a part of a start-up team or be hired. The major limitation in my case is balancing time coding each day with the responsibilities that come with a demanding career, relationship and financial commitments. Having completed 8 years of study in an unrelated field I regret not picking the engineering/coding path from the start. Your video, and the additional comments by viewers are definitely motivating so a big thanks to all sharing experiences.
Happy to hear you read through the comments. There are a lot of great stories in there. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or doubts. It's not too late!
Thanks for your words bro. I'm 20 now and thinking i cant change lol. Because my parents dont want it only bcs i already did 2.5 years accountant. But i'm studying at home and i'll see what happen next.
Of course your relationship with your parents is important. But ask anyone older than you... 20 years old is still VERY young. Don't let 2.5 years invested as an accountant trap you into a professional life you aren't going to enjoy.
I agree Sean, I don't think you are too old to learn to code. I was in the Navy many years ago. Was trained as an Electronics Tech. Finished my enlistment then went to college and graduated with an Engineering degree. Worked as an Engineer for many years. Had some C++ training but never used it. I retired early and now I am learning to code in Swift in Xcode. It is nothing like what I learned in college 20 years ago. Studying and working in computer code develops and maintains your brain memory and cognitive skills. The Geriatric doctors have always said that as you get older you should do a lot to exercise your brain like learn a new language (spoken language). I guess learning a new computer language is the same. Several years ago there was Jepardy contestant who was one of the greatest winners of all time. He was sharp. He was a Software Engineer.
I am 30 now and started about three months ago.A lot of people in 20s or even teenagers got a head start and they are pretty good. A lot of younger developers are probably junior developers becoming intermediate developers. Or even lead iOS developers in some cases. I am not bothered with the idea that people who got a head start will always be better. I mean, this programming career is not a 100m sprint, this is probably more of a marathon. Slow and steady wins the race, right? Also this is about me being a better developer today than I was yesterday. Comparing myself to others is probably not a good thing. However, when I reach my year mark in nine months, I want to really feel like I have come such a long way for a guy who was doing iOS development for just a year. I am not looking for short cuts and easy way out, but what are very effective approaches to get the most out of times you invested?
Keep at it, James... you'll be shocked to see how far you've come at your one year mark. And if you need proof, just open up an old project that you haven't touched in a long time, and you'll laugh at how bad your code was. As for what you can do to maximize your time investment, I always preach complete immersion. Podcasts, UA-cam, Blogs, etc... just completely immerse yourself in all things Swift, even in your "down time". Driving to work or going for a walk... listen to a Swift podcast while doing it. Little things like that really add up over the long run.
Words can't describe how awesome your UA-cam contents are. Loving the technical contents and tips on how iOS industry works. I watch your videos all the time. I will keep your advices in mind. Thanks!
I don’t even think it’s s race. Because we all benefit from others work. Or we wouldn’t have computers to compute. It’s what you do with it that matters.
I am in the same shoes and to be honest, I searched for this question, because of course I have my doubt, but watching the video and looking at the comments gave me a lot of help :)
Hey Sean, thanks for sharing so much of your storying on how to become an iOS developer. And you inspired me a lot. I am 30 now and just start learning Swift in my own time(after work, weekend, holiday), and hopefully I could become an iOS developer as quick as you did. At the moment I am just learning it by reading "the Swift programming language" and watching UA-cam videos to duplicate whatever the youtuber was doing in their videos. But now I kind of don't know what is the next step to go, I just want to ask if you could give some suggestions? Thanks a lot Sean.
Tutorials and learning online is a great start. But the REAL learning begins when you actually try to make an app on your own. Think of a simple app idea (I say simple so that you can complete it). It doesn't have to go on the app store or anything, just a simple feature that you can build. You'll learn a lot, and start building projects for your portfolio.
I think ageism is much less of a problem these days than it was years ago. Back in the day when people stayed for a long time with a company they may not want to hire someone who will retire in just 10 years, but these days they expect keen young people to move onto something different in a few years anyways.
So long as a person relatively free of dementia, I assume he or she can learn how to code. The question is, can that person make a living with that new skill? First, can he or she get hired after a certain age? Though it's true that as we age we become more productive, I know of no companies that would hire, say, a fifty year old junior web developer. The other prospect might be freelance web dev. Is it worth the grind? Does the coder live in an area large enough and rich enough to support his or her new business?
This is the crux of the issue right here. Learning to code at a more advanced age is one thing, actually getting hired is another thing entirely. I've got an app in the App Store with another on the way. I live and breath iOS development and am constantly honing my skills and learning new things but I find my prospects for getting a job doing it pretty bleak because I don't see any employer taking a chance on a 49 year old junior developer.
Have you been turned down a lot in your job search? Or are these your assumptions? Of course, every market is different, and I’m not saying ageism doesn’t exist, but I certainly don’t think it’s impossible. Have you thought about freelancing/contracting at all?
@@seanallen Five months later! (Ooops!)These are my assumptions--I haven't been turned for a job except when I was 12 and wanted to go working on a sword fishing boat from Maine to the Bahamas. My assumptions arise and grow from never receiving a yes to the question "has anyone seen a 50yr old junior developer." I code anyway, and enjoy the discomfort and excitement of finding out how ignorant I am.
Thanks for this video. It was really inspiring! I do however have a really insecure nature and I have had a pretty shitty youth.... became a father at young age and I thus started working in sales or a factory just to pay the bills. I met a new gf at age 20 where I have been together with for 7 years.. got 3 kids and went to school at age 24 learning some programming. Now I got an internship as wordpress developer and I can work with html, css, ( sass) end I know some basic php. I am femilliar with bootstrap and flexbox but I dont know anything about jquery. Now the thing I struggle with most is... I started this path because I wanted to be able to build my own websites, and sell them having worked in sales for a long time. Now that I help build sites I realise there is so much to it ( design, paperwork, wishes and hosting and whatnot), so i kinda changed my goal to learning first. I am fine staying where I am now. I like it here. I am however mostly copy -pasting code and adjusting it to my needs. I never am able to produce something from scratch or the top of my head and I am mostly too tired to do this is in my spare time aswell... I love the company I work for. Its a better job then sales or factory work. But I feel a bit too old/slow learner. Did I make a wrong turn here? How to get out of this idea and start enjoying to code more?
