From a lorry driver to Ruby on rails developer at 38

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Switching into software development in one’s late 30s is portrayed as both possible and increasingly common, but not always a clear financial upgrade—especially outside the highest-paying US tech hubs. Commenters weigh the value and risks of coding bootcamps and income-share agreements, compare developer pay and job security to trades like lorry driving across the US, UK and Europe, and reflect on burnout, work–life balance, and the appeal of simpler, non-tech jobs. Several also touch on the Ruby on Rails job market, language choices like Elixir vs Ruby, and how age and non-traditional backgrounds are perceived in hiring.

Bootcamps and Income Share Agreements (ISAs)

  • Several comments see good bootcamps as a viable route into software, especially selective ones with “no job, no pay” or ISA models.
  • ISAs are also widely criticized as opaque and exploitative, often targeting vulnerable people and sometimes demanding repayment even for non-tech jobs.
  • A common heuristic: if terms aren’t provided upfront and require long “info sessions,” it’s treated as a red flag.

Career Switching: Dev ↔ Lorry Driver

  • One thread reverses the article’s path: dev → lorry driver, with higher pay and more enjoyment coding only as a hobby.
  • Lorry driving is praised for clear goals, regulated hours, low management interaction, and clean mental separation from work.
  • Concerns about physical harm from vibrations are mostly dismissed for modern trucks; some prefer driving ergonomically to desk work.

Compensation, Cost of Living, and Geography

  • UK developers are commonly perceived as underpaid relative to US peers; HGV drivers there can earn more than many devs.
  • Explanations offered: US concentration of mega-corps, intense competition for talent, easier firing, and weaker social safety nets pushing salaries up.
  • Counterpoints stress European benefits (healthcare, childcare, transit) and argue that effective purchasing power can be similar despite lower nominal pay.
  • Others push back, citing high housing costs, failing public services, and significant US–Europe GDP gaps.

Ruby on Rails, Elixir, and Tech Stacks

  • Rails is still seen as employable but with fewer roles than Java/JS/.NET and often lower pay; sometimes associated with smaller, less profitable firms.
  • Hiring experienced Rails devs is described as hard; many candidates allegedly misrepresent skills or lean on ChatGPT in interviews.
  • Debate over teaching Elixir/functional programming first: some argue BEAM + immutability + pattern matching reduce bugs; others say language choice wouldn’t materially change outcomes.

Hiring, AI, and the Job Market

  • Reports of massive applicant volumes for junior roles (thousands per posting), many with AI-generated, generic cover letters and questionable work-eligibility claims.
  • Some propose video cover letters or networks/referrals as defenses; others note AI will eventually be used to “ghost” interviews too.

Age, Burnout, and Life Choices

  • 38 is framed by some as “later in life,” which others strongly reject; many share that midlife switches (into or out of dev) are reasonable.
  • Several long-time developers report burnout and fantasize about trades or driving jobs; others rediscover joy by moving into management or keeping coding as a hobby.
  • A few comments connect personal pivot stories to larger systemic issues around education, wages, and who gets “kept down.”