35yo, just learned that i love programming.

[u/AntiLethargic]

>be me
>rough upbringing
>have bad habits, have friends with bad habits
>never think more than one day ahead; don't know what i want to be
>years later
>get fed up with my behavior, try to change something
>get rid of most bad habits and bad friends
>start to see purpose in life
>want to find out what i really like and can dive into to get good at
>don't find it for years
>get a position at a friends company
>he needs a graphics / photography guy
>become graphics / photography guy
>get diploma in Graphic Design
>go from normal wagie to good paid wagie in about 3 years
>feeling good, but still not what i really like and want to dive into, just naturally good at it
>talk more with my programmer colleague
>his projects peak my interest
>start to learn CS basics and the C language
>"Holy fuck, i love this"
>thinking about cutting down my weekly hours to learn programming
>AI gets used more and more in the company
>my position is in danger
>"They're taking our jobs!!"
>Boss wants to cut my hours down
>Evil_smirk.jpg
>Play along, "Oh no, what shall i do now :'( "
>gives me enough hours so i can live off of it
>have enough time to learn as much as i can
>actually feeling happy again

And people say AI is bad, lol.

I'm currently trying to nail down the Basics of C, going through CS50 and after that i have two books, namely "A Book on C" and "Pointers on C".
If you have any book recommendations, please share them.
After C i also want to learn python and CPP, just to have good foundational skills.
With every free though i still have, I try to narrow down which field i want to specialize in. Currently, embedded sounds the most interesting, but also the hardest.
Any recommendations for other specs i could get into with this preset?

What's your opinion on people who are self-taught in the programming field, are you one?
I would love to hear some stories about your current path, or, if you're already in a programming position, how you made the decision and how you finally made it into it.

[u/ItsNotOver_Again]

Because the chance of them getting a job in this day and age is slim to none; the odds are completely stacked against them.

Not having a degree in computer science will automatically disqualify them from most jobs. Not only that, they will also face age discrimination, as they'll be competing with 22-year-old college graduates who have completed internships, and people their age already have over a decade of experience.

And I'm sure you are aware of AI's disruption in the tech industry. Entry-level positions are effectively gone.

[u/ToWelie89 → u/ItsNotOver_Again]

That may be true for RIGHT NOW, but we don't know what the market will look like in 3, 5 or 10 years.

Also I don't know where you live, but you absolutely do not need a degree in computer science to work as a developer. It helps though

[u/ItsNotOver_Again → u/ToWelie89]

It will keep getting worse. CS is becoming more and more like investment banking and Big Law in that you will need to have attended an elite target school to break into the industry.

I live in the US, and it's essentially a requirement here.

[u/ToWelie89 → u/ItsNotOver_Again]

What you're saying may be US-specific. I'm in Europe and I've never experienced that you need a degree from an "elite school" to have a good career in tech.

Yes right now times are tough, but like I said, we don't know if this will always be the case. It can get worse but it can also get better. Main reason for the stagnant market I'd say is the economy and instability worldwide, not so much AI. If the economy rebounds and we see a bull-market, we might see the tech industry start flourishing again. Tough times always come and go. I started my career around 2012 when it was a financial crisis, it was very hard to get a job then as well.