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Is it worth doing a mid-career switch into tech at 38?

I've been in logistics for over 12 years but the industry feels stuck. I'm thinking of joining one of the SkillsFuture Career Conversion Programmes to move into a data analyst role. Anyone here actually made the jump in their late 30s and survived the pay cut?
Anonymous asker ·Asked on 2 hours ago ·3 views ·2 answers

2 contributors answered

midlifecoder Beginner First-hand experience
Did the same move around 37. My honest take: the hardest part is not the technical skills, it's convincing hiring managers you're not overqualified or too old. I sent maybe 60 applications before landing something. What worked was building 2 real portfolio projects using public data from data.gov.sg so I had something to show. The CCP training funding helped a lot with the pay cut sting. Just be prepared that your first tech role may be at a smaller company, not a fancy MNC. Treat it as a stepping stone. Manage your finances tight for the transition year, that's my real advice.
AhSengLimTuas Beginner First-hand experience
I switched at 40 from supply chain into a BI analyst role via a CCP. Ya lah, the first year salary dropped maybe 15 percent and my ego also took a hit sitting next to 26 year olds. But honestly my logistics domain knowledge became my superpower once I could code the dashboards. Companies love someone who understands the actual business, not just SQL. Give yourself 18 months minimum before you judge. The pay caught up by year two and now I'm above my old package. Don't romanticise it though, the studying at night after work is brutal when you also have kids.

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