Last year I became a developer. I have been working on web and digital projects for more than twenty years, but never before have I taken on that position. I was excited to do so, but also afraid of change.
The first thing I noticed is no one cares. I was hesitant to call myself a developer, but it was just me. I found out that development is a forgiving and encouraging environment to work in.
How authorship works while being a developer is very different. As a designer, it is considered an individual achievement, but in development, authorship is a joint effort. This brings me to the main point.
Being a developer is social, and it fosters collaboration and growth. Culture in the company you end up working at can amplify or diminish it, but it makes development an exciting career in the long run. It also means soft skills are highly valued; so you can put them to use, but also work on improving them.
In summary, becoming a developer has been quite positive. My background in other areas is appreciated, I have the opportunity to learn and grow, and I find myself enjoying my new role more than I anticipated and not missing the old one at all.