My best advice is to be patient. Learning to code is difficult and it takes time. I've been a developer for 4 years now, and I'm still learning every day. Its a profession where you'll never feel like master because technology is constantly changing and you always have to learn something new.
thanks man, appreciate it, and im mostly interested in game developing and django. i have some basic tutorials also im my channel and some programs in my git, and one thing i couldnt find out is the full reference for turtle module!! even official documentation didnt cover everything , thanks again
I have this visual plan for an app that I have put together in OneNote. I need to transform this into an iOS App -- where should I begin from? I am 42.5 years old.
The next step after a visual plan would be to design the screens in a program like Sketch, Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, etc... Once you have your design, you can start building the screens, which you'll need to know how to use Xcode and write Swift. To learn that, I would recommend the beginner videos on my channel (look for the playlist). Or check out store.raywenderlich.com/a/20866/link/1 or gumroad.com/a/762098803
I'm 21 years old and i think that i'm too old to code because a lot of my peers started coding at the age of 10 or 12. Sometimes i feel so discouraged because almost everyone has the edge on me
Not the case at all. I was 32, and I know TONS of people that didn't start util they were in their 30's or later and are doing VERY well for themselves. Don't worry about your peers and do you. It's your life. If you want to code, then learn to code. If you enjoy it and are good at it... it's an amazing profession.
@@seanallen yes that's true of course. I assume you started with JS? I'm currently on my 12th day of learning javascript. it's fun but also tough. Ihope iget at least decent in JS before the Uni (College) starts for me. Thanks for the reply btw!
Nope. I went all in on iOS development and Swift from day 1. I knew I wanted to develop software for Apple products, so my path was pretty clear. Happy to help 😀
@@seanallen Maybe it's just a mindset thing because i'm not a nerdy guy. Istruggle quite a lot with JS which is not a good sign when you wanna go into backend Development.
Cool video! I’m 38 and I was put into a rare situation at my job where I was transferred to IT, with no IT back ground AT ALL (long story). Short version is that we are in the middle of changing ERP’s to Oracle|Netsuite and I serve as an Administrator for the ERP. The IT Director said that learning JavaScript would come in handy and he signed me up for Lynda.com. I’m trying to stay positive while self-educating, not because I’m not up for the challenge, but because I find myself saying to myself, “Dude, you’re already 38 and don’t have a clue about coding. By the time you somewhat master this, you’ll be 43 and no one will hire you again in IT or a programmer, if you ever leave here.” What do you think? Is 38 too late in the game to learn coding and make a good living?
I mean, I was 33 when I made the change... I don't feel like that 5 year gap is much of a difference. Sure, it'll take you a while to master... but not being a master won't prevent you from getting hired. I'm only 3 years into my career, and I do alright.
hi do you know the application class dojo It is a beautiful application but there is a curious curiosity and I searched for it and did not find a solution Is when 1 - the teacher to create a class and add the names of student takes a code like(p23eert0l) and sends them to add the classroom. I want to learn about how i can do like that . Can you explain i think you t
ah so I try to say it in an easy way Let anyone help me i'm implementing an application using Xcode&firebase It is supposed to make the user create a class room and have a code like(pt66ssgl) that enables students to enter the class room through it، this the idea so i put 2 view controller the first have textfield to allow to write name of classroom and 1button to save the name in database&send it to table view and1table view to show the name of class room & go to next view control to add name of student in another table so the problem i can't make in firebase child classroom inside it child student !! i want this two child remaining and when create one of class the child of student crate direct and not forget the code create with every class room just that I know I wrote a lot but please try to understand Some may find it trivial or easy but for me it is difficult and I have searched a lot and i didn't found any help So anyone with knowledge to help me Thank you very much
Swift is Apple's programming language to build applications for iPhones, iPads, iMacs, etc... You will need a Mac to build with it. I have a course designed for absolute beginners at seanallen.teachable.com/p/ios-dev-launchpad
Hi Sean, I really enjoyed your video on how you produced your resume. I was wondering if you could please send me a template for your resume so that I can produce my own resume. Thanks so much :))
Hey James, glad you liked the resume! My resume wasn't a template that I used. I designed it from scratch in a program called Sketch. So there's not really a template to give out.
Watch Next - iOS Take Home Project - Job Interview Practice - Free Preview - ua-cam.com/video/MSIe2y6Fee8/v-deo.html
Is lt too late to learn code when you're in your upper 50's?
You definitely may be to old for some things in some specific age, but 20-30-40...60 is not to old for programming. Programming is not an olympic games, you can start in any age if like to bang your head to the wall by solving technical challenges.
I'm 41 now and started my iOS developer journey about three years ago, currently working as freelance iOS consultant. This is my third career. Already was in army&police for about 10yrs, then moved to IT and become product manager, now I'm iOS developer. Will see what I would like to do after next 5-10 years.
Thanks for video Sean, good motivation for 30yr "old" starters :)
Wise words, Aivars!
look , i am going to 30 in the next few days , i already started my ios development journey but i am afraid of not having a job vacancy , i am not talking about freelancing .. so in my point of view companies will choose younger developers , so i hope i can find a job
Aivars, how are you getting on now? I'm really interested as we have the same background and I'm about to start teaching myself coding this weekend!
I'm 13 years old and I learned Html, Css, JavaScript Quite A Big Achievement For Me
@@ahmednoureldin6659 you will find .
Oh yeah... I’m 42 and just started, lets build a community.
var age = prompt(“Enter your age”);
If (age >= 9) {
console.log(“Learn to code”);
} else {
console.log (“be a child a little bit more”;
}
I wrote my first line of code... ever... when I was 41 years old. I now have apps in the App Store. :) The actual coding part isn't really the hard part. It's coming up with the idea, the design and how you're going to implement it - the logic behind it. You don't technically need to know how to code to get that far.
Nice Paul! I'd agree that overall architecture and design (I'm talking about the structure of your code, not visual design) is the tough part.
Your video is actually what I wanted to watch, I am 34 and I have been asking myself the same so thank you for the video.
One thing I did wrong which cost me almost 3 years of my life was jumping from language to language and from web back-end to front-end to mobile development until I decided to stick with iOS. I recommend everyone to avoid changing development fields especially in the first stage.
That's good advice, Abdulwahab. I've heard of a few of my subscribers running into that same issue (switching languages too much). Glad to hear you enjoyed the video. Happy to help!
Me in the same naughty chain . I have lost almost 4 years for indision tech vs tech. language vs language I had walked almost all common path. but finally I determined to focus on front end developing. please share your last one year experience from posting this comment, sometime I am getting frustrated that what I learn at age 28 some of 18 years old guy already know that.
