Go for it, I was in exactly the same situation. I can't call myself a programmer yet, but I work alongside them and I'm on the ladder in an industry where I can attempt that move in time if I think it's right for me.
I was stuck in an office admin career at 32, hadn't been to Uni, and my employer had no real interest in my attempts to develop my skills. I took some online courses, hosted and created my own sites, where I blogged about things I knew.
Everything I did I put on a CV geared towards showing my technical skills and how I was trying to develop them.
Eventually my CV was passed to a tech company looking for a graduate. I was able to show that the 10 years of office experience I already had was just as valuable as a degree, and my CV showed a willingness to learn and better myself through my own efforts. I was doing this because I really wanted to make a change in my life, and they could see that.
In the three months I've been here I have learned even more about web development and can already see many opportunities for advancement down the line.
My main regret is that I didn't do it sooner, I spent a good few years moaning about getting a new job but not really putting any real effort into it.
I was stuck in an office admin career at 32, hadn't been to Uni, and my employer had no real interest in my attempts to develop my skills. I took some online courses, hosted and created my own sites, where I blogged about things I knew.
Everything I did I put on a CV geared towards showing my technical skills and how I was trying to develop them.
Eventually my CV was passed to a tech company looking for a graduate. I was able to show that the 10 years of office experience I already had was just as valuable as a degree, and my CV showed a willingness to learn and better myself through my own efforts. I was doing this because I really wanted to make a change in my life, and they could see that.
In the three months I've been here I have learned even more about web development and can already see many opportunities for advancement down the line.
My main regret is that I didn't do it sooner, I spent a good few years moaning about getting a new job but not really putting any real effort into it.