">* I can't leverage the last 10 years of my career; it would basically become a lost decade for me
I don't believe there's nothing you've learned that you couldn't apply to programming (not to mention software/application design).
I've applied concepts I've learned in biology class to programming! Also, a lot about programming is management, too: managing memory, managing data, managing workers, threads; just to name a few. Nothing we do in life is a lost to us! :-)"
While you are right, i believe he is also right saying he can't leverage the last 10 years. His experience will be useful, but when applying to positions this won't make a difference. Companies hiring developers look for a very precise set of skills (This lang+That Lang+This DB+That pattern+etc...) and while his last 10 years might be a plus in particular cases, most of recruiters will just ignore them (especially if they are from the HR team).
While you are right, i believe he is also right saying he can't leverage the last 10 years. His experience will be useful, but when applying to positions this won't make a difference. Companies hiring developers look for a very precise set of skills (This lang+That Lang+This DB+That pattern+etc...) and while his last 10 years might be a plus in particular cases, most of recruiters will just ignore them (especially if they are from the HR team).