I'm looking to shift my career towards a DevOps or Cloud Engineer position and could use some advice. I have a total of 6 years of experience, with 4 years in IT Helpdesk and 2 years in Windows Server and VMware administration (at a level 2, but mostly not advanced actions). My goal is to start with a Cloud Engineer role and then move into DevOps. Initially, I thought Amazon Web Services (AWS) would be the best starting point given its large market share, but I've noticed that entry-level roles are highly competitive and expectations seem quite high. Consequently, I'm also considering Microsoft Azure, as many organizations operate within Microsoft ecosystems. I'm curious to hear from those already in the cloud or DevOps fields: Which platform would be easier to break into for a first cloud role? How do job demand and competition differ between AWS and Azure? What are the common tools and responsibilities in Azure DevOps compared to AWS DevOps? From a career growth perspective, which platform would you suggest I begin with? Any insights based on your experiences would be greatly appreciated.
5 Answers
At this point, it's not really about picking a side—it's more about being multi-cloud skilled. Find out what interests you, and remember that moving between them isn't too hard once you grasp the basics!
If you're aiming for long-term growth, AWS is prominent now, but don’t forget Azure. It could be a strategic choice since many companies use Active Directory, and Azure is essential for that. It really depends on where you see yourself fitting best.
Both AWS and Azure pretty much offer similar functionalities under different guises. Understanding what tools you need is more important than the provider. I’d also recommend looking into learning tools like Terraform and Ansible while you're at it.
Honestly, I’d suggest starting with AWS since it’s the most widely used, but you should aim to learn multiple platforms as well. Nowadays, many companies operate across various clouds. For example, I currently work with AWS and GCP. Being versatile is key!
AWS generally has a higher demand than Azure, but given your background, Azure could be a more seamless transition. It aligns with your experience, especially if you've been in a Windows environment for a while.

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