I'm 18 and currently based in Germany, aiming to build a career in Linux, DevOps, cloud, infrastructure, or systems administration. I've been learning independently and have built and maintained several homelabs using Raspberry Pis, mini PCs, and other hardware. I've worked with Linux, networking, Docker, AWS, Git, and Cisco Packet Tracer. Recently, I started learning C and have become interested in low-level programming and understanding how computers work internally.
I spend most days studying or experimenting, but I'm unsure how to move from personal projects to professional experience. In Germany, entry-level IT roles seem difficult to obtain without a degree, Ausbildung, or previous employment. Because of personal circumstances, I can't begin a bachelor's degree until next year, so I want to use the coming year productively.
What would you focus on learning during this time? Which projects would demonstrate useful real-world skills? How could I gain practical experience and become more employable before starting a degree or landing my first IT job? I'd especially appreciate advice from people working in Linux administration, DevOps, cloud, SRE, systems administration, or infrastructure. I want to follow a focused plan rather than spend the year learning random topics.
3 Answers
For the next year, prioritize practical fundamentals over collecting more technologies. Build a few complete projects involving Linux administration, networking, Docker, backups, monitoring, security, and automation. For example, run several services on a small cluster, manage them with infrastructure-as-code, expose metrics and logs, test backup restoration, and document failure scenarios. A smaller project that is reliable, reproducible, and well explained will usually be more valuable than a long list of unfinished tutorials.
Treat your homelab like a small production environment and document it carefully. Write down what you built, why you chose each technology, how it was deployed, what went wrong, and how you fixed it. Put the configurations and automation in version control, use clear README files, and explain the results in a way another administrator could understand. Being able to communicate and maintain systems is just as important as getting them working once.
Keep applying while you build your skills. The market is competitive, and even candidates with degrees or an Ausbildung can struggle to find junior roles, so rejection doesn’t necessarily mean you’re unqualified. Apply broadly to help desk, junior systems, IT support, and infrastructure-related roles—not only jobs with a DevOps title. Any position that gives you exposure to real users, systems, troubleshooting, documentation, and operations can be a useful first step.
I’m planning to keep applying. I mainly want to make sure I use the year well and focus on skills or projects that actually help rather than studying without a clear direction.