I live in a fairly rural area, so local opportunities are limited and I'm mainly looking for remote work. I know that makes the search more competitive, but I didn't expect it to be this difficult.
I have about five years of systems administration experience and hold certifications including CISSP and AWS Solutions Architect; my CySA+ and Security+ certifications have expired. I've worked extensively with Linux and Windows, migrated on-premises infrastructure to vCenter and then to AWS, automated repetitive tasks, managed Microsoft 365 and Active Directory environments, supported audits, configured Cisco switches and firewalls, hardened networks, and managed endpoints and other devices.
Despite that background, I feel almost unemployable. I've been studying Terraform and building lab projects so I can add infrastructure-as-code experience to my résumé, but every job description seems to expect even more skills. The market makes me feel like I'm falling behind and that my career is disappearing. I'm even wondering whether I need to change careers, although IT is the only field I've really known.
How are other people coping with this market, and what practical steps helped you land a job? I'm struggling emotionally too and can't currently afford therapy, so any constructive advice would be appreciated.
4 Answers
Networking may be especially important if you’re limiting yourself to remote positions. Reach out to former coworkers, vendors, friends, and people you’ve worked with before, and let them know what kind of role you’re seeking. One person’s recommendation can get your résumé in front of a hiring manager far more effectively than another application in a huge online pile.
The market really is crowded right now, especially for remote roles. That doesn’t mean your experience has lost value or that you need to start over. Keep applying, but don’t treat every rejection as a judgment of your ability—the timing and applicant pool can make a huge difference.
Remote work has become much more competitive, and many companies are moving roles back into offices, so you may need to widen the search if it’s financially possible. Consider hybrid positions, occasional travel, contract work, or a temporary role outside your ideal sector while continuing to pursue infrastructure and cloud jobs. Terraform is useful, but a couple of credible lab projects and a clear explanation of how they relate to your real experience will help more than chasing every new certification.
Your background is stronger than you’re giving it credit for. Focus on presenting measurable outcomes rather than adding certifications endlessly: systems migrated, downtime reduced, processes automated, audit findings resolved, cloud costs improved, and so on. A focused résumé and a polished professional profile matter because they determine whether anyone sees the experience you already have.
That makes sense. I’ve been concentrating so much on filling skill gaps that I haven’t done a good job explaining the results of my past work.