From Sys Admin to programmer?

Question

Hi all,

I've been working with computers for nearly 30 years (started out coding BASIC on a PET, then 6502 onto 68000 and C).

I later gained a CompSci Degree and continued programming, moving into databases (DBA) and I've spent the last 10 years to present day as a Unix Sys Admin.

I spent the last couple of years writing java for a few projects (J2EE/JMS Server-side/JSP....as well as Perl/Python Unix scripts) at work as well as performing my daily 'Nix' duties.

Recently I find myself interested in programming again (last coding before becoming Sys Admin was Visual Basic) and thinking more about writing Windows desktop software.

So (finally) :-) here's my question:-

Is there a reasonable job market still available for a (nearly forty-year-old) Java/Unix coder or do I need to become a C# newbie and compete with eager Grads (I guess I could always dig into some Win32 to differentiate) ?

Cheers Ste

Answer 1

Nope. Give it up. All jobs are taken.

Answer 2

There is always a market for qualified developers. I can tell you right now of a huge list of companies in the Silicon Valley that are running in a Linux/Java/MySQL stack and a person that knows both Java AND Linux administration is an extraordinarily valuable asset.

Answer 3

If you want to do windows... .NET is a good option.

WPF is a new technology with few developers who are good at it, it would be a point of difference. The market requirement is not huge yet, but its growing.

Also another point of difference is Ux design abilities.

Answer 4

I think it would be better to rebuild your programming skills (c/c++/c#/java/anything) while still working on a sysadmin job. Maybe you can contribute in some open source project. Programming is a task involving critical thinking about developing code that is as less resource hungry and as fast as possible. Experience with any one of the languages will get you the skills to apply in others as well.

I strongly believe there is a market for your experience in silicon valley.

Answer 5

There isn't much of a market in Java desktop software period, regardless of your age.

The general rule of thumb is how exceptional you are in the market. Given your skill set, I would think that Java server side is a natural home for you (although you may not be interested in that). A lot of Java is deployed on Unix, and knowing the sys admin side plus the programming side would make you stand out.

If you are really most interested in Windows desktop development, Java isn't the right place to be. If you want to break into that, your Win32 inclination is the right way to go. If you know C++ with Win32, you will stand head and shoulders above. It is hard to break in, but once you do, the sky is the limit.

Answer 6

I think there will always be jobs around that match your skillset - especially *nix stuff, so I wouldn't say you need to learn c# or any other languae unless you really want to!

Answer 7

Java is certainly useful in the web application domain. My education was in system administration but I started my career in software engineering. That sys admin knowledge has come in handy many, many times and it could be a big selling point if you're going to advertise yourself as a Java developer. Especially if you know about managing application servers, in addition to writing the programs that run on them.

Answer 8

There is always room for smart productive people of the *nix era in my cubicle.

You say you are a Java/Unix coder. You have expirience. Worked as a system Admin.

I only see qualities, click here.

Answer 9

Yes there is. you just have to be able to present your background as experience. A friend of mine did such a move over fifty. It's DBA and system background give him insight newbies often do not have. The real hard was not with his skills at all but to find an employeer to trust him, it took some time (more than a newbie) but now it's ok after a few years there is no more really difference between him and other programmers.

Answer 10

As someone who was once a network admin and now a software developer, I say it can happen for sure. I started out by building applications to automate my own tasks, and create solutions for my company. That grew into a full time gig later developing software at another company.

I would agree with others who say bring up your skills while on the job, pick a language and go. Since you are a Unix admin you have a unique opportunity to build things in C++ that may make your job easier. That ties in very well with Unix experience as well. Same with java. If you want to go the Microsoft route go with C#, but you may have a harder time finding things to write.

As far as being nearly 40 and competing with grads, you'll find a lot of companies still value maturity and experience over fresh talent. While it's true a lot of places don't like us older guys because we get set in our ways, we're still good to have around when a crisis happens. As we all know, schooling is just a foundation, the real skills come from experience.

Good luck to you and your ventures.

Answer 11

From developer to sysadmin vs. from sysadmin to developer on ServerFault.com may also have some useful answers.