After 5+ years in Digital Marketing, I’ve decided to make a major pivot. I’m shifting my career focus toward DevOps.
To my marketing colleagues, this might sound like I’m moving to a different planet. To my future tech colleagues, it might look like I’m a "non-tech" outsider. But here is the truth: Marketing and DevOps are built on the same DNA.
Why the Shift?
In Marketing, I obsessed over Automation. I spent my days building email funnels and lead workflows to make sure no user was dropped. In DevOps, that same "workflow" mindset applies—only instead of moving leads through a funnel, I’m moving code through a pipeline.
I’m moving to DevOps because I want to build the systems that make the products, rather than just selling them. The "Technical Debt" we feel in marketing operations—broken APIs, slow landing pages, and siloed data—is exactly what DevOps is designed to solve.
My 6-Month Roadmap (2026 Edition)
I don’t believe in "overnight" success. I’ve laid out a rigorous 4–6 month plan to become job-ready while balancing my current role.
Month 1: The Foundation (Linux & Networking)
Goal: Move away from the GUI. I’m spending my first month in the terminal (Ubuntu).
Key Skills: Bash scripting, SSH, DNS, and the OSI model. If you can’t navigate a server, you can't automate it.
Month 2: The "Version Control" Phase (Git & Python)
Goal: Treat "Infrastructure as Code."
Key Skills: Mastering Git workflows. I’m also picking up Python to automate the repetitive tasks that used to take me hours in marketing spreadsheets.
Month 3: Containerization (Docker)
Goal: "It works on my machine" should never be an excuse.
Key Skills: Learning to package applications into Docker containers so they run anywhere—from my laptop to the cloud.
Month 4-5: Cloud & Orchestration (AWS & Kubernetes)
Goal: Scaling for millions.
Key Skills: I’ll be focusing on AWS (specifically EC2, S3, and IAM) and learning how Kubernetes manages container clusters at scale. This is the "Big Leagues" of DevOps.
Month 6: The "Project" Phase & Career Bridging
Goal: Build a portfolio that speaks both languages.
Outcome: I plan to build a "Full-Stack Observability" project, showing how system performance directly impacts Marketing Conversion Rates.
Final Thoughts
Transitioning isn't about throwing away my marketing experience; it's about upgrading the toolkit. I’m still focused on the "Customer Journey," but now I’m ensuring that journey happens on a fast, secure, and unbreakable infrastructure.
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