I'm 18 and currently in Germany, working toward a career in Linux, DevOps, cloud, infrastructure, or systems administration. I've been learning independently and have built and maintained several homelabs with Raspberry Pis, mini PCs, and other hardware. I've worked with Linux, networking, Docker, AWS, Git, and Cisco Packet Tracer. Recently, I started learning C and have become interested in low-level programming and understanding how computers work internally.
I spend most days studying or experimenting, but I feel caught between knowing the fundamentals and having almost no professional experience. Entry-level IT roles in Germany seem difficult to get without a degree, Ausbildung, or previous work experience. Because of personal circumstances, I can't begin a bachelor's degree until next year, so I want to use the coming year productively.
If you were in my position, what would you focus on learning? What projects would you build, and how would you gain practical experience or make yourself more employable without already having an IT job? I'd especially appreciate advice from people working in Linux, DevOps, cloud, SRE, systems administration, or infrastructure. I want to avoid spending the year learning random topics without understanding what employers actually value.
3 Answers
Don’t underestimate communication and technical writing. Being able to clearly explain what you built, why you designed it that way, how it works, and how you would troubleshoot or maintain it is a major part of real infrastructure work. Keep documenting your homelab projects with diagrams, configuration notes, decisions, and postmortems. That documentation can also become a strong portfolio.
Keep applying for entry-level roles, internships, apprenticeships, and support positions while you wait for university. Your first job may not be a pure DevOps or cloud role, but help desk, junior sysadmin, NOC, or technical support work can give you the professional experience employers want. Tailor your CV to each role and describe concrete results from your homelab rather than just listing technologies.
Set realistic expectations about the current market. Junior hiring is difficult in Germany right now, including for people with degrees or an Ausbildung, so rejection does not necessarily mean your skills are inadequate. Build one or two complete, well-documented projects instead of collecting endless tools—for example, a small Linux service deployed with containers, automated through Git, monitored with logs and metrics, backed up, and secured. That demonstrates far more practical ability than another introductory course.
I’m seeing the same thing in applications, so it helps to know the market is part of the problem. I’ll try to focus on finished, documented projects rather than constantly switching topics.
That’s the plan—I’ll keep applying. I mainly want to make sure I use this year well and focus on projects or skills that are actually useful in the workplace.