I've been a sysadmin for about a year, mostly working with Windows, endpoints and on-premises infrastructure. There's plenty to learn, but little time or appetite at work for new automation tools.
I'd like to move toward Unix infrastructure, automation, DevOps or SRE, and eventually do some architecture and mentoring. How can I build relevant skills without being able to change jobs right now?
Start with the repetitive work you already have. A PowerShell or Python script that makes a routine task repeatable is useful automation experience, even if the systems around it aren't fashionable.
Pick something small, test it safely, and document what it does and how someone else can run or troubleshoot it. You can talk about the problem, your approach and the result when you apply elsewhere. Kubernetes isn't a prerequisite for learning those habits.
Learn Ansible in a test environment if you can, but don't assume it needs to go into production. If the organization already has an orchestration tool, adding another one means someone has to maintain and support it.
For a work proposal, identify a specific repetitive job, show how the tool would help, and include testing, rollback and support in the plan. The answer might still be to use the existing tool, and that's useful experience too.
6m!railclip_274:
A lab is still useful for learning the mechanics, even when there isn't a good case for deploying the tool at work.
Give yourself a separate Linux learning track rather than waiting for the current role to provide one. Practice server administration and scripting in a lab, then build toward configuration management and orchestration as your foundations get stronger.
Job postings can make the gap look huge, especially when they ask for years with every tool. Use them to spot skills worth developing, but don't let a long wish list stop you from exploring adjacent infrastructure roles.
Don't write off the current environment. A large organization with experienced teammates and plenty of technical debt can teach you a lot about keeping infrastructure running and making changes carefully. That experience can support a move toward architecture or reliability work, even if the exact tools change.
Career growth takes progressive experience, though there isn't a fixed number of years that fits every path. Keep looking for chances to take on more design and mentoring responsibility as you develop.
Look outside the workplace for ideas too. Professional groups, conferences and books can expose you to approaches your team doesn't use. They won't replace hands-on work, but they can help you decide which skills and roles are worth pursuing next.
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n507!hinge_4:
That helps. My worry is getting stuck with experience that employers see as obsolete, even if I'm learning a lot now.
u.615~hinge_8:
Keep track of the automation and infrastructure problems you solve, not just the product names. Those details make the transferable parts easier to explain.