He Went Back to India After a Layoff. Two Years Later He Was at PayPal
What does it actually take to go from a first job in India to cybersecurity engineering at PayPal? Joseph breaks it all down. ▬▬ Want to follow the same learning path Joseph took? 🎓👇 ▬▬▬ Joseph worked through our two intense career programs — If you want to build the same end-to-end foundation: 1️⃣ DevOps Bootcamp to become job-ready in 4-6 months: https://bit.ly/4xy5WnE 2️⃣ Advanced DevSecOps Bootcamp to go to expert level: https://bit.ly/4gG23pt Joseph has been in tech for nearly 20 years. He started his career in India handing out software CDs. Today he's a Staff Cybersecurity Engineer at PayPal — a Docker Captain and an AWS Community Builder — building AI-powered security systems at enterprise scale. But his story isn't a straight line. There was a layoff in 2018, a 60-day window to find a job on an H1B visa, a forced return to India, an 8-month startup chapter, and a complete pivot into Cloud and DevOps before he rebuilt his career from the ground up. In this interview, Joseph shares the full journey — the setbacks, the mindset shifts, and the decisions that got him to where he is today. He also opens up about something less common: why a senior engineer already at PayPal still chose to go through structured DevOps and DevSecOps training — and how it changed the way he makes architectural decisions, justifies his tool choices, and leads his team. We also get into AI — and what it actually means for a career in DevSecOps right now. Joseph's answer comes from someone who is building AI-powered security systems in production, not from the sidelines. ▬ Connect with Joseph 💙 ▬ ► LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephvelliah/ ► Blog: https://blog.josephvelliah.com/ ► Read Joseph's full journey here: https://www.techworld-with-nana.com/post/devsecops-bootcamp-review-joseph What we cover: 📍 His first job in India and the early career pivot that changed everything 📍 Moving from India to the Gulf to Austin, Texas 📍 The 2018 layoff, the 60-day H1B countdown, and how he rebuilt 📍 Why he chose DevOps over going deeper into software development 📍 How a senior PayPal engineer uses structured learning to make better architecture decisions 📍 Training and mentoring his own team with a security-first mindset 📍 How to get your employer to fund your training 📍 The 5:30 AM daily learning routine that keeps him sharp 📍 How he became a Docker Captain — and why he first thought it wasn't for him 📍 The email he received while at Disneyland 📍 Will AI replace DevSecOps engineers? His honest take from inside a large enterprise ▬▬▬▬▬▬ T I M E S T A M P S ⏰ ▬▬▬▬▬▬ 0:00 – Joseph's Early Career in India and Transition to Tech 6:27 – First steps into IT field 8:48 – Navigating career outside own country 14:26 – The shift to DevOps and Cloud after getting laid off 22:56 – Why a staff-level engineer paid for structured programs 30:23 – Real applications from DevOps and DevSecOps bootcamp 22:56 – Why a staff-level engineer paid for structured programs 40:20 – Finding time to learn - Strategies for continuous learning 43:06 – How to take advantage of employer-sponsored training opportunities 45:35 – Advice for junior engineer 51:18 – Career advice for Indian engineers 54:45 – Career advancement at Paypal 58:33 – How he became Docker captain 1:07:17 – AI's impact on IT careers ▬▬▬▬▬▬ 🎙️ PART OF INTERVIEW SERIES 🎙️ ▬▬▬▬▬▬ Link to playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLy7NrYWoggjzWeggYOnCigkyu4feE_ADd This series features in-depth conversations with industry experts like Kelsey Hightower and real career journeys, from people who made it happen, sharing practical insights on learning paths, interview preparation, and day-to-day DevOps work. I capture real transformation stories from our DevOps and DevSecOps bootcamp graduates about building a DevOps career. Hear how people learned Kubernetes, prepared project portfolios, landed multiple job offers, and navigate the evolving landscape of AI in infrastructure. Whether you're considering DevOps or already in the field, these conversations reveal what's actually working. ▬▬▬▬▬▬ Connect with me 👋 ▬▬▬▬▬▬ INSTAGRAM ► https://bit.ly/2F3LXYJ TWITTER ► https://bit.ly/3i54PUB LINKEDIN ► https://bit.ly/3hWOLVT TechWorld with Nana DevOps Bootcamp | DevOps Bootcamp Review | How To Become a DevOps Engineer | Best DevOps Bootcamp | DevSecOps Bootcamp Review | Best DevSecOps Bootcamp