Hey everyone, I'm 24 and I feel like I've reached a mid-level role after two years in a junior position. Right now, I'm earning £37k, but my current job can't offer me a raise. I've been job hunting and have received an offer for £55k. I've also gained skills primarily in Kubernetes, and I'm comfortable with things like building Helm charts, troubleshooting cluster issues, RHEL Linux, Terraform, Ansible, Active Directory, and networking. The new job's conditions aren't as great as my current role—no pension, fewer on-site days, and no annual £1k bonus. I would be the first platform engineer there, setting up infrastructure for the software team, who currently just use some GitLab runners. I'm wondering if this job is worth it or if I should keep looking for something else.
3 Answers
Honestly, I’m surprised they want an inexperienced mid to be their first devops engineer. It could work out fine if the team is supportive and you have the right resources, but there's definitely a risk involved. Make sure you can handle the responsibilities before jumping in!
If you're based in the UK, then £55k for a mid-level position isn't bad at all! Some companies pay closer to £70-80k for seniors and even £100k for leads, depending on the role's responsibilities. Just keep in mind, being the first platform engineer can be challenging. It’s a great opportunity if you can build something solid and eventually grow your own team, but there's a risk of getting overwhelmed too. Make sure you're ready for it!
It's great that you feel confident about your skills, but have you considered how the market views your experience? Just because you see yourself as mid-level doesn’t always mean others will feel the same. It could be beneficial to get feedback from recruiters or peers in the industry about your worth in the job market before making a decision.
Yeah, that's a fair point. I’m just weighing my options and trying to figure out if I’m ready for that kind of challenge.