Great video. I just turned 50 working in supply chain for the last 20 years. I was a CS major and always loved coding but I thought it was too late. For the last 6 months I’ve been building apps learning swift and enjoying it but like someone else mentioned... learning to learn again, believing in yourself and staying motivated are definitely the biggest hurdles.
That's awesome James, keep at it! Let me know if I can help.
Sean Allen much appreciated!
Hey Sean, I checked out your music player app tutorial just now. I’m going to try it tomorrow. Flipping through I saw your video about age.
I’ve been working on learning swift and Xcode for about 3 weeks. I’m 51 (I think that makes me grandpa in the group) and every few days I think I must be too old. I’m going to make myself keep going as long as I can get hold of great tutorials and maybe a live class if I can locate one. I’ve been thinking about this for a couple of years. Finally getting started. Can’t work in construction forever.
Thanks for your words (and all the other commenters) and lessons.
Eric
That's awesome to hear, Eric! It's a long (and not easy) journey, but if you stick with it you can do it. I have a lot of videos on my channel about how I learned. Feel free to reach out via email or Twitter if you get stuck on anything or if I can help.
Great video Sean, as always. I'm also self-taught, started at 23-24. Actually tried before that at Uni but failed. And the 2nd attempt was the right one. Best decision ever. Anyone not convinced yet, just give it a try and see if you like it. That's the best way to know, but dedicate a few months before you decide if you like it or not because the first 2-3 months are hard, especially when you start from scratch.
wise words, Edouard. This is a looooong journey. Patience is key.
I didn't make the switch until much later than Sean. This is my third career after working in technology operations and product management roles in the past. I truly believe that just about anyone, if they have the desire and the focus, can do this. Sean's videos have been a tremendous help and even now that I'm working as an iOS developer I still refer back to them. You can do it! There's a whole community that's ready to help you and an industry that's eager to hire you.
Thanks for sharing Chris... happy I could be of some help along the way in your journey!
Keep on it, Sean! I'm 57. My college programming was Fortran. Did it on IBM punch cards. Mainframe at school was an 8K machine the size of a VW. Did a career of sales and advocacy. Started coding 10 months ago so I could move my PC software title onto the apple system. Thanks for the motivation!
That's awesome, Dennis! Keep at it, and let me know if I can help.
Are you nervous about being too old start start learning how to code? Leave a comment and let's fix that!
I already code using java for Android for some time, but I started to learn ios programming a year ago and I feel that thinks age getting worse, specially to remember stuff. But I will watch more videos (specially yours because I really think they are awesome) and let's see where I get. Thanks for your concern.
I wrote my first code (IBM Macro Assembler) in 1974. I learned Fortran, Cobol PL/I and RPG in my first year. I've picked up C/C++/Pascal/C#/Java/Python and some others along the way. I'm watching your videos to help me get to an expert level in Swift. Every time I learn a new language, I know all the right questions to ask to get up to speed in a hurry. You're answering most of them, Sean. I''m glad you publish new videos all the time.
I’m 42, I have no previous experience, only the passion to succeed.
I’ve been looking at a lot of free online courses, but to be honest I’m finding it really confusing. I feel as though I’m just typing text because I’m being told to type it, I don’t truly understand why I’m typing it other than because that is what the tutor has said.
Any tips for an absolute beginner?
Thanks
Few days ago, I was watching youtube videos about investing in stocks (I am an Accounting graduate) when a video of Mark Zuckerberg came up under the recommended videos to watch. And it is about coding. And it was the start of my curiosity about this subject. I am turning 31 this year. I am not confident if I should pursue learning how to code. Is it too late for me learn it? Actually, I am confused which programming language to learn first. And I really don't know where to start, what to learn first, so on.....Oh, I need advice. 🤔🙏
Any of the modern languages are good. If you live in the Windows world, C# is a good one. Visual Studio code is free and well supported by tutorials. I'd recommend pluralsight.com for learning. In the Mac world, Swift is the top language. Java can be used on most platforms. And, no, you are not too old.
I started JS at 38, and Swift at age 41 :)
I love hearing everyones personal stories about when they started.
Man... You just motivated me to start now. Thank you
At 47 with an oil background, this is pretty motivational. i'ts just getting over the hump and learning how to LEARN is what I find the most difficult.
That's a great point, Harold. Learning how to learn is actually the #1 skill you need as a developer (in my opinion). With technology constantly changing, devs are constantly learning new things. The faster you can learn new things and be competent in them, the better you will be. It gets easier with time and experience too, so don't get discouraged if you're just starting out.
Harold W i m also in same shoes.
I learned at 57 and have recently published my first iOS app. Programming is challenging but very rewarding.
00bikeboy Do you foresee making a living from programming? If so, how would you go about it? Freelance, or landing a job?
Good questions. If I was a young man in my 20s I'd work towards getting a job as a programmer, and gaining experience in an enterprise environment. For this route you'll likely need some sort of educational credential (e.g., certificate, degree) that is, something that will give you some credibility in the eyes of an employer.
Finding the right programming language to study is tricky. Invest some time looking into what's in demand, and what's projected to be in demand. But I'd also look into specializing in some area (e.g., security). Coding can be a good living if you don't mind working for someone else.
At my stage of life I'm working towards making a living as an independent developer, but it's tough. It's not good enough to have a great idea and be a decent programmer. You also have to have an interest in marketing and operating a business. So I'd say it depends on your stage of life, your goals, and your interests.
If you're starting from zero, the good news is that everything you need to know about programming you can get online for free, so you can try learning a language/platform and see if it's right for you.
Best of luck Todd.
Hey Sean, it's me again man. Ever since that structs/class explanation video that you so clearly explained to my soul, I've been watching all of your videos and subscribed for more. Thank god for this channel man, it's helped me out a TON! You really inspire me to create my own channel and share my story and passion for this journey we're all on in the world of code. Thank you so much dude.
Happy to hear it's helping you out, Aaron. Glad to hear about your UA-cam channel as well. Stay tuned... I have a video coming out about that soon.
This is too motivating. I'm 24 and recently I thought about computer programming, now learning that some of the best computer programmers in the world and probably devs of some apps that I downloaded and loved started learning to code at age 30 above. thanks!
Happy to hear it helped you. It's very true... most of the developers I worked with in Silicon Valley were late 20's, 30's and 40's. At 24 years old... you've got PLENTY of time.
Hey Sean, been watching all your videos over the last week or so since I found your channel. Awesome stuff. I have a phone call scheduled with a startup in SF on Tuesday for an internship. Your videos have refreshed my memory on a lot of stuff and encouraged me. Just wanted to say thanks.
