From QA to Code: How I Discovered My Passion for Programming in My Late 30s (And You Can Too)

Mitzie Hall
Feb 21
3 min read

Let’s get one thing out of the way: It’s never too late to learn something new.I didn’t write my first line of code until my late 30s. Back then, I was working in a QA role, clicking through software to test functionality, when curiosity struck: How does this actually work? That question changed everything. If you’re wondering whether you can pivot into tech “later” in life, let my journey reassure you: You can. Here’s how I did it — and how you can too.

The Spark: QA and CSS

My coding journey began unexpectedly — by squinting at CSS stylesheets during QA testing. I’d inspect elements in the browser, tweak colors or padding, and marvel at how tiny changes transformed a webpage. It felt like magic.

But magic quickly turned into fascination. I started asking questions: Why does this button break on mobile? How do these styles cascade? The developers on my team became my first mentors, patiently explaining concepts and nudging me to experiment. Their encouragement was a lightbulb moment: Maybe I could do this too.

Taking the Leap: Exploring Ruby on Rails

When I decided to dive into coding, imposter syndrome hit hard. Was I too old? Was it too late to start? But every developer I talked to — both online and at work — said the same thing: “Just start.”

So I did.

After dabbling with HTML/CSS, I wanted to build real applications. That’s when I discovered Ruby on Rails. Its simplicity and elegance hooked me. The Rails mantra “convention over configuration” meant I could focus on creating, not configuring. Here’s what helped me build my foundation:

LearnRubyOnline.org — A free, interactive playground for Ruby basics.
Rails Guides — The official “hello world” of Rails, perfect for beginners.
Ruby on Rails Link Slack Community — A supportive space to ask “dumb questions” (spoiler: there are none).

Learning by Doing: Build, Build, Build

Here’s the secret no one tells you: You don’t need to be a genius to code. You just need to build.

I built hundreds of tiny apps. A to-do list. A weather app. A recipe organizer that I never used. Most were messy, broken, or abandoned. But every project taught me something new.

My advice? Build things you care about. Love gardening? Code a plant-watering tracker. Obsessed with movies? Scrape IMDb data. When you’re invested in the outcome, debugging at 2 a.m. feels less like a chore and more like a puzzle.

Udemy courses and YouTube tutorials helped, but nothing beats hands-on coding. Mistakes are your best teachers.

Open Source: Small PRs, Big Confidence

Once I could cobble together apps, I wanted to collaborate. Enter open source.

My first contribution? Fixing a typo in a Rails documentation file. It took me an hour to figure out how to submit a pull request (PR). But when it got merged, I felt like I’d climbed Everest.

Open source taught me:

How to navigate codebases.
How to give (and receive) feedback.
That even tiny contributions matter.

As my skills grew, so did my PRs. Soon I was refactoring code, adding features, and even mentoring newer contributors. Open source became my portfolio — and my network.

From Hobby to Career: Turning Experience into Opportunity

Here’s the truth: Experience is experience, even if it’s unpaid.

When I finally decided to pursue coding professionally, my open source work spoke louder than any resume. CTOs and hiring managers cared less about my age or formal education and more about what I’d built — and how I’d collaborated with others.

Today, I’m a full-time developer, but my journey didn’t follow a straight path. It was messy, nonlinear, and fueled by curiosity.

You Can Do This Too

If there’s one thing I want you to take away, it’s this: Start where you are.

Dabble in free resources.
Join communities (like the Rails Slack).
Build weird, useless apps.
Embrace the struggle — it means you’re growing.

Age is just a number. Curiosity, persistence, and a willingness to fail? Those are your superpowers.

So what are you waiting for? Open that browser, type puts "Hello World", and let the magic begin.

P.S. If you’re on the fence, leave a comment below or DM me. I’ll cheer you on. 🚀

What’s your coding journey look like? Share your story — or your next project idea — in the comments!