I want to build practical cloud and DevOps skills rather than study for certifications. I know the basics of a few AWS services, but I don't have much hands-on experience or a strong programming background. I recently got access to AWS Skill Builder and would like to use it effectively. Should I follow its DevOps learning plan, use another roadmap, or focus on building projects? I'm also wondering whether I should start with programming, Linux, networking, and system administration first.
3 Answers
Start with the fundamentals: basic programming, Linux, the command line, networking, troubleshooting, and system administration. You can use Linux through a virtual machine or containers on your MacBook, so you don’t need a separate computer. Once those basics feel comfortable, move into AWS and DevOps tools.
Don’t spend weeks only reading. Build something small, such as a simple web app, package it in a container, and deploy it to ECS or Fargate. You’ll learn much faster by running into real problems and fixing them. Skill Builder is useful for filling in gaps, but hands-on practice is what makes the concepts stick.
A structured roadmap can help keep you organized. Work through most of a DevOps roadmap, follow the DevOps learning plan in Skill Builder, and practice common system administration tasks alongside it. Pay particular attention to how a web application is deployed from the ground up on an actual server, including Linux, networking, processes, logs, containers, and AWS infrastructure.
That sounds like a good balance. I was unsure whether to follow Skill Builder or another resource, but combining the learning plan with practical server and deployment exercises makes sense.
I mainly use a MacBook and don’t have much programming experience yet. I’ve connected a domain, used Amplify, and worked with GitHub with some help from AI, but I’d like to build a stronger foundation instead of just copying steps.