From sysadmin to solutions engineer: why I'm spending the next year learning AI in production

📰 Dev.to · Jay Thomason

A sysadmin is transitioning to a solutions engineer role by learning AI in production, highlighting the importance of adapting to new technologies

intermediate Published 14 May 2026

Action Steps

Research AI applications in production environments using resources like Dev.to and Medium
Explore AI-related courses on platforms like Coursera and edX to gain foundational knowledge
Experiment with AI tools and frameworks like TensorFlow and PyTorch to build practical skills
Join online communities like Kaggle and GitHub to collaborate with other professionals and learn from their experiences
Apply AI concepts to real-world problems, starting with small projects and gradually scaling up to more complex ones

Who Needs to Know This

This transition is relevant to IT professionals, particularly sysadmins and solutions engineers, who need to stay up-to-date with emerging technologies like AI to remain competitive

Key Insight

💡 Staying relevant in the IT industry requires continuous learning and adaptation to new technologies like AI