More Than One Path: Exploring Alternative Technical Careers
A guide to lesser-known but highly technical roles in the tech world, and how they can open unexpected doors in your career.
How I got here
Before joining Datadog, I didn’t even know that advocacy was a career path or what the job entailed. Almost a year in, I’ve learned not only about advocacy but also about other community-focused roles I didn’t know existed. Coming from a consulting background, I’d never considered how a product company’s resources were created. From learning center courses to documentation, an incredible amount of work goes into giving customers the information they need.
I want to share more about these lesser known roles, which turned out to be a fantastic career path for me, and might be for you, too. While I’m writing from a security practitioner’s perspective, these ideas apply far beyond security.
I used to imagine a very traditional tech career: work my way up as an individual contributor (IC), then eventually choose between staying an IC or moving into management. I liked working with people, so I assumed I’d head toward management someday but I wasn’t ready for that leap yet.
Then I discovered something that was an even better fit for me. These alternative roles aren’t widely known, but they require just as much technical skill as an IC role, plus a different kind of creativity and impact. My goal is to increase the visibility of these roles so that people are aware of the opportunities that exist. This post is a follow-up to a talk I gave at The Diana Initiative and I’ll add the recording once it’s available.
Community-Focused Roles
Advocate / Developer Relations (DevRel)
Engaging with the community is a big part of an advocate’s role, but it goes far beyond speaking at conferences or writing blog posts. Advocates also help others take the stage by giving feedback on proposals and running practice sessions. Many create open source tools or contribute to existing projects, and they’re often active in local tech groups. Inside the organization, they bridge the gap between users and product teams, sharing feedback and helping position the product for success. As an engineer, I know exactly what I do and don’t like in an AppSec tool, and I bring that perspective to our internal stakeholders. Some advocates also conduct and publish research, whether that’s discovering a new vulnerability or analyzing security trends. That work often comes full circle, leading to blog posts, open source releases, and conference talks.
Technical Curriculum Developer
If you have ever taken a workshop, lab, or certification course, there is a good chance a Technical Curriculum Developer built it. They design clear, engaging learning materials that help both internal teams and customers master the product. Their work goes beyond writing labs, as they also maintain demo environments used in training and sometimes lead workshops at events. This role blends technical expertise with the creativity needed to make complex topics approachable.
Technical Writer
Technical writing was the role I thought I understood best, but I quickly learned how much it actually covers. Some writers focus on blog posts and product announcements, while others specialize in documentation. In both cases, they take complex, technical topics and translate them into clear, concise explanations. It is not only about writing well; it is about making sure the right information reaches the right audience in a way that is easy to follow and act on.
Why these roles matter
Clear communication in security is critical. Imagine you set up scans for an application, but the documentation was unclear. Six months later, you realize you misconfigured it and now you have hundreds of high-severity vulnerabilities that could’ve been fixed months ago. Good documentation could have prevented that.
Teaching security concepts also has a huge impact. Many roles, from software developers to cloud architects, need to follow security best practices but have little experience doing so. Closing that knowledge gap makes applications more secure from the start and lowers the barrier for entering security roles.
Finally, people in these roles influence the product itself. If it takes ten clicks to get to scan results, that’s tedious for users and frustrating for those writing about it. Advocates, writers, and curriculum developers can suggest more efficient designs to product teams, improving the experience for everyone.
Skills to build
There are four areas where I’ve grown the most (and am still growing!) that I recommend as starting points for anyone looking to transition into one of these roles.
Writing was my steepest learning curve, but it’s one of the most powerful tools for building your voice and sharing knowledge. Start small: publish a blog post (yes, you actually have to hit publish!). Short LinkedIn updates or social media threads can be just as impactful. Focus on being clear and concise in your writing. Write regularly and publicly, as consistency builds confidence.
Public speaking might feel daunting, but it’s a valuable skill whether or not you want to be an advocate. My first talk was a five-minute lightning session at a small local conference, which was a low stakes and super supportive environment. From there, I moved to longer talks at bigger events. Conferences can feel intimidating, but local meetups are often more approachable for new speakers. If live audiences aren’t your thing yet, record a YouTube video. It’s a great way to show you can craft and deliver a narrative, and you can edit out any awkward parts.
The best way to prove you understand something is to teach it. Walk a friend, coworker, or beginner through a topic you love. No one in your circle interested? Volunteer! I once led a threat modeling workshop at a nonprofit after-school program and later adapted it for a middle school tech class. Teaching forces you to simplify and focus on the essentials.
Research scared me at first because it felt so open-ended. The key is to get comfortable with being uncomfortable and to embrace the fact that you’ll never know everything. Start with something you genuinely are interested in, even if you know little about it. Ask questions. Identify gaps. Before long, you’ll be forming your own ideas and solutions.
At the heart of all these skills lies storytelling. Whether you’re writing, speaking, teaching, or researching, your job is to capture and keep your audience’s attention, while staying accurate. Storytelling helps people remember your message, connect with your journey, and see themselves in it.
The importance of networking
Use your current role to explore opportunities without overloading yourself in your free time. If your company has a blog, pitch an article. If there’s a conference budget, attend an event even if you’re not speaking. If volunteering is encouraged, offer a free training to a local group.
Networking is the most powerful tool to upscale your career. Whether at work, at an event, or online, focus on building meaningful connections. Reach out to people in roles you admire. See what they’re working on, and ask for advice. I always respond to people seeking guidance or resources because I know how much those early conversations matter.
And yes, networking really works. After speaking at BSidesSF, I demoed for Datadog at RSA. Someone who had seen my talk visited my booth, and after a quick chat (and a Datadog hat), he later invited me to be on his podcast. Another time, I met someone at BSides Roanoke who eventually invited me to exec dinners where I connected with CISOs and CTOs. Those conversations can open doors you didn’t even know existed.
Wrap-up
If you take away only one thing, let it be this: these roles are still highly technical. Success in them requires a deep understanding of your domain. My hope is that this post opens your eyes to new opportunities and maybe even inspires you to try one.
I’m always happy to answer questions about the roles or the skills mentioned earlier. Resources are included below if you’d like to start building those skills.