From Internship to Professional Identity#

Graduating in July 2024, I stepped out of campus like many others—filled with a mix of idealism and passion.

Perhaps because the job market for my major was relatively stable, I had internships before graduating and smoothly transitioned into a role that genuinely interested me. My mentors recognized my potential and offered me more opportunities. Naturally, I began taking on many tasks that were technically beyond my original scope of responsibility.

At the time, I seemed to thrive on that feeling of being “needed.”

I still remember a network upgrade project during my internship. For a whole week, we started working at 6 PM right after the regular shift and continued until 10 PM. We replaced every single switch across a five-story office building. The decommissioned Cisco switches were piled so high they almost matched my height.

Was it hard?

I didn’t think so—because it was a field I loved. Passion offsets exhaustion.

Transitioning from Networking to Security#

After officially joining the workforce, I shifted from the Datacom (Data Communications) field I touched during my internship to becoming a Security Service Engineer.

From late 2024 through the first half of 2025, I was involved in a diverse range of security service projects: Penetration Testing, Code Auditing, Risk Assessment, Major Event Support, Red/Blue Teaming (Attack & Defense Drills), Incident Response, and Phishing Simulations.

I evolved from relying on off-the-shelf tools to writing my own functional modules, building phishing systems, and streamlining information gathering workflows.

While my technical skills grew, the more significant lesson was learning how to communicate with different stakeholders. Some client engineers are technically solid and highly efficient, while others require more patient explanations.

I began to realize that while technical skill is the foundation, communication is a mandatory discipline for an engineer. Even now, I feel there is still much room for improvement.

First Encounter with Large-Scale Private Clouds#

In the latter half of 2025, I began working on security and operations for large-scale Private Clouds.

I started from scratch, learning cloud operations and workflows, eventually managing projects like cloud data sanitization. It was a year of rapid growth across multiple domains.

Yet, it was also the year where it felt hardest to stay motivated.

Promises were made and repeatedly unfulfilled, while the workload only increased. In the current economic climate, people often throw around the cynical meme: “If you won’t do it, plenty of others will.” Perhaps there’s a grain of truth in that, but when effort goes unrecognized for too long, you start to ask: What is the point of persisting?

Eventually, I came to a realization:

It’s not about stopping the effort or “lying flat”—it’s about redirecting that effort toward a direction that truly belongs to you.

Do your job well, but also look for the sky where you truly belong.

Re-examining the Self#

I remember a mentor during my internship telling me he hoped that by the time I graduated, I would have a two-page resume filled with solid project experience.

But upon graduation, my resume was still very “clean.”

I don’t like listing things I only have a superficial understanding of, nor am I willing to exaggerate my abilities. Perhaps this is the most basic tenet of being an engineer: seeking truth from facts. I used to look down on resumes that were fluffed up with buzzwords despite minimal actual knowledge.

By the second half of 2025, I reorganized my experience. I included the projects I truly participated in, was responsible for, and deeply understood. Today, I can finally present a resume that meets my former mentor’s expectations—without a drop of “water” (exaggeration).

During the same period, I started focusing on my website and WeChat account. If the knowledge and experience I share can help even a few people, then it’s all worth it.

In this era of rapid AI evolution, human learning speed will likely never catch up with the pace of model iteration.

But don’t forget—everything AI learns originates from the real experiences, sincere sharing, and continuous creativity left by humans on the internet.

So, keep writing. Even if it’s slow, as long as it’s authentic, it has value.

A Few Days in Melbourne#

At the end of 2025, a senior family member fell ill. According to traditional Chinese values, I shouldn’t have traveled far. However, knowing my job was about to change and such an opportunity might not come again, I booked the flight. Three days after the surgery, I flew to Melbourne.

I stayed for six days, which was perhaps the happiest time of my 2025.

I visited the University of Melbourne and took a photo in front of the Old Engineering Building.

During those days, I kept thinking: As engineers, we should use technology to create value, not drown in repetitive labor. Instead of passively reacting to problems, we should actively create tools.

It was in those Melbourne mornings and evenings that I became more determined to refine my inspection system and develop more practical tool platforms.

In the past, the barrier to entry for these things was high. But now, with CodeX, Claude, various AI coding assistants, and automated frameworks, the ecosystem is maturing.

The world is moving much faster than we imagine.

The Boundaries of Work#

The most important thing I learned in 2025 wasn’t a specific technology, but rather:

Facing my own shortcomings, acknowledging my limitations, and growing within my boundaries.

One shouldn’t endlessly hoard tasks; everyone needs personal space.

Technology is a career, but it shouldn’t be the entirety of one’s life.

Looking Ahead to the Year of the Horse#

2025 was a year of growth, anxiety, exhaustion, and distant horizons.

If I were to summarize this year:

Having experienced so much, I still love being an engineer, but I’ve realized it’s time to start growing for myself.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year for 2026, the Year of the Horse. May your families be happy, and may your paths be smooth and safe.