As 2024 kicks off, I find myself facing a set of ambitious but absolutely necessary goals that I cannot afford to put off any longer. This year, I’m committing to a challenging, purposefully selected sequence of professional certifications, each one a stepping stone designed to systematically broaden my expertise and solidify my role as a knowledgeable leader in the realms of IT Security and Cloud Security.

My approach isn’t just about collecting acronyms for my résumé. Instead, it’s an intentional journey: every certification targets a specific area where I want to deepen my skillset, sharpen real-world problem-solving abilities, and gain credentials that speak to both technical competence and strategic understanding. I’ve identified key milestones that align with current industry needs and my long-term vision of becoming a top-tier expert in security, architecture, and cloud solutions.

Crafting a career is a journey of choices and learning. As an IT Security Automation specialist with a professional certification in Linux, I’ve navigated this journey through a mix of goal-oriented certifications, practical projects, and roles that matched my growing interests and skills.

Certifications as Learning Goals#

Certifications gave a concrete form to my learning goals. After earning a degree in Civil Engineering (Which in retrospect - should have been a degree in Computer Science), I transitioned into the IT sector, gaining hands-on experience with various IT tools and platforms.

As part of my job, I frequently talk to IT managers and senior technical staff. A frequent statement I hear sounds like this, “We patch our servers manually to reduce the risk of an outage." This stance is understandable. Regrettable, but understandable. Lets dig into it.

Human Errors: Intentions vs. Reality#

Humans have expertise but are also prone to mistakes. In server patching, these mistakes can be significant:

• Oversight in Patch Sequencing: Applying patches in the wrong order can destabilize a system.
• Misconfigured Settings: A small error can disrupt services.
• Version Mismatch: Using an outdated patch can threaten system stability.
• Time Overlaps: Patching during high usage can cause outages.

These errors can lead to business interruptions, data breaches, and system vulnerabilities.

The role of a System Administrator, or SysAdmin, is evolving. The lines between development and operations are blurring, and the rise of DevOps culture necessitates SysAdmins to add a new skill to their repertoire: coding.

The Convergence of Development and Operations#

The tech world is experiencing a fundamental shift as the walls between development and operations start to crumble. This shift is largely driven by the DevOps movement—a cultural phenomenon that encourages greater collaboration and integration between the traditionally separate developer and IT operations teams.

Colemak is a keyboard layout devised by Shai Coleman, prioritizing efficiency, speed, and ergonomics. The design situates the most used keys beneath the strongest fingers, reducing finger travel by 35% compared to QWERTY. This reduction in movement increases typing speed, enhances comfort, reduces finger fatigue, and mitigates the risk of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI).

Transition to Colemak#

Transitioning to Colemak was an absolute commitment, a leap from QWERTY to Colemak. The early phase was challenging, marked by a slow progress of 10 words per minute. The act of retyping passwords acted as a persistent reminder of the learning curve. After a month of consistent practice, however, Colemak began to feel natural, and typing speed and comfort markedly improved.