Laid Off: Embracing an Opportunity

Change is an inevitable part of life, and sometimes it arrives when we least expect it. Recently, I experienced a significant shift in my career journey as I was laid off from my role as a Cloud Operations Engineer in March 2023. This came at an awful time, as I had just had my first child in December, and although it was unexpected, I have chosen to view this as an opportunity to not only spend some time with her, which I am grateful for, but also using it for growth and exploration.

As a Cloud Operations Engineer, who was commonly referred to as an SRE, I gained skills in managing complex infrastructures, implementing security measures, and ensuring operations. Though I was let go, I will always be thankful I was able to gain these skills. The time in this position ignited a love for this type of work, I suddenly wanted to be immersed in any discussion to do with security, whether it was sitting in on audits, reviewing code and deployments, or finding and adding new layers of security to our day to day operations, I loved it. It added a level of instant gratification I wasn’t feeling as a developer.

Previously I was working as a Lead Web Developer, I loved my team, I loved presenting successes to clients, and I loved mentoring juniors, and though I managed our Infrastructure, I did not have anyone to learn from. This is what led me to leave this relatively secure position and seek out new opportunities, and I do not regret that decision as that allowed me to rapidly grow as soon as I was working with professionals with not only more knowledge but a more diverse set of skills.

Pursuing this New Path

To make this transition, I recognize the importance of continuous learning and upskilling. I have begun immersing myself in cybersecurity courses, attending workshops, and pursuing relevant certifications. Navigating through the intricacies of ethical hacking, threat intelligence, and cybersecurity frameworks excites me, as I embrace the challenges that lie ahead.

I will be documenting my experiences here during this time, and though I don’t expect this to reach a broad audience, I think this will prove to be therapeutic. If you are reading this, and you are going through a similar experience, know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and as long as you are persistent, and you don’t stop working towards your goals, you will someday love where you are in life.