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If you're over the age of 20, you might think you're too old to learn how to code. But 56 year old VM Vaughn's here to tell you that's not true. In this podcast, he shares his epic beat-down of his critical inner self and lays out his path towards an exciting second career.

Written by VM Vaughn: https://twitter.com/vmvaughn

Read by Abbey Rennemeyer: https://twitter.com/abbeyrenn

Original article:\xa0https://fcc.im/2oJnBY1

Learn to code for free at:\xa0https://www.freecodecamp.org

Intro music by Vangough:\xa0https://fcc.im/2APOG02

Transcript:\xa0

I\u2019m 56 years old and learning to code.

Why? Because I love it. And I\u2019ve got a knack for it.

That doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s easy. It\u2019s hard. And that\u2019s OK.

I love losing myself in an algorithm challenge. I love squeezing in a few extra minutes testing just one more thing. I love thinking \u201cmaybe I\u2019ve got it this time.\u201d And getting to \u201cYes! It finally works!\u201d

But here\u2019s the thing. I\u2019ve never been one for hobbies. I don\u2019t like activities that don\u2019t pay. I can\u2019t keep on doing something simply for the fun of it.

What I work on during my off time has to have some economic upside for me.

OK, coding pays. It can pay big. So what\u2019s the problem?

Well, before I could fully embrace myself as a 56-year-old programming rookie, I had to deal with my Critical Inner Self (let\u2019s call him CIS for short).

Learning all this stuff is hard enough without my CIS whispering in my ear the whole time.

If I can give my CIS an epic beat-down, then I should be able to handle anyone who appears to work on his behalf. And these agents of CIS often appear out of no where, asking critical questions.

CIS: Why are you doing this at your age?

Me: What you really mean is how much longer will I live. And do I really have enough time left to make money programming. Let\u2019s break that down.

I\u2019m an American. My life expectancy is 78.8 years. So that means I\u2019ve got a better than average chance of living another 22.8 years. That may not seem like a lot when you\u2019re 20, but I\u2019m 56 and dancing in the street over here.

(And because I\u2019m 56, I\u2019ve got better odds of making it to 78 than a 20 year old. But that\u2019s beside the point.)

Now, let\u2019s say I\u2019m a snail and it takes me 4 years to finish Free Code Camp\u2019s 1-year curriculum to become a fledgling full stack developer. That puts me at 60 years old looking for a job as a junior developer.

Let\u2019s say it takes me another 2 years to land a job because of my age, and let\u2019s assume that 70 is the limit for how long an employer wants me hanging around.

That\u2019s 8 years to practice my craft. That\u2019s plenty of runway to get pretty good. And because I\u2019ve been around the block and know the grass ain\u2019t always greener on the other side, I\u2019m much more likely to stay with that employer who hired me first.

What 20-year-old stays with their first developer job that long?

CIS: But who\u2019s going to pay you the kind of money that you already make now?

Me: You could ask me that even if I didn\u2019t learn to program. But I know what you\u2019re getting at. Chances are an entry level developer job will pay me less than I\u2019m making now.

Well here\u2019s a thought for you. My paycheck is less today than it was five years ago. And that\u2019s with 5 more years of experience.

There\u2019s no guarantee that the job I have now will last. And when it doesn\u2019t, I\u2019ll have to find a new job anyway. At my age, I very well may have to accept entry level wages doing something\u2026 anything.

I\u2019d rather have the skills and portfolio to go for an entry level position that can lead to much greater earnings\u200a\u2014\u200aor at least the ability to beat the bushes and pick up some freelance work.

CIS: But all the big tech companies want to hire young kids right out of college.

Me: That\u2019s easy. I don\u2019t want to move to Silicon Valley and I\u2019m not looking to work for a big tech company.

You\u2019ve read the same stats as me. By 2020 there will be 1,000,000 more programming jobs than people trained to fill them. Not all of those openings will be at the \u201cbig 4\u201d\u200a\u2014\u200aGoogle, Facebook, Amazon, or Microsoft. In fact, most programming jobs aren\u2019t even in the technology industry.

My first computer job was in a hospital. I didn\u2019t program, but most of the employees in the IT department were programmers.

And that was way back in 1982.

CIS: Then how are you going to get a job?

Me: First things first, I\u2019m going to apply to a lot of jobs, build a network of hiring managers, and make sure I get a lot of interviews. It\u2019s a numbers game and I\u2019m going to play it.

All that wonderful stuff I did before the year 2000? Gone from my resume.

Once I\u2019m in the door for an interview, it\u2019s not like I\u2019m going to act like someone\u2019s grandfather. I\u2019ll be just another candidate who\u2019s passionate about programming and excited to learn more. And I won\u2019t act like I know more than I do.

And most importantly, I\u2019ll be prepared for common coding challenges and whiteboard interview questions.

I\u2019m sure I\u2019ll mess up a few interviews. But the good news? There are plenty of companies out there hiring developers. I\u2019ll keep trying.

CIS: Programming teams are full of young people. How are you going to fit in?

Me: If by \u201cfit in\u201d you mean how do I become one of the bros? In that case, you\u2019re right. I won\u2019t fit in.

At my current job, I show up every day knowing that somebody at work has something to teach me. So I listen. I don\u2019t presume to know everything that\u2019s going on in my boss\u2019s day, so I give him a break. And when I mess up, I say so.

That\u2019s how I\u2019ve fit in at every job I\u2019ve had over the last 36 years.

CIS: You\u2019ve got a decent job. Why not just accept it? You are where you\u2019re going to be, especially at your age.

Me: Accept it? Too late. I\u2019ve already re-framed it.

Learning to program energizes me. Working toward a second career gives me the boost I need to get through the daily slog of the one I\u2019ve got now.

And really? You know where I\u2019m going to be at 60, 70, and (hopefully) beyond? I sure don\u2019t.

CIS: How do you know you\u2019re not just wasting time?

Me: What you\u2019re really asking is: \u201cWhat if you don\u2019t get a 9-to-5 paycheck after this?\u201d

My answer: \u201cSo what?\u201d

I can get good enough, in time enough, to program well enough:

to build web apps to build an audience\u2026and offer them even more value from my billable services.

to grow a web business helping local businesses grow and nurture their own customers.

to combine my programming know-how with existing SaaS APIs to offer a productized service to a niche community.

To put it another way, I can learn how to build an idea. To put it out there for people to use. To offer value. To make money.

With or without a 9-to-5 J.O.B.

So that\u2019s why even though I\u2019m 56, I\u2019m learning to code.