Switched from mechanical engineering to backend dev at 31, the hardest part wasn't the code, it was explaining the gap on my resume

Spent eight years designing HVAC systems before deciding to learn to code, and honestly the coding itself came easier than I expected once I put the hours in. What I couldn't figure out for months was how to frame two years of bootcamp-and-side-projects on a resume without it reading like a red flag. Ended up just being direct about it in a short summary line instead of trying to hide the gap, and it stopped being something interviewers even asked about.