Appreciate the kind words, Adam. Hearing things like that motivate me to keep going. Best of luck with the interview!
Sean Allen thanks! And yes please keep going! It’s encouraging for me when I’m not feeling confident.
I'm 35 years old and began teaching myself how to code for 1 year now. Made a complete career change and I love it! I have an interview with Amazon coming up in a few weeks. The fact that I landed an interview with them is just mind blowing for me.
Best of luck in the interview 🍀
im 26 years old and almost done with my computer science degree. I was incredibly worried about this issue, and I am so glad I found this video. I was in the navy as well so that is also why ive started so late.
Love your videos man, you earned another subscriber.
Thanks Wesmoto! Glad you found the channel, and I hope you enjoy it. The coding videos are focused on Swift and iOS development, but I also do a lot of general career advice and tips stuff as well. Thanks for the sub!
@@seanallen Ive gleaned that from already watching about a dozen. I enjoy all things programming/tech so whatever you post ill be interested in
Sean, thanks for posting this video... I am currently in the Military, and plan to retire in the next few years (I am 40 now)... I have just recently picked up coding/iOS Dev over the last year, and even started my own MeetUp just to meet others like me who are eager to learn. I would like to make this my second career after the service, and have been motivated from hearing your story... Thanks for all the info and videos you have posted, as it has helped keep me focused to stay on course and keep learning!
That's awesome to hear, Andrew! Let me know if I can be of any help.
Im 39, was messing with python with a few years on and off in my spare time, I started C# two weeks ago as part of learning game Dev in Unity . . Its going great, really enjoying it!
That's awesome to hear, Ian. Enjoying it is half the battle!
Man I'm 32 years old and I was watching that video saying I'm too old to start , you just motivated me and now I'm 2 weeks into coding started my first course hopefully I'll get better fast , thanks bro .best of luck .
Happy to hear that! I'm 38 now, and it's the best decision I ever made.
Oh my God, you saved my life. I am a beginner programmer and facing the job market at the age of 30. Sometimes I feel too old to go on, because this market is dominated by young people. Thanks for the example and for bringing positive points like maturity. Thanks a lot
You are right! I have a background computer degree but I worked for years in logistics and marketing. Until I find out that I really love and want to code, especially mobile development. I am already 1.5 years mobile developer and I love it. I am 42 years old and working as a freelancer iOS Developer and interviewing for full-time Developer.
Awesome! Best of luck in the interviews. Let me know how it goes!
Thank you for this video. My initial career is feeling like a relationship you don't emotionally belong in any more. It's a horrible feeling. But I am moving towards tech learning and starting to learn little by little. It's tough but what you said is so true. Thank you.
Happy to help James. If you have any questions about getting started, please feel free to reach out 👍
Thanks man. I was too worried for starting at 28 . But after this video I get really hopeful about being a developer
I'm 30 years old and am ready for a career change. I've been researching and am going to go all in on iOS development. This video and your story is extremely reassuring.
I’m 32, worked as a paralegal for 13 years and now getting into coding! Loving it so far and this video was such great motivation. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed the video, Sarahi! I know the feeling. It's awesome to be doing something you love doing. Coding is my job AND my hobby... that's pretty cool.
Great that you are happy with your choice! 😊 I quit my job as a lawyer and started studying Software Engineering at 32. I couldn't be more happy with my decision. :)
don't do it, you could regret later. As a lawyer your career just started, as a SE you are too old.
Sean Allen, always inspirational. Thank you for your videos.
Glad you enjoyed it, Mikhail!
30, just started my JS journey. hope for the best.
Sean, I am now 33 and I am writing my first code at 33. thank you for the inspiration and now I know its not too late for me :D ... thanks again
Happy to help 😀
@@seanallen 😀
Go Sean! ... shout out from a fellow 37 year old iOS Dev ;-) ... Your videos inspire me ... so keep 'em coming man ... BTW, I was subscribed to more than 100+ channels on UA-cam and getting addicted to binging on UA-cam Videos. I have been unsubscribing to channels and guess what I have been left with only 1 channel where I look forward to listen to what is being said and its related what I wanna do as a full time career and thats your channel man. So again keep posting all the great stuff!!
That's awesome to hear Devang! I really appreciate the support, and it makes me happy to hear the channel is helping you out.
I'm just gonna leave this comment here for future reference. I'm 25, got a degree in agriculture, learnt graphic designing from UA-cam. got myself an average job as a designer for a start up advertising agency. I so much wanna advance into coding. this video has motivated me a lot, thanks Sean!.
I'm a little biased, but learning to code was one of the best decisions I made in life. Keep at it!
I solved my first automation problem at age of 35 and got hooked to the game ever since. Have build a few project frameworks in few programming languages ever since including groovy, powershell, vbscript and java. So yes, you are right, you can learn coding at any age if you get hooked to it, like a sport.
I'll be 55 this year. Have been programming professionally for 20 years. The only time your going to experience ageism is when you stop producing and stagnate on your skill set. Oh, and yes you will be working with those MUCH younger. Advise there. Don't be a D##k and just chill. If your producing, and serious, that will really overshadow the age gap.
Good insights, Rick. Thanks for sharing!
rick Have you ever seen a 50 year old junior developer?
I graduated with someone who was 55. He got a job at lockheed martin. Good luck. Dont let age get in the way of your dreams.
@@toddboothbee1361 this is a great question
Rick, I am looking to learn coding not necessarily to find a job in coding but to put my business idea to life. I am kind of frustrated with seeking someone to work to help my dreams to fruition. Basically that is my motive behind wanting to do coding. By the way, I am 57. Do you think I am crazy or simply mad?
Hey Sean i really like your videos too much . Always too motivational . I am too doing development from long time and i also really like the things when i do and see the changes .
Happy to hear you like them Jitendra! Thanks for watching.
I am a 34 year old Doctor, with no previous experience with computers whatsoever. In fact, only two years ago I learned how to sum two cells on a spread sheet. Now I am learning how to code and develop apps on my own, I never knew how much fun, despite its difficulty, coding can be. Now I working really hard teaching my self how to code, even thought I am also preparing for a major medical residency exam. I study for more than 12 hours a day, 6 of which are dedicated to coding.
I really wanna thank you for your video, and for keeping me motivated.
That's awesome to hear. Are you looking to change careers, or are you just looking to code on the side? I'd be interested to hear about a doctor changing careers to a developer.
