Is 30 Too Old to Learn Web Development?

Short answer: No it isn’t. It’s never too late to learn a new skill no matter how old you are. There’s no reason to let your age limit what is possible. Whether you’re interested in starting something new, taking on a new hobby, turning a hobby into something more, or changing careers, your age is of no consequence. Web development is accessible to people of all ages. If you have the drive to do it, then it’s time to start developing your plan to make learning web development your reality. Changing careers in your 30s can seem like a monumental decision when you’ve settled into something and have been consistently climbing the ranks. But if you don’t feel like web development was an option when you first entered the workforce, then exploring the possibilities will only help you grow. This article will get into some web development fast facts and ways to begin making a fulfilling career shift into web development. 

Why Learn Web Development at 30?

Learning web development at 30 can seem like a huge shift depending on your current line of work. Whether you have an unsatisfying career or you’ve been moving from job to job and are looking to develop a thriving career, learning web development can be the start of something special for you. At 30-years-old, you’re still closer to the beginning of your career than the end, and there is still a lot of life left to live with many years left before retirement. So, the real question becomes, why not learn web development at 30? If you want to reimagine your career and find more fulfilling work, now is as good a time.

Do you enjoy technical challenges and design? Web development gives you the chance to flex your creative muscles while creating technical solutions for people and organizations. You’ll also be increasing your professional value. Organizations in every industry need an online presence, so you’ll be able to work in whatever industry you like, developing websites for artists, hospitals, real estate, and construction. Developing memorable, functional, and interactive websites is a high-level skill that can be very lucrative. 

When you find yourself routinely stressed and anxious about work or you just want a different lifestyle, beginning a career in web development may give you the new outlook on working that you need to change your reality. Some careers do not offer a strong work-life balance. If your current career is not meeting that need, learning web development can help you break out of that cycle and begin to strike a balance. With freelance job opportunities or with a traditional employer, finding that balance can be a lot easier than you think when you transition into web development.

Here are a few more reasons why you should learn web development in your thirties. Web development professionals are in high demand and web development is one of several high-paying technical careers with a faster-than-average growth rate according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics. As you deepen your developer skill set, you’re likely to find that it becomes easier to earn a six-figure salary. You can even work from home in this line of work. Web Developers have extremely diverse backgrounds, which makes them well-suited to work in any industry. If you have a background in human resources, you may want to seek web development work opportunities in the HR industry. Or maybe your HR background can be useful to applying web development skills in web development for the health administration field because you have a different understanding of administrative tasks. 

How Long Will It Take to Learn Web Development?

The answer to this question is completely dependent on what learning option you choose. With so many options for learning it’s easily accessible to anyone who has an interest. Some options include earning a computer science degree from a college or university, enrolling in a bootcamp, certificate program, or short courses, becoming an apprentice, and teaching yourself using free online resources. If you decide to enroll in a college or university degree program it can take two to six years before you’re ready to enter the workforce as a Web Developer. A degree program is the most in-depth and immersive educational experience available, and many web development professionals have taken this road into their careers. It offers a strong foundation and covers theory, best practices, and implementation while also providing you with student support services like internships, networking opportunities, and learning resources. 

When you decide to enroll in a bootcamp or certificate program like JavaScript Web Development Certificate, you can learn web development in about three months. Variables that influence this timeline include whether you attend full-time or part-time, choose a self-paced learning format, and the web development course you choose. Bootcamps are typically beginner-friendly accelerated courses that focus on teaching in-demand skills to graduate students who have job-ready skills and are prepared to enter the workforce in an entry-level position. Web development apprenticeships require that you already have a foundation in web development and can take as little as six months. Many people opt for apprenticeship after completing a bootcamp or college degree. They’re often structured similarly to placing you into an entry-level position with on-the-job training and mentorship. 

If you go the self-teaching route, there's far less accountability than the other options and the timeline will be what you make it. It can take several weeks or it can take several years. You will be the deciding factor in how long it takes you to learn web development. Taking advantage of free learning resources like seminars, tutorials, videos, and asynchronous classes can help you learn web development, but you’ll have to figure out the order of your curriculum on your own. While this option is economical, it’s not always the best option for thorough and timely learning. You won’t have access to the same types of support and interactivity that the other options provide students. 

Other factors that will influence how long it takes you to learn web development include family and work obligations, self-doubt, and general distractions. Most people depend on their job to help them meet their needs, so oftentimes those entering into a web development training program need to continue working to support themselves and their families. This can take away from the time that you have to devote to learning web development. The school-work-life balance is a delicate one that can take some juggling to achieve, so it’s best to be aware. Self-doubt can derail plans if you let it. It’s an invisible obstruction that you can work through with perseverance. You’ve surfed the Internet before, so you have some knowledge of websites and how they should work. Enrolling in a training course will take care of the stuff you don’t know. Give yourself some credit and know that you’ve got room to grow. General distractions are something that every human encounters. They could be health issues, car trouble, or any number of life’s little surprises that uproot your routine or force you to make a pivot.

Ways to Make Learning Web Development Easier and Quicker

Chances are that if you’re already 30, you’re working. This means you may not have a whole lot of time to spare and that you’re interested in learning web development easily and quickly. Live web development training options are ideal for just about every learner who is committed to learning web development. One of the fastest ways to learn is to enroll in an in-person class or a live online class. Traditional in-person learning is considered to be the most effective and time-efficient way to learn a new skill. Some perks of this learning format are having a distraction-free and dedicated learning environment, engaging in peer-to-peer collaboration and networking, having access to direct feedback in real-time, and interfacing with an engaged and hands-on instructor. 

Live online courses are very similar to in-person classroom classes. The main difference is that students don’t have to commute to class and can instead attend class sessions from their location. One of the biggest advantages of this learning format is that it gives students more choices of instructors and training facilities. Other advantages include improved schedule flexibility and real-time interaction and feedback. Just like in-person training, live online classes allow instructors to personalize learning paths. This is especially true when training facilities are mindful of class sizes. Instructors can better identify where students need a different approach or a deeper explanation to grasp a concept, allowing them to ensure each student has what they need to succeed with their educational goals. If you choose a live online web development course with Noble Desktop like its Front End Web Development Certificate program, you will receive 1-on-1 mentoring sessions to further support your training. 

Attending a course full-time will also make learning easier and quicker. While the pace can be a bit accelerated, attending a full-time web development certificate program can have you job-ready in as little as three months. This will require you to drastically change your schedule if you’re currently employed during the day and have other obligations that would interfere with the scheduled class time. When you opt for a part-time schedule, the learning isn’t so fast-paced, and you have more time to absorb concepts and practice them before moving on to the next. However, learning on a part-time schedule will take longer. For instance, a Full-Stack Web Development Certificate on a full-time schedule will take 17 weeks, but a part-time schedule will take 10 months. You’ll need to choose which option works best for your schedule and your goals. 

If you want to make learning web development easier and faster, you will need to practice outside of your coursework. Giving yourself plenty of opportunities to apply what you’re learning in your live web development training will help you become more confident in your skills and start thinking more like a Web Developer. You can also speed up your learning and reinforce your training by supplementing with free online resources. Online tutorials, videos, articles, and podcasts can help retain information and find alternative ways to apply tools and techniques.