I still remember the day when I first started my career as a computer hardware support engineer. It was two decades ago, and technology was quite different back then. The world was not yet fully digital, and the internet was still in its early stages. However, I was determined to make a career out of my love for computers and technology.

As a computer hardware support engineer, my primary role was to provide technical support to users who were experiencing issues with their computer hardware. I worked for a company that sold computers and peripherals, and my job involved troubleshooting, repairing, and maintaining computer systems.

I was always fascinated by the workings of computers and how they functioned. I enjoyed the challenge of diagnosing and fixing hardware issues and was constantly learning new skills to improve my craft. However, after a few years, I felt like I had hit a ceiling in terms of growth and wanted to explore other areas within the technology industry.

During the early years of my career, my focus was on troubleshooting hardware-related issues and ensuring that the systems were running smoothly. As technology evolved, the role of hardware support engineers changed. The shift towards software-defined infrastructure meant that there was less reliance on hardware components, and the focus shifted towards software optimization.

This shift led me to pursue a career in software engineering. I started learning programming languages and focused on building software applications that could run on different systems. With time, I became more involved in system administration and worked on configuring and maintaining servers, databases, and other software applications. I was intrigued by the concept of DevOps, which was just starting to gain traction at that time.

As my knowledge and experience grew, I became more interested in the field of reliability engineering. Reliability engineering involves ensuring that systems are reliable, efficient, and scalable. It requires a deep understanding of how different components of a system interact with each other and how to optimize them for better performance.

I was intrigued by the challenge of ensuring the reliability of complex systems, which led me to transition into the role of a Site Reliability Engineer (SRE). As an SRE, I am responsible for ensuring the reliability of software systems and infrastructure. My role involves designing and implementing systems that are fault-tolerant, scalable, and efficient.

One of the most significant changes that I have witnessed is the shift towards cloud computing. This has enabled companies to deploy and manage applications and services much more easily and efficiently than before. With cloud computing, it is possible to easily scale up or down resources as needed, which has made it much easier to handle sudden spikes in traffic or demand.

Another significant change that I have witnessed is the shift towards automation. In the past, many tasks and processes had to be done manually, which was time-consuming and often prone to errors. Today, we have a wide range of automation tools and technologies that enable us to easily manage and automate many tasks and processes.

As an SRE, I have had to adapt to these changes and stay up-to-date with the latest technologies and trends. This has required a great deal of ongoing learning and training, but it has also been very rewarding. I have been able to work with a wide range of technologies and collaborate with other professionals from around the world.

In summary, my career path from a computer hardware support engineer to an SRE has been an exciting and challenging journey. It has required me to adapt to new technologies and learn new skills continually. I have enjoyed the challenges that have come with each new role and look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead.