Hey folks, I'm a Senior Software Developer in Test (SDET) from India and I've been trying to transition into a DevOps or SRE role for over five years now. The problem is that despite all my effort, I feel completely stuck and lost in a never-ending cycle of tutorials.
I've got some experience with tools like Selenium, Maven, Jenkins, and GitHub Actions, and I've dabbled in Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, and more, but I haven't worked on anything real end-to-end in production. Just small projects here and there. Over the years, I've taken countless online courses, watched YouTube videos, and read various books, but there's no structured path to follow. I feel like I know a little about many tools, but not enough to truly say I'm a DevOps engineer.
DevOps is such a broad field and it feels overwhelming. I jump from one tool to another without any real structure in place. This has really affected my mental health — I put in so much effort without feeling confident or progressing.
What I'm looking for is guidance. I need a structured learning path with actionable steps and clear projects that truly prepare me for a DevOps role. I'm hoping to find a mentor, a group, or a community to help me cut through all the noise and focus on what's essential.
If anyone has successfully navigated this transition, how did you do it? Where did you find the right mentor or community? What's the best way to escape tutorial hell and start gaining real, practical experience?
4 Answers
You might want to start by addressing real DevOps challenges at your job. If there are slow pipelines or observability issues, tackle those directly. Dive into optimizations and improvements in your current work environment. That hands-on experience could provide you with the necessary skills and a solid foundation.
You don’t have to know everything! You might already possess enough knowledge to get a DevOps job. Each company has its own specific requirements when it comes to workflows. The best way to gain confidence is to solve real problems—get involved in projects, even freelancing if needed, to build that experience.
Exactly! Working on actual projects is the best way to apply what you know and learn new things in context.
I completely relate! I was caught in that same cycle, jumping from one tutorial to another. A turning point for me was following industry experts on platforms like YouTube; their advice helped me understand the direction I needed to take. Check out Mischa van den Burg’s videos—they offer valuable insights into career progression in DevOps!
You're definitely not alone in feeling stuck! Many of us have been there. Just remember, DevOps isn't just about the tools but about producing results. You need to take ownership of projects and focus on solving actual problems rather than just completing courses. Start small but aim for real deployments and monitoring. It’s messy but that’s where the real learning happens!
I also highlight issues at my job but leave the detailed work to others. Should I be getting more involved in the implementation?