Is 40 Too Old to Become a Software Engineer?

Some say that you're never too old to learn a new skill. But some careers have a cap in terms of age and how old you can be to get started.

That is because as we grow older, some of us may lose some cognitive abilities that can hinder us from doing certain jobs. We may lack the ability to think tactically and jump into new youth trends once we reach a certain age.

I’m 42 years old too and I was accepted into Flatiron’s School for Software Engineering. Was it it difficult? Yes! Yet challenging in a good way and if you love a great challenge then programming could be great for you. I wouldn’t let the age thing get in the way. To become a coder requires dedication and a practical mindset. If you have both give it a shot! I believe if you have the skills age is irrelevant.

How our intelligence works when we level up

To understand how an individual’s intelligence works, we first need to understand the difference between fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence.

Fluid intelligence is your ability to solve new problems as they come. It can easily be described as the ability to solve problems and seamlessly adapt to new situations. Crystallized intelligence, on the other hand, is the ability to use your knowledge and experience to solve problems around you.

Now, these two type of intelligence changes over time. Fluid intelligence decreases with time whereas crystallized intelligence improves over adulthood.

So does learning to program after 40 is worth it?

When it comes to programming, you are better to have the right mix of crystallized and fluid intelligence to help you. Being young can help you learn things faster, but it doesn’t let you use the knowledge in real world intuitively. Older people have a better understanding and hence above-par crystallized intelligence to help them.