Want to switch to Cloud/DevOps engineer role

[u/Katalyst9957]

I have around 1.2 years of experience as a software developer. My main work has been in Flutter and React frontend development, along with some exposure to full-stack development during my internship (building internal tools and dashboards). Most of my work has been frontend-heavy, but I’ve also worked with APIs and backend.

I’m now looking to transition into Cloud / DevOps engineering roles.

I currently have learned Linux and it's useful commands and also have limited hands-on experience with cloud platforms and DevOps tools, but I’m actively learning Docker, CI/CD, and AWS fundamentals.

I'd appreciate any advice or guidance on how to approach this transition.

[u/Thar_morr]

Hi, you are at the start of the journey so I would focus on Linux a lot more than knowing the basic commands. You want to be able to debug network, memory, cpu and storage problems. It will come up in interviews and it will be a big part of the job. Learn systemd, it is everywhere now, know how it works. Make some cronjobs so you are familiar with the legacy why of reoccurring jobs, then go to systemd timers as they are the expected way (amazon linux doesn’t even come with cron now). Be confident in a terminal, know at least one terminal text editor (nano or vi), I recommend vi as it is mostly installed on distributions. You come from dev side so you have to put extra work on operations. Learn Bash (recommend yousuckatprogramming, he has a 7hour video to learn nash scripting and it is fenomenal) plus python (for scripting), make a python script that interacts with the aws sdk as this will be a major use case. CI/CD needs more bash knowledge than CI/CD knowledge so pick one of gitlab ci or github actions to learn, they differ big time but the concepts are the same, execution can be learned on the spot. Then go for docker, cgroups and know the ins and outs of how docker works (linux knowledge will come in handy here). Only then move to kubernetes. If you want to make a certificate CKA is one of the best option imo for a devops engineer, but for sure get to a point that you are able to do the certificate even if you are not willing to pay for it. And this is the point you can move to AWS. Be sure to have a solid understanding of the basics as that will get you most of the jobs and will help you with day to day tasks.

[u/Katalyst9957 → u/Thar_morr]

I am currently using nano. I also know python (clg project + dsa).

Thanks for the advice and the resources mentioned 😃

[u/Silent-Cake2695]

Learn more these tools, get some kubernetes and aws certificates (not necessary, but i did that 3 years ago) and go for it

[u/Zentawrus228]

Make a homelab that involves all of this recommended tech: https://roadmap.sh/devops

[u/Katalyst9957 → u/Zentawrus228]

Homelab like an environment for devops tools and practices?

[u/Raja-Karuppasamy]

Build DevOps skills by deploying your own projects. Take a React app, containerize it, deploy to AWS with Terraform, add CI/CD with GitHub Actions, set up monitoring. This gives you a real portfolio project showing end-to-end ownership. For entry-level DevOps roles, companies want to see you can: write infrastructure code, debug deployments, understand application architecture. Your frontend background helps because you know how apps break. Apply for Platform Engineer or DevOps Engineer roles at startups where the lines between dev and ops are blurred.

[u/Katalyst9957 → u/Raja-Karuppasamy]

Thanks for the advice, will do this :)

[u/Katalyst9957 → u/[deleted]]

Okay 👍🏻

[u/SadServers_com]

You are on a good track!
> actively learning Docker, CI/CD, and AWS fundamentals

Try and put everything together in a project where you have some code for a website (can be trivial), you pu tit in a Docker container and build & deploy automatically to AWS, in different ways.

[u/Gunnertwin]

You will need to learn the network essentials as well which I find that many devops engineers still lack. If you have a good grasp of networking, you'll have a good edge over others

[u/Longjumping-Beat-846]

Your frontend background is actually useful here. You already know what a broken build feels like. Containerize that React app you built. Set up GitHub Actions to deploy it to AWS free tier. Break it on purpose. Fix it. That cycle teaches you more than any cert. Do that three times and you'll have stories for interviews.

[u/Luciano_DZ]

Learn more about CI and infrastructure

[u/eman0821]

Do you want to be a Cloud Engineering and work on the Ops side or be the middle man team at the intersection as a DevOps Engineer? These are two entirely different roles. Honestly DevOps is not supposed to be a role or a job title, it's really a company culture methodology. DevOps Engineer is the old Anti-pattern topology that's mostly been replaced by Platform Engineering these days.

[u/Katalyst9957 → u/eman0821]

Either is fine since the tech and tools overlap

[u/eman0821 → u/Katalyst9957]

What do you see your self doing more?

Cloud Engineering: Operations work building and maintaining cloud infrastructure.

Site Reliability Engineering: Engineering proactive solutions to improve reliability of applications and putting out fires as the first responder for incident response meeting SLO/SLAs?

Platform Engineering: More developer like role building internal tools and platforms for software engineers. This enable Software Engineers to deploy their own code to production servers without relying on a seperate DevOps team hense the DevOps Engineer role is acutally going away.

DevOps Engineer: primary focuses on automation and application CI/CD pipeline delivery. Platform Engineering mostly replaced those duties especially in large enterprises.

[u/Katalyst9957 → u/eman0821]

Can't say for sure but for now either is fine as mentioned previously - tools and languages overlap.

[u/redvelvet92]

Why don’t you chill and learn a bit more. You’re 1 year and 2 months in, slowly gain more skills and you will get there.

[u/Katalyst9957 → u/redvelvet92]

You are right but I somehow find frontend boring after working in it

[u/AdventurousLime309]

Got it I’ll keep them shorter from here.

Here’s a tighter version of the last one:

You’re actually in a good spot for this transition since you already have real dev experience.

Don’t focus too much on tools first. Pick one app, containerize it, deploy it, and break/fix it. That alone teaches more DevOps than courses.

Then add CI/CD and AWS around that project instead of learning them separately.

Most people fail the switch by collecting tools instead of building one real production-style workflow

[u/Both_Supermarket_699]

Why would you want to switch in devops

[u/Katalyst9957 → u/Both_Supermarket_699]

• it has been pretty fun learning linux and shell scripting.
• also based on the current impact of AI I can assume this domain will be ai proof for some years now.
• plus I have seen the jds of this domain and they do not read like the company is looking for a whole department.
• I am from electronics and telecommunication background, I like networking.
• Less compitition than other markets
• Good pay

[u/FirmSoup → u/Katalyst9957]

Taking into consideration the AI proof and that most of cloud infrastructure are infrastructure as a code you’re not 100% on right track. Integrating the development with safe process for deploy and keep things running is the challenge.

[u/eman0821 → u/Katalyst9957]

Honestly it's the same field. FYI Cloud Engineering, Platform Engineering, Site Reliability Engineering and so called DevOps Engineering are all ajacent roles in Software Engineering. Development and Operations teams goes hand and hand as these roles complement Software Developers. Without Developers these roles would be a bit pointless as you would have no product to deliver, deploy and operate. You also underestimate the competition of these roles thats very highly competitive with fierce competition competing with global candidates all over the world.

[u/hitesh_iat1]

I can help in Azure if you want https://reliableops.io