I am in my 30s and wanted to transition into tech. I was able to get an internship and I was so excited. All the interns seemed to be enjoying their time. I, however, was deeply stressed by interactions with a man on my team I had to work closely with for the entirety of the internship. I felt belittled constantly and like he was annoyed by having to deal with me at all. It turned from an exciting learning experience to one of dread.

After that failed attempt, I went back to the industry I had left and years later just never returned. Something in me now wants to go for IT certifications and try again in the tech industry. I am afraid, though. How do I navigate the industry? Do I desensitize myself to comments and behaviors? I see the stories here and I get scared all over again. I think I intellectually have what it takes...but what about socially?

Who do I have to be to make it all work, I wonder. Does anyone else have these worries and feelings? How do you surmount them?