What’s the best path from a computer science degree into sysadmin and DevOps?

Your internship is probably more valuable than you think. Don’t describe it as simply doing “a little bit of everything”—turn it into concrete results on your résumé: what systems and users you supported, what incidents you handled, what you automated, and what tools you worked with.

Apply for NOC, infrastructure support, junior sysadmin, cloud operations, and cloud support roles instead of waiting for a job with “DevOps” in the title. DevOps is usually built through experience with development, operations, automation, and deployment rather than reached through one specific entry-level position.

Certifications can help organize your learning, but they won’t replace hands-on experience. AWS Cloud Practitioner is fine as an introduction, although a practical cloud project will usually demonstrate more ability. RHCSA can be useful if you’re aiming at Linux-heavy roles.

Build a small lab with Linux and Windows machines and practice DNS, DHCP, identity management, patching, backups, monitoring, permissions, and troubleshooting. Keep diagrams, setup notes, scripts, and short incident write-ups in a public code repository. That gives you something concrete to discuss in interviews.

Sysadmin work is a large collection of knowledge built over time. Learn the fundamentals and stay curious rather than chasing every new tool or AI announcement. Cloud platforms, automation, and AI are changing how the work is done, but organizations still need people who understand systems, security, failure modes, and how to operate technology safely.

Use AI as an assistant for documentation, scripts, and explanations, but verify everything and make sure you understand the result. Strong troubleshooting and communication skills will remain valuable.

The usual route is to get your foot in the door through help desk, an IT generalist position, an MSP, or a NOC, then deliberately move toward infrastructure work. Try to be a high performer, volunteer for tasks involving servers and networking, and learn from more experienced coworkers. An MSP can be intense, but broad exposure to many environments may help you progress faster than a narrowly limited support role.

You don’t necessarily have to start at the lowest possible level if your internship gives you enough practical experience. Apply broadly and let employers decide whether you meet the requirements.