Hey everyone,
I'm looking for some guidance as I transition from my current role as a Release Manager into a Cloud/DevOps Engineer position, specifically working with Azure. I have four years of experience in regulated environments, and I've recently passed the AZ-204 (Azure Developer Associate). My background includes a Computer Science degree and hands-on work with Terraform, GitHub Actions for CI/CD, Azure App Services, Key Vault, App Insights, Docker, Python, and PowerShell. I also have two years of part-time web development experience using React and Node.js, and I'm familiar with structured change management processes.
As part of my portfolio, I've completed projects like a Serverless JWT Token Generator using Azure Functions and a Full MERN App Deployment with Docker on Azure.
Despite all this, I haven't received any callbacks for job applications yet, and it's really demotivating. I'm hoping to get some advice on what I should do next to improve my chances in landing a job. Any thoughts?
3 Answers
Your project examples seem more focused on development than core engineering. It could be beneficial to highlight more infrastructure and networking projects in your applications. Maybe consider additional learning or projects using Terraform specifically to align more with engineering roles.
You might want to reach out to recruiters directly and ask for feedback on your applications. Sometimes, getting their perspective can help you understand what you might improve. The job market is pretty competitive, especially with many companies offshoring jobs right now, so proactive networking can help.
It looks like you might not have any commercial cloud engineering experience yet, which can be a hurdle. Companies often look for candidates with some hands-on experience in that specific role. Have you thought about applying for internships or junior positions? Those can be a great way to get your foot in the door and build relevant experience!

Yeah, I haven't thought about internships, but it sounds like a good idea.