Hey everyone! This is my first time posting here and I could really use some advice. I'm currently the only DevOps engineer at a start-up, and let me tell you, things are a bit chaotic. My boss is micro-managing everything I do, which is driving me up the wall. Because of this, I'm looking for a new job, but I'm not sure what skills I should focus on building to make my resume more appealing to recruiters.
Here's a quick summary of my experience:
- Internship: About 1 year at a global electronics firm
- Cloud engineer: A few months at another big company (left due to company layoffs)
- DevOps engineer: Nearly a year at a decent-sized company
- DevOps engineer: 1.5 years at my current start-up
- Certifications: AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, English proficiency cert, plus some less useful certs from past jobs.
In terms of my skills, I've got experience with different cloud providers, I'm a beginner in Kubernetes and CI/CD, I can navigate Linux pretty well, and I know some Terraform basics.
I'm open to any and all feedback—I'm looking for the real deal here. Thanks!
5 Answers
You've got a solid background, but try to dive deeper into Terraform, Kubernetes, and CI/CD. There are great resources like the DevOps roadmap you can follow to identify your weak spots. Check out these links to better structure your learning!
What you really need to do is build and practice. If you're eager to learn, check out this repository that's packed with free DevOps labs, challenges, and end-to-end projects where you really learn by doing. It's a great way to build real skills!
You’re in a decent spot, but the chaos is holding you back.
1. If possible, look for a new job—micro-management is toxic. You need to be in a team where you can grow.
2. Your experience is broad, but a bit shallow—focus on mastering a key area, like Linux or Kubernetes, over the next few months.
3. Skip the less useful certs and aim for relevant ones like CKA or CKS.
4. Build a portfolio with real projects. Set up a home lab to document a CI/CD pipeline using GitHub Actions, Docker, and Kubernetes, then showcase it on GitHub.
5. Start applying for jobs even if you don’t feel completely ready. Don’t underestimate what you’ve already achieved!
Keep going—you've got this!
What do you mean by being fluent in Linux? That sounds a bit ambitious for your experience level unless you really focused on it for a long time. Just curious!
I meant that I've spent a lot of time administering Linux servers and working with bash scripts, so I feel pretty comfortable with it.
What exactly is the most frustrating part for you? My second job was also at a startup, and instead of focusing on the chaos, I saw it as a chance to learn as much as possible. I was able to take on various tasks and really own my role, which accelerated my growth like nothing else. So I think you can also turn this situation into a learning opportunity!
Honestly, I get what you're saying. I would expect a better description like 'advanced' or 'power user' if they were truly fluent.