I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Brentwood, CA, offers a complimentary workspace—truly a game-changer for professionals like myself!
I’ve had the privilege of crossing paths with Software Engineers from major tech organizations including Google, Apple, and Meta. It’s invigorating to be in a city that serves as a hub for such talented individuals in the software engineering field.
Greetings, tech enthusiasts and public speaking aficionados alike! I’m Duane, and today, I’m here to offer an intertwined narrative of my five-year odyssey in DevOps and Toastmasters. With 18 years of programming already under my belt, the last five years have been a transformative journey in both DevOps and public speaking. So without further ado, let’s explore this exciting saga.
Before diving into DevOps, I was a seasoned programmer, eager for new challenges. Concurrently, I joined Toastmasters to polish my communication and leadership skills.
The first year was about laying strong foundations. In DevOps, I focused on marrying my programming knowledge with concepts like CI/CD and automation. Simultaneously, I completed my Ice Breaker speech in Toastmasters, setting the stage for more complex public speaking endeavors.
In my second year, automation in DevOps and leadership roles in Toastmasters were my focus areas. This year marked a milestone as I attained my AWS Certified DevOps Professional certification and completed “The Linux Foundation’s Kubernetes Training Program,” significantly broadening my skillset.
Year three was a harmonious blend of team collaboration in DevOps and rhetorical finesse in Toastmasters. This was the year I got my Certified Kubernetes Application Developer certification, and I also completed “Cloud & DevOps: Continuous Transformation” at MIT, adding a scholarly dimension to my practical experience.
In this year, I deep-dived into cloud computing in DevOps, focusing on scalability and resource management. My Toastmasters journey took me to advanced oratory techniques. On the educational front, I completed Udacity’s Artificial Intelligence for Trading and wrapped up “Machine Learning Engineering for Production (MLOps)” by year-end.
The fifth year is where my DevOps journey started to intersect intriguingly with machine learning. On the Toastmasters front, I reached a level of mastery, capable of delivering impromptu speeches effectively. Additionally, I am gearing up to sit for the CISSP test, a pivotal step in my career’s ongoing evolution.
The journeys are far from over. With emerging technologies and advanced public speaking platforms, I can only imagine how much more there is to explore and learn.
I hope this dual narrative provides you some valuable insights. Your thoughts are always welcome, so please feel free to share your comments below!
Until next time,