I currently work as an Azure infrastructure administrator and want to move into a DevOps role. I'm considering studying AZ-104, Python, Linux, networking, Terraform, Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD, and other related tools, but the list feels overwhelming. Since I already have hands-on Azure infrastructure and Portal experience, should I pursue AZ-104, deepen my practical Azure knowledge, or focus primarily on building DevOps skills? For people who have made a similar transition, how did you structure your learning, which skills did you prioritize first, and is AZ-104 worthwhile when you already have Azure administration experience?
1 Answer
Practical experience is probably more valuable than trying to study every technology separately or rushing through a broad certification. Build one or two projects that combine several skills—for example, deploy an application using Azure services, containers, infrastructure as code, monitoring, high availability or disaster recovery, and a CI/CD pipeline. Azure Functions, App Services, and container workloads can give you useful hands-on practice. AZ-104 can help if your employer requires it or you want a structured review, but it may not be the best use of time if you already administer Azure comfortably. First identify your gaps in Linux, Python, Terraform, containers, and automation, then learn those through projects.
That makes sense. So the goal is to understand the certification material, but not let exam preparation take time away from practical work. My earlier experience is in desktop support, mainly troubleshooting Windows issues, and I’ve also worked with React while continuing to learn Python. A project that combines those skills with Azure automation sounds like a good way to organize my learning.