Is it Too Late for Me to Become a Software Engineer? All Your Questions Answered

Rachel Wang
2 min readFeb 15, 2022

Absolutely not. There are people who even take online coding bootcamps at random points of their life then follow a straightforward process to get into software engineering. If you’re in college, you may be wondering whether it’s too late or worth it to switch majors. It is so so worth it in the long term because

  1. Software engineers have one of the best work-life balances along with a high salary. So even if you’re not super passionate about it, the lifestyle allows you ample time to pursue all your hobbies. And as opposed to the stereotype, people are really chill and sociable.
  2. Most straight-out-of-college salaries are around $100k. You also usually get at least a $20k signing bonus. Additionally, you get $50k-$120k worth of stock and some companies even give you discounts for their stock.
  3. There’s usually free food and they provide great health, dental, etc. insurance for you and your future family. Plus, they give you a stipend every year to spend on your personal wellness.
  4. If you’re in the process of switching majors and worried about tuition costs for additional classes, it’s totally worth it because of the sheer total compensation they give you.
  5. Computer science has such versatility that there are so many ways you can intersect your interests. You can join a startup that focuses on biotech products or be a software engineer who programs electronic art exhibitions.
  6. GPA does not matter because most companies just look at experience and interview performance (big companies included)
  7. You do not have to be a “genius” to get into this field. I was so so bad at interviews and coding concepts but I was just patient and practiced interview questions to secure my full-time job.

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Rachel Wang

Software Engineer, Dancer, too many hobbies. I’ve been to 32 countries, so I’m happy to answer any questions about traveling! :)