Is 30 Too Old to Learn IT?

Exploring a career change can be intimidating, especially if you’ve already established yourself in another or need to learn an entirely new field. There’s good news though: it’s never too late to learn IT. Information technology and adjacent fields like programming and web development are continually growing fields, so the demand for experts in IT is consistently high. This article will explore how you can learn IT efficiently so you can make your career transition as seamlessly and quickly as possible.

Why Learn IT at 30?

By the time you reach your thirties, you’ve probably gotten an associate's or bachelor's degree and reached a mid-level role in a related field. Perhaps that field is related to the web, like marketing or ecommerce. In that case, learning IT can help propel you to the next level in your career, allowing you to troubleshoot your own issues or collaborate better with your company’s IT department. 

If your degree or current career are in an entirely different field, learning IT can provide you a pathway to starting over. If you’re a project or program manager looking for a change into IT or programming, learning IT will offer you a better understanding of the work your team will do, as well as any issues they may encounter. Having knowledge of the specificity can help with problem solving and build stronger relationships with your team members. Even if you’re from an entirely different field, skills like adaptability, strategy, and testing will all be useful in IT. 

By the time you’re in your thirties, you have a better understanding of the field you’ve chosen, and if it’s actually the right fit for you. Midlife career changes are common and switching in your thirties means you still have enough time to establish yourself in a new field and work your way into a leadership role. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, employment in computer and information technology occupations is projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations from 2022 to 2032. About 377,500 openings are projected each year, on average and, with a median annual wage for this group sitting around $104,420, that there’s no shortage of high-paying work for those with the right skills. So a career switch, even in your thirties, can certainly be worth it. 

How Long Will it Take to Learn IT?

There are a lot of educational resources out there to read and watch that will help you build your understanding of IT. From free training, courses, and webinars to video tutorials and books, knowledge is truly at your fingertips. But, if you’re looking for the options that can help you learn at a faster pace, certain options may be better for you than others. 

Online or In-Person Training and Bootcamps

Live training and bootcamps, whether attended virtually or in-person, tend to be the fastest way to learn IT. Live online classes offer instant feedback from your teacher and interactions with other students, creating the opportunity for a deeper understanding of the coursework. These classes are ideal for students that thrive in a structured learning environment with routine accountability check-ins. If you encounter any challenging material, you can ask questions in real time instead of spending unnecessary time figuring it out on your own. This collaborative environment is available for both full-time and part-time classes and provides structure and accountability, two things that can help you succeed. You’ll master IT the quickest in a full-time course but any class with scheduled times will help you learn faster than trying to learn IT entirely on your own or in an on-demand program. 

A great place to start would be Noble’s Python Developer Bootcamp. This three-week online course teaches Python for software development with Django, Django REST, and other developer tools like Git and SQL. You’ll start by learning the basics of Python, including its lexical syntax, then move to more advanced topics like dictionaries, custom functions, and sorting algorithms. In week two, you'll learn object-oriented programming, how to work with APIs, and get an introduction to web databases using SQL. By creating projects that can be added to your portfolio, you’ll master URL dispatchers, querying models, and automating tasks with Django, as well as how to work with images, authentication, and use API endpoints with Django REST. 

It’s recommended that you are comfortable coding HTML and basic CSS. You should possess equivalent knowledge of Noble Desktop’s Web Development with HTML & CSS class, and mastery of another programming language is helpful, but not required. Payment plans and financing are available, in addition to extra perks like one-on-one mentoring, a free one-year retake, and a verified digital certificate are included with your purchase.

Their Software Engineering Certificate is another option for aspiring IT students. Divided into front end development, React Development, and Django (Python) Development, you will learn HTML to mark up web pages and CSS for styling; the fundamentals of JavaScript and Git; and how to use Flexbox and Grid to layout, align, reorder, and adapt web page content to different size screens. You’ll then move on to the fundamental JavaScript programming concepts, including variables, data types, loops, and DOM. Plus, you’ll cover topics like React, a powerful JavaScript library for web development, and master Node.js, MongoDB, and Express.js to round out your JavaScript development skills.

