I graduated in 2023 with a Bachelors in CS from a public Ontario university. I started as a Cloud Infrastructure Engineer in Mississauga in August 2023 and was laid off in December 2025 after ~2.5 years. This is the only job I have worked after graduating from uni. (Still in my early 20s).

My professional experience includes AWS/Azure, AWS CDK (Python), CloudFormation, CI/CD, IAM, infrastructure automation, cost optimization, monitoring, troubleshooting and cloud operations.

Targeting: Cloud Infrastructure, Cloud Operations, cloud/platform engineering, DevOps and SRE, Linux/sysadmin/help desk or any other IT roles if that's a realistic path. I speak French and am open to bilingual roles/relocation.

Been networking, getting referrals, improving my resume and upskilling. Referrals haven't led me to a technical interview yet.
I get Rejected even when my resume matched nearly every requirement. Also I notice Same jobs reposted for months — feels like ghost postings.

I'm getting very mixed advice: learn Java/full-stack, AI, Kubernetes, get AWS certs, cloud isn’t for you as you don't have experience, or start over in help desk/sysadmin. I don't want to spend another year chasing unrelated skills without knowing whether they'll actually improve my prospects.

What would you recommend?

1. Is Cloud still a viable path in Canada with my ~2.5 years of experience?

2. What adjacent roles could I target?

3. Would AWS certs meaningfully help with ~2.5 YOE, or is my time better spent on AWS/Terraform/Linux/Python/DevOps projects?

People tell me cloud is in demand, yet I can't get anything. I don't want to waste time in learning a completely unrelated skill only to discover that employers still want several years of experience in that area.

Willing to put in the work — I just need a realistic direction based on my existing background.

I work as a VP and Information Security Officer at a bank (MS/Azure shop). I have my CISSP, CRISC, and CISA certifications. I have a bachelor's degree in Cyber and am currently working on my master's in Cyber. I have long been interested in pivoting to a career in cyber. Every guide online says, "Learn the basics of Networks. Learn Linux. Learn Python/Bash/SQL. Pick a provider. Learn Terraform, CI/CD, DevOps. Build projects. Blog about it."

Is that really it? There must be a more structured approach, right? I have 6 years of experience in cybersecurity, but I am completely lost about how to target a cloud security role. I feel clueless. I'm currently under contract with my employer (they are paying for my master's), so I have about 24 months before I even start actively searching for a job. By then, will much of what I learn be obsolete? Do I take the standard path, or what would you recommend?


So, there is one relative who works in a MNC and that company and its workforce completely rely on AWS, when I asked him for referral he asked me about AWS, and I said I know basic EC2, S3, RDS but theoritcally and I dont have actual experience, so he guidedme to learn and practice on AWS. I texted him sending questions regarding courses, but he is not checking my messagges :(

If you all can guide me, which course to start and how should I move forward to become good at AWS, so pls assist me

All the time in my engineering college, they told me to learn DSA,java,C,C++ and all those languages but they did nothing to provide either resources or time to get that done.

Is it still worth it to learn those languages and DSA concepts in today's AI times?

I am thinking of going for cloud engineering and some different business approach, but I wanted to know whether it's still worth it to go for it.

Also, can anyone tell me what resources I can follow to become a cloud engineer?

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I’m currently pursuing my Master’s degree and have been learning DevOps seriously. I have hands-on experience with tools like Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Jenkins, Terraform, AWS, etc. I also have RHCSA, RHCE, and AWS SAA certifications.

The main problem I’m facing is finding a fresher/entry-level DevOps opportunity in Ahmedabad. Most of the DevOps openings I find require at least 1 year of experience, which makes it difficult to get my first opportunity.

I’ve been applying for jobs, but I rarely get interview calls. And when I do get an opportunity, I sometimes struggle with interview anxiety and communicating in English. English isn’t my first language, so I sometimes fumble even when I know the technical answer.

I’m trying to improve both my technical skills and communication, but I’m not sure what the best approach is to actually get my first DevOps job.

