Ovidiu Velica

Hello and Welcome! I'm Ovidiu, a self-taught Python programmer and enthusiastic IT professional. My journey in IT began around 1995 when I had my first encounter with a PC. From spending countless hours at internet cafes to visiting friends who had computers at home, my fascination with technology grew. In 1996, I got my own PC, and my excitement led me to an interesting experience—I accidentally deleted the operating system. Determined to fix it, I embarked on a self-taught journey to reinstall the OS, which turned out to be one of my most challenging moments. I felt a mix of excitement and fear because my parents had made a real effort to get that PC for me.

During my teenage years, my friends and I frequently gathered in houses or garages for LAN parties. It was during these gatherings that I found myself taking on the role of the designated system and network administrator. I was responsible for setting up the network and troubleshooting any issues with my friend's PC's. Initially, we had a local network, but as home internet became popular, we started hosting larger and longer LAN parties, ensuring that everyone had access to the internet as well.

But things got even crazier when we decided to go full-blown rebels. We hatched a plan, climbed a pole outside a friend's place, and hooked up a ridiculously long UTP cable to hijack the local internet provider's switch. With a little MAC address magic, we all scored internet access! It was a glorious and hilariously audacious feat, proving that when it came to LAN parties, we weren't just gamers—we were adventure seekers, tech whizzes, and champions of online connectivity!

Although I always aspired to pursue a career in IT, I didn't enroll in a Computer Science University. Instead, I obtained a bachelor's degree in Marketing and Economic Sciences. However, my passion for technology never waned, and I continued to learn and experiment with new technologies.

During my time in college, I secured my first job in Tech Support, which I saw as my entry point into the IT field. Unfortunately, I found the job to be extremely boring, and the opportunities seemed limited. Nevertheless, upon graduating, I had an idea to expand my family's business, online. Combining my knowledge of marketing and IT, I successfully created the company's online store.

In 2018, I founded my own company called Player One Gaming, an online retailer specializing in PC peripherals. I utilized my sharpened marketing, and IT skills to develop the store and establish a strong online presence.

At the beginning of 2023, in March, I made the decision to pursue my dream of working in the IT field and become a DevOps engineer. As part of my preparation, by the end of May 2023, I have already completed two Python courses on Udemy. You can see the projects that I've built so far on my GitHub page. My next steps include refreshing my knowledge of Linux, learning Bash, AWS, CI/CD, Ansible, Terraform, Docker, and Kubernetes.

Overall, my journey reflects an unwavering passion for IT and a continuous drive to learn and adapt to new technologies. Transitioning into a DevOps role aligns perfectly with my background and interests. I am excited to embark on this path and explore the possibilities it holds.