I'm a recent computer science graduate from a third-world country, and my internship at a bank involved a bit of everything: IT support, networking, and DevOps-related work. I'm interested in software development, but the junior job market is difficult right now, so I'm considering system administration as a practical way to start earning and build experience.
I'm planning to take the AWS Cloud Practitioner certification and possibly the RHCSA afterward. Is that a sensible path, or should I focus on something else? My long-term goal is to work in DevOps, but the constant stream of new AI tools makes me worry that the skills I learn will quickly become obsolete. I enjoy working with computers and want to build a stable career without remaining financially dependent on my parents. Any practical advice on entry-level roles, certifications, projects, or skills would be appreciated.
5 Answers
Create a small home lab and document what you do. Practice Linux and Windows administration, networking basics, DNS and DHCP, identity management, patching, backups, monitoring, and troubleshooting. Keep diagrams, runbooks, automation scripts, and a few incident write-ups in a portfolio repository. That gives interviewers concrete evidence that you can operate systems safely.
Translate your internship into measurable achievements on your résumé: what systems and users you supported, what you automated, how you handled incidents, and what improved as a result. Apply for NOC, junior administrator, cloud operations, infrastructure support, and cloud engineering roles instead of waiting for a job labeled “DevOps.” DevOps overlaps development and operations, and people often reach it through either side, but it still requires strong fundamentals and real operational experience.
There’s no guaranteed sequence that leads to a specific salary or title. The most useful long-term traits are curiosity, consistent practice, willingness to investigate problems, and communication. AI is becoming part of many jobs, but learning to use it as a tool while understanding the underlying systems will be more valuable than chasing every new model.
A common route is to start in help desk, IT support, an NOC, or an infrastructure support role, then move upward by being reliable and deliberately taking on more technical work. An MSP can also be a fast-paced way to see many environments, although it can be demanding. Your internship may already qualify you for junior systems, cloud support, or infrastructure roles, so don’t limit yourself to jobs with “help desk” in the title.
Certifications can help organize your learning, but they won’t replace hands-on experience. AWS Cloud Practitioner is a broad introduction; for a systems-focused path, Linux administration and the RHCSA may provide more practical value. Choose certifications based on the jobs available in your area and build labs alongside them rather than collecting credentials blindly.
That makes sense. I’ll treat the certifications as a structure for learning instead of assuming they’ll qualify me by themselves.
I hadn’t thought about presenting the internship that way or applying to cloud operations roles directly. I’ll update my résumé and start documenting lab projects.