Is it possible to learn enough programming through free online resources and books to get a job?

Question

I am an accounting professional, graduated UC Berkeley with an econ degree. I always regretted not learning programming well enough to get a career in it and it seems to have much better salaries and job growth than accounting.

My siblings are discouraging me from pursuing a career switch to programming and software dev because I am 24 years old and didnt grow up programming like many of my peers. Is it possible to get good enough to land a decent paying job in software dev in Los Angeles? I dont want to hear atypical success stories from random people who were hired by coding bootcamps to praise their programs, I want to hear your story or your friends' stories, good or bad, and what educational route you took, traditional or nontraditional. And lastly, I could use any advice you've got.

Answer 1

24 years old is still a good time to learn (even if a little late). I’ve been using free sources and tutorials to learn and I’m doing great.

I do think that you’d need a bachelors in conputer science before being hired though.

Answer 2

Yeah seems like theres a strong bias towards hiring those who have a proven high GPA at a top university. It makes sense. I tried to take Python and Java at UC Berkeley and that stuff was hard. If I had tried another college it might have been less discouraging.

Answer 3

Even if you don’t plan on doing it for a career, learning it is still a useful skill to have. Putting that kind of stuff on a resume helps a lot. Good luck :)