Trust me I never knew that I would fall in love with coding one day. Now I am digging deep in both worlds, Medicine and Coding. There are still a lot of dots to connect between the two I believe.
Funny thing, I've never told any one that I'm learning to code. Even my wife doesn't know.
Your secrets safe with me...
@@nzjishi coding as a hobby is differ than coding at work. So better go to medical field and earn 10 times more average software engineer. But if you radiologist for example, coding skills could be very beneficial for you. Especially learn deep learning and image processing stuff.
Nice video brother, i just started learning to code and program with Python. I would like to create games, apps and KI robots and drones in future so this is why i decided to start now at age of 24. I was laughed at years ago or even today because some ppl think you need to be a genius for all that.
Thanks for inspiration and wish me success haha :D
Best of luck. You got this!
I just really want to say thank you very much because I'm very much. I've always been into technical support part of everything I've done since I was 20 years old. I see and I have somewhat of common sense of what's in the back end of websites but I'm 46 right now. Believe it or not I don't look it I don't feel it and I still have that energy to keep learning more. But I've been holding back from going to school because I don't want to be one of the oldest ones in class which I may be the oldest one. But you made a lot of sense about what you said. I have to say because of my outgoing personality and I'm a team player I've never had any type of discrimination. So I'm actually going to sign up and do this and since it actually has caught my attention for a couple years now I might as well take a step and do it. Thank you very much once again
That's awesome to hear. Comments like this make my day. I think you'll be VERY happy with your decision 😀
@@seanallen thank you Sean I'll let you know
Age is but a number. When there's a will, there's a way. Determination, Dedication, and Ambition are what matters. No one will mock others just because of age anyway, right? Thanks for this.
Wise words. 👍
then explain this to google or facebooks HR manager
wow the passion. hope to get there one day.
Keep at it, and you will 👍
I think a lot of people get this idea that you have to start coding at 7 years old in order to become a great developer. I thought I was too old at 24 when compare to the 18 year olds doing their CS degree. I went to college already so it doesn't make sense for me to go back again so I felt I was at a disadvantage. But watching your journey has really opened my eyes from just watching UA-cam tutorials to now actually taking a step towards an unfamiliar field! "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the second best time is now."
That's awesome to hear that I've inspired you to pursue this seriously. Feel free to reach out if I can help!
I started 6 months ago in sql and java, I’m loving it ( I’m 37 😊)
I'd just turned 18 when I got my first real exposure to computing, during the spring semester of 1972, programming in Fortran IV on punched cards, which I took to the altar counter where the card reader sat and where the priests operators would dispense fan-fold printouts. That went pretty well, but I just couldn't wrap my head around PL/I the following semester, else I might have switched to a computer science major and stayed in school instead of dropping out after two years. (I did finally finish a bachelor's, at another school, nine years after graduating from high school.) I continued to be casually interested in computing, but it wasn't until the Mac was announced, in January '84, that I really began to pay attention again, but the Mac was pricey so I settled on an Atari 8-bit machine, followed by an Atari 1040ST, for which I also got the dev kit ($300), but learning C and how it was used in Atari's OS proved to be too steep a learning curve, so I sold that and switched to a PC clone running MS-DOS for awhile, before selling that and getting a Pentium clone (beginning to dabble in HTML), followed by first one Amiga, then a much faster Amiga. It was on that second Amiga that I did my first real program, in C, which drew a map from code and then scrolled it so the mouse pointer, left in the middle of the screen, would trace a route. But, as with Atari before it, Commodore showed signs of stagnation, so I bailed out rather than invest myself further in that platform and went without a computer from early 1997 until late 1998, when I got my first Mac, running some version of System 8. That was nice, but it wasn't until OS X came along that I was really hooked. Unfortunately, an iMac wasn't well suited to my circumstances at the time, so it wasn't until I got an iBook (sometimes called iceBook because of the white plastic case) that I really became an active Mac user, and more serious about learning HTML, CSS, and Javascript until I realized I wasn't going to be able to accomplish what I wanted to do using web technologies, at which time I stopped pushing in that direction and looked for a way to switch to native development. This was about the time that Xcode was released, and so I started to learn Objective-C and the ways of frameworks. I turned 50 shortly after Xcode came out, but that didn't keep me from grasping the basics well enough to write a working program www.well.com/user/satyr/755/RatioKeyboard/HRKS_0.1b.zip or from going on to write an app for the iPad that was accepted onto the App Store in 2010. I'm 64 now, and my 18 year-old self wouldn't stand a chance of keeping up with me as I am now, after all the false-starts and dead-ends I've encountered along the way. To be sure, that's confidence born of experience, and starting from scratch now would be a challenge, but I think it mostly comes down to really understanding conditionals and divergent paths of execution, and those are generalizable from just about any sort of experience, whether computer related or not, from life experience.
Thanks for sharing your story, John. This is a testament to the fact that you're always learning as a developer, no matter how experienced you are. And even if something doesn't work out, that experience is still valuable. Good stuff, John 👍
Oh man, this is great and very inspirational story for me because I have similar experiences and thoughts like service in the army too, first line of code after 30 and thoughts that programming is only for the math wizards.
I thought you'd like some of those videos 😁
Sean...I'm 59 and learning Swift. Too old? No way!
Hell yeah! Love that. Not too old at all.
I’m 59 and I’m thinking about going to Northwestern University boot camp next fall...I’m excited about trying this career
not too old to learning but to earning money - this is another story
Sean,
First of all thanks for the experience and knowledge you share.
I think that maybe no-one is too old, but there are some specific subject which needs to be deeper known. For example it's so so difficult to became an low-level programmer or even game dev (and I don't mind iOS games 😅).
And next important thing - learning programming doesn't has to mean being a specialist and get a job in that. I think that people need it to became rich except to realizing some great apps for themselves.
Thanks for the video man, I am in the stage of change all! I am Head chef with 14 year over in kitchen, but I am tired f the environment. Thank you again!
Happy to help Felipe! Best of luck in your coding journey!
Thanks for such an honest video..Love it.
Happy to help. Glad you liked it!
“Little older, little wiser...”
I can absolutely relate to that,
for instance one friend of mine, who’s from CS background,
kinda frowned upon my decision to devote myself in coding from time to time....
Great video, very encouraging to others.
Just another great video as always.
Just shed some light on the gray area which is sensitive but it's not the case everywhere. It's always the manager who wants to work with you. If you are old-er or you feel you are older than the person who is going to be giving you directions at work then you should accept the fact that you have to be happy doing that. You have to show that you want to WORK period. And you don't care who is the leader. Once you send this message and you are really getting along with teams then you should be fine. Recruitment managers are always worried about the personalities than anything else. They simply don't want some one who is a pain every time.
