Want to switch Careers

[SeekHeart]

Hello,

 

I was wondering for someone like me who graduated with Biology degree but want to pursue a career either as a software engineer/programmer/etc in comp sci, if the task is feasible and if so what classes do I need to take or what should I do to help maximize my chances of realizing this dream.

[Cookie]

How do you know that's what you want to do? Do you code? How strong is your math/comp sci background?

To get a job like that, you need a strong knowledge base and that requires taking courses (online, community college classes, post-bacc etc.). A lot of programming you can learn by yourself. 

Many people in my field (theoretical chemistry) learn coding (by themselves) as part of learning quantum chemistry and developing tools for calculations, and end up getting serious coding jobs in Google, Intel etc.

Some of them started knowing absolutely nothing about coding (like me) but, when there is a will, there is a way (and stackexchange)!

Edited December 4, 2014 by Cookie

[SeekHeart]

I love to code, been coding in Python for 2 years and I would say I have a proficient understanding in both math and comp sci. 

I'm interested in knowing if I should pursue a post-bac or something to be in shape. Ideally in a few years I'd like to be a software engineer or programmer/coder.

[educdoc]

I think you have very high chances to succeed. I have a Bio background too but I got 2 teaching credentials after ten years in that field, one of them being in special ed. While working on that one, I wanted to supplement it with something that would work in speced but not a masters degree in that field as usually people do. Instead, I got my MA in education with an emphasis in Educational Multimedia. A lot of work with coding but in authoring programs used in instructional design, not in what you learned/use. Plus research in e-learning, etc. Very interesting and I enjoyed it a lot. I hope I'll be able to use this further as I'm working towards my PhD in speced.

[Cookie]

I personally know a business-software engineer who didnt major in Comp Sci. He liked coding so he built a portfolio on GitHub of various things he coded up and thats how he got interviewed with a few companies. My field values competent coders so I have started stocking up my codes on GitHub/Bitbucket as well. Just an idea!