I'm preparing for an entry-level Cloud Engineer, Cloud Support, or DevOps role in 2026. I already have a foundation in Linux and networking, and I'm now focusing on AWS and cloud infrastructure. I've found several roadmaps covering AWS, Bash or Python, Git, Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, CI/CD, monitoring, security, and practical projects, but I don't want to jump between dozens of playlists without becoming job-ready. Which structured YouTube course or learning path would you personally recommend following from start to finish? I'd also like advice on what to prioritize first, what to postpone, and what topics aren't necessary at the beginning. I'm especially interested in a hands-on path that includes projects and troubleshooting rather than only passive video watching.
4 Answers
Don’t treat a playlist as the goal. Use videos or documentation to learn one specific concept, then spend most of your time building and troubleshooting. Start with Linux services and shell scripting, networking fundamentals, Git, and basic Python or Bash automation. Then build AWS infrastructure such as a VPC, IAM policies, and a small application deployment. Add Docker and Terraform, and put everything in version control. CI/CD can come next, while Kubernetes is better postponed until you’re comfortable with containers, Linux, cloud networking, and infrastructure as code. Security should be included throughout, especially least-privilege IAM and temporary credentials. A strong project would be an automated monitoring tool deployed with Terraform, containerized, and tested through a GitHub Actions pipeline.
If you already know basic Linux and networking, focus on one practical AWS course instead of several roadmaps. A sensible order is AWS fundamentals, Git, Bash or Python automation, Docker, Terraform, and CI/CD. After that, add Kubernetes, monitoring, and deeper security. An associate-level cloud certification can provide a useful syllabus, but prepare by creating real resources and deployments rather than memorizing exam material. For AWS, a well-known associate certification instructor such as Stephane Maarek can provide a structured starting point.
For structured material, TechWorld with Nana is a good overview of Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD, and Terraform. KodeKloud is useful when you want interactive labs, especially for Kubernetes. Whichever course you choose, recreate the examples on your own virtual machine or cloud account. The important part is deliberately breaking deployments, reading the error messages and documentation, and fixing the problems yourself.
You probably don’t need advanced monitoring, cloud security, or Kubernetes architecture at the beginning. Entry-level roles usually benefit more from solid fundamentals: deploying and troubleshooting applications, understanding IAM and networking, writing automation scripts, and managing infrastructure with Terraform. Build a small project after each major topic, document it, and keep the code and configuration in a repository. Employers will learn more from a project you deployed, broke, repaired, and explained than from the number of playlists you completed.
A practical alternative is to find small microservice examples in public code repositories and deploy them locally with Kind. That gives you more hands-on experience than watching an entire playlist passively.