Working in Tech Ep 21 - How to Become A Software Engineer with Kelsey Hightower

The #WorkingInTech series follows the career journeys of thriving tech professionals. We unpack their career stories to turn lessons learned into useful tips to help you make winning career moves.

On this episode of #WorkinginTech, we're chatting with Kelsey Hightower. Kelsey is a celebrated software engineer, developer advocate, and speaker known for his work with Kubernetes, open-source software, and cloud computing.

Kelsey dropped out of college and taught himself the skills required to start his career as an independent contractor for BellSouth, before becoming involved in the open-source world, working at New Relic, CoreOS, Puppet Labs, and most recently at Google.

Kelsey has become one of the most well-known speakers on Kubernetes, and has also spoken on other topics, including serverless computing. He has co-founded the Kubernetes-focused conference KubeCon and co-wrote the book "Kubernetes Up and Running."

Kelsey will share his remarkable career journey and insights on the power of open-source software and cloud computing. Get ready for an insightful discussion!

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Twitter: https://x.com/kelseyhightower

CHAPTERS
0:00 - Intro
0:42 - Why Tech?
4:21 - Finding Resources in the 90's
7:38 - Job Search Strategy
11:16 - Experience as an Entrepreneur
16:14 - Landing the First Role
19:41 - Settling Down
24:04 - Working in a Team
28:46 - The Power of Networking
35:37 - Moving into Kubernetes
40:48 - Certifications & Learning
43:27 - Starting Out New
46:00 - Building Communication Skills
49:37 - What Is Kubernetes?
55:32 - Render(ATL) Keynote Prep
58:50 - Retirement
1:14:52 - Avoiding Burnout
1:19:26 - Final Words
1:20:28 - Conclusion