I'm starting my career as a Technical Support Engineer at Microsoft and have my sights set on eventually moving into a DevOps or Site Reliability Engineering role. I'd love to hear from anyone who has made a similar transition. What skills did you find most helpful—like automation, Linux knowledge, or cloud expertise? How long did you stay in a support role before making the switch? Is it realistic to move within the company, or is it generally easier to switch jobs altogether? Also, what common pitfalls should I avoid as I navigate this career path? I want to make progress but also don't want to rush things or get stuck. Any practical advice would be appreciated!
3 Answers
Transitioning from support to DevOps is definitely possible; I made the switch myself after about two years. Learning automation scripts and getting comfortable with Linux truly made a world of difference for me. Try to immerse yourself in scripting and other key fundamentals that define the DevOps role. Make the most of your time at Microsoft and connect with folks already in DevOps for guidance!
I took a similar path from support to development and then to DevOps. It helped me a lot to shadow my developer colleagues to gain insight into programming. After I picked up some coding skills, I wanted to understand how the applications I was building actually ran in production. So, I dove into learning Linux, cloud services like EC2 and S3, and began automating repetitive tasks using Python. My advice would be to focus on really mastering one skill at a time—be it automation, Linux, or cloud tech. Also, look for ways to improve or automate your current tasks, no matter how small. Remember, DevOps is more about mindset and problem-solving than just mastering tools. Start with the basics like Linux fundamentals and automation scripting!
Thank you so much! This is invaluable for a newbie like me...
If you’re serious about moving to DevOps, certifications can really help, especially at Microsoft. Consider investing time in earning certifications like AZ-400 for DevOps solutions or AZ-104 for Azure Administrator. There are also some networking certifications, like AZ-700, that might be helpful depending on your interests.
I appreciate your insight! I’ll definitely focus on scripting and learning from those in the role.