I'm wondering if it's realistic for me to get a DevOps position. I've got 5 years of experience, some certifications, and a few personal projects under my belt. I'm currently studying for the CKA and while I know that experience is more important than certifications, I find that getting a cert like the AWS Solutions Architect Professional really boosted my confidence when it came to setting up infrastructure on AWS. I understand some people often dismiss certifications, but I think they do have value. Should I keep focusing on the CKA and continue working on personal projects and contributing to open source, or would it be better to offer my services for cheap on platforms like Upwork to gain more experience? I feel like DevOps is a field that changes rapidly, unlike traditional roles where someone might work solely with one tech stack for years. I'd appreciate any advice—I've worked with tools related to DevOps like Dynatrace, Splunk, Terraform, Kubernetes, Docker, and Jenkins, and have a strong background in coding, scripting, SQL, and IAM.
1 Answer
Your instincts are right—DevOps is always evolving! Based on your resume, I'd say you definitely have a shot at landing a job. I've met engineers who have less formal experience than you do. Have you started applying for DevOps roles yet? If you're currently not in a job, applying for a dev role first could be a smart move to transition into DevOps with your background.
Yes, I've been applying but haven't had any luck in Canada. I almost got a DevOps job at a bank a few months back before I got my AWS cert. I was so disappointed because I feel like I could have nailed the CI/CD questions they asked.