I've been working as a Level 1 Network Engineer for about a year and a half, but I'm feeling a bit lost about my career path. I'm eager to switch into either AI or cloud/devOps roles, but right now, my daily tasks mainly revolve around basic incident management, and I'm feeling stuck. Some folks tell me that the network engineering field is solid and offers growth over time, but I wish to hear suggestions on how to navigate my career switch without having specific experience in those new domains.
3 Answers
I transitioned from Software Engineering to AI/ML, and it took a lot of extra hours working on projects that interested me. For me, just reading about it wasn't enough—I needed hands-on experience. My journey started in 2020, and after lots of effort, I landed a role in AI engineering at my desired company by 2026.
If you have some time to study independently, this can lead to new opportunities. Look into certifications like AWS or CNCF; these can open doors for junior roles even if your current job is primarily basic incident management. Just be honest during interviews about your skills, but don’t forget to highlight transferable skills like debugging and teamwork from your existing role.
Making the jump from network engineering to software or product engineering is quite a shift. If you want to stay within the IT realm but get into cloud computing, consider focusing on Cloud Network Engineering roles. They align more closely with traditional IT operations, and getting certified in platforms like AWS, GCP, or Azure could be beneficial.

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