By creating a portfolio of projects, preparing for common interview questions, and polishing your resume and LinkedIn profile, this course will have you ready to pursue a new job in software engineering in as little as 20 weeks (on a full-time schedule). One-on-one mentoring and a free one-year retake are included in the cost of this course. Payment plans and tuition assistance are available, and this training requires no previous experience, making it great for beginners.

Noble Desktop’s Data Science Certificate prepares you for entry-level data science and Python engineering roles. You’ll learn how to manipulate databases and perform data analysis, read and write complex database queries, prepare and clean data for analysis, and use Python to automate everyday tasks such as aggregating, updating, and formatting data. This course also covers how to clean and balance your data with Pandas, apply machine learning algorithms with the scikit-learn library to solve real-world problems, and analyze the results to detect areas for improvement. Finally, you’ll build and present dynamic dashboards and other data visualizations and deploy your projects online with GitHub to demonstrate your analytical abilities to employers.

On-Demand Classes 

Also known as self-paced, on-demand classes offer the most flexibility of any class option but don’t win any awards for speed. They do have quite a few benefits for busy professionals, though. Not only can you learn from wherever you want, you can also learn whenever you want. There are no due dates or scheduled class times, so you can take your time on challenging topics or skip over ones you’ve already mastered. These classes are ideal for learners with complicated schedules who need to squeeze their studying in around their work and other obligations. You’ll need to be an independent and self-motivated student to succeed in an on-demand class. It’s very easy to lose momentum or fall behind when you don’t have any outside accountability, so these courses tend to take longer than a structured live course. 

Free Resources 

Free resources are available for learning IT. YouTube boasts a wide range of tutorials and informative videos on all kinds of coding subjects: from short five-minute episodes on the fundamentals to more in-depth breakdowns of advanced topics. YouTube is a great way to explore your initial interest or get answers to specific questions on IT. Other websites like Google and LinkedIn offer short free tutorials and trainings designed to help you grasp the history and basic principles of IT. 

Free resources are often your fastest option and can last anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of hours. Their brevity is one reason they are so popular for beginners, but the drawback of these courses is that they will lack the in-depth knowledge and real-time interaction with an expert instructor that more immersive programs offer. With that in mind, it’s best to use these resources as a brief introduction to make sure you’re interested in the subject (or as supplemental learning materials) as opposed to the sole source of your education. 

Ways to Make Learning IT Easier and Quicker

The quickest and easiest way to learn IT is through a live class. You’ll be able to receive feedback and troubleshoot any difficult projects in real-time with an expert instructor and learn from a top-notch curriculum developed by industry professionals. You’ll also have the chance to connect with other students and other IT experts through networking opportunities. Plus, scheduled class times and due dates offer a level of accountability that most students find highly motivating.

Live classes are available in two formats: part time and full time. Part-time classes are typically offered in the evenings or on weekends, allowing you to maintain your current 9-5 work schedule. Because you’re only learning in the evenings or on the weekends, attending part time usually takes double twice as long as attending full time. Full-time courses will be more demanding of your schedule, as they’re often held during regular business hours. Think of a full-time course like being enrolled in school again. Your learning will be your entire focus, but the major benefit is that you can master IT in the shortest amount of time. 

Full-time classes and part-time classes may differ in how comprehensive they are as well. Some part-time classes, in order to save on time, may not cover as many topics as a full-time course. Plus, a full-time course offers a more immersive experience, as you’ll spend less time being pulled away from your studies to deal with other work or life responsibilities.

With all that in mind, below are some questions you should ask yourself when deciding which is right for you.

• Are you between jobs or able to take vacation time to complete a full-time training course? 
• Are you only free in the evenings and need a class that can accommodate your schedule?
• How quickly do you need to master IT?
• How immersive do you want your program to be?