
Ask HN: Switch from Technology Analyst to Software Engineering - bta12
I have an undergraduate degree in computer science but I have never had a software engineering job. I worked for a year as a BA and then went ahead and did my master&#x27;s in information systems. I have now been working as a Technology Analyst at a decent sized firm where I basically do all BA stuff, document requirements, JIRA, Scrum etc.<p>I&#x27;m now realizing that BA&#x2F;Project Manager work might not be the best fit for me. I do not enjoy my work and it gets pretty mundane.<p>Is it too late to get back into software engineering? I have had a couple of internships where I wrote some code (not pure development internships) but I have never really worked in a professional software development environment. I also have some personal projects that I can put on my resume.<p>To upsert my knowledge of computer science, I have started working through this (on the graphs section right now): https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;jwasham&#x2F;coding-interview-university. 
I also try to do leetcode problems on the topics I cover. I plan to follow this guide for the most part.<p>Do you see any gaping holes in my intent&#x2F;plan to get into software engineering? Do you think it is doable?<p>If it is doable, do you have any recommendations in terms of the process that I should follow? Really appreciate any advice or feedback.
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kevsim
In my experience, the easiest way to make these "leaps" is to do so within the
company in which you're already working provided that a) you've been
successful in your role and b) your company is a flexible place that values
its employees personal development. That's much easier than applying to a job
"cold" at some other company.

Talk to your manager and let them know about your ambitions. Maybe the next
time there's a planning session for your team, you can take some small tasks,
bug fixes, etc. or maybe you can pair program with (or just observe) one of
your engineering colleagues.

Great that you're working on your skills outside of work as will, and I
suspect many on HN will suggest getting involved in open source projects, but
that's really playing the long game IMO. Shortest path is to try to get a "new
desk" in the place you already work.

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bta12
Thank you for the advice. I think my firm is flexible enough that moving
within could be a possibility.

Do you think its a good idea to bring this up in a 1-on-1 with my manager?
What if they say its not possible? I'm skeptical because if they say no, I
will be viewed as someone who is looking to switch roles and with this
Covid-19 situation, who knows what it will lead to.