I agree, Mujtaba. That's what I meant when I said "it's usually only an issue if YOU make it an issue". If you are a team player, you should be fine. Well said.
I've applied for Software Engineering degree (because I think it will give the knowledge needed), but awaiting for my final decision. I intend to devolp my skills and never stop learning. I like to learn. I am 30. Hope it is not too late. Changing career is a very common situation these days but I am afraid of my age. I'd like to have my own house and family by now. But First things first. No need to rush. I also want to work somewhere else then my home country (somewhere in Europe like Germany, Switzerland or Netherlands). Don't mind to learn new languages, just need to stay focus and see. Good luck everyone.
Only just watched this video! Very inspiring! I think my problem is I am on a decent wage as a project manager and my hardest hump is taking a low paid junior role. I guess it depends how much you want it!
You hit the nail on the head. It just depends on how bad you want it. In any career change, it's going to be hard to make a lateral move when it comes to salary. They way I thought about it was... 2 steps backward now for 10 steps forward over the long run.
Thank you for sharing your story that is motivating 🌷
Glad you enjoyed it!
I've worked for a variety of people and age, race, gender etc has never been an issue. I maintain being down to earth, open minded, happy to learn, or teach with a good work ethic. So far, for several years, I've had a great experience, and developed very nice relationships with my superiors, managers, and colleagues alike. I totally agree with Sean. Try to enjoy the challenge, be understanding and positive. Developing is an intellectually stimulating task and hopefully you should always be learning. Becoming better, driving for excellent code, producing that product gives me satisfaction, and I hope the same is experienced in any craft. So as for age? Can your brain work, can it learn? Are you hungry, or curious, or passionate? Then sorted.
Thanks for sharing that Warrd. Happy to hear you've had a similar experience 😀
I have been learning swift for few month now and I like time to time watch these kind of videos, cause sometimes I find myself thinking "I'm 29 ... am I too old for this??"
So thank You for this motivating video!
Glad to hear it helped out! 29 is certainly NOT too old!
42 here. Hoping to learn the basics over the winter HTML, CSS, and Javascript over the winter. Figurong out online resources and classes now.
Nice, Keith! HMTL/CSS is what I learned first as well. It got my coding career started.
Hey thanks for the video. I'm looking to make a career change also. After 10 years in the Navy and 15 years in a demanding public service job I'm completely burned out. I've always been interested in computers and after creating a few website coding interested me to but I've been thinking that it's too late to learn a completely new skill. So it's nice to know that it's not too late for an old C. O. N. E. R. to learn a new SKILL. Run silent Run Deep brother
Hey Robert, thanks for sharing that. It's certainly not too late! I'd be happy to help get ya started if you decide iOS development and Swift is the path you want to take. It's the best decision I've ever made.
Sean Allen. I'm actually not certain what I want to learn. Part of me feels like I should get into app development like IOS and Android. But I have been playing with python and that interest me too. I've been hearing that learning full stack development is the best. If I were to go to a boot camp that is most likely what I would do. With the information I know so far.
That's my biggest piece of advice... whatever path you choose, make sure you choose the one you're MOST interested in. Learning to code can be tough, so if you're only kinda interested, you're more likely to give up. Most of the time having a passion for what you're learning will get you through those tough times.
@Sean Allen you saved my life. thanks so much for your opinion
Happy I could help, Yadullah!
37 started at 36 if you have the mind for it never too old
100%
I can't wait for 100% to die. I think I have had too many people tell me its 100% or even worse 110% done and when they say that its never 100% done. None the less keep up the great work you make some of the best videos.
Haha, I have fallen victim to rapid comment response. Trying to respond to everyones comments (and not say the same thing every time), sometimes I miss the mark. But thanks for the kind words on the videos. More on the way!
Yeah, i know it's important to engage! Funny story I found your videos a while ago but when I took a Swift class my instructor refers to your Videos for review.
Interesting... what Swift class is this? A local in person one? Or an online one?
Well I felt like I’m late iOS Dev until I see you and the comments now, I began using Swift 3 months ago and i have so much to look for but i managed to share an app on app store(even there are many bugs, mistakes). Mistakes and unknows doesn’t hurt me and make my progress stop. It only brings more eager to learn. I’m 23 btw
We all had to start somewhere, Ege! Glad to hear you're starting your journey. At the age of 23... you have PLENTY of time. You have a 10 year head start on me!
Thank you for the video! I actually just started learning Python and HTML three weeks ago and coincidentally, I am 28 years old. My first day starting, I wanted to explode from the frustration of having had a “late” start.
Three weeks later, although I’m still far from a pro, it feels amazing to see my progress. Your video and your story really reinforced to me that I wasn’t too late, and the confidence I feel from the ability to start over and teach myself anything is incredible.
Your video needs to go viral. I think everyone should hear this story. Thank you so much for sharing!
I worked in my studio with Image Manipulation and Pre-Press until my 35 years, today I'm 44 and I'm Software Engeneer at almost 10 years and my studio is only for graphic software development, I say this, it's only late if you want, never take into account what others may think, and yes what you think!
That's awesome, Paulo! Love hearing all these stories.
I was a professional musician. I went to university, have a degree in music, etc. I changed carrier when I was 33. Still very involved in music but I'm fascinated with technology and have a passion for learning new tech. Now I want to transition into iOS development and I'm 52. Yes, all my coworkers are younger than me but that is not a problem at all.
Thanks for sharing Alex. I love hearing stories like these.
Alex Labanino Thats awesome 👏
Exactly my story except I'm 34 now and still por music but COVID pretty much wiped out my schedule and I feel right now is the perfect opportunity to learn a new skill. Music will always be my love but I LOVE tech and I have so many ideas all the time. I feel coding would be an invaluable tool to have in my toolbox for future ventures. Correct me if I'm wrong!?
I’m turning 41 in 2 weeks and I’ve just started looking for iOS jobs. It’s never too late!
If you have the chops you get hired. I started in my late 20's and taught myself iOS. Just be good and work hard.
I agree, Garret. Like I said in the video, if you have the talent and you're great to work with... age likely won't be an issue.
Thanks for this video! 🥇
I wrote my first line of code around 17, I'm 40 now. Like almost anything in life, you have to have a general goal that motivates you. If you don't have that goal, it's going to be tough. Ironically, my big goal in programming is to never have to look at a screen ever again once I have attained a certain level of income. But it's still my main goal.