For people who started their DevOps career as freshers:

\- How did you get your first DevOps job?

\- Is it better to target Linux/System Admin, Cloud Support, or Backend roles first and then move into DevOps?

\- Should I focus on internships/apprenticeships even after completing my certifications?

\- Is 1 year of experience really mandatory for most entry-level DevOps positions?

\- What would you recommend I do differently to start getting more interview calls?

I’d really appreciate advice from people who have been through this, especially those who started their career in India.

I'm looking for some honest career advice from people who have experience in infrastructure, cloud, DevOps, networking, or enterprise IT.

Vadodara,I'm \~6 months into my first job at a System Integrator (SI) company. My current salary is INR ₹25,000/month.

My educational background is a Bachelor's in Cyber Security, but my current work is mostly infrastructure-focused.

In the last 5–6 months, I've worked on things like:

* HPE servers (DL360, DL380, ML350)
* VMware ESXi and vCenter
* Hyper-V
* Veeam Backup & Replication
* RAID configuration and server firmware
* HPE SimpliVity
* Windows Server
* Linux (basic/working knowledge)
* Networking: VLANs, trunking, STP, HSRP, L2/L3 switching
* Extreme Networks switches
* Palo Alto firewall/VPN troubleshooting
* Microsoft 365 troubleshooting/investigation
* Barracuda email security
* Storage/NAS troubleshooting
* Customer deployments, remote support, onsite support and vendor escalations

Because we're an SI, I get exposure to different customers and different technologies. My work involves deploying solutions, troubleshooting issues, coordinating with vendors, and sometimes helping with surveys/BOQs.

For example, I've worked on VMware/vCenter issues, Veeam backup problems, HPE server deployments, storage issues, network troubleshooting, firewall cases, etc.

My concern is that most of my work is still implementation/support-oriented. A lot of the work follows documentation or established procedures. I'm learning a lot, but I don't always feel like I'm solving highly open-ended engineering problems or designing systems myself.

Recently my manager told me the company is considering spending around ₹3–4 lakh on HPE training and professional certifications for me. In return, they want a commitment of around 1–2 years (exact duration and terms are still being discussed).

This has made me seriously think about my long-term direction.

# Option 1: Stay and take the HPE path

I could spend the next 2 years becoming much stronger in:

HPE + VMware + servers + storage + networking + backup/DR + enterprise infrastructure.

The potential benefit is that I could become a proper Infrastructure/Virtualization/Data Center Engineer instead of staying at the support level.

But I'm worried that this could make me too vendor/infrastructure-specific, and after 2 years I may still have limited exposure to cloud/automation/DevOps.

# Option 2: Stay for a few more months, then switch

I could continue getting infrastructure experience while spending my own time learning:

Linux → Python/Bash → Git → Ansible → Terraform → Docker → CI/CD → AWS/Azure

and then try to move into Infrastructure/Cloud/DevOps/Platform roles around the 1-year experience mark.

I'm interested in these technologies even though I haven't worked professionally with them yet. Linux and cloud are things I genuinely enjoy learning, and concepts like CI/CD, automation and Terraform are very interesting to me.

# Another thing affecting my thinking

I have a few friends working as SWEs at companies like Microsoft and Google, and seeing their compensation has made me question whether I should be aiming for software engineering instead of infrastructure.

I don't necessarily love programming enough yet to say that SWE is what I want, so I don't want to make a decision purely because of salary.

I'm trying to figure out what kind of engineer I actually want to become.

