Here's how you can enhance your skill set as a late career professional in System Architecture.

Stay updated with system architecture trends through continuous learning, advanced certifications, and hands-on projects. Engage in mentorship to enhance leadership and gain new perspectives. Expand your network by participating in industry events. Develop soft skills like communication and teamwork. Regularly read industry publications to stay informed, and familiarize yourself with emerging technologies such as cloud computing, AI, and machine learning. By focusing on these areas, you can continue to grow and excel as a system architecture professional.

In 2015, our monolithic system faced management efficiency issues due to a large team, a massive codebase, and constant feature requests. After thorough investigation, we decided to transition to a Microservices Architecture to address these problems. This transition allowed us to restructure into smaller, manageable, and agile teams, solving both business and technical challenges. Defining the boundaries between microservices was initially challenging due to the interconnected code and database. We ultimately organized teams based on business domains. In this journey we considered Microservice Architecture as enabler to support faster business delivery, by building small and independent teams.

I began my career as a .NET Developer and transitioned Software Architect role, a title I held for many years. My big break came in 2010 when an AI startup needed an architect. - when AI was not cool yet - I completely shifted my tools, learning, and experiences from Information Systems to a whole new field—Image Processing, Fraud Detection, and Deep Learning Networks. That period was challenging for me. It truly tested the 70-20-10 learning model so: 70% of learning comes from on-the-job experience Looking back over the past decade, I can confidently say that the 10% from certifications is crucial—it’s the only way to measure your progress. Meanwhile, the 20% from conferences is invaluable for meeting the right people for social learning

I never imagined how profoundly mentorship would shape my career and personality. I had a fantastic opportunity to teach Design Patterns, Java, C++, and Object-Oriented Design in voluntary workshops at a college. That experience became transformative for me. I delved deeply into essential texts like Object-Oriented Analysis and Design, Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software, and, of course, Domain-Driven Design. You can imagine that back in 2009, these concepts were still quite new Conducting these workshops pushed me to limits, requiring me to thoroughly read and understand these books. This effort played a critical role in my career shift, profoundly influencing my development and approach to software architecture

Attention all working professionals! If you're interested in pursuing a career as a Systems Architect, it's important to keep your skill set up-to-date with the latest requirements. - Take time each day to reflect on your career journey and adapt your learning path accordingly. - Start by reviewing the projects you've worked on so far. Write down the challenges you faced, the solutions you engineered, and the skills you utilised. This will help you gain a better understanding of your current skill set and identify areas for improvement. Let's keep learning and growing together! #SystemsArchitect #CareerDevelopment