Embracing Change: From Interior Design to Software Engineering

by Samuel Luo, TripleTen Software Engineering program student

In today's pervasive high-tech environment, is it a good idea to follow the trend of becoming an IT professional? For me, the answer is clear: yes. 

I’m currently studying software engineering at TripleTen, a coding bootcamp, and I’m in the midst of conquering 16 projects to attain the title of a full-stack software engineer. But before this, I worked as an interior designer. 

Here is how I made my choice to switch to tech.

Switching from design

I was deeply passionate about my career in interior design. It gave me enough creative space and freedom. Why then would I risk changing my career to become a software engineer, especially at the age of 36?

Well, since I chose to move from China to study in the USA seven years ago, something has been quietly changing. I still clearly remember that for the first two years, my goal was to shift from interior design to architecture, and as part of that, I started taking architecture-focused STEM courses in college. That started to widen my network with new, different types of people. 

As this web of contacts expanded, I saw that most Chinese people here work in tech.

I met data scientists, software engineers, business analysts, and more. They told me they switched to IT because of the high income and stable employment.

Later on, some of my American friends told me that being an architect in the USA is not a wise decision, especially as an Asian whose mother language is not English. Becoming a licensed architect would be a big challenge in the future. 

Meanwhile, some people already working as architects told me that their income doesn’t match their time investment — they are on the job day and night. In addition, most of their job content is drawing and revising plans.

A clear path

After a few months of struggling to decide between a career as an architect or an IT worker, I settled on my goal: becoming a software engineer. Looking ahead to life in the USA, I need to prioritize my family by seeking better income in a specialization that is more in demand. 

I know that it will be a challenge. People have told me that AI will replace all kinds of IT roles, and they’ve said that I’m at a disadvantage because I’m much older than fresh graduates with computer science degrees. 

Perhaps they are correct. However, this doesn't mean I don't have any chance in the future. In my opinion, I just need to maintain a positive mindset towards tech and consistently study. Although I know that I won’t have a tech background outside of this bootcamp, I can still make up for my weaknesses through massive practice and study and by taking advantage of all that the bootcamp has to offer.

In fact, after studying for 10 months now, I realize that getting into tech is not as difficult as I might imagine.

For example, I now know how to develop a website from scratch. 

Throughout my years living in China, I never thought about joining tech. But the USA changed my approach, and soon I will be a certified full-stack software engineer. I am looking forward to this career helping me earn a great living to provide for my new family here. Truly, I feel a greater sense of security and confidence now; I think I made a wise decision.

Go for it

So, just to wrap up, here is some advice: keep up with the times. We cannot predict the future, but we can take action to prepare for it. Joining a bootcamp can be one of those actions.