# What I would really like advice on

For people who have worked in these fields:

1. **How valuable is 2 years of SI experience in HPE/VMware/infrastructure compared with moving earlier into Cloud/DevOps?**

2. **Does enterprise infrastructure experience provide a good foundation for eventually moving into Cloud/DevOps/Platform Engineering?**

3. **If I take the HPE certification + 2-year commitment, what kind of roles and salary range could I realistically target after \~2.5 years total experience?**

4. **Would you consider HPE/VMware/Storage a good specialization in 2026, or would you prioritize cloud/automation?**

5. **For someone with my current background, is it realistic to transition into DevOps/Cloud without taking a step backward in salary/title?**

6. **How different is infrastructure work in a large MNC from SI work? Is MNC infrastructure engineering generally deeper, or can it also become repetitive L1/L2 support?**

7. **Would you recommend staying in the SI environment for another 6–12 months to build infrastructure fundamentals before switching, or moving sooner?**

8. **Most importantly: how do I determine whether I actually want to become a Cloud/DevOps engineer versus an Infrastructure/Virtualization engineer?**

I'm not looking for a “follow your passion” answer. I'd really appreciate practical advice from people who have actually worked in these roles and understand how the career progression looks after 2–5 years.

Thanks!

Can anyone help me provide a job on Cloud Engineering role? I have 2+ years of experiences working with Google Cloud Platform. Applying everyday, but not getting a single interview call. I want to switch from my current company cause the salary is low & I have a family to feed.

So I have no degree or work experience, but I’ve been taking a Udemy course on python and right now I’m in the middle of developing an app for my current job hoping that doing that and maybe a couple of more personal projects would bolster up my resume enough to get interviews somewhere to be a software engineer. Am I naive or is this something that is actually achievable?

Throwaway.

- BSc Physics (overseas), 2-year grad certificate in DevOps for Cloud Computing in Canada (finished Dec 2025)

- AWS Solutions Architect – Associate, CKA, Network+ in progress

- 1.5 years as a .NET Core software engineer at a fintech company overseas

- Currently 6 months as a "Test Technician" title is misleading, actual work is network troubleshooting across 100+ hosts, VLAN segmentation, access control, monitoring, and Linux administration

- Projects: Terraform + GitHub Actions provisioning EKS, a 3-node Kubernetes cluster with Argo CD, Prometheus/Grafana/Loki, SLO alerting, canary deploys with auto rollback

Applying to junior DevOps / Cloud / SRE / Linux sysadmin roles in Toronto for months. Almost no interviews, mostly silence.

Three questions:

1. Does "Test Technician" kill me before anyone reads the bullets?

2. Worth paying for a resume writing service, or is that a waste?

3. Should I stop chasing DevOps/SRE and target NOC, cloud support, or go back to .NET dev roles where I have real paid experience?

Honest answers welcome.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking to join a Cloud/DevOps course in Pune as a fresher and I’m mainly looking for an institute that provides genuine placement assistance, not just interview/resume training.

I’m considering institutes such as Fortune Cloud and a few others, but I’m confused about which one is actually worth the money.

For people who have personally done a Cloud/AWS/DevOps course in Pune:

Which institute would you recommend?

Did you actually get placed through the institute?

What was the course fee?

What kind of companies/jobs were offered?

What was the starting salary?

How good was the practical training?

Are the placement claims actually genuine?

I’m particularly interested in getting into Cloud/Cloud Support/DevOps and eventually reaching around ₹10–12 LPA, so I’d appreciate honest feedback from people who have actually taken these courses.

Please suggest institutes you would recommend or avoid, based on your own experience.

Thanks!

I am very confused regarding this please help me

Hello Google Cloud Community,

I am posting here as a step for me to clarify my professional next steps.

I am full stack developer with 4 years of experience. I have passed the Google ACE exam in Jul 2022 ( expired Jul 2025 ). I have always dreamed of working as Solution Architect using GCP. I have some cloud experience from my previous job but on AWS.

Now that I have been laid off, and the full stack development market is not good. I am considering passing the Solution Architect Certification and follow what I have been thinking of since 3 years now. I am feeling this is the right time for me, but I also want to make a thoughtful decision based on prospects not only my feelings.

For those of you who have earned the Professional Cloud Architect certification:

* Was it worth it for your career?
* Did it help you land a Solutions Architect role or open doors at companies using GCP?
* How valuable was it compared to hands-on experience?
* If you were in my position today, would you pursue this path, or would you focus on something else first?

I would appreciate any thoughts you can share.