What ur goal is to never look at the screen anymore ? Does it even makes sense ? Lol
I admire you man!
Thanks!
I wrote my first lines of C when I was 40. I'm now retired and starting back into coding with Swift. You are never too old but you need to be mentally flexible.
Agreed. Happy to help if you need any help getting started with Swift!
Thanks! @@seanallen
Coding is magic! I work on Android :) yet, I love your videos :D
Thanks Leul. Happy to hear you can get enjoyment from my videos even if you're not working on iOS.
Great video.
With 30 just weeks away I am constantly telling myself it is too late to have any expectations of getting competent at coding. Even if I achieved a decent level of skill I worry I am too old to be a part of a start-up team or be hired. The major limitation in my case is balancing time coding each day with the responsibilities that come with a demanding career, relationship and financial commitments.
Having completed 8 years of study in an unrelated field I regret not picking the engineering/coding path from the start.
Your video, and the additional comments by viewers are definitely motivating so a big thanks to all sharing experiences.
Happy to hear you read through the comments. There are a lot of great stories in there. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or doubts. It's not too late!
Thanks for your words bro. I'm 20 now and thinking i cant change lol. Because my parents dont want it only bcs i already did 2.5 years accountant. But i'm studying at home and i'll see what happen next.
Of course your relationship with your parents is important. But ask anyone older than you... 20 years old is still VERY young. Don't let 2.5 years invested as an accountant trap you into a professional life you aren't going to enjoy.
Thank you man!
Us loners need your motivation. Thank you.
Glad you got some motivation from it 😀
thank you for your time
im 33 now and i want to shift career, youre inspiring!
You got this!
I agree Sean, I don't think you are too old to learn to code.
I was in the Navy many years ago.
Was trained as an Electronics Tech.
Finished my enlistment then went to college and
graduated with an Engineering degree.
Worked as an Engineer for many years.
Had some C++ training but never used it.
I retired early and now I am learning to code in Swift in Xcode.
It is nothing like what I learned in college 20 years ago.
Studying and working in computer code develops and maintains
your brain memory and cognitive skills.
The Geriatric doctors have always said that as you get older you should do a lot
to exercise your brain like learn a new language (spoken language).
I guess learning a new computer language is the same.
Several years ago there was Jepardy contestant who was one of the greatest winners of all time.
He was sharp. He was a Software Engineer.
That's awesome to here, Glenn! I agree... never stop learning!
I am 30 now and started about three months ago.A lot of people in 20s or even teenagers got a head start and they are pretty good. A lot of younger developers are probably junior developers becoming intermediate developers. Or even lead iOS developers in some cases. I am not bothered with the idea that people who got a head start will always be better. I mean, this programming career is not a 100m sprint, this is probably more of a marathon. Slow and steady wins the race, right? Also this is about me being a better developer today than I was yesterday. Comparing myself to others is probably not a good thing. However, when I reach my year mark in nine months, I want to really feel like I have come such a long way for a guy who was doing iOS development for just a year. I am not looking for short cuts and easy way out, but what are very effective approaches to get the most out of times you invested?
Keep at it, James... you'll be shocked to see how far you've come at your one year mark. And if you need proof, just open up an old project that you haven't touched in a long time, and you'll laugh at how bad your code was. As for what you can do to maximize your time investment, I always preach complete immersion. Podcasts, UA-cam, Blogs, etc... just completely immerse yourself in all things Swift, even in your "down time". Driving to work or going for a walk... listen to a Swift podcast while doing it. Little things like that really add up over the long run.
Words can't describe how awesome your UA-cam contents are. Loving the technical contents and tips on how iOS industry works. I watch your videos all the time. I will keep your advices in mind. Thanks!
I don’t even think it’s s race. Because we all benefit from others work. Or we wouldn’t have computers to compute. It’s what you do with it that matters.
I am in the same shoes and to be honest, I searched for this question, because of course I have my doubt, but watching the video and looking at the comments gave me a lot of help :)
Love ya man - great T too 👌
Thanks Frank!
I just graduated at 50 and I am getting offers so you are never too old.
That’s awesome. And I completely agree!
Hey Sean, thanks for sharing so much of your storying on how to become an iOS developer. And you inspired me a lot. I am 30 now and just start learning Swift in my own time(after work, weekend, holiday), and hopefully I could become an iOS developer as quick as you did. At the moment I am just learning it by reading "the Swift programming language" and watching UA-cam videos to duplicate whatever the youtuber was doing in their videos. But now I kind of don't know what is the next step to go, I just want to ask if you could give some suggestions? Thanks a lot Sean.
Tutorials and learning online is a great start. But the REAL learning begins when you actually try to make an app on your own. Think of a simple app idea (I say simple so that you can complete it). It doesn't have to go on the app store or anything, just a simple feature that you can build. You'll learn a lot, and start building projects for your portfolio.
Thanks Sean.
i started with php and html css kind of stuff like that when i was 11 years old
I think ageism is much less of a problem these days than it was years ago. Back in the day when people stayed for a long time with a company they may not want to hire someone who will retire in just 10 years, but these days they expect keen young people to move onto something different in a few years anyways.
I agree. Especially here in Silicon Valley. The typical tenure at a company is roughly 2 years.
So long as a person relatively free of dementia, I assume he or she can learn how to code. The question is, can that person make a living with that new skill? First, can he or she get hired after a certain age? Though it's true that as we age we become more productive, I know of no companies that would hire, say, a fifty year old junior web developer. The other prospect might be freelance web dev. Is it worth the grind? Does the coder live in an area large enough and rich enough to support his or her new business?
Good points, Todd. Everyone's situation and location is unique, and these are great questions to ask yourself.
This is the crux of the issue right here. Learning to code at a more advanced age is one thing, actually getting hired is another thing entirely. I've got an app in the App Store with another on the way. I live and breath iOS development and am constantly honing my skills and learning new things but I find my prospects for getting a job doing it pretty bleak because I don't see any employer taking a chance on a 49 year old junior developer.
Have you been turned down a lot in your job search? Or are these your assumptions? Of course, every market is different, and I’m not saying ageism doesn’t exist, but I certainly don’t think it’s impossible. Have you thought about freelancing/contracting at all?
@@seanallen Five months later! (Ooops!)These are my assumptions--I haven't been turned for a job except when I was 12 and wanted to go working on a sword fishing boat from Maine to the Bahamas. My assumptions arise and grow from never receiving a yes to the question "has anyone seen a 50yr old junior developer."
