From Real Estate to Software Engineering: My Unconventional Path
When people hear that I transitioned from real estate to software engineering in my late 30s, they usually have questions. “Wasn’t it too late?” “How did you learn to code?” “Did you go back to school?”
The short answer: it’s never too late, I taught myself, and no degree was required. But the journey was far from straightforward.
The Air Force Foundation
My professional journey started in 1994 when I enlisted in the United States Air Force. Serving in the Honor Guard and Security Forces taught me discipline, attention to detail, and the importance of showing up every single day. Those three years shaped my work ethic more than any job since.
Building a Real Estate Career
After the military, I spent over 15 years in real estate—first in San Antonio, then Georgetown, Texas. I became a licensed broker, built client relationships, and learned the art of negotiation. It was a good career, but something was missing.
In my spare time, I found myself tinkering with computers, automating spreadsheets, and wondering how software actually worked. What started as curiosity became an obsession.
The Pivot
In 2019, I made a decision that terrified me: I was going to learn to code and change careers.
I started with Python—free courses, YouTube tutorials, documentation. Then I discovered the world of DevOps. Infrastructure as code, CI/CD pipelines, container orchestration—it felt like solving puzzles all day, and I loved it.
The real estate skills translated more than I expected:
- Client communication → Stakeholder management
- Contract negotiation → Technical discussions with vendors
- Market analysis → Understanding business requirements
- Self-motivation → Remote work discipline
Landing at Dell
After two years of intense self-study and personal projects, I landed a role at Dell Technologies. Today, I work as a Senior Software Engineer focusing on DevOps and Hashicorp Vault at enterprise scale.
Every day I work with:
- Go and Python for tooling
- Kubernetes and Docker for orchestration
- Jenkins and Ansible for CI/CD
- Hashicorp Vault for secrets management
Lessons for Career Changers
If you’re considering a similar path, here’s what I learned:
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Start building immediately. Tutorials are great, but real learning happens when you create things.
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Your past experience is an asset. Every industry teaches transferable skills. Don’t discount them.
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Embrace the discomfort. You’ll feel like an imposter. That’s normal. Keep going.
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Network authentically. LinkedIn, local meetups, online communities—connections matter.
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Be patient but persistent. It took me two years of consistent effort. There are no shortcuts.
Looking Forward
At 40+, I’m more energized about my career than ever. The tech industry rewards curiosity and continuous learning—exactly the mindset that got me here in the first place.
If you’re considering a career change into tech, feel free to reach out. I’m always happy to share what worked for me.