<i>highly competent Python&#x2F;Java programmer down on her luck</i><p>As a sibling poster has said, never ever ever ever talk like this.  In particular, don&#x27;t talk like this in 2016 in the Bay Area, which is approximately the best time and place to ever be a developer.  Your wife should present herself as a confident professional with substantial programming skills who is looking for a career change into software development.<p>n.b. That transition is not as smooth as changing between dev jobs, but practically speaking after she&#x27;s gotten one software development position under her belt this conversation gets very, very easy in the future.<p>In the current environment clueful employers should be foaming-at-the-mouth rabidly enthusiastic to make your wife&#x27;s acquaintance.  Coding bootcamp graduates with minimal technical background, ~12 weeks of Rails training, and no related professional experience are hireable in Bay Area right now.