Day in the life: What growth looks like in real tech careers

What does career growth actually look like in tech—beyond the job titles and org charts?

We asked three seasoned professionals to break down a typical day in their current roles. From building content and writing code to leading strategy across global teams, each of them took a different path through software and IT. Now, they’re giving us a real-world look at how their daily work has evolved, what skills matter most, and how they stay sharp in a fast-moving industry.

If you’re early in your career, eyeing a promotion, or exploring what’s next, this panel gives you clear, relatable insight into how software roles shift at every level—and how to keep growing no matter where you start.

Let’s meet the panel and dive in.

What’s your current role, and how would you describe it to someone outside of tech?

Elle Krout: “I’m a Principal Course Author at Pluralsight. I make online courses and hands-on training to help tech professionals stay sharp and up-to-date. A lot of folks call it ‘technical training,’ but at the end of the day—I teach people about technology.”

Obinna Amalu: “I’m a Senior Director of Infrastructure and IT Operations for a global enterprise. The easiest way to explain it? I manage the digital equivalent of a city’s infrastructure—everything from networks and servers to access systems and user support. It’s my job to make sure everything runs smoothly so our employees can do theirs.”

Karun Subramanian: “I lead IT operations and AIOps strategy as a Senior Director. That means setting the big-picture vision, building and staffing teams, and keeping things aligned across leadership. I’m not as hands-on with the tech day-to-day anymore, but I stay close enough to guide the right decisions.”

What does a typical day look like for you? Does it change much, and how do you figure out what to prioritize?

EK: “My team is spread across time zones, so I always start by checking messages from folks who logged on after I signed off the day before. Then I get into the creative part—writing scripts, building demo code, planning out visuals, or recording a course. I always record in the mornings since that’s when I’m sharpest. Priorities depend on where I am in the course development process—code always comes first, script second, and then recording.”

OA: “No two days are the same. Most start with reviewing overnight updates and support team metrics. From there, I'm [involved] in planning meetings, vendor calls, project reviews, and sometimes handling urgent escalations. My top priorities are always the things that protect business continuity, security, and long-term success.”

KS: “My days are a mix of meetings—strategic planning, operational reviews, war rooms when needed—and time set aside for deep thinking and follow-ups. I prioritize based on what’s most urgent, what impacts the business, and how things line up with our long-term goals.”

How much of your time is spent building, writing, or planning versus meetings and collaboration?

OA: “Less than 5% of my time is hands-on with tech these days. About 30–40% goes into strategic design, planning, and writing. The rest—about 60%—is spent in meetings, coaching my team, managing vendors, and working with stakeholders to keep everything moving in the right direction.”

KS: “About half of my time is in meetings or collaborative sessions. Another chunk goes into high-level planning. I still review architecture and occasionally jump into debugging when needed, but it’s more about staying connected to the tech than doing it daily.”

EK: “This role gives me a lot of heads-down time to write, code, and design content—way more than I had in other roles. I only have a couple of weekly meetings, so I can really focus on the creative side. Collaboration happens, but I usually have to seek it out.”

What skills do you rely on the most these days?

EK: “I work a lot with AWS and DevOps tooling—Kubernetes, CI/CD, configuration management—and I use Node.js for writing realistic example apps. But honestly, my communication and writing skills matter just as much. If I can’t clearly explain a concept, the tech doesn’t matter.”

KS: “My technical background in cloud infrastructure and systems design is still key, but I lean hard on soft skills like strategic thinking, communication, and staying calm in complex situations. Listening well and communicating clearly have become just as important as knowing the tech.”

OA: “I bring a deep understanding of infrastructure—from cloud to on-prem systems—and a strong grounding in operational best practices like ITIL. But the real glue is soft skills: leading teams, making smart strategic calls, resolving conflict, and showing empathy, especially during high-pressure moments.”

How is your day now different from when you first started your career?

OA: “When I started, I was hands-on—configuring servers, troubleshooting, staying sharp on every trend. Now, I’m focused on strategy, people, and the business side of tech. It’s less about doing the work myself and more about empowering others to do it well.”

EK: “I started as a technical writer at a cloud company, and I actually think I write even more now. But I also get to code, explore more tech, and build full learning experiences. It’s been a full-circle shift that blends both the creative and technical sides of my brain.”

KS: “In the early days, I was building and debugging systems myself. These days, I’m responsible for outcomes at the team level and making sure execution aligns with business needs. It’s gone from solving problems myself to setting others up to solve them.”

Any rituals or routines that keep your workflow on track?

KS: “I avoid back-to-back meetings when I can and leave space for follow-ups. On Sunday evenings, I review the week ahead to prep for any potential logjams. It helps me stay proactive instead of reactive.”

EK: “I write a quick to-do list every morning—just a simple, personal one, even if my team is tracking stuff elsewhere. And I carve out time for learning, even if it’s not directly related to my job. Right now I’m dabbling in React Native and working toward a networking cert.”

OA: “I start the day with prayer or exercise to get mentally grounded. Then I check in on metrics and projects, keep a dynamic priority list, and have regular strategic reviews with my leadership team. I also do monthly ops reviews and quarterly planning sessions. One-on-ones and skip-level meetings are key for staying connected with my team.”

What advice would you give someone looking to grow into a role like yours?

EK: “Don’t be afraid to take a less traditional path. I started in technical writing because that’s where my strengths were, and it opened doors to tech roles I didn’t even know existed. Ask questions. Be curious. Talk to people outside your team. That’s where opportunities come from.”

KS: “Understand that leadership is a shift—it’s not about doing everything yourself, but helping your team succeed. Make peace with the fact that you’ll be in more meetings. But stay technically curious and engaged; that credibility still matters.”

OA: “Build a strong foundation in tech early—systems, scripting, development, networking. But also learn to connect your work to business goals, communicate clearly, and build relationships across the org. And when you lead, lead by lifting others. Your greatest success will come from empowering your team.”

Navigating what’s next in your tech career

Every role in tech looks a little different and so does individual growth. Whether you're writing code, building training content, or leading infrastructure strategy, career progress isn’t just about promotions. It’s about developing the skills, habits, and perspective that help you create impact at any level.

Hopefully, this inside look gave you a clearer picture of what that can look like over time. If you’re thinking about your own next step, start by reflecting on the kind of work you want to do more of—and what skills will help you get there.

Explore more from the panel

Want to dive deeper into our panel's work or learn from them directly? Check out their latest courses, labs, and blogs:

Karun Subramanian

Course: Implementing SRE Reliability Best Practices

Course: Integrating Generative AI in DevOps Pipelines

Elle Krout

Provisioning Infrastructure with the AWS CDK Learning Path with these courses:

Foundations of the AWS CDK
Deploying Applications with the AWS CDK
Working with Large-scale Environments with the AWS CDK
AWS CDK Environmental Best Practices and Design Considerations
Working with Custom Construct Libraries in the AWS CDK
AWS CDK Security Best Practices

Obinna Amalu

Lab: DevOps Continuous Integration and Delivery: Setting Up a CI/CD Pipeline

Lab: Configuring Networking in RHEL 9

Blog: How GenAI is changing edge computing (and the skills teams need to keep up)

Blog: To the edge: Strategies to adopt edge computing in your organization