I graduated this past May with a degree in computer engineering and a minor in computer science. Initially, I aimed to enter software engineering, focusing on web development, but I didn't proactively pursue internships during school. As a result, when I started applying for software engineering roles post-graduation, I found myself lacking in experience compared to my peers, making it tough to land interviews. Luckily, my dad, who is an IT director, helped me secure a position as an IT specialist in June. Although it wasn't the career I envisioned, I discovered that I enjoyed it more than expected. I began with basic help desk duties and quickly moved onto sysadmin tasks like server management and email administration.
To fill my downtime, I started learning PowerShell and automating various tasks, including building an onboarding automation system that integrates with Jira's API. This caught our CIO's attention, who then set up a repository for me in our company's Azure DevOps. I've since created several small projects in my spare time, including a web app to track password expiration for our users.
Now that I'm enjoying the DevOps side of things, I'm curious about how others made a similar transition, especially those who began in help desk or sysadmin roles. What steps should I take to further my career in DevOps?
2 Answers
I started my journey as a sysadmin, and my boss suggested shifting my title to include DevOps. Sometimes it just takes a nudge from someone who recognizes your potential. If you're doing tasks that involve automation and infrastructure management, you might already be on the right path to DevOps!
It took me about 20 years to reach SRE, following a path from Helpdesk to DevOps. My advice is to keep building your automation skills and learn as much as you can about both software and operations. Also, contributing to open-source can be a great way to gain experience and make connections in the field.
I actually have an interview for a DevOps associate position on Monday, thanks to some projects I've automated! Those automation skills are definitely a game changer!