How Can I Transition from IT Support to a DevOps or Solutions Architect Role?

I'm in the same boat, stuck in production support, but I totally get the struggle. It's tough to break out without some coding and automation skills. It's super beneficial to try to gain that experience in your current role since opportunities to shift can be limited. It's like taking baby steps while still in the safety net of support.

If you're eyeing a Solutions Architect role, don't forget to brush up on sales engineering concepts. It's all about understanding the business side too! Check out "Mastering Sales Engineering" and dive into the MEDDPICC methodology — it'll help you qualify opportunities better and add depth to your skill set.

You've already tackled some of the toughest parts of being in IT support, so you're closer than you think! I recommend starting with AWS since it's widely used and has strong job prospects. Focus on learning Terraform and Bash first; those two skills will cover a lot of ground for you. For hands-on experience, try deploying a simple web app to EC2 with Terraform, then add CI/CD to it. Platforms like Linux Academy are great, or you could find hands-on labs on YouTube — structured courses can sometimes be more show than substance. Another approach is to seek a DevOps-related position within your current company, like in infrastructure, where you can apply your operations experience while learning to code. Just show you can automate tasks currently done manually, and you'll be on your way! Solutions Architect roles come after you've dealt with real production challenges and built up some opinions on best practices.