How hard is it to change careers and become a coder? Forum

[Anonymous User]

How realistic is it for a biglaw attorney to abandon their legal career and become a coder? Is it as competitive to get a phenomenal coding job (i.e., FAANG) as it is to get a biglaw job? How long does it take to learn to code? (1-2 years? can I self study? Would I be competitive if I learn how to code but don't have a degree in computer science?)

Lastly, anyone know someone who's done this? (pivot career to coding?)

Thank you in advance for any information you have!

[Anonymous User]

Also curious about job switch, although not necessarily for software engineering and more mechanical/electrical engineering.

[Anonymous User]

I know two former biglaw attorneys who went into coding. Both had dabbled in coding as a hobby and were certainly more skilled than your average attorney (e.g. they could write simple visual basic macros in Excel), but they didn't learn Python, etc. until after they left their jobs. I think it took them a couple years of self study before getting coding jobs. They laughed at me when I asked if I could learn while working biglaw.

As I understand, it would be very hard to get a FAANG job without a CS degree, especially as your first coding job after a career transition. But there are plenty of companies that need coders and both ex-attorneys are very happy they made the transition.

[Sackboy]

Is it as competitive? It's easily far more competitive. For biglaw, you just show up to a T13 and just don't huff glue.

[Anonymous User]

Thank you everyone for your responses so far.

[jotarokujo]

i dont think it's more competitive. at my undergrad, they gave out FAANG jobs like candy. it seemed like most people who did CS, and a lot of people did CS solely for the money as opposed to talent/passion, got a FAANG job. it's honestly similar to biglaw in that sense

and it wasn't limited to cs majors. it was just show up to cs/ee/math major, don't huff glue, coast there after interning a summer.

you only had to be good if you wanted to do software at certain startups or other more competitive places. that's like the equivalent of wanting to go to susman or something where you can't just coast there. faang = generic new york transactional


now from the perspective of someone who did not do one of those majors and did not intern there, it's a lot harder. It's like trying to get into biglaw without having done a 2L SA, plus you have to build skills on your own. but plenty still do it

if you're not married to coding you could try getting a pm gig at a faang. that's probably easier because you don't really need to acquire skills

[Anonymous User]

i dont think it's more competitive. at my undergrad, they gave out FAANG jobs like candy. it seemed like most people who did CS, and a lot of people did CS solely for the money as opposed to talent/passion, got a FAANG job. it's honestly similar to biglaw in that sense

and it wasn't limited to cs majors. it was just show up to cs/ee/math major, don't huff glue, coast there after interning a summer.

you only had to be good if you wanted to do software at certain startups or other more competitive places. that's like the equivalent of wanting to go to susman or something where you can't just coast there. faang = generic new york transactional


now from the perspective of someone who did not do one of those majors and did not intern there, it's a lot harder. It's like trying to get into biglaw without having done a 2L SA, plus you have to build skills on your own. but plenty still do it

if you're not married to coding you could try getting a pm gig at a faang. that's probably easier because you don't really need to acquire skills

Thank you so much for this insight! What is a "PM Gig"?

[jotarokujo]

product manager. people who get those gigs right out of undergrad often did an internship in high school though. others who lateral into it often did something like consulting first

[JCougar]

As I understand, it would be very hard to get a FAANG job without a CS degree, especially as your first coding job after a career transition. But there are plenty of companies that need coders and both ex-attorneys are very happy they made the transition.

At least two guys I went to law school with are now coders for one of the FAANGs. Neither had much success in the post-graduation law job hunt (although when I graduated, the legal employment scene was a shitshow compared to now). In fact, neither even landed a real attorney gig. Both of them knew they were going to hate law anyway. Now, both of them are living in California with FAANG jobs, working from home, and enjoying the weather. None had a CS degree or any training beforehand, but both were really smart, and got something like 170 on the LSAT. The one I know best just taught himself to code after law school while unemployed living with his girlfriend.

[Anonymous User]

i dont think it's more competitive. at my undergrad, they gave out FAANG jobs like candy. it seemed like most people who did CS, and a lot of people did CS solely for the money as opposed to talent/passion, got a FAANG job. it's honestly similar to biglaw in that sense

and it wasn't limited to cs majors. it was just show up to cs/ee/math major, don't huff glue, coast there after interning a summer.

I wouldn't say it's not more competitive. SWE at FAANG can be very competitive. BUT as you mention, it's similar to the legal world: just like how BigLaw offers are (relatively speaking) handed out like candy at T6, FAANG gigs will be handed out like candy at UCB/Stanford/MIT/CMU/etc. At least in my experience going to one of those undergrads.

Anon because undergrad+previous posts may ID me.