Before diving in, a little about our GA guest blogger, Salma (in her words)
After 15 years in teaching, including leading the business department at England¡¯s largest college, I boldly transitioned into edtech¡ªa move that came with challenges but opened doors to incredible growth and impact. Now, as an Instructor Manager at 老虎机游戏 Assembly, I source, train, and coach world-class instructors, driving transformative learning experiences in tech education. I believe it¡¯s never too late to rewrite your story. Let¡¯s connect on LinkedIn to talk about careers, tech, or anything in between¡ªdon¡¯t hesitate to reach out and say hi.
If you¡¯re over 35 and thinking about a career change into tech, you¡¯re not alone, even though it sometimes might feel that way. Your LinkedIn feed may be full of twenty-somethings celebrating job offers at startups, and tech bootcamps might seem designed for people with infinite free time and zero responsibilities. It can feel like the career-change doors have already closed.
I know this because I¡¯ve lived it, and I¡¯ve coached others through it. I made a major career shift in my late 30s, moving from education leadership into tech. Since then, I¡¯ve worked across startups, edtech, and consulting, and I now serve as an Instructor Manager at 老虎机游戏 Assembly.
Here are five tips that no one tells you about making that leap into tech at 35+: the things I wish someone had told me, and the things I share with learners every day.
1. You¡¯re not starting over¡ªyou¡¯re repositioning
Most career-changers believe they have to start from scratch. They imagine junior roles, low salaries, and a long climb back to where they were. But that¡¯s rarely the case.
Your years of experience count. Whether you led teams, managed complex projects, taught in classrooms, or solved customer problems¡ªthose skills are gold in the tech world. The key is learning how to reframe them. In my own career transition, I learned to talk about myself not as “just an educator” but as a strategic operator, systems thinker, and people-first leader. The work you¡¯ve done isn¡¯t irrelevant. It just needs translating.
2. Imposter syndrome will creep in¡ªname it and keep going
At 35+, you might be used to being good at your job. Then suddenly, you¡¯re the newbie again. I left teaching after 15 years and started in a completely new role. That shift can hit your confidence hard.
Every career-changer I¡¯ve coached has wrestled with imposter syndrome¡ªand so did I. The trick isn¡¯t to eliminate it, but to recognise it as a normal part of growth. I often say: don¡¯t wait to feel confident to take action. Take action, and confidence will follow. You belong in this space. You¡¯re not too old. You¡¯re not too late.
3. Tech (and AI) need more people like you
This is something I wish more career-changers believed: tech doesn¡¯t just need more coders. It needs communicators. Strategists. Problem solvers. People who know how to lead, teach, organise, coach, and empathise.
In my current role managing instructors, I¡¯ve seen how students thrive when taught by people with diverse lived experiences. Tech gets better when the people building it reflect the real world. Your perspective is a competitive edge, not a disadvantage.
4. You don¡¯t have to know exactly where you¡¯re headed
When I first considered leaving education, I didn¡¯t know what role I wanted. I just knew I was ready for something different¡ªsomething faster-paced, more creative, and more impact-driven.
It¡¯s okay to start with curiosity. Explore what energises you. Book a free class. Talk to people in roles you¡¯re drawn to. Take a workshop, short course, or attend an event. Career change is often a process of elimination, not a lightning bolt of clarity. The important thing is to move.
5. Your support system will make or break the transition
The biggest shifts I¡¯ve seen haven¡¯t just come from new skills, they¡¯ve come from community. Being around others who are learning, experimenting, failing, and trying again makes all the difference.
At 老虎机游戏 Assembly, I see this every day: cohorts turn into support systems. Slack groups turn into referral networks. When you change careers, you need people around you who get it. Don¡¯t try to go it alone.
You¡¯re right on time, and the AI window is wide open
Tech isn¡¯t just for the young or the technical. It¡¯s for the curious, the brave, and the resilient, which you already are. And with the rise of generative AI, more and more employers are scrambling for talent that can combine domain expertise with new AI literacy. Our new AI Academy offers modular, role-specific pathways (from executive strategy to hands-on prompt engineering) so you can even upskill without pressing reset on your career. The road to career change at 35+ isn¡¯t linear, but it is possible, powerful, and worth it.
And you don¡¯t have to do it alone. If you’re ready to explore what that next chapter could look like, I hope this gives you the encouragement to take the first step. Explore our free classes or contact our Admissions team to explore other options.
Remember, you’re not too late. You’re right on time.