Member Avatar for BobLewiston

I was a programmer for 4 years ending 12 years ago. Back then it was all procedural, not object oriented. Now I'm 45. On the other hand, I'm bright and motivated (and for what it's worth, I've got a Bachelor's degree in engineering from 20 years ago). If I work hard and learn what I need to, is there any way in hell I can break back into programming? No doom and gloom, no "happy crap", just what do you think, can it be done?

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Short answer: yes — it can be done. Echoing , prior real-world coding plus an engineering degree are valuable foundations. Also agree with that the jump to object-oriented thinking is not a huge barrier for someone who already knows C/C++.

Practical path for someone in 's situation:

  • Refresh core CS fundamentals (data structures, algorithms, complexity) and modern C++ language features (C++11/14/17+). A concise online reference for language changes is available at cppreference.
  • Learn modern tooling: version control (Git), a build system (CMake), unit testing, and a basic CI workflow. The official Git site is a practical starting point: git-scm.com.
  • Choose a target domain (systems/embedded, backend, web, tools). Focused depth beats scattershot study. For C++-oriented roles, show modern idiomatic C++ code, use sanitizers and tests; for web/backend, a small API or full-stack demo with tests works well.
  • Build 2–3 polished public projects (good README, tests, CI, one-line install/run). Publish on GitHub and make the commit history clean — it demonstrates recent, applicable work and mitigates the "gap" on a resume.

Job-search tactics and timeline:

  • Six to twelve months of focused study plus real projects is a realistic re-entry window if study is consistent.
  • Practice coding interview problems and higher-level design questions; also target companies that maintain or need legacy C/C++ expertise (embedded vendors, tooling, finance, industrial automation).
  • Age bias exists in some places. Recent, tangible code and demonstrable familiarity with current tools reduce that risk; contract or freelance work can bridge the gap quickly.

This advice builds on points already raised in the thread and turns them into a concrete, modern re-entry plan.

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Member Avatar for dickersonka

Definitely. You have experience. I'm in my mid 20's with about 4 1/2 years experience and find myself edged out sometimes by guys that are a little older, with more experience. Bright and motivated is the key, a lot of people just go to work, and yes some can code, but a lot can't code well.

If you primarily used c or c++ originally, then you will prob find yourself fairly accustomed to c#.

Whats your specialty?

Member Avatar for BobLewiston

C and C++

Member Avatar for Antenka

beforehand, sorry for my english... :)
I'magree with dickersonka and just want to add, that the object oriented programming is more understandable, than procedural. With your expirience it means not a lot of work for learn it.
Thanks for your attention :)

Member Avatar for dickersonka

here's a couple articles on major differences between c# and c++

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/cc301520.aspx

c++ is still widely used today, probably just as much as c#, but a lot of web apps which is a major trend, are going to either c#, java(jsp) or php

prob the web side of things is the major difference today, no longer just applications, there are applications with a web front end and code behind

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