How to transition from web development into desktop software development

Question

I'm 27 years old and have been a PHP web developer for the past 8 years and I'm beginning to grow tired of PHP. In my spare time I've been doing a lot of Java/Android development and thoroughly enjoying it, leaving me wondering how realistic it would be for a web developer to make a career switch into a desktop developer environment in either Java or .NET?

Does anyone have any experience with making the switch from web development to desktop development and if so (or even if not), can you offer me any advice as to the best route to take? (ie: look for a company with a strong java/.net web prescence where my web knowledge would be a little more transferable?)

One of my main concerns is at 27 years old I'm no longer a young spring chicken and I'm worried my age could have any effect.

Answer 1

Don't worry too much about the age thing. I'm about twice your age and I've been doing desktop development since the late 80's and switching back and forth between web and desktop development depending on the employer/project over the past 12 years or so. If you can program, you can find work although the age thing can cause problems with certain employers. If it does cause a problem for them then you probably wouldn't like working for them anyway.

It's true that there is an undue emphasis on specialization today. Don't let that stop you. Find a place where you can program and learn. Trust me, they're out there still. Programming is an ongoing learning process and when you stop learning, especially when you decide to stop learning for yourself, that's when you're "too old". To quote Bruce Lee, "When one has reached maturity in the art, one will have a formless form. It is like ice dissolving in water. When one has no form, one can be all forms; when one has no style, he can fit in with any style. "