The free guide · 10 min read

The Trade to Tech Roadmap

The exact path from the tools to a tech income — written by someone who poured concrete, served six years in the Marines, and now builds AI systems from Spain. No degree. No jargon. No fluff.

Step 1 — Pick your path (don't overthink it)

Every failed career switch we've seen died in research mode. Read the four paths below, pick the one that sounds like you, and move on. You can change lanes later — the first 6 weeks overlap anyway.

AI & Automation

You like making things run themselves and hate repeated work.

First win: Automate one admin task (quotes, follow-ups) this week with ChatGPT.

Useful in 1 week · income-relevant in 2–3 months

Web Development

You like building things you can see and show people.

First win: Put a one-page site for your trade business live in a weekend.

First site in weeks · job-ready in 6–12 months

Data & Analytics

You're the one who actually reads the specs and measures twice.

First win: Track your jobs/costs in a spreadsheet, then let AI analyse it.

Useful immediately · job-ready in 6–12 months

DevOps & Infrastructure

You diagnose systems under pressure and keep things running.

First win: Learn what 'the cloud' actually is — it's plumbing for data.

Builds on other paths · job-ready in 9–15 months

Step 2 — The week-by-week plan

Built around shifts. No 6-hour study days, no bootcamp debt — just consistent reps, the same way you got good at your trade.

Weeks 1–2 · First wins

Set up ChatGPT (free tier) and use it on one real task from your day — a quote, a customer message, a plan.
Take the free AI Quickstart course (1 hour) to learn the 5 tools that matter.
Introduce yourself in the community — accountability doubles follow-through.

Weeks 3–6 · Foundations

Pick ONE path from the four above. Don't optimise — start.
30–45 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Before work or after dinner. Consistency beats weekend binges.
Build tiny things: an automated follow-up, a one-page site, a job tracker. Projects stick; tutorials fade.

Months 2–4 · Real projects

Build 2–3 projects that solve real problems — ideally from your trade. A quoting tool for sparkies beats a generic to-do app.
Document everything publicly (GitHub, a simple portfolio page). Hiring managers read proof, not promises.
Start earning sideways: automate for your own business or freelance one small job.

Months 4–12 · The leap

Translate your trade CV: project management, safety compliance, client management — it all transfers.
Apply for junior/entry roles while still on the tools. The first tech salary doesn't need to beat your trade income — trajectory matters.
Negotiate with proof: your portfolio, your automations, your story. Career-switchers with real projects out-interview CS grads more often than you'd think.

Step 3 — Use your trade as the advantage it is

You are not starting from zero. You're translating. The construction industry faces a significant worker shortage, but the ceiling in trades is real — and tech income compounds instead of capping. Here's how trade skills read in tech interviews:

On the tools	In tech
Reading blueprints/schematics	Reading documentation and system diagrams
Diagnosing faults under pressure	Debugging production issues
Quoting jobs accurately	Estimating and scoping software work
Safety compliance and standards	Code review, testing, and security practice
Managing clients and expectations	Stakeholder communication — the rarest dev skill

Straight answers

How many hours a week do I need?

5 focused hours a week (30–45 min/day) is enough to be job-ready in under a year on most paths. The plan is built around shifts — short daily reps beat weekend marathons.

Do I need to buy anything to start?

No. ChatGPT's free tier, the free AI Quickstart course, and this roadmap cover your first month. Spend money only once the free stack has already saved you time.

Which path pays best?

They all reach six figures with experience. AI & automation currently has the fastest demand growth; DevOps tends to pay highest at senior level; web development has the most entry-level openings. Pick by fit, not by chart — finishing is what pays.

Your next 60 minutes

Take the free AI Quickstart course — your first real AI win in an hour — then introduce yourself in the community. That's the whole first step.

Start AI Quickstart — free Join the community

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