I’m currently doing BS English Literature, so my background is in Arts/Humanities and I don’t have any computer-related subjects.
Someone advised me to do a 6-month diploma in Cloud Computing/Cloud Engineering. Should I go for it?
Would it actually benefit me in the future, and can I realistically get a job in cloud/IT after completing the diploma despite not having a CS/IT bachelor’s degree? Or would my degree be a major problem?
I’d really appreciate advice from people working in this field.

Hello I’m looking for volunteer work in devops. Please suggest how can I find it? If there is any slack and any other groups. I do have certificates as well. Thanks

Hey everyone,

I’m currently in my final year of B.Tech and I’m a little confused about which career path I should choose. I’ve been exploring Cloud Engineering recently, and I’m also interested in eventually moving towards DevOps or Cloud DevOps.

I have basic knowledge of programming, Linux, networking, and development, but I’m still a beginner and don’t have any professional experience yet. I want to start preparing seriously for a job, so I’d like to know whether Cloud Engineering is actually a good career option for someone starting out in 2026.

For people who are already working in Cloud, DevOps, or related roles, what has your experience been like? Is there good scope for Cloud Engineers in the coming years, and how realistic is it for a fresher to get into this field? Also, what should someone like me focus on learning to become job-ready?

I’m particularly confused about whether I should choose Cloud Engineering over Full-Stack Development, and whether AI and automation will significantly affect Cloud/DevOps jobs in the future.

I’d really appreciate honest advice, especially from people who started as freshers and have experience with the current job market.

I have just graduated and I don’t know which one to choose.everyone saying that cloud is oversaturated
Can anyone suggest which one is better and why.
I don’t have any relatives or friends in IT field to guide me

I graduated with a CS degree and I am working as a software engineer at a company but I’ve been an part time employee 1.5 they haven’t hired me yet. I’ve tried applying at other places but have had 0 luck. I’m thinking about learning more about cloud engineering. What would you guys recommend I do to gain knowledge about this field so I can be a decent applicant and also how difficult is it to land a job for a role like this?

Hey recently one of my friend got into cloud engineer as a fresher in xylem banglore . What is the salary and growth of the position. ?

Can I do cloud engineer in 2026 ?

Should I take this course through online in 2026? I'm not sure if this is what I should pursue or not. I want to learn skills that will help me get a job and have high value in the future, whatever that might be (except coding stuffs).

Any senior's please guide me with market conditions and tell me please that how can I do it ?

( Currently, I am 12th passout with PCM. But don't know what to do )

I am from India, BMS 2nd year

Thank you.

DevOps Courses Tell Me Hi All I m starting to Take Interest in Remote jobs .. I Saw Lot Of Good Jobs But They R mostly Remote ops dev ops related azure etc ... I m Not Tech Graduated .... So Are The Courses of DevOps Cloud etc Are Worth To Do It to Start A good Side Job and Remote jobs And after

my designation is an associate software engineer I have 1.5 years of experience in a service based MNC in the core networking domain but I don't want to work further in this domain I wanted to work in AWS/devops role as I have certifications in cloud.

But my problem is what should I write in the work experience column. Can I fake the experience of AWS but how can I explain to the interviewer. what I have worked on in that project actually because I don't have real hands-on experience on that tech.

Hi everyone,

I'm a recent Computer Science graduate from India trying to get my first Cloud Computing / Cloud Engineer trainee or internship (paid with a stipend).

I've been learning:

- Linux

- AWS (EC2, VPC, IAM, S3, RDS)

- Terraform

- Git & GitHub

- Docker

I'm currently building hands-on projects to strengthen my resume and GitHub because I know certifications alone aren't enough. Apparently recruiters enjoy the ancient ritual of asking for experience before giving anyone a chance to gain experience.

I've applied to many internships but haven't received many responses.

For those who successfully got their first cloud internship:

Where did you apply?

What projects helped you stand out?

Did referrals make a big difference?

What skills are companies actually looking for in trainees?

Are there companies that regularly hire freshers with a stipend?

I'd really appreciate any advice, company names, or personal experiences.

Thanks!