I've been working as a Site Reliability Engineer for a while now and my role primarily involves operational tasks—like managing YAML configurations, overseeing Azure operations, ensuring application stability, and handling deployments and troubleshooting for various environments. I've got about 11 years of experience and have obtained several certifications, including Azure Architect and Terraform, which on paper looks solid. However, I'm feeling stuck in my career and not really moving up in responsibilities or roles. I'm particularly interested in hearing from those at senior or principal levels—how did you break out of a similar plateau? What actions or changes truly made a difference for you? Have others experienced this? What steps did you take to advance? I'd love any advice or insights you can share!
5 Answers
As an SRE for eight years, I noticed that the only paths forward seem to be management or specialized roles. If you want to keep things interesting, consider smaller companies that need help fixing their systems. That’ll really push your boundaries!
Sometimes, a change in environment is key. If you're feeling complacent, it might be worth exploring new job opportunities. You seem to have a strong skill set that will serve you well anywhere!
Applying for new jobs could be beneficial—it might help you gauge where your skills fit in the current market. You could find a role that excites you!
I just faced this a month ago after four years in the same DevOps role. I switched to a new team focused on both platforms and DevOps with a fresh tech stack. It was tough at first, but now I feel reinvigorated and am learning every day!
Can you guide me through how you made that switch?
I was in your shoes, but I transitioned into a managerial role as an SRE. After four years, I felt stuck again and decided to pivot back to hands-on consulting. The key is to figure out what you truly want and go for it!
How do you even get into consulting as an SRE?
I just did that! I switched jobs from a comfortable position to a new company with a steeper learning curve. It's stressful, but it's refreshing to feel challenged again.