Why is it so hard to find a good DevOps job outside of California?
Asked by
CuriousCat27
I've been looking to secure a solid DevOps position in Kansas City for quite some time, but it feels like I'm hitting a wall. My current job has me abandoning Infrastructure as Code (IaC) after trying it for a few years, which frankly feels like a career dead end. I had targeted this position to enhance my skills, but things haven't gone as planned. My background is in sysadmin work, mainly with Linux and Windows systems, and while I manage some Kubernetes clusters and write Terraform code, it's not a significant part of what I do. Do DevOps roles really seem scarce outside of California, or is it just the job market where I am?
Answers
DevOps roles can definitely feel niche, and often recruiters don’t really know how to classify them. They sometimes just source for admin or dev roles instead, which can make things confusing. It might not be harder to find than other jobs, but the listings may not always reflect what you really need. Don't get discouraged by the job postings, keep looking!
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I can’t believe they gave up on IaC! You should definitely think about leaving that job. There are so many tools now that if they can’t get IaC to work, they may not really be in the right space. It’s really discouraging to see companies not smart enough to utilize the tools available today. Don't hesitate to jump ship if that's the case!
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Wow, abandoning IaC after years? That's pretty wild! Clearly, that place has some serious issues, and I’d say it's time for you to move on. It’s not your fault by any means. Many companies are still figuring it out, but automation and IaC are the way forward. I've been working in remote SRE roles for 10 years, and I’m not based in California either. Focus on boosting your skills, it's tough out there, but keep pushing! If you can’t get the experience at work, build a home lab, throw in some Terraform with Ansible, and have fun with it—all while picking up practical knowledge. You'll be a strong candidate in no time!
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Kansas City is actually a great place for remote jobs without the high cost of living. Just keep adding valuable skills to your toolkit—like Argocd or getting certified. Networking through community calls for open source projects can really help too!
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TechWizard65: Yeah! Back in my day, we had to work hard just to get systems up with what little we had. But now? With tools like Ansible and Terraform, there's just no excuse! Incompetence like that should be a serious red flag for anyone looking to join them.