I'm 30 years old and have been working for five years, starting with Linux administration before moving into DevOps. I've always had a passion for Golang, and I got excited when I started a job that used a mix of Go and Node.js in our stack. However, I haven't had much time to code in Go professionally, apart from creating a few custom tools for our infrastructure. I often take on the role of debugging, profiling, and occasionally I push commits to fix bugs according to our coding standards. I'm wondering if it's feasible to make a career switch to a Golang developer now and what steps I should take. Should I focus on contributing more to our Go code or work on building a portfolio?
7 Answers
You might feel like you’re going backwards switching to a developer role, especially since the media talks about AI taking over these jobs. But hey, if it’s a better pay situation, it might still be worth it. You're overqualified in your way.
You don't really need a portfolio. Just keep contributing to your team's Go services and repositories. Start applying for Golang jobs and work on your interview skills to showcase your experience. Just remember, Go dev roles aren't super common, but mid-level positions do come up occasionally!
It’s important to consider job market trends too. While you might like one area, check for market demand where you live. Dev positions are facing more pressure from AI, whereas DevOps roles still require human oversight. Just something to think about!
Just a heads up, you were meant to have some development skills before getting into DevOps. But if this works out better for you, go for it!
You're actually closer than you think! Since you're already debugging Go, fixing bugs, and building internal tools, you do have relevant experience. Even if it’s not in the exact title, it counts!
Totally agree! Just go ahead and apply for Go positions. You’ve got more to offer than you realize.
That’s encouraging! I think I can also tweak my resume to highlight those experiences.
If you’re smart enough to handle a real DevOps job, you're definitely capable of switching to a Golang developer. Don't sell yourself short!
Thanks! I’ve been learning a lot on the job, but I often feel I don’t have the same skills as a dedicated developer.
Honestly, the line between a pure Go developer and a DevOps role is pretty blurred. Many developers using Go are also involved in aspects like Shell scripting and CI/CD. If you’re aiming for a dev-heavy role, you’re already on that path. Just brush up on software design patterns and don’t hesitate to ask your manager for more development tasks if the team doesn’t mind.
I did suggest some improvements to our Go team, but they weren’t interested. It feels tough to break in!
Sounds like a plan! I see plenty of job postings around, though they mostly focus on web backends which I have no professional experience in.