I code anyway, and enjoy the discomfort and excitement of finding out how ignorant I am.
I WISH I WOULD HAVE STARTED AT 33...I'M 51 !!!!! LOL
I am 40 and started coding 3 months ago. On the other hand, I am not in a good mood.
Not too late!
What you think about lambda school iOS development bootcamp
Thanks for this video. It was really inspiring! I do however have a really insecure nature and I have had a pretty shitty youth.... became a father at young age and I thus started working in sales or a factory just to pay the bills. I met a new gf at age 20 where I have been together with for 7 years.. got 3 kids and went to school at age 24 learning some programming. Now I got an internship as wordpress developer and I can work with html, css, ( sass) end I know some basic php. I am femilliar with bootstrap and flexbox but I dont know anything about jquery. Now the thing I struggle with most is... I started this path because I wanted to be able to build my own websites, and sell them having worked in sales for a long time. Now that I help build sites I realise there is so much to it ( design, paperwork, wishes and hosting and whatnot), so i kinda changed my goal to learning first. I am fine staying where I am now. I like it here. I am however mostly copy -pasting code and adjusting it to my needs. I never am able to produce something from scratch or the top of my head and I am mostly too tired to do this is in my spare time aswell... I love the company I work for. Its a better job then sales or factory work. But I feel a bit too old/slow learner. Did I make a wrong turn here? How to get out of this idea and start enjoying to code more?
My best advice is to be patient. Learning to code is difficult and it takes time. I've been a developer for 4 years now, and I'm still learning every day. Its a profession where you'll never feel like master because technology is constantly changing and you always have to learn something new.
i wrote my first line when im 40, now im 41 and its a year i started python
That's awesome. Never too old. Keep at it!
thanks man, appreciate it, and im mostly interested in game developing and django. i have some basic tutorials also im my channel and some programs in my git, and one thing i couldnt find out is the full reference for turtle module!! even official documentation didnt cover everything , thanks again
I have this visual plan for an app that I have put together in OneNote. I need to transform this into an iOS App -- where should I begin from? I am 42.5 years old.
The next step after a visual plan would be to design the screens in a program like Sketch, Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, etc... Once you have your design, you can start building the screens, which you'll need to know how to use Xcode and write Swift. To learn that, I would recommend the beginner videos on my channel (look for the playlist). Or check out store.raywenderlich.com/a/20866/link/1 or gumroad.com/a/762098803
I'm 21 years old and i think that i'm too old to code because a lot of my peers started coding at the age of 10 or 12. Sometimes i feel so discouraged because almost everyone has the edge on me
Not the case at all. I was 32, and I know TONS of people that didn't start util they were in their 30's or later and are doing VERY well for themselves. Don't worry about your peers and do you. It's your life. If you want to code, then learn to code. If you enjoy it and are good at it... it's an amazing profession.
@@seanallen yes that's true of course. I assume you started with JS? I'm currently on my 12th day of learning javascript. it's fun but also tough. Ihope iget at least decent in JS before the Uni (College) starts for me. Thanks for the reply btw!
Nope. I went all in on iOS development and Swift from day 1. I knew I wanted to develop software for Apple products, so my path was pretty clear. Happy to help 😀
@@seanallen Maybe it's just a mindset thing because i'm not a nerdy guy. Istruggle quite a lot with JS which is not a good sign when you wanna go into backend Development.
Thanks
Cool video! I’m 38 and I was put into a rare situation at my job where I was transferred to IT, with no IT back ground AT ALL (long story). Short version is that we are in the middle of changing ERP’s to Oracle|Netsuite and I serve as an Administrator for the ERP. The IT Director said that learning JavaScript would come in handy and he signed me up for Lynda.com. I’m trying to stay positive while self-educating, not because I’m not up for the challenge, but because I find myself saying to myself, “Dude, you’re already 38 and don’t have a clue about coding. By the time you somewhat master this, you’ll be 43 and no one will hire you again in IT or a programmer, if you ever leave here.” What do you think? Is 38 too late in the game to learn coding and make a good living?
I mean, I was 33 when I made the change... I don't feel like that 5 year gap is much of a difference. Sure, it'll take you a while to master... but not being a master won't prevent you from getting hired. I'm only 3 years into my career, and I do alright.
got a job as java programmer at 36 now I have 2 years work experiences it's never too late but to be honest coding isn't easy for me XD
Are you familiar with zuitt bootcamp. I am interested. Any idea with the cost?
I haven't heard of that one
need advice on which language to learn first or which path one should go?
This depends on what platform you want to develop for. Front end web development? Back end web development? Mobile?
ill be 30 in May and i felt the same haha!
Still SUPER young....
hi do you know the application class dojo
It is a beautiful application but there is a curious curiosity and I searched for it and did not find a solution
Is when 1 - the teacher to create a class and add the names of student takes a code like(p23eert0l) and sends them to add the classroom. I want to learn about how i can do like that . Can you explain i think you t
I'm not sure I fully understand the question, but either way that's a lot to answer in just a comment.
ah so I try to say it in an easy way Let anyone help me i'm implementing an application using Xcode&firebase
It is supposed to make the user create a class room and have a code like(pt66ssgl) that enables students to enter the
class room through it، this the idea
so i put 2 view controller the first have textfield to allow to write name of classroom and 1button to save the name in database&send it to table view and1table view to show the name of class room & go to next view control to add name of student in another table
so the problem i can't make in firebase child classroom inside it child student !! i want this two child remaining and when create one of class the child of student crate direct and not forget the code create with every class room
just that
I know I wrote a lot but please try to understand
Some may find it trivial or easy but for me it is difficult and I have searched a lot and i didn't found any help
So anyone with knowledge to help me
Thank you very much
I’m a 34 year old lady I have no idea what’s swift but I’d like to learn, where should I start ?
Swift is Apple's programming language to build applications for iPhones, iPads, iMacs, etc... You will need a Mac to build with it. I have a course designed for absolute beginners at seanallen.teachable.com/p/ios-dev-launchpad
@@seanallen Thank you so much.
Hi Sean, I really enjoyed your video on how you produced your resume. I was wondering if you could please send me a template for your resume so that I can produce my own resume. Thanks so much :))
Hey James, glad you liked the resume! My resume wasn't a template that I used. I designed it from scratch in a program called Sketch. So there's not really a template to give out.
Thanks Sean: keep up the good work on the videos. I really enjoy them & find them encouraging as a budding iOS programmer. You’re the man 😊
Thanks for the kind words, James!